Infections
Our body’s quick (immune) response usually stops all infections. However, sometimes this does not occur as the body’s immune system is weak and not functioning as it should.
What is it?
An infection occurs when the body is unable to protect itself from micro-organisms (such as bacteria, viruses and fungi).
What causes it?
Infections are caused by very small microorganisms that gain entrance to the body. When the immune system is compromised, a person can fall victim to an infection. Stress, exposure to someone who is ill, and poor lifestyle choices can cause infection.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of infection depend on its location and the type of organism which has created it. Common symptoms include:
- Fever and chills.
- Sweating.
- Headache.
- Muscle ache.
- Fatigue.
- Redness, swelling, heat or streaks around a wound.
The signs of an infection on the skin are:
Colour: White skin will usually be bright pink or red;
brown or black skin may become darker.
Pain: The infected area may throb and be very painful (though this may not be the case if you have neuropathy).
Swelling: The infected area may be puffy and appear swollen
Movement: The pain and swelling may mean that it becomes difficult to move the infected area (though this may not be the case if you have neuropathy).
Temperature: The infected area may feel hot to touch.
Pus: The area may be weeping a yellow/green matter called pus; this consists of dead cells and micro-organisms.
Are there any natural therapies?
Echinacea strengthens the immune system.
- Vitamin E enhances immunity.
- Vitamin C creates an environment that reduces bacteria growth and supports the immune system.
- Multivitamin and Mineral supplement enhances overall health.
- Acidophilus is beneficial for restoring friendly bacteria to your system.
- Garlic is a natural antibiotic that enhances the immune system.
What else can I do?
Rest is an important part of curing an infection. Listen to your body and don’t try to do more than you are capable of. Try to relax and rest as much as possible.
Did you know?
Smoking whilst you have an infection will make it harder for your body to heal itself. If you must smoke, remember to take extra vitamin C.

Boils
Boils are painful, pus-filled bumps that form under your skin when bacteria infect and inflame one or more of your hair follicles.
What is it?
Boils usually start as red, tender lumps. The lumps quickly fill with pus, growing larger and more painful until they rupture and drain. Although some boils disappear a few days after they occur, most take about two weeks to heal.

Gum Disease (Gingivitis)
If you haven't had gum problems yet, you probably will: three out of four adults over the age of 35 experience tender, swollen or bleeding gums at some point in their lives. But there are plenty of things you can do to relieve the pain, heal your gums and preserve your teeth.
What is it?
There are two main types of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis - marked by tender, inflamed gums - occurs when bacteria in the mouth form a thin, sticky film, called plaque, that coats the teeth and gums. If ignored, plaque turns into tartar a hard mineral shell that erodes gum tissue. Over time this leads to a more serious condition known as periodontitis, which is harder to treat. In advanced periodontal disease, the gums recede, allowing bacteria to eat away at the bone anchoring the teeth.

Shingles
Remember chickenpox? Its virus is still lurking in your nerve cells and can flare up at any time during your adult years, causing the intensely painful blisters known as shingles. The good news is that natural remedies can often help to ease this sometimes lingering condition.
What is it?
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a form of the herpes virus that causes chickenpox. After an attack of chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in nerve cells. Later, it can be reactivated, producing intensely painful clumps of skin blisters. Shingles is not contagious, though open sores can transmit the virus to young children or others who've never been infected.

Cystitis (Urinary Tract Infection)
Modern science has proved what folk healers have long claimed: these troublesome and potentially serious infections, one of the most common health problems for women, can often be relieved with some of nature's own remedies.
What is it?
Also known as cystitis (bladder inflammation) or a bladder infection, a urinary tract infection (UTI) inflames the bladder or urethra (the tube that transports urine out of the bladder). The problem most frequently affects females; in fact, one in five women suffers from a UTI at least once a year. These infections should be treated promptly - and antibiotics may be necessary - because recurring UTIs can lead to potentially serious kidney infections.

Eczema
Applied to the skin, soothing creams can help relieve the red and often intensely itchy rash of eczema. Various nutrients, taken internally, may also hasten healing. They may even be effective in preventing recurrences or this all-too-common - and troublesome - skin complaint.
What is it?
Known medically as dermatitis, eczema causes inflamed patches of red, scaly skin on the face, scalp, hands and wrists; in front of the elbows and behind the knees; and in other areas of the body. Eczema is frequently very itchy, and scratching can aggravate it.

Hives
Hives (urticaria) is a harmless type of rash or skin allergy that is usually caused by an allergy. The rash consists of circular, raised welts on the skin that are usually itchy and occur in batches. Hives can vary in size, from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter. Hives usually affects the throat, arms, legs, and trunk.
What is it?
Hives (urticaria) is a type of rash characterised by circular welts of reddened and itching skin. The welts can vary in size, from relatively small to as large as a dinner plate. The condition can afflict any part of the body, but is common to the trunk, throat, arms and legs. The welts generally rise in clusters, with one cluster waxing as another wanes. This type of skin rash is an allergy, which means the immune system reacts to a substance as if it were toxic. Hives can be triggered by a number of different factors, including medications, insect bites and certain foods.

Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) that lines your eyelid and part of your eyeball.
What is it?
The cause of conjunctivitis is commonly a bacterial or viral infection, an allergic reaction or — in newborns — an incompletely opened tear duct.

Scabies
Scabies are tiny mites living on the skin and feeding off dead skin cells.
What is it?
Scabies is an itchy skin condition caused by a tiny, eight-legged burrowing mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The presence of the mite leads to intense itching in the area of its burrows. The sheer discomfort of scabies can produce an almost irresistible urge to scratch, especially while you're in bed at night.

Swimmers' Ear
When your ear is exposed to excess moisture, water can remain trapped in your ear canal. The skin inside becomes soggy, diluting the acidity that normally prevents infection.
What is it?
Water normally flows into and out of your ears without causing any problems. You can nearly always shower, bathe, swim, and walk in the rain without a problem — which is remarkable, considering how large and deep an opening your ear provides. You're protected by your ear's shape, which tips fluid out, and by its lining, which has acidic properties that protect against bacteria and fungi.

Ear Infections
Ear infections are among the most common illnesses of early childhood. Three out of four children have had at least one ear infection by age 3, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
What is it?
The medical term for middle ear infections is otitis media. Otitis refers to inflammation of the ear, and media means middle.