Acne (and Rosacea) Link to MRSA
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010There is growing evidence that the major cause of MRSA is the inappropriate over prescribing of antibiotics by general practitioners. This is not news and it is common knowledge that most infections are viral and do not require antibiotics.
Also it is well known that antibiotics upset gut bacteria and lead to overgrowth of the intestinal tract with fungi such as Candida which is present in everyone’s guts, but normally kept in check by the probiotic bacteria surrounding it and which also produce chemicals to keep it in check. Antibiotic use can reduce the probiotic bacteria and allow the fungus to grow which over time can lead to inflammation and misdiagnosis of IBS later in life and open another chapter in prescribing. A downward spiral we don’t want to promote. Candida overgrowth and dysbiotic guts probably affect millions of ‘20 something’s’ who have just had years of antibiotics for acne, or million of 40 something’s who have been put on antibiotics for rosacea. We have clever ways of restoring the normal bacterial balance and reducing Candida without harsh antifungals.
However the use of antibiotics for skin infections such as acne and rosacea often at low doses and often for 3 to 6 months at a time is probably the biggest cause of MRSA (multi resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in hospitals. Let me explain.
It doesn’t matter whether oral or cream antibiotics are used they cause the same problem. In acne if you have many blocked ‘pores’ (pilo sebaceous ducts) then the anaerobic bacteria propiobacterium acnes (p.acnes) can start to colonise the area under the plug and cause inflammation and damage. This bacterium only survives in normal skin at very low levels as it likes to live in an environment where there is little or no oxygen. When you create a blockage as with acne, you create the environment for p.acnes. So antibiotics can help to reduce p.acnes, but they also hit other friendly skin bacteria and herein lies the problem.
Staphylococcus epidermidis (s.epidermidis) lives on our skin and helps keep other nasty bacteria away. It likes an oxygen rich environment. The same antibiotics that reduce p.acnes often hit the s.epidermidis as well. This attack puts selective pressure on the bacteria to survive and within three or four weeks you can isolate resistant strains s.epidermidis on skin being treated with antibiotics.
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