Infection Archives - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Natural Remedies for Athlete’s Foot

May 5, 2015 by elisha

Summer is a great season for playing sports, getting out, and being active. With all of the excess heat, moving around, and protective gear, Athletes’ Foot can often result. You might be asking “What exactly is Athletes’ Foot, and how do I know if I have it?” It is my hope that this blog will provide you with the information you need to identify it in yourself and your family, and give you some time tested home remedies that I and my family have found useful.

What is Athletes’ Foot?

Athletes’ Foot is a form of a fungal infection that can affect the skin between the toes, and possibly spread to the toe nails. Often, you might experience itching and burning pain, with skin scaling and areas of white skin. As mentioned above, this can spread to the toe nails, where a build-up of debris can begin underneath the toe nail and even cause the toe nail to fall off.

What can I do to prevent?

First and foremost is prevention. Making sure the area is kept as dry as possible is important for preventing it from occurring. Several ways that you can do this is making sure you wear “fresh” socks (not reusing socks after a day’s worth of use), and drying your feet thoroughly after a showering. Some people have even used baking soda in their shoes to make sure that their feet stay dry.

What can I do at home to treat this?

There are quite a few different ways you can treat this at home. Below, I have provided several different treatments my family and I have used at home with success!

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil can be applied directly to the area in order to treat the fungal infection. Alternatively, 2 drops of tea tree oil can be put into a foot bath. For the foot bath, simply leave your feet soaking in warm water (to your tolerance) for 15-20 minutes.

Epsom Salt Foot Bath

Not only are Epsom salt foot baths useful for athletes’ foot, but it is also a great way to relax after a long day at work. The salt will help kill off any infection, as well, the magnesium will help to soothe the area.

Black Tea Foot Bath

I like using black tea foot baths to treat athletes’ foot, because not only is it effective, but most people have tea bags at home that they can use without trying to find specific ingredients or products that they have never even heard of let alone used at a store. You simply add 1-2 tea bags to your hot foot bath and let soak for 15-20 minutes.

Garlic

Though this treatment can be a bit messy, it is quite effective for treating fungal infections. To apply garlic to the area, you can mince it and apply it directly to the skin. The caution I would give to you for this is that it might burn and be uncomfortable. I would use this as a last resort if the other home remedies did not work first, because of the possible discomfort involved with this.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please contact Elisha Cook for more information.

Vaccines: Are Naturopathic Doctors against them?

February 17, 2015 by elisha

In wake of the recent debate regarding whether to vaccinate or not, many people would assume that Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) in general, being the glorified hippies and witch-doctors (please note the hint of sarcasm here) that they are, would be against vaccinations. I wrote this blog to clear the air on what stance Naturopathic Doctors might take on this debate (Please note that I have attempted to be as un-bias as possible in the writing of this article, but if my opinions have come through, please be aware that they are merely my opinions and do not reflect that Naturopathic profession as a whole).

Recently, the Dean of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine released the following statement to all of the interns, including myself, that work at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic:

“As many of you may have noted, there is considerable discussion in the media these days with respect to childhood vaccination. Given that childhood vaccination is discussed in a variety of areas in the curriculum, students may not feel as clear about our official curriculum position on vaccinations as they should be. Specifically, although all medical treatment should be administered in a manner that reflects the individual needs of the patient, CCNM is supportive of childhood vaccinations in general, including the recommended vaccination schedules. Interns are reminded that we have a policy on this in our Clinic Standards Manual 2014/15:

2.1 Vaccination is a population‐based strategy to protect a whole population or defined risk group or an individual against significant infectious diseases. In addition to vaccination, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and lifestyle choices can also play a role in the prevention of contagious diseases as well as limiting their spread.

2.2 While it is recognized that vaccinations can be associated with self‐limiting (i.e., minor) adverse reactions, and even rare severe adverse reactions, the safety and benefits of vaccinations in reducing risks of diseases that were previously widely prevalent and caused substantial morbidity and mortality, are vastly superior to any other method currently available. Currently, no other strategies have been shown to offer equal protection to either the population or the individual.

2.3 It is the responsibility of the health‐care provider to report adverse effects to vaccinations and educate their patients. Health‐care providers at CCNM and CCNM teaching clinics should thoroughly review the most current version of the guidelines set out in the Canadian Immunization Guide which includes educational material as well as forms on how to report suspected or confirmed adverse reactions to vaccinations.

2.4 Some naturopathic doctors prescribe homeopathic remedies and/or other naturopathic treatments as alternatives to vaccinations.

2.5 The use of homeopathic remedies and/or other naturopathic treatments for the purposes described in 2.4 is not permitted at any of the CCNM teaching clinics.

2.6 The use of homeopathic remedies and/or other naturopathic treatments to provide immune support is acceptable.”

This statement may come as a surprise to most people, thinking that Naturopathic Doctors would be strongly opposed to vaccinations, because it’s a conventional means of treating. Naturopathic Doctors are not opposed to conventional medicine. As I tell many patients, there is a time and a place for antibiotics, surgery, and even, anti – depressants [gasp] to name a few. In the case of vaccines, they were created as a public health measure to protect against different diseases. That being said, some may be necessary and some may not be based on individual preference and opinion. It is the job of your health care provider to help you make an informed decision as to what you feel your family needs for their health. This is where informed consent comes in.

The bottom line to this discussion is simple: patient education and informed consent. Informed consent is at the heart of all medical procedures and needs to be obtained in all circumstances. Informed consent involves informing patients of all risks, benefits, complications, and alternatives to any medical endeavor. Unfortunately with the lack of time spent with health care providers, it can be challenging for parents to become completely informed as to what their options really are and the truth behind all of the research that exists in favour of or opposed to different procedures. The clear need that stands out in this debate of pro-vaccine versus anti – vaccine is that there needs to be more patient education in regards to their choices. One does not have to strictly get all the vaccines or no vaccines at all. You have a choice and you should feel empowered to choose what is best for your family and community. Informed decision making does not just involve vaccinations, but all other medical procedures as well. Naturopathic Doctors may have individual opinions on the issue, but the common thread that connects all is pro – informed-decision-making.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Power Food: Strawberries

November 26, 2014June 24, 2014 by elisha

Strawberries are a delicious fruit with quite the history. Historically, they were used for such conditions as kidney stones and were believed to possess great medicinal value. Strawberries were also used to symbolize perfection, righteousness, and love. Beyond these historical traits, strawberries provide an array of health benefits.

To begin with, strawberries are a terrific source of Vitamin C. They contain even higher concentrations of vitamin C than citrus fruits. A hand full of the fruit is enough to meet daily requirements for vitamin C. Strawberries also contain a high concentration of folate. Aside from these nutrients, strawberries are also a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamin A, manganese, iodine, magnesium, copper, iron, and phosphorous. In combination with these vitamins and minerals, strawberries also contain Quercetin, which has been shown to be effective for allergies. This fruit has also been shown to increase the absorption of iron from the diet.

Currently, we know that Strawberries have the following therapeutic actions, which makes it such a “Power Food”:

Anti – neoplastic – research has suggested that strawberries can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer
Anti – inflammatory – reduces or eliminates inflammation in the body
Anti – oxidant – reduces free – radical damage that can promote or cause disease
Anti – allergenic – reduces allergies, or symptoms of allergies
Anti – bacterial – kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria
Anti – aging – promotes health
Anti – coagulant – reduces blood thickening that might lead to disease
Anti – hypertensive – lowers blood pressure

Along with these health promoting benefits of strawberries, they also have the capacity to reduce insulin spikes following consumption of bread, protect against DNA damage (which can contribute to diseases such as cancer), and increase HDL (good) cholesterol.

Based on all of the properties that strawberries possess, they have the potential to aid in preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and plaque forming within arteries. One might argue that based on the properties that strawberries contain, that they could be beneficial for infections, high blood pressure, allergies, and promoting overall health.

Before you go running to pick those healthy, delicious strawberries, one thing should be taken into consideration. Food preparation matters. The fresher the fruit, the healthier it is for you! The more processing, such as cooking, that the fruit undergoes, the less of the nutritional properties that will be available.

So, the next time you look at a strawberry, do not merely judge it by its lovely red exterior, but acknowledge its nutritional value and how it can help you achieve your health goals!