The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Infection' Category

Cranberry-containing products to prevent urinary tract infections

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

Cranberry-containing products are a folk remedy to prevent UTIs.

Researchers in Taipei and Boston evaluated their value and factors influencing their effectiveness. (more…)

Dog and cat exposure and the risk of respiratory symptoms and infections

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

Researchers in Finland and Germany studied the first year of life. (more…)

Everything you wanted to know about cranberry

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

Drs. Catherine Neto and Joe Vinson from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, contributed a chapter on cranberry in the textbook, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition, 2011.

Most of the chapter is detailed biochemistry — their specialty. But, they also review the status of cranberry in cancer therapy and managing urinary tract infections.

Let’s focus on urinary tract infections. (more…)

Consumer Alert: “Koff & Kold” and “Kold Sore”

Monday, February 13th, 2012

The FDA tells us that Wholistic Herbs Inc. is recalling all of its “Koff & Kold” spray with herbal extract and “Kold Sore” spray with liquid sea mineral. (more…)

Homeopathic vs conventional treatment of otitis media

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Researchers at the Regional Research Institute of Homeopathy, Jin aipur (Rajasthan), India, studied patients with acute otitis media. (more…)

Caution when using a neti pot

Monday, December 19th, 2011

 

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is warning residents about the dangers of the improper use of neti pots. (more…)

The chiropractic table. Is it contaminiated?

Sunday, November 13th, 2011

Researchers at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, in Toronto, recorded the attitudes and behaviors of chiropractors regarding table disinfection. (more…)

Chewing gum to prevent otitis media

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Acute otitis media is the most common bacterial infection among young children in the United States.

In this Cochrane review, the results of studies of xylitol to prevent acute otitis media in children up to 12 years old were evaluated. (more…)

Review: Zinc to prevent respiratory tract infections

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Zinc supplementation is a potential option to prevent acute lower respiratory infection, especially in developing countries.

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore, Maryland make sense of the discrepant research findings. (more…)

Another reason to stop smoking

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Researchers at The Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, determined the effect of smoking in noncardiac surgical patients. (more…)

Maggots help heal wounds in diabetic patients

Sunday, September 25th, 2011

Diabetic patients face lower limb amputation when lesion on the foot or leg don”t heal.

During the meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, reported the response to biosurgery using the sterile larvae of the green blow-fly (Lucilia sericata). (more…)

The science of vitamin D

Sunday, September 25th, 2011

NutraIngredients.com has a review. (more…)

Probiotics improve a person’s health

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

This Cochrane Review assessed the effectiveness and safety of probiotics for preventing acute upper respiratory infections (URTIs). (more…)

Exercise lessens symptoms of the common cold

Monday, August 15th, 2011

Researchers at Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina, studied the effects of physical activity and fitness levels on the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. (more…)

Itraconazole vs homeopathy to treat vulvovaginal candidiasis

Monday, August 8th, 2011

It’s a common vaginal infection caused by a yeast-like fungus.

Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna, in Austria compared treatment with itraconazole (Sporanox) to classic homeopathy. (more…)

Cranberries vs antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infection

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Concern over the risk of resistance to antimicrobial agents has stimulated interest in cranberries to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Researchers in the Netherlands compared trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) (Septra, Bactrim) to cranberry capsules. (more…)

Cranberry juice to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Catheter-associated bacteriuria is the most common healthcare–associated infection worldwide. It’s due to the widespread use of urinary catheterization.

An Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America reviewed the evidence and made recommendations to minimize this risk. Here’s what they say about cranberry juice. (more…)

Vitamin A and zinc to treat tuberculosis

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Low blood levels of vitamin A and zinc are common in tuberculosis patients. But do patients benefit from supplementation during treatment?

Researchers at the University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town, South Africa, looked for changes in adults with sputum smear–positive pulmonary tuberculosis. (more…)

Vitamin A supplements prevent morbidity and mortality in children

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

Vitamin A deficiency is a major public health problem in low and middle income countries and can lead to many adverse health consequences, including death.

This Cochrane review evaluated the effect of vitamin A supplementation in children aged 6 months to 5 years. (more…)

Treating mastitis with probiotics

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Mastitis is an infection of breast tissue that results in breast pain, swelling, warmth, and redness of the breast. It’s a common infection during lactation.

Researchers at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, in Spain compared 2 lactobacilli strains isolated from breast milk to antibiotic therapy of lactational mastitis. (more…)