Skin infections

There are three categories that Skin infections fall under:

1) VIRAL INFECTIONS

Warts and Verrucae: There’s a lot of folklore and history attached to viral infections of the skin. One story said that if you cut the top off a wart and left it at a crossroad, the next highway man who galloped by would take the wart with him and yours would be gone in the morning. Hardly politically correct - and these days he’d probably sue you.

Even as recently as 50 years ago many chemists had a wart book. You had to pay him - and it was invariably a him in those times - today’s equivalent of about 2p to sign the book and the money went to charity. Presumably, generosity was a cure for viral infections - but there’s no scientific evidence to support that!

Old wives’ tales aside, there’s no doubt that conventional medicine is far more effective at treating these infections than any natural remedy. But if you really want an alternative, strapping the inside of a banana skin to the wart or verruca has been known to help.

Genital Warts: There are no natural remedies or complementary therapies which will treat this condition, but there’s an old wives’ tale that suggests that using the inside surface of banana skin applied to any type of warts may reduce them. If you’re willing to wrap a banana skin around your rude bits it might help - and it can’t do any harm.

Cold sores: Go to the relevant section on cold sores.

Genital Herpes: There are no natural remedies or complementary therapies that can cure this condition, but if you or your partner has genital herpes, sex without a condom is, frankly, stupid. Of course you may want to have a baby, and the only advice we can give is that you try to conceive when you’re not having an attack of the virus.

Some culinary herbs might help. Lemon balm (Melissa) has powerful anti-viral properties, so use it in cooking and drink Melissa tea at least once a day. Some of the other aromatic herbs are also anti-viral, so use thyme, oregano, Coriander and Basil in your cooking.

The most useful Supplements:

L-Lysine	1gm to 5gm per day during an infection or 1ml to 5ml as a tincture
Selenium	200mcg to 600mcg per day for up to 6 weeks
Vitamin A	30,000iu per day for 4 weeks
Vitamin B complex	1 to 2 capsules per day
Vitamin C	1gm per day, increase to 1gm every 2 to 3 hours during active infection
Zinc with Copper	30mg per day and 2mg per day

The most useful Herbs:

It’s also important to keep your body’s immune system functioning well and to the nourish nerve tissues, which is where the virus lives. Useful herbal pills include:

Echinacea	1gm to 5gm per day during an infection or 1ml to 5ml as a tincture
Garlic	2,000mg per day

2) BACTERIAL INFECTIONS

For all bacterial infections it’s vital to keep your immune system functioning properly. That means having a well-balanced diet with plenty of complex carbohydrates - wholemeal cereals, pasta, wholemeal bread, rice - at least five portions (500g in weight) of fresh fruit and vegetables and two litres of fluid a day.

Sugar makes the body less efficient at destroying bacteria, so does eating too much fat. But live bio-yoghurt produces acids that destroy invading bugs, so eat one carton, preferably organic, a day.

And it goes without saying that smoking and drinking too much alcohol don’t do your immune system any favours at all.

Getting enough sleep is important, although the amount varies from person to person - Margaret Thatcher famously ran the country on only four hours a night, but some of us feel wretched if we don’t get our regulation eight hours - and sleep needs do decline as we get older. You’ll know what’s right for you.

You should also get some fresh air every day and do at least half an hour of exercise three times a week. It doesn’t have to be particularly strenuous - any activity which you enjoy and which gets you slightly out of breath will do, even a brisk walk.

The most useful Herbs:

Vitamin A	15,000iu per day
Vitamin C	1gm to 3gm per day
Bioflavanoids	1gm to 2gm per day
Carotenoids	20mg per day
Zinc with Copper	30mg and 2mg per day

The most useful Herbs:

Echinacea	1gm to 2gm per day or combination
Garlic	1gm to 2gm per day or combination
Thyme	1gm to 2gm per day or combination
Green Tea	1gm to 2gm per day or combination

3) FUNGAL INFECTIONS

These infections are rarely serious, but they can interfere with quality of life - particularly in active young people who will obviously feel embarrassed by flaking skin. There are natural remedies and dietary changes which can help all forms of fungal infection. They include:

Eating lots of Garlic in your food and supplementing it with Garlic pills
Putting Tea Tree oil on the affected areas and adding it to your bath
Cutting down on sugar
Keeping off refined carbohydrates - in cakes, sweets and biscuits. They’re very sweet and all yeast infections thrive on sugar

Try grapefruit seed extract as a supplement or topical use or try colloidal silver in a topical application.

See also sections on thrush and systemic candidiasis as these yeast infections are sometimes the cause of fungal infections.

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The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.