Is there a long-term gastrointestinal infection that spreads to others
June 30, 2021 6:50 AM Subscribe
I hope I can explain this properly. I have a family friend who has always had stomach problems. I don't know the details, but I know he has a very bloated stomach and just generally a lot of stomach problems...
If you visit his house, he acts very concerned about washing his hands, not sharing food, etc. Recently I have begun to wonder if he could have some sort of long-term gastric infection/problem that he doesn't want to talk about but is concerned about spreading to others. Since he is pretty private, I don't feel comfortable asking specific questions about his diagnosis.
Of course, maybe he just has OCD, but that is not the feeling I got.
Is there any sort of gastro infection that you are aware of that can cause a lot of bloating and long-term problems but can be spread to others if you don't use really good hygiene?
If you visit his house, he acts very concerned about washing his hands, not sharing food, etc. Recently I have begun to wonder if he could have some sort of long-term gastric infection/problem that he doesn't want to talk about but is concerned about spreading to others. Since he is pretty private, I don't feel comfortable asking specific questions about his diagnosis.
Of course, maybe he just has OCD, but that is not the feeling I got.
Is there any sort of gastro infection that you are aware of that can cause a lot of bloating and long-term problems but can be spread to others if you don't use really good hygiene?
Hep C is the first thing that came to mind.
posted by bfranklin at 7:03 AM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by bfranklin at 7:03 AM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
It's worth noting that there are plenty of non-contagious gut conditions (Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, IBD) that are treated with steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs. Your friend could have his own safety in mind.
posted by fountainofdoubt at 7:13 AM on June 30, 2021 [24 favorites]
posted by fountainofdoubt at 7:13 AM on June 30, 2021 [24 favorites]
Or C diff., but Hep C carries more stigma that tracks with the privacy element.
posted by amaire at 7:14 AM on June 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by amaire at 7:14 AM on June 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
Giardiasis can last for months, and is often passed on through physical contact/hygiene lapse. Rocket-propelled foul-smelling, floating greasy poop for ages.
I've had it, and it's embarrassing af. Be kind to you friend.
posted by scruss at 7:15 AM on June 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
I've had it, and it's embarrassing af. Be kind to you friend.
posted by scruss at 7:15 AM on June 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
Hepatitis C is blood-borne, not food/water/touch-borne. Ditto Hep B.
Hep A and E are spread through water or saliva, but they are both quite rare in regions with sanitized drinking water, and they don't last too long. (They can be really bad if you get them, though!)
posted by basalganglia at 8:10 AM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Hep A and E are spread through water or saliva, but they are both quite rare in regions with sanitized drinking water, and they don't last too long. (They can be really bad if you get them, though!)
posted by basalganglia at 8:10 AM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Perhaps your friend is actually concerned that He might actually catch some bug from a visitor. Whatever his condition is could make him very careful not to get ill in top of his condition. And because he wants to be polite (or simply avoid discussion of his condition), acts like he is protecting you. It is something i might do to avoid people feeling sorry for me, or giving me unwanted advice.
posted by 15L06 at 8:16 AM on June 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by 15L06 at 8:16 AM on June 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
I used to work for a guy with IBS, and he would make a big show of washing his hands, etc., the intention being that the hygiene theatre would distract you from the actual IBS, about which he was embarrassed. Just one data point.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:17 AM on June 30, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 8:17 AM on June 30, 2021 [6 favorites]
Seconding essexjan: a simple fecal smear test will yield the answer. Two weeks with powerful antibiotics cures the infection. If the patient's liver and kidney functions are normal, this is not a difficult course of antibiotics (I just went through this a few weeks ago).
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 9:18 AM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 9:18 AM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Someone I know who is on immune suppressants to treat an autoimmune illness is fastidious about handwashing and not-sharing food because it's harder for their body to fight any kind of infection, so why risk it? They also don't eat sushi or at buffets of any kind.
posted by xo at 9:50 AM on June 30, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by xo at 9:50 AM on June 30, 2021 [7 favorites]
I have suffered with IBS since I was on anti-depressants five years ago. During lockdown, I have managed to almost make it go away. But while it was there, It made me feel vulnerable and since no-one really knows what it is about, I specifically worried that I might be somehow immune-compromised. So I was really careful about -- everything.
My worries were enhanced by the whole procedure of discovery that I went through, while doctors were trying to find a diagnosis. You are going through endless tests, some of which are about deadly diseases.
Right now, literally while I was writing this comment, I got a mail offering me a new cancer screening, even though most of my IBS symptoms are gone. This is scary stuff. I don't think everything I do makes sense or is rational.
I think that what helped me control this was that I have made a monthly spreadsheet and a diary, where I register my food, exercise and well-being non-judgementally. If I eat a happy meal, it's ok, I just note the effects. It hasn't made me slimmer or happier, but it has helped me to mostly avoid the food that makes me feel bad and to keep a base level of exercise. But it doesn't seem like your relationship with your relative is close enough for you to hand over this advice.
posted by mumimor at 12:39 PM on June 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
My worries were enhanced by the whole procedure of discovery that I went through, while doctors were trying to find a diagnosis. You are going through endless tests, some of which are about deadly diseases.
Right now, literally while I was writing this comment, I got a mail offering me a new cancer screening, even though most of my IBS symptoms are gone. This is scary stuff. I don't think everything I do makes sense or is rational.
I think that what helped me control this was that I have made a monthly spreadsheet and a diary, where I register my food, exercise and well-being non-judgementally. If I eat a happy meal, it's ok, I just note the effects. It hasn't made me slimmer or happier, but it has helped me to mostly avoid the food that makes me feel bad and to keep a base level of exercise. But it doesn't seem like your relationship with your relative is close enough for you to hand over this advice.
posted by mumimor at 12:39 PM on June 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
He could be on immunosuppressant therapy for Crohn’s.
posted by blue suede stockings at 12:52 PM on June 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by blue suede stockings at 12:52 PM on June 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
A bloated-looking midsection can be a side effect of older HIV medications. Lipodystrophy can make the limbs and face lose fat and look slim, and lipohypertrophy can add fat around the internal organs, making the belly look bloated. And these two symptoms can occur simultaneously, so the contrast between the thinner limbs and rounder stomach can be more noticeable.
Of course HIV isn't spread through unwashed hands, but he may be going out of his way to show concern for others' health, in reaction to unfair stigma around HIV, especially if he was diagnosed when HIV understanding was lower.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:47 PM on June 30, 2021
Of course HIV isn't spread through unwashed hands, but he may be going out of his way to show concern for others' health, in reaction to unfair stigma around HIV, especially if he was diagnosed when HIV understanding was lower.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:47 PM on June 30, 2021
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