Zhan Lin BHS 323

Prior to taking this course, I have never given much thought in regards to microbial communities, especially those that reside within me. However, after learning a significant amount of information with articles from this course along with external research, I now know the significance of a healthy gut microbiome.

In reflection of my past nutritional choices and consumption, I have realized that I unintentionally induced harm to my gut microbial communities through occasional alcohol use, antibiotic use, and not eating a diverse range of foods. Alcohol is known to cause an adverse effect on microbial health and antibiotics destroys both bad and good bacteria. In the future, I will take synbiotics prior to alcohol or antibiotic use in order to help restore and strengthen the gut microbiome before damage. Lastly, as an Asian American, my diet mainly consists of rice along with certain side dishes. Needless to say, my diet does not include a diverse range of foods which does not benefit my microbial health.

Some choices I make that positively impacts my microbial communities include regularly consuming yogurt, Kefir, Multigrain fiber bars, and fermented foods like kimchi. I typically eat a nutrigrain fiber bar along with yogurt each morning that improves my gut flora. Prior to this course, I unintentionally eat this every morning because I enjoy it. The probiotics in yogurt and fiber in my breakfast helps to improve and restore my gut flora. I have to admit that I did not know the function and benefits of Kefir, but I have been drinking it occasionally as I like yogurt drinks. Lastly, the kimchi I eat contain beneficial bacteria that help support my microbiome.

In summary, my non-intentional choices that I have made prior to knowledge gained in this course has now turned into intentional choices as I will further attempt to improve my gut microbiome which is correlated to the development of many diseases.

Shamshul Ansari, Ph.D., in his paper “Current understanding and management of Helicobacter pylori infection: an updated appraisal” (2018) rationalizes that H. pylori eradication is necessary to prevent gastric cancer. Ansari presents evidence and reiterates past work on H. pylori with associated gastritis and gastric cancer that could be prevented from triple eradication therapy consisting of 3 antibiotics. The purpose of his work is to prove that eradication of H. pylori is beneficial and will allow the prevention of diseases such as gastric cancer. Ansari establishes a relationship with healthcare professionals who have the power to implement the H. pylori eradication therapy on patients.

Gut microbiota is communities of microorganisms that reside in our digestive tracts. Behaviors that could alter gut microbial communities include the type of foods we consume. Some examples that are beneficial includes eating fruits and vegetables high in fiber, eating foods with high polyphenol levels, and fermented foods that contain microbes. Eating fruits and vegetables with high fiber content will support different microbial communities that reside within us. Foods with high levels of polyphenols are also good for our gut microbes because they are antioxidants that nourish our gut flora. Probiotics are live microorganisms that when consumed, provides health benefits by improving gut microbiota. Fermented foods containing microbes such as Kefir probiotic drinks promotes digestion and prevents the growth of harmful gut bacteria. To reiterate, eating foods that promote gut flora health also has a variety of other benefits such as improving the immune system.

Activities such as consuming foods that lack prebiotics, using antibiotics, and not eating diverse foods could be detrimental to our gut flora. Prebiotics are essentially dietary fibers that promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria which is beneficial. Antibiotics are very useful when it comes to treating diseases such as urinary tract infections or cellulitis. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections and kill both good and bad bacteria. The good gut bacteria that we have also get negatively affected by antibiotic use. Lastly, diets lacking a diverse range of food could also be detrimental to gut flora because the food we consume provides nutrients that promote the growth of a variety of bacterias that reside within us.

As a healthcare professional offering advice to my fellow colleague on which human papillomavirus (HPV) strains should be treated in a new treatment, I would advise them to focus on HPV 16, 18, 31, and 45. Based on the article, “Viruses and Human Cancer: From Detection to Causality,” there are over 100 types of recognized types of HPV to date. HPV is now identified as a cancer virus that is essentially the culprit of causing almost all cases of cervical cancer. HPV strains 16, 18, 31, and 45 make up approximately 80% of known cervical cancer cases in women. Despite Sarid and Gao noting that HPV strains 33, 35, 39, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59 may also be associated with cervical cancer, it is only hypothesized and there is no concrete evidence for those additional strains to cause cervical cancer. There are currently HPV vaccinations that cover HPV 16 and HPV 18 which will prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus. The new vaccination including coverage for HPV 16, 18, 31, and 45 should be administered to early teens who are yet to be sexually active since HPV is spread through intimate skin to skin contact. Typically, HPV vaccinations are given through a series of 3 shots over the duration of 6 months. Average costs of all 3 shots combined without insurance are $400-$500 dollars. This is rather expensive for most people as the typical minimum wage worker will have to work 33 to 41 hours to cover the cost. It is imperative for people to receive the vaccination as it provides protection against HPV which is known to cause cancer. If unvaccinated and HPV is contracted in the future and leads to cancer, the cost of chemotherapy is much greater than the cost of the vaccine. As a healthcare professional, the prevention of diseases through vaccines versus treatment after the contraction is preferred and recommended to everyone.

 

Human non-infectious diseases imply that a disease is not contagious. A microorganism is defined as a microscopic organism such as a virus or bacterium. An example of a non-infectious disease is malaria. Malaria cannot be contracted from another human, but rather spread from mosquitoes.  In addition to malaria, other human non-infectious diseases that are influenced by microorganisms include diabetes mellitus, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and cerebrovascular accident. As an emergency room medical scribe, the examples above include the majority of diseases I see from my daily work. Working in a hospital, I am required to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases as the likelihood of transmission is high. In contrary to non-infectious diseases, rhinovirus is the typical cause for the common cold, which is infectious and can be easily spread from humans. In my experience, prior to starting my first shift, I was tested for tuberculosis as a requirement because it is contagious.

Learning more about infectious and non-infectious diseases influenced by microorganisms will allow me to become a more versatile employee. I will have a better understanding of when to take extra precautions before seeing new patients with my physician. As an aspiring emergency physician, this course will be very beneficial to me as it will equip me with the background I need before going to medical school. I believe this course will be enriching and provide me with the knowledge I need to become successful.