Colloidial Silver for Fungus

Silver has sometimes found use in the past as an antimicrobial or a topical antiseptic; today it's still used in some catheters and wound dressings to reduce the risk of infection. In recent years, silver in the form of a liquid suspension called colloidal silver has enjoyed increasing popularity as an alternative medicine, although the FDA does not recognize colloidal silver as a safe or effective treatment for any disease and warns consumers that colloidal silver may cause serious side effects.

History

• The use of silver for various medical applications goes back for centuries, although it wasn't until the late 19th century that silver found more common use as an antibiotic. Penicillin and other antibiotics largely replaced silver from the 1940s onwards since they were safer and more effective.

Uses

• According to a 2007 paper in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, some hospitals and practitioners have turned to wound dressings and catheters that include silver in an effort to manage or prevent infections. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) notes that silver nitrate (AgNO3) is sometimes used to treat warts and corns or prevent conjunctivitis in newborns. Some alternative or natural medicine companies like Natural Path market colloidal silver as a dietary supplement over the Internet or in health food stores.

What is Colloidal Silver?

• Colloidal silver is a liquid suspension of microscopic silver particles, typically marketed as a oral dietary supplement. It is different from soluble ionic compounds like silver nitrate, which dissolves readily in water to yield silver cations and nitrate anions. According to a 2007 paper in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, there is evidence to suggest that silver ions in solution--if present in sufficient concentration--do exhibit antibacterial properties in vitro (in a petri dish), although it's difficult to asses precisely how effective they are since many past tests used to evaluate silver ions used widely varying methodology and standards.

  The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's page on alternative medicine warns that there is no clinical data to support the safety or effectiveness of colloidal silver in humans or animals. As of 1999, the FDA determined there was no evidence to support the use of colloidal silver products or silver salts for disease treatment.

Risks

• The FDA warns that colloidal silver or other silver dietary supplements can interfere with other medications and cause permanent harm; over time, silver can accumulate in skin and mucous membranes to cause argyria or discoloration of the skin. This condition is believed to be irreversible. A 1996 study in the Journal of Clinical Toxicology concurs that colloidal silver and similar products have serious side effects.

Recommendations

• While certain preparations of silver are used in some medical devices, bandages and dressings, using colloidal silver as a dietary supplement or topical treatment for infection is not recommended. The FDA and most doctors discourage the use of colloidal silver. As always, if in doubt, it's best to consult with a qualified health care professional rather than searching the Internet for health information.