When people ask “is MRSA curable?” they usually think in terms of the bacteria being completely eliminated. The truth about MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is that the bacteria can be found everywhere and lives harmlessly as part of your flora of bacteria that is on your skin and other surfaces.
So in one sense, it is not curable because it cannot be eliminated. When considering a cure being the infection is no longer causing symptoms and is no longer colonized in your body; in that sense, it can be cured. Depending on the severity of the infection, the length of time it takes for a MRSA infection to be cured will vary.
Former attempts of developing a vaccine for it has been discontinued and there are no new vaccines on the horizon. There are natural MRSA cures, but they should only be used under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
Curing MRSA
It is common for MRSA bacteria to be on the skin and normally won’t cause any problems. When there is a break in the skin and the immune system can’t fight off the bacteria, a MRSA infection can result.
Once the infection has been diagnosed as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a healthcare professional will determine the most successful antibiotic treatment for the specific strain of MRSA that is causing the infection.
Sometimes curing a MRSA bacterial infection will also include lancing and draining the infected area. When the infection has spread, sometimes surgery will be needed to remove the infected tissue.
If the infection occurs after a medical procedure, the site might need to be reopened to cure the infection. Once it enters the blood (sepsis) it will be more difficult to treat.
There was hope that a vaccine could eventually cure MRSA by eliminating it, like with some childhood illnesses, but tests were discontinued.
Curing MRSA With A Vaccine
Though vaccines for babies have been controversial and even linked to crib death, the polio vaccine has cured polio. The last natural case of polio in the United States occurred in 1979; all other cases since then has been directly linked to the virus in a vaccine. It was hoped that a MRSA vaccine would do the same for MRSA. During the trials, the side effects were so serious that trials were discontinued. The surprise announcement to stop trials was made by US Merck and Co in June 2011. At this time (2012) there are no new trials on the horizon. Some people look for natural cures for MRSA.
Naturally Curing MRSA
There are many natural cures for MRSA that are advertised on the Internet. Some may be effective, but it is recommended a medical professional oversee their use. It can get spread and become serious or even life threatening rapidly, if the treatment is not effective. Some of the natural cures include the following:
- Diet changes
- Manuka honey
- Colloidal silver
- Garlic
- Olive oil
Natural remedies may be more effective in MRSA Prevention than in curing a full-blown.
Accepting the fact that MRSA bacteria are present on skin and many surfaces, but understanding that curing it means that there are no symptoms of the infection and that tests for colonized MRSA are negative, gives you a clear picture of what is a MRSA cure.
