Antibiotics May Lead to Kidney Stones

The instances of kidney stones have risen dramatically in new demographics like children, women, and African Americans and a newly released study from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has found that taking commonly prescribed antibiotics is a factor in that rise. Researchers examined the health records of 25,981 people 3 to 12 months before their first incidence of kidney stones and a control group consisting of 259,797 people without kidney stones. They discovered that the risk of kidney stones increased after patients were given any of 5 different categories of often used antibiotics; sulfas, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, nitrofurantoin/methenamine, and broad-spectrum penicillins. The risk increase was anywhere from 27 percent higher for penicillins to twice that number for sulfonamides. Gregory E. Tasian, MD, MSc, MSCE, a pediatric urologist and epidemiologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) led the study. Based on his experience,

The emergence of kidney stones in children is particularly worrisome, because there is limited evidence on how to best treat children for this condition…The fact that stones were once rare and are now increasingly common could contribute to the inappropriate use of diagnostic tests such as CT scans for children with kidney stones, since healthcare providers historically have not been accustomed to evaluating and treating children with kidney stones. These trends of increased frequency of kidney stones among adolescents, particularly females, are also concerning when you consider that kidney stones are associated with a higher risk of chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular and bone disease, particularly among young women.”

Related: Natural Remedies for Kidney Stones, Prevention, and What Really Causes Them

Kidney Stones And Other Disease

Long associated with older men, the rising risk of kidney stones among other parts of the population means other, connected health conditions will likely increase as well. Kidney stones have been linked to chronic kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, and bone disease. There has been a correlation between the increase in kidney stones and the increase of some of these conditions, and that’s becoming more difficult to ignore. For example, the lifetime risk for kidney stones for women between 1997 and 2012 rose from 10.5% to 15.2%. Meanwhile, the rate of hospitalization for women aged 35-44 due to acute ischemic strokes rose by 30%.

Related: How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials

Kidney stones by no means guarantee someone will have a stroke, but both conditions are affecting increasingly younger and more diverse demographics. Kidney stones are likely to reoccur, increasing the risk for other diseases related to kidney stones. What does that look like for a twenty-year-old who has developed kidney stones?

Related: Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge

The Key is Holistic

It’s so easy to look for or focus on a single reason that things have happened. We all want a definitive answer or an easy scapegoat. But the real answers are often messier. Our lives and our health are made up of minute ripples, that we don’t keep track of and forget about until all of a sudden it’s serious. If a recurring issue isn’t addressed at the root cause (likely diet), it will continue to accumulate damage in the body, until the body is no longer able to function properly. Kidney stones are not the only serious health condition becoming more prevalent in younger people. This will be the first generations of Americans with shorter, lower quality lifespans than the previous generation. The system is designed to keep us well enough to function, but that doesn’t always equate with a high quality of life.

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FDA Approves Marijuana-based Prescription Drug

The US Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of the country’s first marijuana-based prescription medication June 25. The drug is called Epidiolex. This drug is a plant-derived oral solution of cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD. CBD is a chemical component of marijuana and it does not cause intoxication; it does not get you high.

The FDA has just approved it for use with patients aged two and older who suffer from epilepsies known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. This is the first time FDA has approved a drug derived from cannabis and it is the first time the FDA has approved a drug to treat Dravet syndrome.

The next hurdle is getting the US Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify CBD, which like all cannabis, is currently classified as a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs include heroin and LSD and marijuana because they are said to have high abuse potential, no medical use, and severe safety concerns. Schedule I drug use, including medical use, is against federal law. GW Pharmaceuticals, the creator of Epidiolex, won’t be able to market the drug unless the DEA reclassifies CBD.

GW expects that the DEA will reschedule CBD within 90 days. In a statement, GW CEO Justin Gover said:

Today’s approval of EPIDIOLEX is a historic milestone, offering patients and their families the first and only FDA-approved CBD medicine to treat two severe, childhood-onset epilepsies. This approval is the culmination of GW’s many years of partnership with patients, their families, and physicians in the epilepsy community to develop a much needed, novel medicine. These patients deserve and will soon have access to a cannabinoid medicine that has been thoroughly studied in clinical trials, manufactured to assure quality and consistency, and available by prescription under a physician’s care.”

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Tonsillectomies Linked to Increased Risks of Allergies, Respiratory Illnesses, and Infectious Diseases

An original investigation published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Otolaryngology-Head & Neck division finds that children who underwent tonsil and/or adenoid (the gland on the roof of the mouth that near the connection between nose and mouth) removal contend with increased risks of allergies, respiratory illnesses, and infectious diseases. Researchers conducted a review of nearly 1.2 million children where roughly 60,000 of them had tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies, or adenotonsillectomy. The children that underwent the procedure were 2 to 3 times more likely to experience upper respiratory diseases. In addition, adenoid removal resulted in a 17% higher risk of infectious disease.

When I was younger, I remember reading a Sweet Valley Twins book where the twins get their tonsils out. They were scared, but by the end of the book all fears had been assuaged and they accepted that getting your tonsils out was an easy operation, simply another cost of childhood. No one asked any questions. As an adult, I have many. What condition is serious to warrant removing a body part? Were there any other alternatives? Most importantly, what does the removal of your tonsils mean for your health long term?

Why do they do a tonsillectomy? 

Tonsil and adenoid removals are usually done in childhood. In fact, the adenoids typically shrink after the age of seven so later removal of them is usually not considered necessary. Both removals are performed in response to inflammation, as enlarged adenoids and tonsils can block a child’s airway. Tonsils, in particular, are associated with sore throats.

Related: What Causes Chronic Inflammation, and How To Stop It For Good

There is a good reason that tonsils are associated with sore throats. Tonsils and adenoids are the body’s first line of defense against pathogens that enter through the mouth. Doctors remove tonsils and adenoids because they’re inflamed, causing sore throats…but that’s what they’re designed to do. The inflammation is a direct response to infection. The tonsils produce T and B cells, and the adenoids produce white blood cells to combat infection. These organs are known to perform vitally important functions in the body, yet removing them is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in childhood.

Alternative Treatment Options

Many doctors are beginning to steer clear of tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies, as they’re finding equal or better rates of success with antibiotics. Of course, while much better than surgery, antibiotics are problematic as well. There are other ways to get in front of a sore throat, sinus infection, or cold. Time is of the essence, so the sooner you react to the little tingle at the back of your throat indicating something is wrong, the better. Implementing these steps quickly can be the difference between a day of feeling groggy and a week of downing supplements in a valiant effort to avoid bronchitis or strep. Some of them will obviously be difficult for children. Prevention, aka diet, is really the most important, especially for kids.

Related: How to Detoxify From Antibiotics and Other Chemical Antimicrobials

Step One: Lock down the diet. This is not a time to be treating yourself. Sugar, processed foods, and dairy all feed the infection and can prolong the amount of time you need to recover. Big, diverse salads loaded with lots of chopped garlic and herbs are a must.

Step Two: Find (or make) a fire cider. Sip on it all day. The spicier the better. If you have a small child or if you absolutely can’t take the cider without something to sweeten it up, the only option is truly raw honey. Once the honey is heated in any way, the body recognizes it as simple sugars and it feeds the infection. Pro tip: try gargling the cider, especially at the back of the throat. Here’s one we like.

Step Three: Chew on raw garlic. Garlic should be your new best friend. For more on how great garlic is, read this article. You don’t have to swallow it (especially on an empty stomach, as no one wants to puke when they potentially have a sore throat), but if you feel like you can keep it down, go for it! The longer you can chew the garlic in your mouth, the better.

Related:  Make Your Immune System Bulletproof with These Natural Remedies

If you catch the issue in time, these three steps can be lifesavers. If you need a little extra oomph, other good natural treatments include oil of oregano, berberine in one of its many forms, slippery elm tea, cayenne in your lemonade, and in dire straits, herbal snuff (it hurts).

Conclusion

Tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies are responses to these organs working the way they are designed to. There’s a pattern of this, the removal of necessary body parts, in modern medicine, from the tonsils to the appendix to circumcision. In our effort to figure out and control our surroundings, we frequently forget to consider the whole picture. We forget how holistic health actually is.

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HPV Vaccine May Be Associated with Infertility…Again

A new study has found that women who received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine were statistically less likely to conceive than those who had not received it. Reviewing data on 8 million U.S. women from ages 25-29 gathered by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the study suggests that under a 100% HPV vaccination rate, the number of women who successfully conceived would drop by 2 million. The data does not give the HPV vaccine as the cause of infertility, but after accounting for others factors like income, ethnicity, marital status, and education women who received the vaccine were 25% less likely to have conceived.

HPV and Controversy

The HPV vaccine has been massively controversial, and it has been associated with infertility before. Three girls aged 16 to 18 in rural southwestern Australia were diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency shortly after receiving the vaccination. The study examining those young women also noted that the report for the HPV vaccine did not present an ovary histology report (even though the vaccine is for women…). Gardasil has also been linked to other long-term damage, with many women experiencing the development or aggravation of autoimmune issues or neurological problems like seizures, paralysis, and speech problems. Popular Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, says,

Gardasil alone has had more than 38,000 adverse events reported through March 2015. And that number is estimated to be only 10% of all actual adverse events…”

Even the vaccine inserts show evidence that the HPV vaccine is a factor in inducing serious long-lasting health conditions.

Related: Vaccines, Retroviruses, DNA, and the Discovery That Destroyed Judy Mikovits’ Career

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkyjgY70yPA

Related: How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

A Bad Deal

The HPV vaccine is only one reason for declining fertility, but then again premature ovary failure is only one of the health issues that has been reported as a result of the vaccine. There are nearly 32,000 instances of HPV caused cancer every year in the U.S. The National Institue for Health estimates that 23.5 million Americans suffer from an autoimmune disorder, one of the commonly reported health issues caused by Gardasil. Conventional medicine is pushing a vaccine that will protect thousands at the cost of negatively impacting millions. Why is this ok? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that healthcare costs associated with autoimmune disorders are twice as much as those associated with cancer. Autoimmune disorders create repeat customers…and business is booming.

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Swine Flu Is Now Infecting Dogs

H1N1, a flu virus originating from birds and commonly identified as swine flu, has been discovered in dogs from the Guangxi region of China. These animals were brought to the vet after showing symptoms consistent with canine influenza, and researchers published their analysis of the 16 strains of flu they found. The most notable discovery was H1N1, the swine flu strain responsible for the 2009 pandemic that resulted in more than 200,000 deaths. Study co-author Adolfo García-Sastre, director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, says there is a reason to be cautious.

Related: How Viruses Work and How to Prevent and Eliminate Them Naturally

In our study, what we have found is another set of viruses that come from swine that are originally avian in origin, and now they are jumping into dogs and have been reassorted with other viruses in dogs. We now have H1N1, H3N2, and H3N8 in dogs. They are starting to interact with each other. This is very reminiscent of what happened in swine ten years before the H1N1 pandemic.”

Adaptable Influenza

The continuing battle to correctly guess the dominant flu strain of the season showcases how adaptive and varied the flu is. Often pandemics originate in animals, usually birds or swine. While dogs have never been considered a significant carrier of the virus, more varied and potentially strains have been showing up in canine tests. The potential for a devastating flu pandemic that we aren’t prepared for is high in man’s best friend. There have been documented instances of viruses from avian, porcine, and equine sources successfully jumping to dogs, and that’s a potential flu cocktail that humans don’t have immunity against.

Can It Affect Us?

Does that even matter? There is no case of a human ever being infected by canine flu.

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Humans have previously been infected by the strain of flu found in the dogs, H1N1, but previous exposure has come from birds, who were the original carriers. Of course, H1N1 is now more closely identified with pigs, after 2009 swine flu outbreak. H1N1 became the dominant strain of flu in 1998, and the virus was seriously affecting humans within ten years. Before then, the idea that humans would be suffering from swine flu was farfetched.

It’s important to note that vaccination efforts were unsuccessful in both pigs and humans, primarily due to how fast the virus evolves. H1N1 also showed resistance to Tamiflu, the controversial antiviral drug. Healthcare professionals in the U.S. ended up using vaccines nearly identical to the seasonal flu vaccine, which is a daunting prospect in light of how poorly that immunization performed this year. If the discovery of an adaptable H1N1 virus in dogs follows the same trajectory as H1N1 did in pigs, do we have any good solutions?  In cases of avian flu, farmers eliminate diseased birds from the flock immediately. Is that even an option when many Americans consider their dog a member of the family?

Recommended: How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally

The More You Know

Scientists repeatedly mention how diverse canine flu strains are becoming, and there isn’t a push to figure out why. Perhaps part of the answer is the proximity of the animals to the ultimate disease incubators – us.

The further we continue down the rabbit hole of our health care system, the more it becomes clear that we have dramatically underestimated our opponents. Our answers to the problems posed by bacteria and viruses have seemed to inspire those pathogens to greater and more creative heights at a speed not seen in nature.

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CRISPR Edited Cells May Cause Cancer According to Two Studies

Gene editing changes an organism’s DNA. The technology allows genetic material inside a cell to be added, removed, or altered at specific locations within the genome.  Many different gene editing technologies have been developed, including CRISPR-Cas9, short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9.” This gene editing method has generated tons of excitement in the scientific community because it was believed to be faster, less expensive, and much more accurate than other existing genome editing methods.

CRISPR-Cas9 was a much-hyped gene editing tool that was going to be a breakthrough for medicine. A Newsweek title read, “…Could Stop Cancer, Diabetes and Bioterrorism.” But there’s a problem. Editing a cell’s genomes with CRISPR-Cas9 could have unintended consequences. According to two studies published in Nature Medicine, the CRISPR-Cas9 edited cells may seed tumors inside a patient. Those same cells that were intended to treat disease could be triggering cancer. Even though the stocks tanked upon the news, researches don’t want to sound the alarm bells. Bernhard Schmierer, a researcher with the Karolinska Institutet, said that CRISPR-Cas9 is a “powerful tool with staggering therapeutic potential,” before he went into possible risks,

Like all medical treatments however, CRISPR-Cas9-based therapies might have side effects, which the patients and caregivers should be aware of. Our study suggests that future work on the mechanisms that trigger p53 in response to CRISPR-Cas9 will be critical in improving the safety of CRISPR-Cas9-based therapies.”

Related: How to Avoid GMOs in 2018 – And Everything Else You Should Know About Genetic Engineering

Dr. Emma Haapaniemi, a researcher at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet and co-first author of the study stated,

By picking cells that have successfully repaired the damaged gene we intended to fix, we might inadvertently also pick cells without functional p53. If transplanted into a patient, as in gene therapy for inherited diseases, such cells could give rise to cancer, raising concerns for the safety of CRISPR-based gene therapies.”

P53 mutations are responsible for nearly half of ovarian cancers; 43 percent of colorectal cancers; 38 percent of lung cancers; nearly one-third of pancreatic, stomach, and liver cancers; and one-quarter of breast cancers, among others.” – STAT

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Puget Sound Mussels Contain Opioids, Antidepressants, and Chemotherapy Drugs

The biannual Puget Sound mussel monitoring study found that three of eighteen samples of native bay mussels contained trace amounts of oxycodone, the chemotherapy drug Melphalan, and antidepressants. Scientists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) transplant uncontaminated mussels to various locations in the Seattle and Bremerton harbors and check them two to three months later. It is not unusual for pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs like cocaine to be found during these surveys, but this is the first time scientists have found opioids. Jennifer Lanksbury is a biologist at the WDWW.

What we eat and what we excrete goes into the Puget Sound…It’s telling me there’s a lot of people taking oxycodone in the Puget Sound area.”

Related: How Farmed Fish Degrades Our Health and the Environment – Better Options Included

How Do They Get There?

Opioid use in the U.S. has spiraled out of control, with deaths from pharmaceutical versions, heroin, and fentanyl nearly tripling since 2002. Finding evidence of that crisis in our waterways is a when, not an if. But how does that happen?

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The biggest culprits are wastewater plants discharging into the bay. Opioids enter the waste stream through human excrement and improperly disposed of pharmaceuticals (flushing them). An earlier study in the Great Lakes found that wastewater treatment facilities were only able to remove half of the prescription drugs that enter the plant. A quarter of chemicals had low removal rates, where there was less than 25 percent chance of removing 75 percent or more of the drug. Runoff from agricultural sources is also a contributor to the presence of harmful chemicals in aquatic environments.

What Do the Fish Think?

The bay mussels are not likely to metabolize these opioids, especially in the trace amounts found, but what about other fish? Zebrafish, although not a resident of the Puget Sound, learn how to dose themselves with opioids, and scientists surmise that salmon and other native species will have similar reactions. The effects of these drugs on the aquatic population will likely be more clear as the opioid crisis continues to gain momentum.

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The opioids were found in trace amounts, but the chemotherapy drug Melphalan was found in doses that correspond to a recommended dose in humans. This drug interacts with DNA and is a carcinogen. The National Institutes of Health notes that

…There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of melphalan from studies in experimental animals. When administered by intraperitoneal injection, melphalan caused cancer of lymphatic tissue (lymphosarcoma) in male mice, lung tumors in mice of both sexes, and cancer of the abdominal cavity (sarcoma of the peritoneum) in rats of both sexes…”

Water At Risk

Water is our most precious resource, and we have not been good stewards of it. The ecosystem that keeps our bodies of water and our very planet healthy is constantly being changed and manipulated without a way to correct for the changes. This is the first evidence of opioids in the water, but other drugs have become commonplace as we see with the Melphalan. There are no procedures in place to keep the same thing from happening with opioids.

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