Home | Health | Health Care

Can Essential Oils Work on MRSA Pathogens?

By: Erica Allen

Read More About Health Care

The Dread of MRSA

Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA), now referred to as a "superbug", is a variant of S. aureus, which in itself is a commensal on human skin. About a third of the western population carries S. aureus in their anterior nares (or nostrils) and to a lesser degree in their throat. When skin or mucosal linings have been compromised, S. aureus can infect surrounding tissues leading to boils, carbuncles as well as severe infections in infants and those with compromised immune systems. Traditional treatment has and continues to be through antibiotics, yet this practice is slowly changing.

Where Did MRSA Come From?

It is widely thought that MRSA arose from lack of medical foresight in earlier decades. Antibiotics were overly prescribed and thus, over time such common use selected for resistant pathogens, including S. aureus. First detected in the UK in the 1960s and later in the US, its infection rate has escalated, especially among hospital patients. According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 0.8% (2.3 million persons) of the U.S. population is colonized with MRSA. Treating for this superbug is frightful, for not only is it resistant to methicillin but a whole host of others such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.

Can Essential Oils Help?

With the alarming rate at which MRSA is spreading, other measures are seriously being investigated. Latest approaches include new hospital protocols for screening in-coming patients as well as the development of new antibiotics. Yet, with the rising cost of pharmaceuticals as well as their often risky side-effects, researches are looking at possible uses of essential oils to combat MRSA.

Lab Research of Essential Oils on MRSA

Tea Tree, native to Australia, has received much praise in recent years for its believed antibacterial and antiviral properties. The University of Rhode Island (2007) found that tea tree in combination with lysostaphin (an antimicrobial enzyme of Staphylococcus origin) might serve as an option in controlling the decolonization of MRSA.

Tarbiat Modares University in Iran (2010) looked at the effectiveness of two traditional essential oils (Thymus vulgaris and Eucalyptus globules) against clinical isolates of MRSA. Results revealed that both oils were effective agents, yet thyme was found to be a better inhibitor than eucalyptus. Researchers suggest using these essential oils as an option to treat MRSA infections, but call for clinical and further analytical trials to confirm their results.

Clinical Trials Using Essential Oils

Clinical studies are not as common as in vitro studies due to their cost and complications associated with patient variability. Yet, in 2004 the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, UK conducted a study of hospital patients identified as being MSRA carriers. The study compared nasal and skin application treatments of tea tree essential oil (in a carrier solution) with a conventional regime. Results indicated that tea tree was more effective topically than the pharmaceutical application but much less effective at clearing nasal carriage of MSRA.

Although the above study is promising, Queen Mary's Hospital, UK published a review (2005) of all known randomized control clinical trials that compared tea tree oil with standard pharmaceutical regimens in eradicating MRSA colonization. Researchers concluded that there remains insufficient evidence to support the clinical use of tea tree oil to eliminate MRSA colonization.

In Summary

It is well-documented that MRSA infections, whether from hospitals or from community association, is frightfully on the rise. In vitro studies using essential oils to combat MRSA are promising yet more research is necessary to validate preliminary results. Clinical trials are few, although as MRSA infection rates escalate, this is certain to change. New methods of safe and effective treatments are now being seriously considered. Essential oils are a probable candidate for future implementation.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Aromatherapy practitioners are growing in number in the US, as the use of natural and alternative medicines increases. For more on the therapeutic use of essential oils, visit The Ananda Apothecary Blog.

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Health Care Articles Via RSS!
Additional Articles From - Home | Health | Health Care
Sign Up for a free account.
Our other websites
All about SEO
Beauty Tips Forum
Submit Articles
Member Login
Link Us
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds
Sitemap
New Stuff
About Us
Developer
Good shopping portal
Link to Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

counter easy hit

Powered by Article Dashboard