Tag: Flesh Eating Disease

Protect Yourself From The Flesh Eating Disease

I know that all the rage these days is talk about an impending zombie apocalypse and that is what you may first think of when you hear about flesh eating disease but since there really is no such thing as zombies let’s talk about how you can protect yourself from the flesh eating disease called Necrotizing Fasciitis.

The best way to protect yourself from the flesh eating disease is to keep your hands clean. Wash them in warm water and soap for at least 15-20 seconds when they are visibly soiled and use hand sanitizer to kill the germs you can’t see for other times.

If you cut yourself or get a burn while you are in the kitchen, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem at the time, always clean the area very well and keep it covered. Feel free to use a triple antibiotic ointment and change the bandage frequently or at least daily.

The bandage you use should also be kept dry so go buy yourself some vinyl or latex gloves at your local drug store to use to cover the affected area, if it is on your hands, that is.

Bacteria thrives in warm, moist places so if the bandage gets wet change it immediately.

If you are a relatively healthy individual you have a lower risk of acquiring this possibly deadly infection. Higher risk individuals are those with chronic conditions that deplete the immune system like diabetes, cancer, and lupus.

Alcoholics and drug abusers also have a higher risk of developing this type of infection.

These people should take special precautions from even getting injured because with an immune system that is not functioning like it should sores and burns will not heal quickly in the best of times.

If, a day or two after an injury, you start to notice any of the following symptoms, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.

If you notice:

1. Increased redness, swelling and the area of injury is hot to the touch

2. Green drainage from the would

3. Increased or new, severe pain to the area

4. An area near the center of the original injury has turned black. This indicates that tissue death has begun.

Diagnosis is made by your doctor ordering a number of tests such as:

1. Lab culture of the wound

2. CT scan or MRI

3. Blood tests

4. Biopsy of the surrounding skin

Immediate treatment is essential to limiting the damage the toxins released by the bacteria can cause. If left untreated for even just a little while, sometimes only a few hours, extensive damage can occur and complications such as amputation or organ death can quickly follow.

Statistics show that if you do not learn how to protect yourself from the flesh eating disease and you do acquire this deadly infection 1 in 4 will die from it.

All it takes is keeping your hands and any injury you get clean, covered and dry.

Flesh Eating Disease Protect Against It

This article will help you understand a little more about the very frightening flesh eating disease. Protect against flesh eating disease by making sure you wash your hands thoroughly several times per day.

Also known as Necrotizing Fasciitis, this very rare (but serious) type if skin infection is caused by a number of different types of bacteria. It just depends on what the person who gets it is susceptible to at the time they get it.

One of the types of bacteria that cause this type of infection is the same type of bacteria that cause strep throat. It enters the body through cuts, scrapes, burns and even muscle strains and bruises. There does not have to be broken skin to acquire this type of infection.

This type of infection is commonly referred to as flesh eating disease. Protect against flesh eating disease by using hand sanitizer gel when you can’t wash your hands and keeping any and all cuts and scrapes or burns you may have clean and covered.

The most common way to become infected is through cuts (including surgical incisions) or other injuries that are not well cared for. Symptoms include:

1. Pain that becomes severe for no apparent reason a day or two after surgery or injury.

2. High fever and chills

3. Redness and swelling at the site of injury

4. The site of injury is hot to the touch

5. Nausea and vomiting

6. Diarrhea

Some predisposing factors that could contribute to anyone getting this type of infection are:

1. Having an already impaired immune system

2. Having a chronic disease like diabetes or cancer

3. Your skin integrity has been compromised (having open wounds or cuts like a surgical incision)

4. Have or have had a recent viral infection that causes an itchy rash like chicken pox.

5. Have taken prescribed steroid medications that lower immune system response to infection

As stated this type of infection is very rare but also very serious if you get it. If you experience any of the symptoms listed above then see your doctor immediately. If you wait and the infection takes hold then you could lose some skin, fat and muscle in the surrounding areas and may need to have it removed.

This could very well cause you to become disfigured and need more surgeries to try to resolve this (like plastic surgery or skin grafting), depending on where the infection is located on your body.

Bacteria is everywhere. No one can really ever get away from it but if you take simple precautions you can diminish your exposure to some of the more serious ones like the ones that cause this very rare type of infection.

Flesh eating disease. Protect against flesh eating disease by keeping your hands clean is the very best defense against bacterial infections. Also, keeping sores, cuts, and even insect bites clean and protected is key. Try not to scratch insect bites and keep your fingernails clean and neatly trimmed.