Could You Stomach the Idea of Using Worms to Treat Obesity?

There’s always some miracle pill or fad diet to try, but these are never as effective for your weight loss wellness as you want. Now, researchers have addressed the obesity epidemic with some brand new therapies but thought they may promise results, they’re so horrifying that you might not want to put your wellbeing in their hands.

 

If you have a problem rationing your food intake, there’s the AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System, which pumps food out of your stomach right after you finish eating. The device was invented by a group of bariatric surgeons and Dean Kamen — who brought you the Segway personal transportation device — and essentially allows you the luxury of eating until you feel you’re about to burst, but without any weight gain. You use a small pump on a tube that connects directly to your stomach, so that 30% of what you ate 20 minutes ago ends up in the toilet. However, critics are calling the AspireAssist “mechanical bulimia” and pointing out that large portions of food can clog the device and that there’s a high probability of infection.

 

Still, if you don’t want to pump out that weight, scientists have found a way to worm it out of you. A study published in Nature Medicine has shown that some parasitic worms secrete a sugar-based anti-inflammatory molecule called glycan. This decreases inflammation in the host so that the worms can better navigate through tissue, but it may also treat metabolic disorders associated with obesity. Donald Harn, the study co-author who worked on the research while at the Harvard School of Public Health, commented, ‘Obesity is an inflammatory disease, so we hypothesised that this sugar might have some effect on complications related to it.

 

For the study, the researchers used the parasite’s sugar by-product on fat mice, and found that these mice were better guarded against insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and high cholesterol than their control counterparts. While the worm sugar won’t make you skinny, it may have a beneficial effect for your wellbeing. Harn noted, ‘We see great promise in this sugar, and we hope that future research and collaborations will eventually lead to marketable therapies for people suffering from disease.’

Categories: Device, Food, mechanical bulimia, nbsp, obesity, Sugar, worms

Are Thread-Worms Something to be Concerned About?

Surprisingly, thread-worms are quite common, although very rarely serious. These worms infect the intestines and lay eggs around the anus which leads to it itching. The treatment for thread-worms usually involves medication and hygiene measures, but the medication only kills the worms not the eggs. The eggs themselves can actually last for around two weeks, which means that the hygiene measures are important to ensure that you don’t swallow any more eggs which can lead to a new infection. Even if members of your household don’t have symptoms, everyone needs to be treated if someone in the house has thread-worms. The worms are small, white and (as the name suggests) thread-like – they grow to be between 2mm and 13mm long. Although they are common in children, anyone can become infected with them.

 

Thread-worms can survive for around five to six weeks before they die, before which the females lay eggs around the anus. This usually occurs at night when you’re warm. The eggs are microscopic but lead to itching – while you’re sleeping, you scratch the area which leads to the eggs getting stuck under your fingernails. You may then swallow them if you put your finger in your mouth without realising, which spreads the infection. What many people don’t realise is that the eggs can survive outside of the body for around two weeks. This means that they can fall onto your bedding or get wafted into the air as you change clothes or make your bed, before becoming part of the dust in your home. They may settle on your toothbrush or on food, which is yet another route to you swallowing them. It is for this reason that hygiene is paramount when someone in your home has thread-worms.

 

If your child is itching in this area, this may be a sign of thread-worms. Although you may be able to see one or two coming out of the anus, it’s best to take them to a GP to be sure – they will advise on the best course of treatment. Your GP may do a sticky tape test, which confirms the presence of thread-worms. This involves putting a section of clear tape onto the skin around the anus first thing in the morning, before wiping or bathing, which can then be tested for eggs which will have stuck to the tape. If they are present, all members of the household will need to be treated. This is because the eggs are easily spread and may have infected other people without them realising. The most common form of treatment is a course of medicine to kill the worms in your gut, and then hygiene measures to remove any eggs from the home or your body. Your pharmacist will stock the medication required to clear the internal infection. The cleaning process involves washing all sleepwear, bedding and towels, as well as any cuddly toys your child may sleep with. You don’t need to do this on a hot wash, just as long as they are thoroughly cleaned. You should also vacuum and damp-dust your home, throwing the cloth away after use. Bedrooms should be especially taken care of, as this is where the eggs are most likely to have spread. It’s also advised that you change and wash your nightwear each night to avoid spreading the eggs further if any has stayed on your bedding, as well as showing or bathing every morning to rinse off any eggs from the body. Naturally, washing your hands before preparing food, as always, is advised to make sure that no eggs are under your fingernails before you eat.

Categories: anus, Child Wellness, Eggs, family health, Home, hygiene measures, lay eggs, thread, thread worms, threadworms, worms