I did quite a bit of research about Staph infections after I caught one in a steam room, and it appears that Staph causes about half of acne, and is present in cases of psoriasis as well. I am aware of the mite connection to rosacea, but also suspect Staph with that, too. Too much playing around with Staph with ineffective treatments that allow it to survive can lead to the Staph superbug, MRSA, that everyone has been scared by lately. One thing that has been discovered, for example, is that a preparation with less than 3% of Tea Tree oil can actually lead to the production of a more resist Staph germ. The Staph germ is a commensual that lives on the skin and easily spreads there. If you have a lesion from it you can pretty much assume that it is infectious, and that the germs are at least present in a 4 inch square area around the blemish. Acne is produced when a hair root becomes infected with it. In my opinion, Eczema is an attempt by the skin to dispose of a germ it cannot kill by sloughing off instead. I strongly recommend pump soaps, because bar soaps can harbor the germ--even, in some cases, germicidal bar soaps. For actual blemishes, 10% benzyl peroxide (which will bleach clothes) is very effective for many strains of the germ if applied consistently at least twice a day until the blemish is completely gone. COMPLETELY is the operative word, because with staph, if you don't treat it completely and kill it, you are better off not starting--it can evolve into worse forms which are much more difficult to treat. That is, apparently, why dermatologists use cortisone preparations so frequently to deal with it. It keeps the patient from scratching the irritated skin, but does not challenge the germ. I'm a bit confused as to just what dermatologists actually know and think about these conditions; my two theories on the matter are that either they disagree among themselves, or they don't want to panic people into being overly conscious about a germ that is omnipresent. However, after having read up more on Staph, if I had an infant, I would certainly not allow his or her bare skin to touch the average grocery cart seat. In my experience, vinegar does help Rosacea; and, by extension, it might also be helpful in cases of eczema and even some acne as well. Because of the reaction of my dermatologist when I mentioned vinegar, I stick with the distilled white vinegar, which has no other organisms in it to add to the confusion. (Where other organisms are desired to balance off the effects of a course of antibiotics, stick to the recognized dietary sources of yogurt, apple cider vinegar, sauercraut, Kim Chee, Activia, etc. and the probiotics carried by most health food stores.) I used vinegar for several years on my rosacea, and rarely had to resort to the prescribed Metro Cream. Salicilic Acid is available in a number of tube treatments over-the-counter; it is not as strong as the 10% benzyl peroxide but can be useful in shampoo and bathing form--the liquid soap I use with that is OXY. Dermarest has come out with shampoo and skin treatments that have salicilic acid in them which I have found to be quite helpful. The next step up from salicilic acid is the benzyl peroxide, but it is only useful for small areas as it is so drying; it's really self defeating to use it for anything but an actual lesion. Next is coal tar and similar things. Neutrogena makes a coal tar shampoo that seems quite effective. You have to find out, for your own condition and skin, what is best in terms of how much, how long, and how often you can use a preparation. In between the heavy-handed approaches, I use the pump baby soaps for bathing, interspersed with a new eczema and psoriasis wash made by Flexitol Naturals. It is part homeopathic and part herbal, but it seems to help. So far I haven't had as much success with the cream, but I used that in my ears, probably not the best place to try it first. I think anyone with these conditions needs to entertain the idea that a germ may be a factor, and use some common sense about constant reexposure. Avoiding touching the nose directly, but using a tissue to scratch it, is one easy step (Staph can live in the nasal passages even if cleared from the rest of the skin). Changing pillowcases several times a week instead of just when the sheets are washed (that should be done at least weekly) can be helpful with facial skin problems. Nightly showers should be taken, but with care not to over-dry the skin. Less affected areas should not be washed after using your hands to wash more infected areas...for really severe cases, use disposable latex gloves on the worst areas, to avoid spread. Wear clothing next to the skin that can be laundered thoroughly in hot water. Wipe down computer keyboards and telephones regularly with alcohol. In hospitals, Staph is cleansed from the skin of patients with persistent infections using Dakins Solution. It is a mixture of chlorine and a buffering agent; the formula for that can be found on the web, and some pharmacies have it available for sale if asked. It is very drying to the skin and should probably be used just prior to a shower. Don't forget eyeglass frames, hairbrushes, and other frequently used items. Hairbrushes can be sprayed with a chlorine solution and then washed in the dishwasher; eyeglass earpieces and etc. can be wiped with alcohol on a disposable tissue. Long-term antibiotic treatment for acne can result in a more resistant form of Staph, so it is a two-edged sword. It is definitely not a treatment that should be stopped without consultation with the physician who prescribed it, because stopping an antibiotic too soo can allow a resistant germ to reproduce instead of being killed. Doctors seem to think that Hydrogen Peroxide solution will kill staph. In my experience, if you are dealing with a resistant strain, it will just spread the staph if you wipe down an area with it. Applying alcohol is even worse--it will allow the germ to get into the skin. By prescription, you can still use hexachlorophine if you are an adult (it was found to cause nerve damage in young children), and if all else fails there is a skin wash used for surgical preparation (it's red in color) that you can try, if the usual disinfectant soaps don't work for you. The Cetaphyl line seems to be that one dermatologists like for moisturizers and waterless skin washes; they are noncomedonic and come in pump form. According to a book I have on skin care, they include newly available lipids in their formulation that do a better job of moisturizing. An ingredient in shampoos and skin products that the book recommended avoiding is sodium lauryl sulfate (laureth is OK)--it tends to be comedonic, or pimple-forming. Several of the herbal and vitamin suggestions in this thread look promising; the only thing I can add is that, when I was trying to eliminate my origional infection, I found references in old herbals to the use of elderberry bark and pokeberry root preparations for resistant skin infections. The efficacy would apparently be the organic cyanide in these plants. I tried making up a solution by boiling some of each together, and it did seem to help a bit as an external application.

I'm sorry, I think those were based on two year survival rates or some such like that, and thats all cancers but small cell lung averaged, not all types of cancers individually, and they are sure the hell more accurate than 3%. P.S. (not post script ya rum dum)Tumors are aggregations of cells, in some cases the pressure and contact inhibition hormones that result from a growth can spur cancer on, cancer is more likely in sites of injury. I'm not sure how much anatomy you have but inside of the body there aren't many positions that aren't life threatening. Cut off the blood flow or ICF flow or grow a hole through to the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, pancreas, bladder, spleen, spinal col;umn, brain or GI tract and you die. Cancer cells reproduce and form tumors, they metastasize and spread tumors to other areas, in the end it is the tumors that kill you. Yes Chemo doesn't work on all cancers, it works by making the body a lousy place to live and some cancers are tougher than we are, but it does kill many types of cancer cells, most are fast growing and that is their vulnerability. You need to learn a little bit about the physiology behind cancer before you make claims like that, Personally I am a cellular and molecular biology buff, and I have grown cancer cells in vitro and in organisms, and you \\sir haven't got a clue what you are talking about. Why are you so sure that Ty Bollinger isn't talking out his ass?

I have come up with a wonderful cure for cats with ringworm (and I'm sure it's safe for kitties too). First, let me give you a back story or scroll down to read what I have been doing to get rid of ringworm on my cat. I noticed the first lesion about 3 weeks ago. I was unaware it was ringworm at the time. It looked similar to what could have been a bite from another animal. She is an indoor cat BUT we do have a pesky little mouse so that was just my first thought. About a week later she had another lesion on her back and I noticed her first lesion was expanding and very red. The new lesion was red and shiny. That's when I did my research and figured out it was most likely ringworm. I kind of wanted to just ignore the whole situation because it made me uncomfortable. I went into denial and told myself it would just go away. I was wrong. I ended up finding a small spot on my stomach a few days later. This really put me in a panic and that's when I decided I had to treat this WITHOUT going to the vet. Vets can be very beneficial for many things, but not for ringworm . Ringworm is completely treatable and is not as serious as it may sound. It does not harm your cat or make your cat sick. It is more of just a pain in the ass. Your vet will most likely charge you over 200 for a diagnosis and "testing", and another 200 for medication and follow-ups. Who even knows, but that vet bill will come out to be over $400 for something that is completely treatable at home. So as of today, my cat is healing. The lesions are turning into a pale grey, the color of her fur, which I am assuming is the natural color of her skin. The lesions are not spreading or growing. We sprayed the house down with bleach and washed our cloths in apple cider vinegar and/or aloe vera. (Both can be found at walmart...ACV= $2. Aloe=$8. ) CURE RINGWORM ON YOUR KITTY FOR LESS THAN $10 !!! CLEAN THE &*#T OUT OF YOUR HOUSE. SERIOUSLY.....EVERYTHING. Spray furniture with apple cider vinegar mixed with aloe vera. Doesn't smell and it won't ruin anything. 1. apply aloe vera to kittys lesions 5-6 times a day. Hold kitty or distract them before they can start licking. Let it soak in for 1-2 minutes before you let them start licking. 2. Give them a bath at some point. Mix over the counter cat shampoo with aloe vera. Use lots and lots of aloe vera, and just a little shampoo. 3. Spray a mixture of aloe vera/apple cider vinegar/water on your cats lesions and under their nails. Spray it in their ears...on their butt...everywhere...6-10 times a day. And use this spray on your furniture and clothing. Use it everywhere. Hope that helps. I didn't see results for about a week with my cat. She is doing a lot better but we still don't let her in our room or on the bed. And we still are cleaning and bleaching consistantly. Oh yeah and for my ringworm..... had to put bleach on it. I don't recommend this but nothing else worked. It was my last resort but it does work. Also, I have been washing my hair and body in aloe vera. All seems to be helping. My boyfriend has not gotten a single lesion and mine has not spread anywhere else. make sure you still treat your kittys ringworm even after weeks that it has completely healed. I will be doing the same routine to my cat for about 2 months after her ringworm goes away. I'll do baths every 2 weeks.

"except we're not in agreement since eric advocates internal use of small amounts, i do not" Nope, try reading the post again. I noted that it is likely that we are all inadvertently consuming small amounts of diatomaceous earth, either through it reaching our food via processing/packaging, or from natural sources (silicates of various types are ubiquitous in the environment).* I cited potential hazards from consuming diatomaceous earth deliberately as a dietary supplement. *for the kind of person who fears "toxins" regardless of dose, the only solution here would be to stop eating entirely. :)