Fwd: From Bacteria to Parasites: Understanding Infections

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone...

From a homeopathic/natural therapeutics perspective, we honor that critters such

as these are around and can do bad things, but our concern is over the

territory. If the terrain of the body is healthy, then critters like these will

not be able to proliferate and health should be able to be maintained. Only

when the terrain is unhealthy is one susceptible to the critters and their

harmful affects. Pastuer on his death bed admitted the not the critter but the

terrain is everything....

Be Well,

Misty

http://www..com

 

 

Good Morning!

 

From bacteria to parasites: Understanding infections

 

 

Substances that invade your body live everywhere — in the air, on

food and plants, on and in animals, in the soil and water, and on

just about every other surface. They range in size from microscopic

single-cell organisms to parasitic worms that can grow to several

feet in length. Hardly any of these organisms produce disease because

they're kept under control by your immune system. But if this system

is weakened or you encounter an organism that you haven't built

resistance to, illness may result.

 

Most of these organisms aren't harmful to you. But others can cause

infection. Your immune system works to fight off an abundance of

infectious agents, and it's a tough task. Viruses and bacteria are

cunning adversaries, constantly seeking new ways to breach your

immune system's defenses. Give your immune system a fighting chance

by learning a little more about infectious agents, what you can do to

prevent infection, and when you should seek advice from your doctor.

 

 

Infectious agents:

 

Bacteria

Bacteria are one-celled organisms visible only with a microscope.

They're so small that if you lined up a thousand of them end to end,

they could fit across the end of a pencil eraser. They're shaped like

short rods, spheres or spirals. They're usually self-sufficient and

multiply by subdivision.

 

Among the earliest forms of life on earth, bacteria have evolved to

thrive in a variety of environments. Some can withstand searing heat

or frigid cold, and others can survive radiation levels that would be

lethal to a human being. Many bacteria, however, prefer the mild

environment of a healthy body.

 

Not all bacteria are harmful. In fact, less than 1 percent cause

disease, and some bacteria that live in your body are actually of

benefit. For instance, Lactobacillus acidophilus — a harmless

bacterium that resides in your intestines — helps you digest food,

destroys some disease-causing organisms and provides nutrients to

your body.

 

But when infectious bacteria enter your body, they can cause illness.

They rapidly reproduce, and many produce toxins — powerful chemicals

that damage specific cells in the tissue they've invaded. That's what

makes you ill. The organism that causes gonorrhea (gonococcus) is an

example of a bacterial invader. Others include some strains of the

bacterium Escherichia coli — better known as E. coli — which cause

severe gastrointestinal illness and are most often contracted via

contaminated food. Other conditions caused by bacteria include strep

throat and a staph infection.

 

Viruses

In its simplest form, a virus is a capsule that contains genetic

material — DNA or RNA. Viruses are even tinier than bacteria. To see

them, scientists must use an electron microscope, a high-powered

instrument that produces enlarged images of minute objects. To put

their size into perspective, consider that, according to the American

Society for Microbiology, if you were to enlarge an average virus to

the size of a baseball, the average bacterium would be about the size

of the pitcher's mound. And just one of your body's millions of cells

would be the size of the entire ballpark.

 

The main mission of a virus is to reproduce. However, unlike

bacteria, viruses aren't self-sufficient — they need a suitable host

to reproduce. When a virus invades your body, it enters some of your

cells and takes over, instructing these host cells to manufacture the

parts it needs for reproduction. Host cells are eventually destroyed

during this process. Polio, AIDS and the common cold are all viral

illnesses.

 

Fungi

Molds, yeasts and mushrooms are types of fungi. For the most part,

these single-celled organisms are slightly larger than bacteria,

although some mushrooms are multicelled and plainly visible to the

eye — for instance, the mushrooms you may see growing in a wooded

area or even in your backyard. Mushrooms aren't infectious, but

certain yeasts and molds can be.

 

Fungi live in the air, water, soil and on plants. They can live in

your body, usually without causing illness. Some fungi have

beneficial uses. For example, penicillin — an antibiotic that kills

harmful bacteria in your body — is derived from fungi. Fungi are also

essential in making certain foods, such as bread, cheese and yogurt.

 

Other fungi aren't as beneficial and can cause illness. One example

is candida — a yeast that can cause infection. Candida can cause

thrush — an infection of the mouth and throat — in infants, in people

taking antibiotics and in people with impaired immune systems. It's

responsible for most types of infection-induced diaper rash.

 

Protozoa

Protozoa are single-celled organisms that behave like tiny animals —

hunting and gathering other microbes for food. Protozoa can live

within your body as a parasite. Many protozoa inhabit your intestinal

tract and are harmless. Others cause disease, such as the 1993

Cryptosporidium parvum invasion of the Milwaukee water supply,

sickening more than 400,000 people. Often, these organisms spend part

of their life cycle outside of humans or other hosts, living in food,

soil, water or insects.

 

Most protozoa are microscopic, but there are some exceptions. One

type of ocean-dwelling protozoa (foraminifer) can grow to more than 2

inches in diameter.

 

Some protozoa invade your body through the food you eat or the water

you drink. Others can be transmitted through sexual contact. Still

others are vector-borne, meaning they rely on another organism to

transmit them from person to person. Malaria is an example of a

disease caused by a vector-borne protozoan parasite. Mosquitoes are

the vector transmitting the deadly parasite plasmodium, which causes

the disease.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk LMT, MT-BC, CA

Peacefulmind.com

Alternative medicine and therapies

for healing mind, body & spirit!

 

 

 

 

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