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Does Washing Your Hands Raise Risk of IBD?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/22/2016 2:02 PM (GMT 0)
My posts of studies usually gets flamed, but here goes anyway:

“The prevalence of IBD is much less in regions of the world which have heavy worm infection. In fact, I got interested in the question of how worms can be beneficial when I was contacted by an individual who had deliberately infected himself with worms to treat his symptoms of IBD and was able to put his disease into remission.”

www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2016/4/20/does-washing-your-hands-lead-to-ibd
Posted 4/22/2016 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah, it may very well be a good possibility but once IBD has been triggered I think it's too late and stopping hand washing won't reverse it...I think more factors into it than just that anyway. Remission is quite different from being cured....some have success with the worm type therapy but everyone's different. Never hurts to look into the therapy though.
Posted 4/22/2016 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
A form of hygene hypothesis. Most benefits may be form germ exposure before age 5.
Posted 4/22/2016 3:02 PM (GMT 0)
I found it interesting because I was diagnosed after a horrendous ACL tear my sophomore year in high school. After my surgery, I found myself going to the bathroom a lot more than usual. Come to find out a few months later I have Ulcerative Colitis.
A year later one of my friends on the football team broke his back and required surgery, only to be diagnosed with Chrons a few months later!

The only reason I bring this up on this topic is that maybe even when it comes to surgery, we are too sterile. It's hard to prove though, as these autoimmune diseases are pesky and have a lot of factors
Posted 4/22/2016 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I believe bacteria has a large role in UC but there is a risk to exposing yourself to unknown bacteria by lowered hygiene. The internal worm link to lower UC incidence probably comes with more deaths due to non-use of antibacterial meds.

I played in the dirt plenty as a small child but got UC at 46. I think overuse of anti-b's played a role in getting my UC but each use was warranted at the time.

Yesterday morning I ended up at the ER (non-UC don't worry) because a skin infection went crazy and I was afraid it was Vibrio vulnificus since I'm pretty sure I got it in salt water (unbroken skin). I was on Bactrim for 3 days before heading to the ER because it was getting worse. IV anti-b's which were given to me without my asking (skips going through my gut IOW). Love it when doctors can read my mind. So I sit here FULL of IV vancomycin, Bactrim and Keflex.

Doc didn't want to takes chances while waiting for the results back from culture. So far the anti-b's have only caused C (because my guts weird) and I'm taking VSL#3 daily.

I spend a lot of time in the dirt because "'I'm a gardener" If dirt/bacteria fixed UC I'da never gotten it.
Posted 4/22/2016 7:00 PM (GMT 0)
I can buy the “hygiene hypothesis.” But, maybe not on personal level.

IBD runs in the Jewish side of my family.
I'm guessing diet and hygiene laws allowed them to survive long enough to have babies.
I'd have died by now without current hygiene.
Posted 4/22/2016 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
ibdnewstoday.com/2016/04/22/worm-infection-reduces-risk-inflammatory-bowel-disease-modifying-intestinal-bacteria-content-study-finds/
Posted 4/22/2016 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
The gastrointestinal tract constantly brings things from outside to inside our bodies. I think many things in our modern-day environment impact our bacterial diversity within our gut: from the emulsifiers within our food, to chemicals present in the things we breath and consume, to our overly sterile hygeine. If we're truly immune deficient with uc, then perhaps we're not as capable of bouncing back and maintaining a diverse and healthy gut bacteria population from repeat exposure as others are. Antibiotics (or something else) tips the scale and sends us in a crazy cascade resulting in uc. Ya know that, or maybe aliens are just zapping some people randomly on earth to give us uc and laughing at our misery O_o uhh who knows *shrug*.
Posted 4/23/2016 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
I don't believe it for UC. Hygiene, however, has allowed people to not die of simple infections or to spread them, etc. But, there are still people who never wash their hands after they wipe their wormy/c.diff/gastro buggy butts....then go out for eats, touch the interact/elevator buttons/railings...so who says we've never had worms or other things that could have triggered UC?

I'll keep my hands washed as much as I'm able...as well as wiping my phone when I arrive home, books I purchase and whatever else I think might help keep some nasties out of my mouth and into my gut.


ima...you could use those nitrile gloves (they're thicker) for dirt digging.
Hope your infection gets under control quickly.
q
Posted 4/23/2016 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Q
After my last finger infection I bought gauntlet gloves for working the roses. I can't wear gloves while potting plants, weeding, just unnatural for me.

Infection is clearing, ER was a wonderful experience with good docs and nurses.


Ima
Posted 4/23/2016 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
Good to hear the meds are working. Gauntlets make sense for pruning roses...owie.
q
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