Silver has been used for health for thousands of years.  It’s history dates back to as early as 3000 B.C.  Hippocates; otherwise known as “the father of medicine” was aware of its healing qualities.

Silver has been long known for its anti-bacterial properties. In ancient times, the Phoenicians knew enough to keep water and vinegar in vessels made of silver to ensure freshness and prevent spoilage

In 980 AD, a Persian philosopher and experimenter by the name of Avicenna used silver fillings for a blood purifier, palpitations of the heart, and to cure offensive breath. This was the first recorded use of silver for medicinal purposes.

During the Middle Ages, silver was used for treating nervous disorders.

Before antibiotics were invented, silver was used during World War I as an important tools against disease while on the battlefield.

Silver Has Anti-Microbial Properties

Silver has been known for its antimicrobial properties for decades.  It has been used for this purpose on several types of devices.  Silver is added to bandages, wound dressings and many medical instruments.

In the early 1900s, silver gained regulatory approval as an antimicrobial agent. Prior to the introduction of antibiotics, colloidal silver was used as a germicide and disinfectant. It was used by physicians as an eye drop for ophthalmic problems, infections and disease.

On November 8, 2007, the FDA approved a silver-coated breathing tube for treatment in VAP (ventilated-associated pneumonia).  As quoted from the FDA’s release: “The coating, a material known to have antimicrobial properties, reduces the risk that patients on ventilators will acquire pneumonia while in the hospital”.

In a multi-center clinical trial comparing this particular breathing tube to one that is not coated with a thin layer of silver, the percentage of patients who developed VAP (ventilated-associated pneumonia) was reduced from 7.5 percent to 4.8 percent.

The V-Link with VitalShield has also received FDA approval and has both an interior and exterior antimicrobial coating of silver.  Studies have communicated that the antimicrobial coating is more than 99.99% effective in killing the most common organisms responsible for CRBSIs (Catheter-related bloodstream infections).

 

Silver Has Anti-Bacterial Properties

Silver contains anti-bacterial properties and research has yielded that silver can be used as a biocide.   In hospitals, burn units make use of bandages that release silver ions that help with healing.  These bandages also reduces the need for frequent dressing changes.

Silver has superior bactericidal qualities (Bactericidal: a substance that kills bacteria and ideally nothing else) . Small concentrations of silver or silver salts kill bacteria by chemically affecting the cell membranes resulting in causing them to break down.

Next Stop: Colloidal Silver And Health