There’s no delicate way to ask this: is exposure to one’s own fecal matter (quite apart from grossing us out) dangerous? It’s commonly understood that exposure to that of others poses a plethora of health risks, which is presumably why we are urged to wash our hands after using the bathroom (i.e. to protect others from exposure to trace amounts of our feces). But do those same risks arise when we experience incidental contact with our own? Intuitively, I’d think not, assuming we must be immune from potential ill effects of the digestive flora generated within our own bodies.
Yes, it can be harmful. Feces contains a large amount of bacteria, most of which is part of your normal flora of your large intestine. If you ingest your own feces (have some on your hand and not washing, or eating a pile of shit, whatever) these bacteria can be introduced to places they shouldn’t be.
As long as they stay where they belong, you’re fine. But try perforating your colon and see how happy your abdominal cavity is to have all those bacteria swimming around. Or try getting some fecal matter into a cut or abrasion on your skin.
Different parts of your body are going to have their own normal flora, whether it’s your gut, your skin, your respiratory tract… But once they escape their homes and get into areas that are supposed to be sterile, you can get into serious trouble.
What about people who suffer from hemorrhoids <cringing>, don’t they bleed sometimes? What are their risks for developing nasty infections or other illnesses from these raw areas’ contact with their own fecal matter?
I can’t explain the hemorrhoid situation, but I can tell you that fecal coliform bacteria like E. coli can definitely live in the bloodstream. And it’s a very bad situation when they do. I’ve called many a positive blood culture from the lab, with E.coli as the identified organism in a case of septicemia. Now, I’m very doubtful that those cases were caused by hemorrhoids, but I couldn’t tell you whether it’s something that ever really happens.
Years ago, it was proposed that we should treat sewage by irradiating it with gamma radiation. this would kill all of the bacteria/viruses, etc. contained in it. My question: if you did this, could you then just sprwad the stuff on your lawn? Would it be safe to use as a fertilizer?
I have a story to tell everyone on this message board. there was a time when i thought their was a warrant out for my arrest and naturally i knew if i went to jail i would not receive the medicine that i would need if i went to jail so i stored my medicine in a condom, with the intention of shoving it in my rectum if need be to smuggle into the jail and i have to tell you to make a long story short there was plenty of times when it was in my ass (for lack of a better term) for days at a time. to the point to where the medicine itself had the Oder of feces. to make a long story short i did ingest all of the medicine and i know that their was fecal matter present when i was doing so and not only did i feel fine but i had no effects at all from doing the so i would have to say that ingesting small amounts of YOUR OWN FECAL MATTER is prolly ok. however consulting a doctor would prolly be your best bet.
I thought you’d’ve linked to this column: Is coprophagia dangerous? Since Mr. iknowthetruth has asserted that “ingesting small amounts of YOUR OWN FECAL MATTER is prolly ok,” it seems appriopriate to link to it now.
As Antigen said, this is just nonsense (well, she was more diplomatic). I deal on a daily basis with people who have bloodstream infections from fecal (i.e. colonic) bacteria. It is common and, all too often, deadly.
IIRC, the theory I read somewhere (it might have been from yet another of Cecil’s columns?) is that, as with most other pathogens, your own immune system can generally deal with it in limited quantities.
Thus, the infection from a perforated colon might well overwhelm the massed forces of all your WBC’s combined, while a minor exposure via a small flesh wound would probably be no problem.
Is this reasonable (or possibly even, y’know, actually accurate )?
