Guide to Herbal Remedies

The diseases are, for lack of a better word, so viral that there is a high percentage chance that you will die from the complications. Some of these have preventive measures while others are simply deadly with little chance of survival. To be included on this list, the virus has to have been a major cause of death in history with ranking based on fatality rates and impact worldwide.

1. Smallpox
This variola virus had many forms and continues to be a required vaccination for many countries. Smallpox in its worse forms – hemorrhagic and flat – had the highest fatality rates with only a 10 percent or less chance of survival. Fortunately this disease has been the only one on this list to be completely eradicated from nature since it is only contagious through humans.

2. Typhoid fever
Perhaps one of the least lethal diseases on this list, the fatality rate of typhoid fever is only 10-30 percent. But the symptoms show up in stages over a period of three weeks and, in most cases, are not fatal. That said, the disease can stay dormant in a person who has overcome it and then be passed on to another person. The most famous case of this was the American cook in the early 1900s known as “Typhoid Mary” Mallon.

3. Influenza
Perhaps the scariest virus on this list is one that anyone anywhere can contract – influenza. Luckily, the flu is easily identified and in most countries easily combated. However, young children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to flu. And the most famous strain was the Spanish Flu, which was estimated to have killed 2-5 percent of the human population in 1918-1919. Thankfully that strain has never been seen again; however, the flu virus is famous for mutating from animals to humans.

4. Bubonic Plague
This plague is transmitted through infected fleas and kills about 70 percent of its victims in 4-7 days. The most well known epidemic was the Black Death in Medieval times when it was rumored to have killed about 25 million in Europe alone and another 50 million across the world. The bubonic plague is often characterized by swollen lymph nodes though the modern world has seen few breakouts.

5. Cholera
Normally a human gets cholera from eating or drinking infected food or water. And untreated, the disease will progress from massive diarrhea to shock in 4-12 hours and possibly death within 18 hours or several days. Luckily, with oral rehydration therapy, a person can survive from cholera; however, in its most severe form, cholera can kill within three hours. But good sanitation practices can curb an outbreak. As the old saying goes – don’t drink the water – in many underdeveloped countries.

There are four main kinds of germs that cause infectious diseases. Bacteria are single-cell germs that have the ability to multiply rapidly and release chemicals that will make you sick. Viruses are capsules containing genetic information and use your own cells to multiply.

Fungi are vegetable-like mushrooms or mildew that will make you ill and protozoa are single-cell predators that are looking for a host where they can eat and live. The idea of contracting communicable diseases is enough to make anyone want to live in a bubble, but the body is naturally very resilient, so simply washing your hands can avoid most trouble.

There are viral, contagious diseases like AIDS, Smallpox, Ebola, Hepatitis, sexually transmitted Herpes or HPV, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, Rabies, SARS, West Nile, Meningitis, Mono, Pneumonia and Yellow Fever. Then there are bacterial, transmittable diseases like Anthrax, Botulism, Cat Scratch Fever, Cholera, Diphtheria, Gonorrhea, Leprosy, Lyme disease, Strept Throat, Salmonella, Scarlet Fever, Tuberculosis, Typhus and Shingles. Some transferable diseases are transmitted via parasites, such as Chagas Disease, Malaria, Pinworm Infection, Scabies, Trichomoniasis, Giardiasis, Echinococcosis and other rare diseases. Other times, diseases are transmitted through fungus or prion (proteins).

When dealing with an infectious disease, the first step is the infection, when microbes enter your body and begin to multiply. Health experts say the infection becomes a disease when cells in your body become damaged and the symptoms of illness appear. White blood cells and antibodies will attempt to ward your body off from the infection, which results in fevers, coughing, sneezing or other ailments.

Once the disease takes hold, medication will be needed. It’s important to know the difference between infectious diseases caused by bacteria or by a virus because medications that may treat one are ineffective against treating the other. Bacterial infections caused by single-celled living organisms are treated with antibacterial antibiotics. Viral infections, which alter genetic capsules, cannot be treated with medication directly but may have the symptoms assuaged with lozenges, rest, water, decongestants, cough syrups and pain relievers.

Infectious diseases are no laughing matter. If you are coughing and nose blowing all over the place but feel tempted to go to work, then resist and rest. Not all diseases are contagious, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Avoid sharing drinks or personal items with people and remember that prevention is the best cure.

Pestilence, plague, contagion. Call it what you will, but infectious diseases have plagued (there’s that word again) humanity since the dawn of history. Throughout your life, you and your loved ones will be affected by infections, and you will be lucky if one doesn’t end up killing you. But let’s not be too gloomy. After all both traditional and modern medicine has been able to shed light on the problem and help is at hand.

The causes of infection are of course, those nasty little critters known to science as germs, bacteria, and viruses and let’s not forget fungus (yuk!). It seems that our bodies are battlegrounds with our immune system having to constantly fight off army after army of potentially lethal infectious diseases. So what to do.? Well, at the less serious end of the scale such as colds, sore throats and fungal infections, such as thrush, that age old remedy garlic has no equal. Garlic is in fact a natural antibiotic and can be highly effective when used on its own or with other medication.

Recently a whole new area involving so-called pro-biotic yogurts has opened up. The idea behind these yogurts is to enhance your body’s natural defenses. One of these yogurts taken every day, can in fact, do wonders to help fortify your immune system. And here’s another supplement that has proved its worth: cod liver oil. It can be taken in handy capsule form and it’s not only good for your joints, but can stave off colds and flu as well.

But what about the more serious infectious diseases? Well, thank goodness we live in an age when vaccination and antibiotics can help protect us from a whole range of conditions which would have proved fatal in the time of our grandparents. That old saying that knowledge is power is still relevant. If only the people of medieval Europe had known that rats spread the plague it would have saved the lives of countless numbers. Today we may not have discovered a cure for AIDS but at least we are aware of its cause and can use an effective precaution namely the humble condom.

Infectious diseases will probably always be a problem and humanity will have to keep trying to invent and discover ever-new remedies. Still it’s a sobering thought that the most effective remedy is probably the simplest and oldest one of all: namely, hygiene. So don’t forget to wash your hands!