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Brain eating amoeba fears

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Posted 8/19/2018 11:50 AM (GMT 0)
So I’m paralyzed with anxiety about Naegleria Fowleri (spelling?) more commonly know as the brain eating amoeba. I was in lake havasu last week where I jumped into the water with stuff in my hands and couldn’t plug my nose and all this water rushed into my sinus cavity. One of the girls I was with told me “Oh don’t do that there’s been a case of that brain eating amoeba in this lake.” So now I am on day 9 since exposure to the lake water and I’m freaking out still.

My anxiety is really good at playing tricks on me and making crazy symptoms appear in my body. I suffer from horrible health anxiety and this is really setting me over the edge. All logical reason has gone out the window. As crazy as it sounds should I drive to the ER to get myself checked out? This would involve an invasive spinal tap procedure which the thought of gives me enough anxiety.
I hate feeling like this. I just want to know for sure I’m ok
Posted 8/19/2018 5:05 PM (GMT 0)
I would wait until you have definite symptoms before going in. No need to beat yourself up just thinking you might have it. We all could have any number of things festering inside us, but why worry about it until you actually feel something that is an actual symtpom.
Posted 8/19/2018 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Hopeful~

And welcome to Healing Well. I did some searching and reading on this and found a few things. Here is some of what I found.

"Naegleria fowleri is a free-living ameba that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a disease of the central nervous system. PAM is a rare disease. In the United States there have been 143 PAM infections from 1962 through 2016."

"Even though N. fowleri amoebas are relatively common, they only rarely cause brain disease. N. fowleri disease is known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). It occurs from zero to eight times a year, almost always from July to September. It's considered a rare infection."

This ameba like warm conditions and has mainly occurred in southern states when it is very warm. Even then worrying never did anything but make you feel worse. You would be a rarity if it affected you,I mean very rare from what I read.

Keep posting and keep your mind busy on other things, OK? We'll do what we can to hold you up until you get more relaxed. After 2 weeks there's no more cause for worry anyway.

Warmly,
Chutz
Posted 8/19/2018 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome!

I am so sorry you are going through this fear currently! I know how this feels, and understand how exhausting it is to worry constantly about health related issues.

The specific microbial infection that you are concerned about is extremely rare, and only occurs in a very few bodies of water....and even then, only in shallow stagnant areas where one would not be jumping in and swimming. IOW, the chances that you have any reason to be concerned is so very low...as to almost be a non issue.

I definitely don't think that going to the ER is needed...however, to set you mind at ease, why don't you make an appointment with your doctor to go in and discuss your situation, allowing him/her to reassure you?

Until then, please see our Resources at the top of the main forum page here for great self help material that can help you to combat this worry. The Health Anxiety, Therapy Worksheets, Positive Mantras/Affirmations as well as the Stress Relieving Exercises links are a great place to start.

Know that your fear is a fairly common one. We get several periodically (that and rabies) and it seems to go along with the health anxiety struggle...so know you are not alone!

Keep posting with us if you find it helpful,

Scaredy Cat
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