Can the use of colloidal silver help in treating herpes? While the believers of alternative medicine tout colloidal silver as an effective treatment option for viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, the medical community refutes these claims due to the lack of scientific evidence. The following write-up provides information on the claims made by the promoters, as well as the arguments given against its use by the medical community.
Herpes is an infection that is caused by the Herpes simplex virus (HSV). While HSV type I causes oral herpes, HSV type II is the causative agent for genital herpes. As is the case with most viral infections, there is no definitive cure for herpes. Once a person is exposed to HSV, the virus lies in a dormant state in the nerve cells for life. Though the symptoms may resolve with the help of drugs or other treatment options that are prescribed during an outbreak, it could get reactivated if the immune system becomes compromised due to stress or other medical conditions. Due to the high incidence of this condition, people have always been on the lookout for herpes cure. This is the reason why there is so much interest in alternative medicines to counter this condition. One such option that is quickly gaining widespread interest is colloidal silver.
The Claims Made By Promoters
The promoters of colloidal silver make many claims regarding the effectiveness of colloidal silver. They believe that colloidal silver not only supports the immune system, it also helps the body to fight against the disease-causing viruses, bacteria and fungi. It can prove to be an effective alternative to antibiotics. They believe that it can treat medical conditions like scarlet fever, pneumonia, syphilis, herpes, etc. According to the promoters, colloidal silver works in a manner that is slightly different from antibiotics.
➡ Colloidal silver disables the enzymes needed by the bacteria, viruses, or fungi to survive and thrive, thereby curbing their growth.
➡ It promotes the healing of injured tissues, and also helps to reduce inflammation.
➡ Antibiotics act indiscriminately on enzymes, thereby causing some damage to even beneficial enzymes in the body. However, colloidal silver acts only on the enzymes that help the microorganisms multiply, leaving tissue cell enzymes intact.
Arguments Against the Use of Colloidal Silver
Silver is not considered to be of much importance to the body and its purpose in the human body is unknown till date. It is not considered to be an essential nutrient, which makes the terms such as ‘silver deficiency’ or the ‘diseases caused by a deficiency of silver’ irrelevant. As far as the use of colloidal silver is concerned, the medical community warn against the use of the silver solutions that may contain silver in amounts that are larger than the amounts mentioned in the product labels.
➡ In 1999, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) had issued an advisory saying that colloidal silver medical products are not safe and effective. The amount of silver in colloidal supplements vary a great deal, which may pose health risks for the consumers. The products that are marketed for medicinal uses are considered as mislabeled according to the law. It had also taken serious action against several websites that made claims about colloidal silver having drug-like properties.
➡ Colloidal silver may show interactions with other antibiotic medications like penicillamine, quinolones, thyroxine, and tetracyclines.
➡ It may speed up melanin production in the skin, which may cause a rapid discoloration of the areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun regularly.
➡ The authorities had then pointed out the possibility of a medical condition called argyria being associated with the use of colloidal silver. Argyria is an irreversible condition that is caused due to improper exposure to different and mostly impure forms of silver. It is characterized by localized or generalized bluish discoloration of the skin.
➡ Making colloidal silver at home is all the more harmful for the body. If a person makes a colloidal supplement at home, he/she may not be able to measure the concentration of silver in the solution.
The promoters of colloidal silver point out that it is the use of silver nitrate, ionic silver, colloidal silver protein, or gelatinous-based silver with high ppm (1 ppm equals to one milligram of silver deposited in one liter of water) that is associated with argyria, and not the true colloidal silver, which refers to the clusters of silver atoms suspended in water. Due to lack of scientific evidence, the definitive benefits and side effects of colloidal silver are unknown. Although not approved by the FDA, colloidal silver is still widely used in the form of a dietary supplement instead of a drug. However, medical community doesn’t consider it to be an effective treatment option for herpes. If you are keen on using it for treating herpes, do consult your health care provider first.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only and does not, in any way, intend to replace the advice of a medical expert.
