The Creatures Living In Your Body
Head Lice
- These tiny insects can live in your hair & drink blood from your scalp.
- They’re generally not dangerous, just itchy & contagious.
- They’re common in elementary school kids.
- You can buy shampoos over the counter that kill them & your doctor can tell you about prescription ones.
- You’ll need to use a wet fine-tooth comb on your hair to get rid of them.
- Even if you do, they can lay eggs, too.
- If they hatch, you’ll itch all over again.
Ringworm
- Don’t worry, it’s not really a worm at all.
- It’s a fungus that can infect just about any part of your body.
- On your head, it could cause hair to fall out in the distinct ring pattern that gives it its name.
- On your feet, it’s called athlete’s foot & in your crotch area, it’s jock itch.
- Your doctor or pharmacist can help you get rid of it with antifungal creams, sprays, powders
or pills.
Hookworm
- This is rare in the U.S., but hookworm larvae is usually found in Asia, Africa & the Middle
East & can enter your skin, often when you walk barefoot on soil that has infected poop. - They live in your gut, aren’t generally dangerous & often go away without treatment.
- The creature can make you itchy & red where it went into your skin.
- You may also cough, wheeze & have stomach pain.
- Talk to your doctor if you think you have it.
Tapeworm
- You can get this parasite from infected beef or fish.
- If you have it, you’ll probably see tiny eggs and pieces of the worm in your poop.
- A worm can grow to 30 feet long inside you and cause diarrhea, cramp & d weight loss.
- Your doctor can give you drugs to get rid of it.
- Early treatment is important because it could lead to brain cysts that can cause headaches, seizures & confusion.
- It can also bring life-threatening disease.
Face Mites
- Also known as demodex, they’re basically tiny spiders you pick up as you age.
- By age 60, you’ve got a couple of thousand of the little guys living on your face.
- You can’t see them because they’re only about a third of a millimeter long & see-through.
- They’re not anything to worry about.
- All they want is to eat some dead skin cells & a bit of the oil that comes along with them.
Scabies
- The aptly named 'human itch mite' uses its eight legs to burrow into the top layer of your
skin to feed in your groin, armpits, between your fingers or toes, or under your belt. - Your body responds with an itchy rash.
- You might get it from another person if you touch their skin, or from sheets, clothes
or furniture. - Your doctor can tell if you have it & prescription drugs can get rid of it.
- Wash bedding & clothes to finish the job.
Giardia
- These are tiny little parasites that live in your gut.
- You can get them if you swim or drink from some streams & lakes.
- You might also get them from hot tubs, well water, swimming pools, contaminated food
& contact with an infected person.
- Giardia can give you cramps, gas, weight loss, sulfur-smelling burps & foul-smelling diarrhea.
- Then again, you may not have any symptoms.
Belly Button Bacteria
- In the folds of your navel, glands make sweat, oil & other things that attract some bacteria
& repel others. - Some of these might make you sick in other places.
- But here, they could help fight off more dangerous germs.
- Things like your gender, your body makeup, where you live & your genes can determine
which bacteria & how much of it, you’ll have.
Candida: The Fungus Among Us
- This thrives in dark, warm, moist places like your mouth, the folds of your skin & for men
in their crotch. - It causes a rash of dry, itchy, swollen skin.
- In your mouth, it could grow too much & cause patches of itchy white bumps on your tongue, throat, or inside your cheeks.
- You may hear your doctor call that 'thrush.'
- It can be treated with antifungal drugs.
Gut Microbiome
- Most of the trillions of microscopic things that live in & on your body are inside your gut.
- They interact with your diet, your body & the outside environment.
- Researchers are still figuring out how.
Mouth Creatures
- A delicate balance of bacteria, fungi & viruses live in your mouth all the time.
- Problems like cavities or sores can start when that balance gets thrown off.
- This can happen because of things like dry mouth, diabetes or a weak immune system.
Lactobacilli Bacteria
- A fine balance & variety of microscopic creatures live inside the vagina.
- They’re thought to be the first line of defense against other microbes that could give you
smelly vaginal discharge & itch. - Lactobacilli bacteria, in particular, promote vaginal health because they help keep acid
levels just right. - This can help prevent bacterial vaginosis & yeast infections
Armpit Microbiome
- The balance of creatures in your mouth & gut aren’t the only ones that matter.
- Even your armpits have a microbiome that’s part of the reason for the odor that comes
from there. - The mix is often dominated by 'staph' bacteria that is thought to fight off other germs.
- But the mix changes drastically if you use antiperspirant.
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