The use of silver in medicine

Henriette Lamprecht – The earliest recorded use of silver for therapeutic purposes dates as far back as the Han Dynasty in China circa. 1500 B.C.E, with silver vessels and plates frequently used during the Phoenician, Macedonian, and Persian empires. Families of the higher socioeconomic classes during the middle-ages were so acquainted with the usage of silver that they developed bluish skin discolorations known as argyria, an affliction that may have led to the term ‘blue blood’ to describe members of the aristocracy. The ‘father of modern medicine,’ Hippocrates, wrote about using silver to improve wound care around 400 BC.

On long ocean voyages, silver coins were dropped into the water and wine casks to keep the liquids fresh. Modern-day medical uses of silver began at the turn of the 19th century when surgeons used silver sutures to help minimize post-operative inflammation. Later in the 1800s, silver nitrate eyedrops were introduced as an antiseptic to reduce neonatal conjunctivitis. In the following century, World War I soldiers took silver leaf into battle to help fight infection if they were injured in the trenches - while silver was increasingly used to treat common ailments such as sore throats and tonsillitis.

Alexander Fleming’s discovery of antibiotics in the late 1920s saw a reduction of interest in the use of silver in medicine for a short period, but this was reignited in the 1960s by the work of Professor Carl Moyer, who was chairman of the Department of Surgery at

Washington University, Missouri.

Modern medicine utilizes medical grade forms of silver, such as silver nitrate, silver sulfadiazine, and colloidal silver has made a huge comeback in recent years to treat from wounds to sinusitis to boosting the immune system against viruses.

More recently, silver coatings are being placed on medical devices such as breathing tubes and catheters to help fight infections. It’s also being applied to artificial bones and scaffolding used to keep bones in place while they mend. Silver is found in bandages and ointments because it keeps bacteria at bay, allowing the body to heal faster.

Silver has also proven effective against bacteria that are becoming resistant because of the overuse of chemical antibiotics. For example, a life-threatening Staph germ called MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) - often referred to as a “superbug” and found in healthcare facilities - is resistant to almost all chemical antibiotics. To fight back, many facilities are employing silver-imbedded equipment - including surgical tools, needles, stethoscopes, furniture, door handles, furniture, linens, and even paper files.

Only during the past few years have scientists learned how silver works as a biocide. Silver ions can penetrate the cell walls of bacteria – without injuring mammalian cells – thus destroying the chemical and structural bonds essential for the survival and growth of the bacteria.

Today colloidal silver is a popular alternative therapy.

However, the use of colloidal silver is controversial and has been linked to serious side effects. The term is used to describe tiny particles of silver suspended in a liquid.

A normal filtering process would not remove them, given their small size.

The size of the silver particles in colloidal silver can vary, but some are so tiny that they are referred to as “nanoparticles" - meaning they are less than 100 nm in size and invisible to the naked eye.

Before modern antibiotics were developed, colloidal silver was used as an all-purpose remedy for various infections and illnesses.

Recently, it has experienced a revival in popularity, with some claiming it can replace antibiotics or other medical therapies to treat bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

A smaller number of people also claim it can help treat illnesses such as Lyme disease, tuberculosis, and even HIV/AIDS.

Those who use colloidal silver take it as a dietary supplement or apply it directly to their skin.

The solution can be found in various strengths, depending on how much silver it contains.

Colloidal silver is a suspension of silver particles in a liquid. It’s an ancient remedy that was once used to treat bacterial, viral, and fungal infections and is said to have broad antibacterial and antiseptic effects when taken orally or placed on a wound.

It is unknown exactly how colloidal silver works. However, research suggests that it attaches to proteins on the cell walls of bacteria, damaging their cell membranes.

This allows silver ions to pass into the cells, where they can interfere with the bacteria’s metabolic processes and damage its DNA - leading to the cell’s death.

The effects of colloidal silver are said to vary - depending on the size and shape of the particles of silver, as well as their concentration in a solution.

A large number of small particles has a greater surface area than a lower number of large particles. As a result, a solution that contains more silver nanoparticles, which have a smaller particle size, may release more silver ions.

Silver ions are released from the silver particles when they come into contact with moisture, such as body fluids.

They are considered to be the “biologically active” part of colloidal silver that gives it its medicinal properties.

Colloidal silver products are not standardized and may have serious side effects.

In 1999 the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) turned its attention to colloidal silver, which - despite claims - has no known function in the body and is not an essential mineral supplement, says Medical News Today.

Colloidal silver products were once available as over-the-counter drug products, but in 1999 the FDA ruled that these products were not considered safe or effective. The claim is that colloidal silver can kill certain germs by binding to and destroying proteins and be possibly ineffective for swelling (inflammation) of the nasal cavity and sinuses (rhinosinusitis). Early research shows that using a nasal spray containing colloidal silver does not work any better than saline nasal spray in reducing symptoms of sinusitis.

Colloidal silver products marketed for medical purposes or promoted for unproven uses are now considered "misbranded" under the law without appropriate FDA approval as a new drug. There are currently no FDA-approved over-the-counter or prescription drugs containing silver that should be taken orally. However, there are still colloidal silver products being sold as homeopathic remedies and dietary supplements.

Colloidal silver is used for infections, hay fever, skin conditions, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support any of its uses, says Medical News Today.

Colloidal silver can be unsafe when taken orally, applied to the skin, inhaled, or administered by IV - the website states, referring to different scientific studies on the subject.

In the U.S., the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission have taken action against several companies for making unproven health claims.

According to researchers - when taken orally, silver builds up in your body. Over months to years, this can result in a blue-grey discoloration of your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails, and gums. Doctors call this argyria, and it is usually permanent. In rare cases, high doses of colloidal silver can cause serious side effects, such as seizures and organ damage.

Colloidal silver may also interact with prescription medicines: including penicillamine (Cuprimine, Depen), quinolone antibiotics, tetracycline, and levothyroxine (Unithroid, Levoxyl, Synthroid).

If you decide to buy a colloidal silver product, even for short-term use, choose those that clearly indicate the concentration in parts per million (ppm) on the product label (remembering that less is more). Until researchers have conducted more tests, a person should take other medications, ensuring that they are backed by substantial evidence.- www.medicalnewstoday; www.silverinstitute.org.