Silver Water Products |
|
The medical uses of silver include its incorporation into wound dressings to treat external infections, and its use as an antiseptic and disinfectant in medical appliances. Silver is also promoted within alternative medicine in the form of colloidal silver, although its use is controversial.
The silver ion (Ag+) is bioactive and in sufficient concentration readily kills bacteria in vitro. Silver also kills bacteria in external wounds in living tissue and therefore physicians use wound dressings containing silver sulfadiazine (Ag-SD) or silver nano-materials to treat external infections.[1][2][3][4][5] Wound dressings containing silver are increasing in importance due to the recent increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.[6] The disinfectant properties of silver are used in medical applications, such as urinary catheters and endotracheal breathing tubes, where the silver content is effective in reducing incidences of catheter-related urinary tract infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) respectively.[7][8][9][10] Silver is also used in bone prostheses, reconstructive orthopaedic surgery and cardiac devices,[11] as well as on surfaces and fabrics to reduce the spread of infection.[12][13] Since the 1990s, "colloidal silver", a liquid suspension of microscopic silver particles, has been marketed as an alternative medicine, often claiming impressive "cure-all" qualities. The effectiveness of these products has never been scientifically proven, and in some jurisdictions it is currently illegal to include such claims in product advertisements.[14] Medical authorities and publications advise against the ingestion of colloidal silver preparations, because of their lack of proven effectiveness and because of the risk of adverse side-effects, such as argyria.[2][15][16][17] Historically, colloidal silver was also used as an internal medication to treat a variety of diseases. Their use was largely discontinued in the 1940s, due to the development of safe and effective modern antibiotics and concern about adverse side-effects.[17][18] [edit] Disinfectant Electrolytically dissolved silver has been used as a water disinfecting agent. Silver was added as a disinfectant to the drinking water supplies of Russian Mir orbital station and the International Space Station.[27] The World Health Organization includes silver in a colloidal state produced by electrolysis of silver electrodes in water, and colloidal silver in water filters as two of a number of water disinfection methods specified to provide safe drinking water in developing countries.[28] Along these lines, a ceramic filtration system coated with silver particles has been created by Ron Rivera of Potters for Peace and used in developing countries for water disinfection.[29][30][31] The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a range of different silver-impregnated wound dressings.[32] Laboratory studies at the Biochemical Materials Research and Development Center of Jiaxing College, China, have shown that silver-containing alginate fibres provide a sustained release of silver ions when in contact with wound exudates, and are “highly effective against bacteria”.[3] A study administered by the Hull York Medical School found that an antimicrobial barrier dressing containing silver provided “a highly effective and reliable barrier to the spread of MRSA into the wider hospital.”[4][33] More recently, dressings incorporating nanocrystalline silver or activated silver-impregnated substances have become available,[1] which deliver higher concentrations of the active silver ion.[12] As of 2006, more "than 10 dressings containing pure silver" were available.[5] In particular, silver is being used with alginate, a naturally occurring biopolymer derived from seaweed, in a range of products designed to prevent infections as part of wound management procedures, particularly applicable to burn victims.[5] Wound dressings containing silver are increasing in importance due to the increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which has imposed clinical limits on the use of antibiotics. Chopra[34] states that topical silver is regaining popularity in the management of open wounds, “due largely to the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and the resultant reduction in first-line antibiotic prescribing”, and that “Some silver-based dressings appear to provide an effective alternative to antibiotics in the management of wound infection.”[6] Silver has proven antimicrobial activity that includes antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, with minimal toxicity toward mammalian cells at low concentrations, and has a less likely tendency than antibiotics to induce resistance due to its activity at multiple bacterial target sites.[6][35][36][37][38] However, some sources still hold that the evidence for the effectiveness of silver-treated dressings is mixed, as the evidence is marred by the poor quality of the trials used to assess these products.[39] Consequently a systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration found insufficient evidence to recommend the use of silver-treated dressings to treat infected wounds.[40] Although colloidal silver products are legally available at health food stores in the United States and Australia and are marketed over the Internet as a dietary supplement, it is illegal in the U.S. and Australia for marketers to make claims of medical effectiveness for colloidal silver. Ingestion of colloidal silver may result in argyria.[51][52][53][54][55] Adverse health effects Further information: Silver and Argyria According to Lansdown, the risk expected due to clinical exposure to silver is "minimal", as only chronic ingestion or inhalation of silver preparations leads to an accumulation of silver in the human body that can cause argyria, argyrosis (accumulation of silver in the eye), and other conditions.[12] Silver-based products are contra-indicated for people who are allergic to silver.[12] The reference dose, published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1991, which recommends the estimated daily exposure that is unlikely to incur a appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime, is 5 µg/kg/d; meaning 5 micrograms of silver per kilo of weight per person each day – about 1 liter of 10 ppm colloidal silver per month for a 66 kg person.[17] An article from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine points out that silver nitrate and silver sulfadiazine can have negative side-effects, and that they must be applied to the body externally and not taken internally.[2] The commercial product referred to as "colloidal silver", includes solutions that contain various concentrations of ionic silver compounds, silver colloids or silver compounds bound to proteins in water. Such products with concentrations of 30 parts per million (ppm) or less are typically manufactured using an electrolysis process, whereas those with higher concentrations of 50 ppm or more are usually silver compounds that have been bound with a protein. Colloidal silver preparations primarily deliver inactive metallic silver, rather than the active microbicidal silver ion.[48] There is no scientific evidence (there are personal testimonials traced back 1000 years) to support the effectiveness of colloidal silver in vivo.[2] Some in vitro studies demonstrate an anti-bacterial effect of colloidal silver,[49] although one study in 2004 of a colloidal silver solution marketed on the Internet showed no such antimicrobial activity.[50] There are no clinical studies in humans demonstrating effectiveness, and a few reports of toxicity.[16] The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has issued an advisory indicating that the marketing claims made about colloidal silver are not usually scientifically supported, and that the silver content of marketed supplements varies widely and that colloidal silver products could have serious side-effects to the consumer when the silver is not correctly manfacured, including "argyria,... neurologic problems (such as seizures), kidney damage, stomach distress, headaches, fatigue, and skin irritation. Colloidal silver may interfere with the body's absorption of some drugs, such as penacillamine, quinolones, tetracyclines, and thyroxine."[2] The opposition to silver water are Big Pharna and they have trillions of dollars to lose. What Is Mycoplasma?
What are mycoplasmas, and what’s the big deal about mycoplasmas infections? Mycoplasmas are said to be the the smallest free-living organism known on the planet. And some species of mycoplasma are highly infectious and can cause serious chronic degenerative disease. But unlike conventional pathogens, mycoplasmas are unique in that they lack a rigid cell membrane. Instead of the traditional rigid bacterial cell membrane, they have a very fluid, gel or lipid-like outer surface. This lack of a rigid cell wall enables them to change form at will, and move through the body in ways that other pathogens cannot, colonizing tissues, invading other cells with impunity and playing “hide and seek” within the body’s immune system. According to Dr. Lida Holmes Mattman, these “cell wall deficient forms easily move between groups of cells and fuse together to facilitate ‘genetic experiments’ within the body” frequently triggering or exacerbating numerous types of illness and disease. According to Donald Scott, MA, MSc, President of The Common Cause Medical Research Foundation: “The mycoplasma acts by entering into the individual cells of the body. Depending upon your genetic predisposition, you may develop neurological diseases if the pathogen destroys certain cells in your brain, or you may develop Crohn's colitis if the pathogen invades and destroys cells in the lower bowel. Once the mycoplasma gets into the cell, it can lie there doing nothing sometimes for 10, 20 or 30 years. But if a trauma occurs like an accident or even a vaccination that doesn't take, the mycoplasma can become triggered.” Silver is known to kill bacteria! |
Medical uses of silver
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...
Historically Silver has had some medicinal uses going back for centuries. The Phoenicians are said to have stored water, wine, and vinegar in silver bottles to prevent spoiling.[19] In the early 1900s, people would put silver coins in milk bottles to prolong the milk's freshness.[19] Hippocrates, the "father of medicine",[20] wrote that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties.[19] In the early 1900s, silver gained regulatory approval as an antimicrobial agent. Prior to the introduction of antibiotics, colloidal silver was used as a germicide and disinfectant.[21] Physicians used it as an eyedrop for ophthalmic problems,[22] for various infections,[23][24] and sometimes internally for diseases such as tropical sprue, epilepsy, gonorrhea, and the common cold.[2][16][25] Colloidal silver preparations (CSP) were used to treat or prevent "gonorrhea and gonorrheal conjunctivitis[17] Although "silver products were infrequently promoted for oral use, benefits have been even more questionable."[17] With the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s, the use of silver as an antimicrobial agent diminished.[6] [edit] Antiseptic Silver and silver compounds have an oligodynamic effect and are toxic for bacteria, algae, and fungi in vitro. The oligodynamic effect is typical for heavy metals like lead and mercury, but, among the elements that have this effect, silver is the least toxic for humans. It is established that the antibacterial action of silver is dependent on the silver ion.[12] The effectiveness of silver compounds as an antiseptic is based on the ability of the biologically active silver ion (Ag+) to irreversibly damage key enzyme systems in the cell membranes of pathogens.[12] It has long been known that the antibacterial action of silver is enhanced by the presence of an electric field. Applying a few volts of electricity across silver electrodes drastically enhances the rate that bacteria in solution are killed. It has been discovered that the antibacterial action of silver electrodes is greatly improved if the electrodes are covered with silver nanorods.[26] [edit] External infections In World War I, before the advent of antibiotics, silver compounds were used to prevent and treat infections. Silver compounds continue to be used in external preparations as antiseptics,[16] including silver nitrate, which can be used in dilute solution as eyedrops to prevent conjunctivitis in newborn babies. Silver nitrate is also sometimes used in dermatology in solid stick form as a caustic ("lunar caustic") to treat certain skin conditions such as corns and warts.[2] According to Atiyeh et al. (2007), "The gold standard in topical burn treatment is silver sulfadiazine (Ag-SD), a useful antibacterial agent for burn wound treatment". They do note, however, that silver-impregnated dressings do sometimes result in a slower healing process.[1] Silver sulfadiazine cream (SSD Cream) replaced colloidal silver as the most common delivery system for using silver on the surface of burn wounds to control infection in the 1970s.[1][2] In medical appliances The disinfectant properties of silver are used in some other medical applications, such as catheters and endotracheal breathing tubes.[41][42] A study on the use of silver-alloy catheters by the University of Michigan School of Medicine concluded that “The data supporting the use of silver alloy urinary catheters to reduce urinary catheter-related bacteriuria is reasonably strong.”[7] The study also concluded that silver alloy catheters are more effective than standard catheters for reducing bacteriuria in adults in hospital having short-term catheterization, and that, although they cost about $6 more than standard urinary catheters, they may be worth the extra cost, since catheter-related infection is a common cause of nosocomial infection and bacteremia. Related meta-analysis also clarified discrepant results among earlier trials of silver-coated urinary catheters by revealing that silver alloy catheters are significantly more effective in preventing urinary tract infections than are silver oxide catheters.[8] These conclusions are supported by, among others, studies by the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium[12] and the University Hospital for Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care, Halle, Germany.[43] In 2007, AGC Flat Glass Europe introduced the first antibacterial glass to fight hospital-caught infection: It is covered with a thin layer of silver.[44] Ionizable silver is also incorporated into fabrics to reduce the spread of bacteria.[12] Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) causes substantial morbidity. A 2008 study by Kollef et al concluded that “Patients receiving a silver-coated endotracheal tube had a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of VAP and delayed time to VAP occurrence compared with those receiving a similar, uncoated tube.”[9] In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved an endotracheal breathing tube with a fine coat of silver for use in mechanical ventilation, after studies found it reduced the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia.[10] The use of these devices is contraindicated for persons who are allergic to silver,[12] and no thorough testing and standardization of these products has yet been undertaken.[6] Alternative medicine From approximately 1990, there has been a resurgence of the promotion of colloidal silver as an alternative medicine treatment, marketed with claims of it being an essential mineral supplement, or that it can prevent or treat numerous diseases like cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and herpes,[17] as well as tuberculosis.[2][18][45] Silver is not an essential mineral in humans; there is no dietary requirement for silver, and no such thing as a silver "deficiency".[2] There is no medical evidence that colloidal silver is effective for any of these claimed indications.[46][47] This is about the wrong kind of Silver -- The chronic intake of silver products and the silver buildup from colloidal silver can result in an accumulation of silver or silver sulfide particles in the hair, skin, kidneys, liver, heart and muscles due to high methionine-containing proteins, such as keratin, myosin, tropomyosin, troponin, and key dieptide glutathione. There have been isolated reports of serious neurologic (such as seizures), renal, or hepatic complications, as well as headaches, stomach distress, fatigue, and skin irritation.[56][57] if ingested, colloidal silver may react with certain drugs, such as Penicillamine, thyroxine, quinolones, and tetracyclines.[58] One death has been reported in the medical literature which the authors felt was due to silver toxicity resulting from repeated oral ingestion of colloidal silver.[59] Colloidal silver can reduce the absorption of some medications, including tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics and can bind to penicillamine, thereby reducing the effectiveness of those medications.[16] As in photography (where silver is used due to its reactivity with light), silver particles in the skin darken with exposure to sunlight, resulting in a blue or gray discoloration of the skin. This condition is known as argyria, which is a dermatological condition, characterized by grayish-blue pigmentation of the skin, nails, gums, and deep tissues; and, in similar manner, it can lead to silver in the eye (argyrosis) and in other organs.[12] Localized argyria can occur as a result of topical use of substances containing silver, while generalized argyria results from the chronic ingestion of such substances.[56] Argyria was long believed to be irreversible,[48] but recently laser therapy has been used to treat it with satisfactory cosmetic results.[60][61][62] The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) describes argyria as a "cosmetic problem",[63] although some people consider it to be socially debilitating.[64][65] Regulation In August 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned colloidal silver sellers from claiming any therapeutic or preventive value for the product, noting that colloidal silver was being marketed for numerous diseases without evidence of safety or effectiveness.[47] As a result, the product now has the status of a dietary supplement in the US; it can be promoted with general "structure-function" claims, but cannot be marketed as preventing or treating any illness.[47] Following this ruling, the FDA has issued numerous Warning Letters to Internet sites that have continued to promote colloidal silver as an antibiotic or for other medical purposes.[66][67] In 2002, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) found that there were no legitimate medical uses for colloidal silver and no evidence to support its marketing claims. Given the associated safety risks, the TGA concluded that "efforts should be made to curb the illegal availability of colloidal silver products, which is a significant public health issue."[68] |