Is there a silver bullet for disease?

Silver in medicine, colloidal silver

Want a silver bullet that can prevent infection and cure almost anything? That may happen with nanotechnology, specifically its use in combination with silver that has enormous potential for the cure of diseases and the prevention of outbreaks of serious virus-caused infections. With this miraculous capability, are there concerns and if so what are they?

Nanosilver has expanded use in products and is the most popular of the nano-material ingredients used in products for humans. It is now used in about 100 products primarily because of its benefit in killing bacteria and infectious microorganisms. This ability is exponentially increased with nano-silver, as opposed to silver in its normal form, because of the increase in performance related to the positively charged ions using the surface-to-mass ratio. Less mass needed for distribution, the greater the potential for increased use.

The considerable use of Nanosilver is not know about by most consumers who would be surprised how widespread it has been. It is, for example, added to socks to prevent foot odor, to bandages for the promotion of healing, inside refrigerators to keep foods from spoiling, to keyboards, nail clippers, and cell phones to prevent the spread of infections from microbes that can exist on any of these items and others like them. It is also used in some baby wipes and toothpaste. World health officials have great interest in the use of Nanosilver for helping to prevent epidemics.

Silver has long been touted for its curative powers and was even recommended as a treatment for ulcers by Hippocrates. Doctors recommend eyedrops with silver nitrate to prevent blindness in infants that have been exposed to gonorrhea in the womb. Health stores carry colloidal silver, and some claim it can treat everything from simple wounds to skin cancer and stop systemic fungal infections. The only major health concern that has been expressed to date comes from long-term use of high amounts as this may actually turn the skin blue.

With all of this potential for good, are there any risks to the widespread use of silver? Some scientists have expressed concerns that silver will be like mercury and kill microorganisms indiscriminately, the good and the bad ones, thereby disrupting the balance that exists in nature. In salt water it could spread into the food supply in quantities that might be destructive to fish.

Environmentalists ask questions about scientific advancements for a reason. Given the issues of global warming and environmental concern, this balance of adventurers in science and their critics is important in order to make sure that we have the proper safeguards. So whereas nanosilver has great benefits, it's important that there be safeguards, controls and reliable studies as well, according to those in the forefront of research.