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Brain-eating amoeba: Warning issued in Florida after rare infection case:
A case of a rare brain-eating amoeba has been confirmed in Florida, according to health officials in the US state.
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) said one person in Hillsborough County had contracted Naegleria fowleri.
The microscopic, single-celled amoeba can cause an infection of the brain, and is usually fatal.
Commonly found in warm freshwater, the amoeba enters the body through the nose.
The DOH did not outline where the infection was contracted, or the patient's condition. The amoeba cannot be passed from person to person.
Infections are typically seen in southern US states. They are rare in Florida, where only 37 cases have been reported since 1962.
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Brain-Eating Amoeba: Warning Issued in Florida after Rare Infection Case
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Two is not equal to three, even for large values of two.
(Score: 2) by istartedi on Monday July 06 2020, @09:11PM (10 children)
I got curious about the neti pots again so decided to do some googling. I was all geared up for "this is quack junk that can only hurt you", but I actually found some support for it. The consensus appears to be that under certain conditions it can be beneficial. Only use it for short terms though. Don't do it twice a day for a year because there's a study that shows that's harmful.
As always, talk to your doctor about it, not random yoga practitioners and people on the Internet--including me.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @09:27PM (2 children)
I won't dispute what you said, but when that neti pot story broke, I looked into that specific story. From what I recall, the story was more akin to the woman saying she used a neti pot six months prior, and since they couldn't think of any other way it could have happened, suddenly the stories were "woman gets brain-eating amoeba from using neti pot!!!!" and lots and lots of good juicy clicks from that clickbait.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday July 06 2020, @09:35PM
It's entirely possible, she was skinny dipping one night with her lover and neglected to inform her doctor of said event. Though, I wouldn't be too surprised if it was from the filtered tap water.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by sjames on Monday July 06 2020, @11:01PM
I got curious, so I looked it up. Her first clear symptom happened a year after she used a neti pot as instructed by he doctor (for a chronic sinus infection). That seems like an unlikely incubation period.
A case from 2013 seems more likely. It was traced to a contaminated water system.
I find that nasal irrigation can help during allergy season. I boil and cool the water first. I just use a juice glass and snort.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday July 06 2020, @09:31PM (4 children)
Yeah, the news report on the lady that died from it said her doctor prescribed it. It's not crazy, but definitely talk to your doctor and follow the directions. Filtered Water is not necessarily Sterile Water. Best to either buy a solution or follow the directions for properly sterilizing water.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday July 06 2020, @10:20PM (3 children)
Distilled water is what you're sposed to use. Unless the container it's being put in is contaminated, you're guaranteed it's sterile with about as much certainty as you can get.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Informative) by istartedi on Monday July 06 2020, @11:06PM (1 child)
Most of the sources I read said saline solution. It's probably the same stuff you use for contact lenses which is also supposed to be sterile.
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(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 07 2020, @06:55PM
Salt and warm water is what we singers use.
And you don't see too many Rock singers with brain dam-
Forget it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 07 2020, @06:34PM
uh, i think it's spelled "spozeta"?
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Monday July 06 2020, @10:21PM (1 child)
Everything you and freeman just said indicate to me I waterboarded myself with salt water. Multiple times. Using a device (mine was a blue teardrop made of rubber but neti pot is a hilarious name) that ultimately doesn't do much more than blowing your nose after a shower.
Ah well, now I know what water-tentacles feel like. That's gotta have some value as an experience.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 2) by cmdrklarg on Tuesday July 07 2020, @08:31PM
Blue teardrop made of rubber? Sounds exactly like an earwax irrigation bulb. You're not supposed to squirt the water into your nose.
A neti pot looks a lot like a small teapot. You're supposed to tilt your head sideways and pour it in one nostril and it drains out the other one. My ex and the kid used one a few years ago, said it helped some, but YMMV.
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.