Can you get sick from your own dung?

  • Thread starter Line
  • Start date
In summary, washing your hands after using the bathroom is primarily a sanitary measure for others rather than for yourself. However, there are cases where the bacteria in your own stool can make you sick, such as with parasitic worms or if the bacteria gain access to other areas of your body. The contents of our bowels are considered to be outside of our bodies, and a perforation of the GI tract can lead to a painful and potentially deadly infection within 15 minutes. While there is currently no conclusive evidence that bacteria in feces cause cancer, it is being studied and there is a possible link between Helicobacter pylori and stomach cancer.
  • #36
Helicobacter pylori has been found in feces, and the world health organization is calling it a class 1 carcinogen, which means cancer causing agent.
 
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #37
Evo said:
I don't believe you can build an immunity to things you're not exposed to. If you live in a sterile environment, you'd be more likely to get sick when you venture into the real world. Someone correct me if I am wrong here, this is purely my opinion.

I got over my allergy to cats by being around them all the time. They no longer make me sneeze or cause huge swollen welts. And I used to be deathly allergic to them. Dust and pollen, however, still make me sneeze and will swell my eyes. So, maybe that kills my thoughts about the cat exposure.

Never mind.

Yeah by controversial I meant it was little more than a tentative theory that that was the cause of increased asthma, as few serious studies have yet to be undertaken, I think the idea behind it is sound though, but then I'm not an immunologist and I formed that impression from reading magazines not scientific journals, I think it's healthy to be conservative with your opinions when your not well educated in a subject, egg on your face is not pleasant :smile:
 

Similar threads

Replies
10
Views
4K
Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
13
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
16
Views
910
Back
Top