| Over the last several years, you've heard stories | | | | develop a sore throat or you cut or bruise your skin or |
| about a flesh-eating bacteria that can dissolve muscles | | | | stick yourself with a thorn or splinter. Usually the pain |
| and skin, leading to amputations and even death. This | | | | of a throat infection or a wound lessens with time. |
| supposedly new disease may be caused by taking | | | | Progressively increasing severe pain is a signal that |
| non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofin, | | | | you have a serious infection. Contact a doctor |
| aspirin, Motrin and Tolectin when you are infected with | | | | immediately if you develop severe pain, a fever, a red |
| a beta strep germ. A report in the New Zealand | | | | streak starts to extend toward your heart, or your |
| Medical Journal showed that five of seven cases of | | | | lymph nodes start to swell and hurt.The beta strep |
| flesh-eating bacteria occurred in people who took | | | | bacteria do not dissolve flesh. They produce toxins |
| these pain medicines.When you get an infection, certain | | | | that dissolve flesh, so once you have this condition, |
| white blood cells called macrophages produce a | | | | antibiotics may get rid of the bacteria, but they do not |
| chemical called tumor necrosis factor, which travels to | | | | get rid of the toxins that cause the damage. Infections |
| your brain and causes your body to produce | | | | with beta strep bacteria can be cured readily if you |
| prostaglandins that cause fever and shut off tumor | | | | take antibiotics early enough and avoid taking aspirin or |
| necrosis factor. Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti | | | | any pain medications. Jim Henson, the creator of the |
| inflammatory drugs block the production of | | | | Muppets, died of a beta strep infection because he did |
| prostaglandins, causing the white blood cells to keep on | | | | not seek treatment early enough.For journal |
| producing tumor necrosis factor. This can allow the | | | | references on flesh-eating bacteria see |
| bacteria to spread through the body, producing toxins | | | | Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 |
| which dissolve tissue and even cause shock and | | | | years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; |
| death.There are progressive warning signals that tell | | | | he is board certified in four specialties, including sports |
| you that you could have this type of infection. First, you | | | | medicine. |