How Can He Fight Against a Blood Infection?

Question:

Last summer my partner, who has had a knee replacement, had an accident and went to hospital, where they found he had an infection in his knee. He had surgery but became seriously ill and was diagnosed with septicemia. He needs more surgery on his knee, but the infection is still showing in his blood. How can we help improve things?

Answer:

Blood is the principal supplier of nutrients, such as protein glucose, minerals and oxygen, to the body. Bacteria and viruses find blood an ideal medium to thrive in, and some parasites do the same; for example malaria, which, after incubating in the liver, makes its way into the bloodstream, causing fevers and chills as red blood cells rupture to release new batches of malarial parasites.

When infection enters the bloodstream directly, due to an injury or via an injection with an infected needle, the white blood cells-the front line of the disease, fighting immune system - try their best to swallow up the bacteria. However, because the bacteria multiply so fast they are able to thrive unhindered. The danger is that septicemia will ensue where, if left untreated, the infection is carried to different parts of the body and can attack multiple organs. The body may go into a potentially fatal sate called septic shock where the bacteria produce toxins that damage blood vessels, causing a drop in blood pressure and widespread tissue damage. Clotting may also be affected.

Sometimes the blood supply becomes susceptible to infection when the body is run down, due, for instance, to chronic ailments, prolonged use of immunosuppressant drugs, cancers of the blood, or widespread burns (where the burnt skin produces toxic proteins and is also wide open to penetration by bacteria). Any bacteria living in the teeth, tonsils, gut, urinary tract, appendix, skin (eg, boils) and sinuses can then enter the blood and thrive, causing septicemia.

The most common symptoms of initial infection of blood are fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrohea and fatigue. It's vital to get anyone with these symptoms to hospital immediately. Blood cultures will then be taken to identify the bacteria and which antibiotics should be given. Since your husband has a chronic blood infection, I assume that antibiotics have not contained the bacteria. This is a serious situation and your partner needs to be monitored by his medical team. You can help by improving his immune system to fight off the infection more effectively.

Here are my suggestions

* Avoid coffee, alcohol, yeast products, excess sugar, canned or processed products, because they weaken the immune system. Eat fresh, simple food.

* To boost energy eat 200g avocado and ten whole almonds (soak for 74 hours in water at room temperature, remove skin and eat with 20g Manuka honey) daily to support liver function, eat 250g papaya daily.

* Drink a glass daily of freshly juiced organic carrots and fresh peeled root ginger, which have valuable fresh enzymes.

* Drink ready-juiced mangosteen fruit - two tablespoons full twice a day for a month -to combat chronic infection.

* Drink this at bedtime for energy: six to seven saffron strands infused in l00ml organic full-fat milk with 50g manuka honey.

Supplements

* Multivitamins and Minerals capsules: one daily for three months.

* Kolonji oil: one teaspoonful with half a teaspoonful of manuka honey, daily for two months.

Oxygen therapy

This boosts the immune system. Your partner should sit in an oxygen tent for an hour every week if you can locate this resource. Or ask his physician if he can arrange low - dosage oxygen for 2O to 30 minutes twice or three times a week for a month. He should also walk in the fresh air for an hour a day. Practicing cleansing breath is also beneficial: sitting or standing, with your arms relaxed by your sides, straighten your upper back and pull your shoulders back; close your mouth and look straight ahead. Breathe in fully through your nose. Breathe out quickly, pulling your stomach in. Pause between breaths for a second or so, and then breathe in again at leisure. Repeat up to 25 times. Follow with retention breath: inhale for three seconds, hold your breath for three, then exhale slowly for six seconds.