MRSA, often known as staph, is a type of bacteria that is naturally occurring on your skin and in your nose. If it remains there, it usually does not cause any problems. However, when it gets under the skin or into the lungs it can cause severe infections. While in most cases bacterial infections can be eliminated by using antibiotics, MRSA is resistant to treatment, making it much more difficult to treat the infection.
It is thought that MRSA is spread through skin-to-skin contact. It often happens when healthcare workers do not clean their hands properly after coming in contact with a patient with MRSA or the contaminated environment. The best cure for MRSA is prevention, which can be achieved through proper hygiene methods. Alcohol-based disinfectants have shown to be effective in reducing the spread of MRSA.
For the person who has MRSA, proper hygiene precautions can help stop the spread of it. Daily baths or showers with an antiseptic body wash, disinfectant dusting powder, and antiseptic shampoo can be effective. There are some nasal ointments designed to treat MRSA, however, some strands are resistant to the medication. However, MRSA continues to be a threat particularly to the sick, elderly, and those in long term hospital care, causing doctors to seek new treatments.
A recent report from the University of Manchester showed that three essential oils killed MRSA in the laboratory, and were also effective at killing other infectious agents. This research could lead to new soaps, hand washes, and shampoos that could help stop the spread of the disease. The exact essential oils have not been named, however other research points to some likely candidates.
Tea tree oil, is very promising, and can be used as a nasal ointment, body wash, or cream as part of the routine daily care of the patient. Tea tree oil combined with patchouli, geranium, lavender and grapefruit seed extract has also shown to be effective. These can easily be added to cleansing products or wound dressings to help stop the spread of the disease. Lavender essential oil has shown to be effective against other bacteria that were resistant to antibiotics, and so may be effective against MRSA as well.
The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is becoming a more serious medical problem. If Alternatives are not found quickly, these drug resistant microorganisms can continue to wreck havoc on patient’s health, becoming deadlier with each mutation. While the effectiveness of essential oils against MRSA is still to be entirely proven, it definitely warrants further investigation. Remember to discuss with your doctor before starting an alternative treatments on your own so that he or she can watch for potential drug interactions.
