| Upper respiratory tract infection, or URTI, | | | | properly. Without oxygen, the bacteria |
| strikes an estimated one billion times every | | | | quickly die. Colloidal silver is thought to |
| year in the United States alone. That is more | | | | be able to kill harmful bacteria while |
| than three cases for every U. S. resident. It | | | | leaving healthy tissue and cells untouched |
| is an illness that is caused by any kind of | | | | because cells that are natural to the body |
| infection of upper respiratory tract, that | | | | have a much thicker cell wall than bacteria |
| is, the nose, sinuses, and larynx. | | | | cells. |
| | | | |
| Typically, doctors will treat upper | | | | Colloidal silver can be taken many ways, but |
| respiratory tract infection with prescription | | | | as a treatment for upper respiratory tract |
| antibiotics. According to the 2005 article | | | | infection most users of colloidal silver |
| "Antibiotics for acute laryngitis in adults" | | | | claim the most success through the use of a |
| published in The Cochrane Database of | | | | nebulizer. A nebulizer is a medical device |
| Systematic Reviews, antibiotics are | | | | that pumps air into a liquid and turns it |
| ineffective for the treatment of laryngitis, | | | | into a fine mist for inhaling. Inhaling the |
| a kind of respiratory tract infection. | | | | colloidal silver directly into the lungs will |
| | | | apply the product directly the infected area, |
| The summary states that the few benefits that | | | | which is believed to reduce the amount of |
| do exist for the prescription of antibiotics | | | | time needed for a successful treatment. Some |
| for laryngitis are " not relevant in clinical | | | | who suffer from reoccurring sinus infections |
| practice as the modest benefits from | | | | choose to regularly use the nebulizer even |
| antibiotics may not outweigh their cost, | | | | after the infection has subsided to support |
| adverse effects, or negative consequences on | | | | their immune system. |
| antibiotic resistance patterns." The "adverse | | | | |
| affects" referred to in the article are the | | | | Anyone who wishes to take colloidal silver as |
| many unpleasant side effects of antibiotics, | | | | a treatment for a upper respiratory tract |
| which include diarrhea, fever, nausea, | | | | infection should be aware that different |
| interactions with drugs, a weakened immune | | | | silver products can have varying levels of |
| system, and fungal infection. | | | | effectiveness. In particular, patients should |
| | | | avoid ionic silver solutions. A silver ion is |
| Many have found benefit in the use of | | | | very unstable, and can easily bond with |
| colloidal silver for the treatment of upper | | | | chemicals in the body, most typically |
| respiratory tract infection. Colloidal silver | | | | chloride. This creates silver chloride, a |
| is a solution of microscopic particles of | | | | useless compound. |
| silver suspended in water. Almost every major | | | | |
| civilization with access to silver have used | | | | True colloidal silver is much more stable, |
| the metal for its germ fighting capabilities, | | | | and retains silver's well-documented |
| and modern hospitals harness it too in the | | | | antibacterial properties after it has entered |
| form of water filters, antibacterial | | | | the body. Some producers of ionic silver |
| bandages, and antibacterial creams. | | | | solutions choose to disclose that they only |
| | | | sell ionic silver, but others do not. One can |
| Colloidal silver is believed to work by | | | | observe whether or not their silver product |
| essentially "choking" harmful bacterial | | | | is ionic silver simply by looking at the |
| cells. When silver comes into the proximity | | | | color of the liquid. If it is perfectly |
| of harmful bacteria, it disrupts an enzyme | | | | clear, it is ionic silver. |
| that it needs in order to process oxygen | | | | |