How Am I Building My Immune System and Avoiding Antibiotics?

As someone who has grown up using a variety of medicines, I know all too well about the consequences of being on certain drugs, especially antibiotics. Every eczema sufferer I know is prone to infections. When we itch and break the skin, infection can set in. When this has happened to me or I have become sick in another way (such as a chest infection), I have needed to use antibiotics to help fight the infection.

What has my experience with antibiotics been?

Antibiotics are amazing. They play an important role in modern medicine and have no doubt helped me to recover from certain illnesses in my past. But as an asthma and eczema patient, I am extremely wary of using them and I try my hardest to avoid using them. Sometimes you have to use them if things become completely out of control.

Why have I been wary of antibiotics?

My immune system is not the strongest and when I have used antibiotics, it has compromised my immune system even further. We now know that antibiotics are not great for our gut health. They not only kill off the infection, but they also destroy all the good bacteria in our guts.¹

If I want to keep my eczema at bay, I need to have great gut health. If it is compromised in any way, I will always be struggling to manage my skin and overall health.

It makes me sad that I have practically grown up using medicines to help me function as a normal human being. I have used antibiotics all throughout my life and have really paid the price for it. Thankfully, due to communities like this and other sites, my knowledge has increased tenfold and I have become aware how to treat this particular problem. There's way more to learn, but I am definitely on the right trajectory.

How have I managed my gut health?

I have made 2 major changes in my life and both have to do with diet. A key proponent of making sure you can heal your gut is by consuming fermented foods such as cheese, yogurts, Kefir milk. I have these foods for breakfast with some nuts and seeds. They pack my gut with the healthy bacteria. Also lots of plant-based food is all I have for main meals.

Intermittent fasting works really well for me. Just by eating slightly earlier in the evenings and slightly later in the mornings, I allow my system time to repair and it helps with sleep too. I've noticed great results from changing my eating habits. As I mentioned, my sleep pattern is much better now. I still have flares, but they are less frequent and my skin seems less angry and more calm.

How does this fit my overall health goals?

My objective is not only to keep my skin and breathing stable but also now, I'm looking at the bigger picture. By keeping an eye on my blood sugar levels and gut microbiome, I am strengthening my immunity. This will mean that hopefully I will get sick less and ideally be able to avoid relying on medicines like antibiotics to fix me. That's the plan anyway.