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Hookworms – The what, how and more.

Hookworms are a ‘bad’ bug… parasitic worm that infects humans and animals.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) website says that these nasty’s affect 500+ to 700+ million people worldwide.  If not treated promptly, serious complications can develop.

Hookworms are typically transmitted through infected soil. The soil gets infected from a person’s feces (that has hookworm) with hookworm eggs.  This happens when an infected person defecates outdoors.  The eggs then hatch and develop into a larval stage that can penetrate the skin of humans.  Walking barefoot or having your skin come into contact with soil containing this larval stage of hookworm, transmits the hookworm.  Warm humid climates – especially where sanitation and hygiene are not the best are most at risk for hookworm infestation.

How to know if you’ve been infected with hookworm?  In the early stages of infection, a localized rash can form.. and it typically itches.  Sometimes the shape of a worm can be seen on the surface of the skin.  If not treated, the larvae can travel to other internal organs (commonly the lungs).  Then when the infected person coughs up the worms and swallows – the parasite can enter the small intestine.  There they can cause gastrointestinal issues, ranging from mild (abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite) to serious (ascites- serious loss of protein with fluid build up in the abdomen).

How to get rid of them?  There are a couple of drugs that are commonly used to treat hookworm infestation.  They generally do the job. However, as noted in a recent story, written by Lindsey Bever for the Washington Post, about a boy who was infected from sand on a Florida beach…

“Dumas said the doctor gave Michael an antibiotic and an anti-parasitic, but the medication “wasn’t working fast enough,” so she made an emergency appointment with a dermatologist earlier this month.

Dumas said the dermatologist used cryotherapy, a treatment in which liquid nitrogen is commonly used to “freeze” lesions off the skin. But during treatment, the teen’s mother said that her son urged the doctor to stop, saying he felt as though he could “feel it running from the liquid nitrogen.”

“It’s disgusting,” she said. “It’s beyond disgusting.”

There are herbal ingredients that have been used for centuries to combat a variety of ‘bad’ bugs.  The three most common are: cloves, wormwood and black walnut.  Whether or not that would do the trick on Michael’s severe case, is up for discussion.  Naturopathic doctors (N.D.’s)  often suggest hitting a bad case from all sides..  conventional meds to botanicals.  Seeking advice from health care professionals is always recommended.

Note: Conventional antibiotic treatment will also kill the ‘good’ bugs in your gut.  Supplementing with a  probiotic (dietary supplement of ‘good’ bacteria) is usually recommended… talk to your health care provider.  Probiotic formulas are available over-the-counter and from vitamin companies online.  Go for a Non-GMO formula.

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Hookworms – From Trip to Beach

There are some possible hazards associated with going to the beach…  normally we think – sunburn, sharks, riptide.. How about a bad case of hookworm?  Yikes!!  We suggest that eating and reading this story might not be a good idea.  There are some graphic details that involve visible worms crawling inside of a boys. Want to read the details? Click here.

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What are prebiotics?

Prebiotics….

Prebiotics are actually a type of fiber and are often referred to as prebiotic fiber. They are necessary for all your ‘good’ bugs (probiotics) to survive and thrive.

The term prebiotic is a relatively new, although the type of fiber they refer to has been around for ages.  Prebiotic fiber is an indigestible form of fiber that acts as a good source of food for the ‘good’ bug flora in your gut. For a fiber to be classified as ‘prebiotic’ is must resist digestion and absorption in the upper gut, be fermented by intestinal microflora and stimulate the growth of ‘good’ bug flora.

Prebiotics exist both in particular foods and dietary supplements.  Foods that contain prebiotics include: Bananas (the greener the better), garlic, onions, broccoli, and whole grain oats.  Common prebiotics found in supplements include: Inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides or FOS, psyllium, and wheat dextrin.

Bottom line… Probiotics and prebiotics have a symbiotic relationship… they need each other.  Together they are the cornerstone of good and balanced gut health.  Because of the important link between healthy gut flora and our overall health, it’s clear that providing your body with both pre and pro ‘biotics’ is essential.

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Prebiotics – The What, Where and Why

Prebiotics – The What, Where and Why

Although technically not a ‘good’ bug.. because prebiotics are not bugs of any sort, however, they are good and they are necessary for all your ‘good’ bugs (probiotics) to survive and thrive. Prebiotics are actually a type of fiber and are often referred to as prebiotic fiber.

The term prebiotic is a relatively new, although the type of fiber they refer to has been around for ages.  Prebiotic fiber is an indigestible form of fiber that acts as a good source of food for the ‘good’ bug flora in your gut. For a fiber to be classified as ‘prebiotic’ is must resist digestion and absorption in the upper gut, be fermented by intestinal microflora and stimulate the growth of ‘good’ bug flora.

Prebiotics exist both in particular foods and dietary supplements.  Foods that contain prebiotics include: Bananas (the greener the better), garlic, onions, broccoli, and whole grain oats.  Common prebiotics found in supplements include: Inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides or FOS, psyllium, and wheat dextrin.

Bottom line… Probiotics and prebiotics have a symbiotic relationship… they need each other.  Together they are the cornerstone of good and balanced gut health.  Because of the important link between healthy gut flora and our overall health, it’s clear that providing your body with both pre and pro ‘biotics’ is essential.

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What are probiotics?

What are probiotics?

When you see a reference to ‘good’ gut flora or ‘good’ bugs in your gut, most of those remarks are referring to different types of ‘good’ bacteria – meaning they are good for your body’s health. Probiotics is the general term that includes most of those good bacteria.

As noted on the Mayo Clinic’s site:  “Probiotics are good bacteria that are either the same as or very similar to the bacteria that are already in your body. Your lower digestive tract alone teems with a complex and diverse community of these bacteria. In fact, there are a greater number of bacteria in your intestines than there are cells in your body.”

Your intestines are also teeming with ‘bad’ bacteria (can cause harm and negative health related issues).   Having too many of the “bad” and not enough of the “good” bacteria — often caused in part by an unhealthy diet — can wreak all sorts of havoc on your body’s health. As further noted on the Mayo Clinic’s website: “This imbalance can lead to weight gain, skin conditions, constipation or diarrhea, and various chronic health conditions.” The key is too have more of the ‘good’ guys than the ‘bad’.

Consuming foods rich in probiotics (some yogurts, some cheeses, kefir, sauerkraut and kimshi) and taking a probiotic supplement can help you increase your ‘good’ gut bugs and help keep the ‘bad’ ones at bay.

It’s important to keep in mind that there are many different types (strains) of probiotics, each with specific purposes.  You need a good variety of different strains to help achieve a balanced and healthy gut flora.  A variety of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species are the most common beneficial bacteria used in dietary supplements.

 

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Raw Oysters Contaminated –

A few days ago this warning was attached to crab meat… today it’s to raw oysters. A man in FL died after eating raw oysters apparently contaminated with the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus – or more commonly referred to as the ‘flesh eating bacteria’. During summer months when the coastal waters are warmer, this bacteria is more prevalent. Might want to skip the raw the oysters – regardless of the state. Better safe than sorry. [Full story – Click Here]

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Tapeworms – Yikes!!!

Having a parasite grow inside of you is an unpleasant enough thought… the only thing that ups that, is if it’s a tapeworm. 

Scary: Tapeworms get the award for the freakiest… hence the recent media flurry over NHL prospect Carson Meyer. For months, the 21-year-old was losing weight and feeling exhausted. Even after many blood tests, doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. Eventually, a tapeworm (in excess of 2 feet long) came out of his body. “I was freaking out. Absolutely freaking out,” he said. Doctors said the tapeworm had probably been inside of him for over a year. Luckily, he’s now better– But how did that worm get inside of him to begin with?

The basics: Tapeworms are flatworm parasite that resides in the intestines of people and animals. There’s more than one kind (different species), but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common in the United States is Taenia solium, or commonly called the pork tapeworm. This type is most often picked up by eating undercooked meat. The type of tapeworm Meyer had (Diphyllobothrium latum) comes from eating undercooked fish.

The details: Once granted access to its host, the “head” of the worm attaches to the wall of the host’s intestine. Here it begins to feed (absorbing nutrients).  With plenty of food, it grows lots of little segments, which contain its eggs (are often passed out in the host’s stool). Some tapeworm eggs can survive for days or months in feces from infected hosts (animals included).  When cows or pigs eat infected excrement (it gets into their feed), the eggs hatch and the larvae form into cysts that get into the animals’ muscles.  That’s how the tapeworm cysts end up in the meat aisle in the grocery store. When the meat is cooked properly, the larvae die, and the meat is safe to eat. But if the meat is raw or undercooked,  the live larva can enter your GI tract, where it grows into an adult (and we are talking – depending on the species – up to 82 feet long!!! – Yes, the super freaky part!)

Even worse:  A couple of years ago,  Luis Ortiz, a 26-year-old man in California, had a “still wiggling” tapeworm pulled from his brain! He needed emergency brain surgery, and he ended up spending almost three months in the hospital. How did the tapeworm get from his intestines to his brain???  When someone ingests tapeworm eggs, the larvae can invade the intestinal wall and travel to their organs; surviving in their brain, liver, and lung tissue. If they reach the brain,  they can cause seizures and other neurological problems and develop into a potentially fatal condition called neurocysticercosis. Usually pork tapeworm eggs are ingested directly from infected fecal matter.  It’s also  possible to auto-infect yourself:  Best-ever reason to wash your hands after you use the bathroom!

Scarier: The perhaps even scarier (yes, it can get scarier) thought is that if you by chance chow down on a rare piece of meat or raw seafood and don’t get food poisoning symptoms within a day or so, chances are you’re think everything is A.OK.  By the time tapeworm symptoms develop – you’ll have long forgotten about the undercooked or raw treat you had!

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Most Common Parasite (Worm) In the US?

What is the most common parasite (worm) infection in the US?

The pinworm (“threadworm”). This worm is a small, thin, white roundworm (nematode) called Enterobius vermicularis that lives in the colon and rectum of humans. Pinworms are about the length of a staple. While an infected person sleeps, female pinworms leave the intestine through the anus and deposit their eggs (up to 15,000) on the surrounding skin. Humans are the only known host, and about 209 million persons worldwide are infected. More than 30 percent of children worldwide are infected. Pinworm infection is spread by the fecal-oral route, that is by the transfer of infective pinworm eggs from the anus to someone’s mouth, either directly by hand or indirectly through contaminated clothing, bedding, food, or other articles. Pinworm eggs become infective within a few hours after being deposited on the skin around the anus and can survive for 2 to 3 weeks on clothing, bedding, or other objects. People become infected, usually unknowingly, by swallowing (ingesting) infective pinworm eggs that are on fingers, under fingernails, or on clothing, bedding, and other contaminated objects and surfaces. Because of their small size, pinworm eggs sometimes can become airborne and ingested while breathing.