Currently viewing the category: "infections"

Wash Dammit!

By On · Add Comment · In antibiotic resistant bacteria, bacteria, germs, hand washing, hygiene, infections, microbes, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, vaccinations

Five years ago I wrote and published a book called The Six Keys to Optimal Health. I really contemplated the concept of adding a seventh key, which would have been hygiene, but I resisted because I made a gross assumption–that pretty much everybody in the modern world is attuned to this paramount health practice.

I now realize that I was severely wrong.  In fact, improper hygiene seems to be a continuing scourge of the new millennium. From dirty hospital rooms, leading to an increased spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria, to dirty tattooing equipment, to dirty soda fountains, it’s pretty clear to me that human beings haven’t yet gotten this one down, so let me say it loud and clear: WASH YOUR HANDS!

Whew, I feel better. According to researchers at the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety,

“Hand-washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infections. You can spread certain ‘germs’ (a general term for microbes such as viruses and bacteria) by touching another person even casually. You can also catch germs when you touch contaminated objects or surfaces and then touch your face,” the group explained in a news release from the Society for Women’s Health Research.

Yes, wash people. You go to the WC…wash. You shake somebody’s hand…wash. You handle money…wash. You touch food? Wash. You work with people? Wash. You have kids with snotty noses? Wash dang it!

Oh waaait…you don’t know how to properly wash your hands? Got it…okay, well here you go…straight from the Centers of Disease Control:

  • Place hands under clean, running water.
  • Once wet, add soap and rub hands together until suds form.
  • Scrub on every surface for at least 20 seconds (the amount of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice), including both sides, between fingers and under fingernails.
  • Rinse hands again under running water and dry with a clean dry towel or air-dry.

Listen, proper hygiene is so important it’s often the difference between developed nations and third world countries. Some people even believe that it was the improvement in methods and practices of hygiene and not vaccinations that led to the dramatic decrease in death and illness due to infectious microorganisms–I’m one of these people.

Simple as this–wash your hands like you’ve never washed before. Get a sink in your car. Wash in your sleep. Go nuts–you can never wash too much. This has been a public service announcement.

Women Over 50: Health Choices

By On · Add Comment · In breast reduction, calcium, chiropractic, chiropractor, cosmetic surgery, exercise, health, hormone replacement therapy, infections, vitamin D

Ladies: Are you over 50 and considering a boob-reduction?  Hope you’re healthy then, because a recent study shows that you’re at an increased risk for infection. That’s right. And on top of that, women over 50 also have a higher rate of wound-healing problems as compared to younger women, leading to a higher rate of repeat surgery to remove areas of dead skin (debridement). Something to think about if you’re considering a slash to the sag.

The study conducted at Johns Hopkins University looked at 1,192 women who had breast reduction surgery between 1999 and 2009 and found that the post-surgery infection rate for women over 50 was 2.7 times higher than for those under 40.
Researcher believe that the differences are due to age-related changes to hormone levels. Yes, of course! And the reason is that they found older women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were less likely to have post-surgery infections. Further, women who had undergone hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries, both of which result in large decreases in hormone levels, had higher rates of infection. Accordingly, the study’s authors conclude that doctors should investigate any factors that might effect hormone levels in women considering breast reduction surgery, and that hormone replacement therapy might be warranted in women with reduced hormone levels.
So why would I say “hope you’re healthy?” Because health isn’t simply which chemical or hormone we’re missing. When the body is in a state of wellness, it’s missing nothing. Why not instead encourage older women to do some things that might improve their health overall? Why not encourage younger women now to maintain their health to their best ability?
Spoke to a lovely lady this evening in my practice who told me that she does what she does cosmetically because it makes her feel better about herself, which in turn, motivates her to do other right things for herself (like exercise and eat well, etc). While I certainly understand where she’s coming from on an emotional level, I’d say it’s somewhat illogical reasoning: You alter yourself through surgery so that you feel better about yourself, and then you exercise and eat well?
Ladies, your body is yours to do what you deem appropriate. But I assure you that by doing the right things:

  • Exercising regularly
  • Drinking lots of water
  • Eating whole, natural foods
  • Supplementing with vitamin D and calcium
  • Visiting your chiropractor regularly
  • Getting regular body work
  • Being aware of your body (through gyno checkups and breast self-exams)
  • Minimizing alcohol and tobacco use
  • Practicing safe sex
  • Getting plenty of rest
…you should be healthy for years to come. And if you are in your fifties and pick up these habits now, your highly intelligent body will rebalance itself. If you don’t feel better about yourself then, it’s time for me to hang up my hands (sorry, I’m a chiropractor: it’s all I could think of…). At the very least, if you decide to get that breast reduction after all, then you’ll be in the best shape to handle the surgery.

Sleeping With Pets Can Be Infectious

By On · Add Comment · In cat scratch disease, cats, dogs, domestic animals, hookworm, household pets, immune system, infections, parasites, ringworm, roundworm, veterinarians, zoonotic diseases

Listen up pet lovers: Sleeping with the dog or cat might be hazardous to your health.  That’s right–the midnight snuggle with Max-the-mutt just might cause you to get sick; so says a recent report being published in the upcoming issue of the public health journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

According to the report, domestic animals can carry a number of microorganisms like bacteria, parasites and viruses.  Yuck!  And these infectious agents can cause anything from mild to life-threatening illnesses.  Double yuck!

Two hundred and fifty zoonotic diseases that can be spread from animals to humans are known, and of those, more than 100 can be transmitted by domestic pets.  Although the risks are low compared to the numbers of people that sleep with their pets, scientists and veterinarians just want you to know the risks are still there.

“Having a pet in the bed is not a good idea,” Bruno Chomel, report co-author and professor of zoonoses at University of California School of Veterinary Medicine at Davis said.

As I said earlier, the spectrum of diseases transmitted from pets to owners varies, but some of the more common ones are hookworm, ringworm, roundworm, cat scratch disease and drug-resistant staph infections, the report said.  One of the cases referred to was of a 69-year-old man who caught meningitis from his dog licking his hip-replacement wound all night as they laid in bed.  Puke-bucket, anyone?

Especially at risk are people with weakened immune systems—children under 5, the elderly, HIV+, cancer patients–but everybody can decrease their risk of catching zoonotic diseases by practicing a few good hygiene habits:

  • Wash hands with soap and hot water after handling pets, especially puppies, kittens or any aged cat or dog with diarrhea.  Those “high-risk pets,” Chomel says, are more likely to harbor an infection that could be passed to people.
  • Immediately wash any area licked by a pet.
  • Keep animals free of fleas and ticks, routinely de-worm them and have them regularly examined by a veterinarian
  • The authors also discourage owners from kissing their cats or dogs and sharing a bed with them.

Because most zoonotic infections are under-diagnosed or not reportable to health authorities, no one really knows how many cases occur each year.  One expert, Dr. Peter Rabinowitz of the Yale School of Medicine, believes the numbers are in the millions.  He says, “We think there are probably a lot of infections that happen and nobody really figures out that it came from the pet.”

Before anybody gets all up in arms about this report (I know you pet-lovers…), consider this: Sleeping with Killer might be just as risky to his health as it is for yours.  Last year, a cat in Iowa was reported to have contracted H1N1 (swine flu) from his owner.  Unfortunately, pets don’t have their infectious disease reporting down yet–so for now they suffer in silence.

Get Tested!

By On · Add Comment · In carriers, chlamydia, ectopic pregnancy, infections, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), sexual health, sexually transmitted disease (STD), sterility
Good news: More than one million sexual health screens were conducted in Britain in 2007, up 10% from 2006.

Bad news: Diagnosed cases of chlamydia increased by more than 22,000 in the United Kingdom. Youch!

Chlamydia isn’t reserved for the UK alone; heck, no–we’ve got plenty of cases in the United States too. Estimates have American chlamydia cases at 2.3 million with less than half of those actually reported in all 50 states. Yikes!!!

So you know what that means? Well, first let me give you a few facts: Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is often silent–that is, many people infected with the bacterium (Chlamydia trachomatis) don’t even know it. People that do know generally find out when they develop symptoms: Burning and itching around the penis in men, along with discharge and pissing razor blades. In women, abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating, while those whose infection spreads to the cervix and fallopian tubes might experience lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods.

Worse yet, because chlamydia is silent in so many people–in other words, no symptoms–many cases go undetected, and thus untreated. As a result, infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. In women it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (you don’t want that) and ultimately, ectopic pregnancy and infertility (definitely don’t want that) . Complications in men are rare but can lead to infection of the epididymis, which can cause sterility.

OK, so now what does this all mean? First, one in ten women are infected. So guys, one out of every ten women you hit on are potential carriers* And for women who like women…bad news–you can get chlamydia through oral sex, so infection of the throat is not uncommon. And women who like guys–one in every twelve men is infected, so if you have many options in the dating scene…ahem…practice caution. And guys to guys–well, you’ve got the triple threat, so see the prevention tips below.

Finally, which group is catching and passing chlamydia the most? Youngsters–people aged 18-24 are the highest risk group. So what to do? Here are the tips:

  • Keeping it in your pants is the best all around protection, period. Too prudish for you?
  • Then having a long-term, monogamous relationship also helps. But if that just isn’t in the cards,
  • then using condoms, properly, every time you have sex is a must. No glove, no love, baby.
  • and then getting tested annually is a great idea, especially if you’re female, under twenty-five, and sexually active (particularly if you have multiple sex partners).

If you fear that you might have a sexually transmitted disease, don’t hesitate, get tested. If you need further info, check out:

Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/std

*I’m using British numbers here, but for all intents and purposes, we can extrapolate them to qualify the point–U.S. chlamydia numbers are actually 0.1% higher; and since our population is about five times greater than the U.K.’s…well, you do the math.

Drive-through Medicine

By On · Add Comment · In drug-resistant, germs, immunocompromised, infections, Methicillin-resistant staph aureus (MRSA)

Want to know what aspect of modern living contributes significantly to the spread of drug-resistant germs? Fast food health care, that’s what.

What’s fast food health care? It’s the churning out of patients from over-crowded hospitals to make room for new and ever-growing patients. Yow! They’re pumping ’em out like Big Macs. Hold the bed sores, hold the lettuce…

According to Australian researchers, the overcrowding and quick turnover of hospital beds is leading to the spread of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, like the methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) we saw spread to the general population at the beginning of the year. The problem seems to stem from super-busy doctors, nurses and other health care workers not washing their hands well and as frequently as recommended during busy times–that is, during times of understaffing and high workload. Eew! Yuck! Just what I want from my local fast food hospital. Shouldn’t we post letter grade ratings in the windows like we do with restaurants?

MRSA killed an estimated 19,000 Americans in 2005 and made 94,000 seriously ill. Wash your hands, McSceavy…please! MRSA infections can range from boils to more severe infections of the bloodstream, lungs and surgical sites. It is spread by the hands and on contaminated medical equipment. And last year nearly 5 percent of U.S. patients were infected or colonized with MRSA. Double Yecch!

So I’ll just say what I always do: Stay out of the American hospital system if you can help it (and British and Australian systems, too, while you’re at it). They are breeding grounds for filth. I’m the first one to trust in the strength of the environment of the human body with its immune system arsenal, but hospitals usually equal knocked ass-out on narcotics and left a bit immunocompromised. Under these circumstances, uh…I’ll put my dough on the germs. Stay healthy, practice the The Six Keys To Optimal Health, and wash your hands, arms, body and clothing profusely if you ever spend time in the fast food medical germ cafeteria. Makes a drive-through sound pretty darn good, now doesn’t it?

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