Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Page

Treating Infections: Antibiotics or Chinese Herbs?

As a pillar of modern medicine, antibiotics play a tremendous role in dealing with infections. When the body’s immune system is overwhelmed, antibiotics can be very useful. However, although more than a hundred different antibiotics have been developed since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, infections still plague us. Many bacteria develop resistance to the antibiotics that once killed them. While antibiotics can be lifesaving when used appropriately, overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics can cause widespread health problems.

Wide overuse of antibiotics in the United States is recognized by both health professionals and the public as a cause for concern. This problem is much less prevalent in Asian countries. Do the Chinese and Asians have fewer bacterial infection problems? Why don’t they have an antibiotic-abuse problem? As more people consider this question in comparative medicine, they find the answer in a natural and powerful substitute for antibiotics -- Chinese herbs.

Modern chemical antibiotics have been in existence less than a hundred years, whereas the natural herbal antibiotics prescribed by traditional Chinese healers have been used for more than 2000 years by millions of people. Classical Chinese medical textbooks such as Theory of Febrile Diseases and Synopsis of the Golden Cabinet, by Zhang Zhongjing, (150-219 AD), and Treatise on Differentiation and Treatment of Seasonal Febrile Diseases, by Wu Jutong, 1798, include effective formulas for "Clearing Heat," "Expelling Cold," and "Relieving Toxicity" which are used to treat infectious diseases. Although traditional Chinese medicine and conventional Western medicine are based on different philosophies, they share the same goal of curing their patients. Traditional Chinese medicine may be especially advantageous with modern complicated conditions where "bugs," "super-bugs," and "super-super-bugs" come in so many different forms that a single antibiotic fails to deal with them. The proper use of Chinese herbal formulas can not only inhibit bacterial, viral and fungal infections, but also minimize the need for antibiotics with their adverse side effects. This article is written for those who seek a natural, safe and effective alternative to antibiotics.

Conventionally, two theories dominate the practice of medicine on infectious diseases. One theory is that germs cause infectious diseases. The other theory is that diminished host resistance causes infectious diseases. The "great compromise" of these two theories is widely accepted by both the public and professionals. That is, infectious organisms are present in the host or the environment, but infection does not occur unless the host’s resistance diminishes. The implication of this compromise is that a strong immune system is fundamental if the body is to resist infections. A medicine which controls bacterial infection and sustains the immune system is always preferable to a medicine which kills bacteria but depresses the immune system. This article discusses a wide range of Chinese herbal formulas called formulas for "Clearing Heat," formulas for "Expelling Cold," and formulas for "Relieving Toxicity". These formulas can replace antibiotics in many cases, and they also benefit the immune system. This article does not intend to diminish the role of antibiotics in any sense. But, when antibiotics do not work and their prolonged use causes side effects, Chinese herbal medicine can be a very useful option.

The most common type of infections are respiratory infections. Almost everyone has experienced a running nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, sinus infection, etc. In China, Chinese herbal remedies are the first option for dealing with this type of problem.

Practitioners choose formulas for their patients based on the symptoms and the severity of the problem. Symptoms are differentiated into patterns by traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis, and the appropriate formula for that pattern is chosen. Among dozens of formulas, Cold & Flu Formula (Yin Qiao San) is the most popular. This hundred-year-old remedy is famous for both prevention and treatment of common cold, and is stocked in many families’ medicine cabinets, even in the United States. Honeysuckle and forsythia, which are the leading herbs in Cold and Flu Formula, have a strong inhibitory effect against many pathogenic bacteria such as streptococcus and staphylococcus. Clinical studies have also proven the effectiveness of many other standard herbal formulas (see box) in dealing with upper respiratory infections.

Commonly Used Herbal Formulas for Upper Respiratory Infections

Gastrointestinal Infections
One of my patients told me about the diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting she experienced when she traveled to Mexico last year, and that she took a lot of antibiotics to deal with these symptoms. She is going to the Caribbean soon, and is looking for some herbs that can prevent her from suffering the effects of contaminated food and water. Gastroenteritis and dysentery are common not just in developing countries; we see many cases each year in the United States. Antibiotics can be very effective if the diarrhea is caused by certain bacteria, but bacteria are not the only cause of diarrhea. Gastroenteritis symptoms can also be caused by parasites, amoebas, toxins, certain medications, and even food allergies, so antibiotics are not always effective. When people are looking for a preventive treatment, I always recommend herbs. One of the most important herbs for dealing with these problems is coptis (huang lian). Many studies have shown that coptis strongly inhibits many bacteria such as shigella, salmonella, and other bacteria that cause dysentery. Salmonella is the most common bacterium in the United States that can cause gastroenteritis and typhoid fever. Every year, more than two million new cases of salmonella infection are reported. Every traveler in China puts coptis or a coptis formula in his suitcase when he takes a trip.