Paper #4: Our sweaty areas
Note: It is important to have read Papers #2 and #3 before reading this paper.
1. Key skin exit areas:
We should not block or partially block our sweaty areas .. that is, our armpits, groin areas, feet, hands and forehead .. because these are the key skin exit areas from which our body pushes out, with sweat, microorganisms that it judges to be harmful, be they: (a) The foreign microorganisms, pathogens (see Paper #2), or (b) The excess numbers of our natural microorganisms, microbiota, when they have multiplied too greatly (see Paper #3).
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2. How the body deals with harmful microorganisms:
Our body deals with microorganisms that it judges to be harmful .. that is, both: (a) The foreign ones (pathogens), and (b) The excess numbers of our natural ones (microbiota) when they have multiplied too greatly .. by pushing out some and by killing others; and by pushing out the dead ones.
The body pushes out harmful microorganisms (and the dead ones) in lots of different ways and from lots of different places, including:
(1) By coughing and breathing them out from the lungs .. thus we develop congestion in the lungs and airways, and our nostrils and sinuses become blocked.
(2) By breathing them out from the back of the throat .. thus we develop a sore throat and our breath smells.
(3) By pushing them out through the digestive and urinary systems .. thus we experience looser bowel motions or diarrhoea and our urine becomes a deeper yellow with a more pungent odour.
(4) By pushing them out through the body's other openings .. thus, for example, we develop wax in our ears and sleep in the corners of our eyes.
(5) And MOST importantly, by pushing them out, with sweat (either visible or not), via the pores of the skin on all parts of the body but especially from the key skin exit areas for them .. that is, the armpits, groin areas, feet, hands and forehead. The body raises its temperature, and opens up the pores of the skin, in order to cause sweating and to push out the harmful microorganisms with the sweat. It does this during the day; and also during the night, when we are asleep and our body's other systems are in rest mode .. thus night sweats, and damp pyjamas and bedding in the morning.
In addition to this pushing out of harmful microorganisms, the body kills other ones by very significantly raising its temperature and then suddenly dropping it .. thus we experience fever, with very high temperatures and then sudden chills.
As a consequence, we also experience aches and pains when this additional heat causes the body's tissues to expand, especially in confined spaces such as the head and the joints.
And we also experience fatigue because these responses by the body use up a lot of energy.
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3. Exit via the skin:
The body pushes out, from all parts of the skin, microorganisms that it judges to be harmful, both: (a) The foreign ones (pathogens), and (b) The excess numbers of our natural ones (microbiota) when they have multiplied too greatly.
And we sweat (either visible or not) on all parts of the skin for TWO reasons: (1) To keep the outside of our body cooler on hot days, and (2) To enable the body to push out, with sweat, via the pores of the skin, microorganisms that it judges to be harmful. See the explanation in Point 3(4) of Paper #3.
Especially important are our key skin exit areas for dealing with harmful microorganisms .. that is, our sweaty areas .. our armpits, groin areas, feet, hands and forehead. These are the key areas on the skin from which the body pushes them out. And this is why we sweat most on these areas.
Today's body has these systems as a result of the way we have evolved in order to deal with microorganisms that cause us harm.
But we have blocked, or largely blocked, these systems .. with the result that the harmful microorganisms remain trapped inside our body and cause problems.
By washing our bodies with soap and similar antimicrobial personal hygiene products, especially by leaving traces behind, we restrict the body's ability to push out harmful microorganisms.
As stated, they hate soap and similar antimicrobial personal hygiene products .. these kill microorganisms. And so, the harmful microorganisms will not exit, or will only exit in very limited numbers, if there is even the slightest hint of any traces of them left behind on the skin.
Nor will they exit, or they will only exit in very limited numbers, from those areas of the skin to which any currently (2014) available antiperspirants, deodorants, cosmetics, perfumes or similar products have been applied.
Our feet today:
As explained in Point 4 of Paper #2, the MOST important of the key skin exit areas are our feet and hands, because it was from the four feet of our predecessor species (today’s two feet and two hands) that the nutrients in the wet grass, other wet vegetation, damp soil, mud, slops of various kinds, swamps, streams, and shallows of the sea, upon which or in which they walked, combined with gravity, enabled them to easily push out from there the microorganisms that their body judged to be harmful.
Since the time when our early homo ancestors began wearing animal hides and then sandals on their feet, relatively few harmful microorganisms exit the body through the soles of the feet.
Today, enough to make our socks or stockings a little damp and smelly when we take off our shoes in the evening.
But nothing like the numbers of harmful microorganisms that exited from the BARE feet of our four-legged predecessor species through to our two-legged very early homo ancestors, because of the DIRECT contact their feet had with the nutrients in the wet or damp surfaces upon which they walked.
Our hands today:
You may not think your hands sweat much .. but they do. It is just that the sweat evaporates almost immediately on contact with the atmosphere.
If you place your hands inside rubber gloves, you will realise just how much your hands actually sweat.
Since we began using soap and then other antimicrobial personal hygiene products to wash our hands, very few harmful microorganisms pass out through the pores of the skin on our hands.
Although washing our hands with these products has the benefit of killing most of the harmful microorganisms on them, if there is just the slightest hint of any traces left behind, the harmful microorganisms that would otherwise have exited from the hands remain trapped inside the body and cause problems.
Therefore, we should wash our hands with hot water only .. we should not use soap or other antimicrobial personal hygiene products to wash our hands.
Our armpits today:
Today's underarm antiperspirants and deodorants prevent most harmful microorganisms leaving from the armpits.
And ditto re washing under our armpits with soap or other antimicrobial personal hygiene products, especially if any traces are left behind.
The use of today's underarm antiperspirants and deodorants means there is no longer the pungent smell of the dead, dying and decomposing bodies of the harmful microorganisms that would otherwise have naturally exited with sweat from the armpits.
But the downside cost is HUGE because the harmful microorganisms that would otherwise have exited from the armpits remain trapped inside the body and cause problems.
This downside cost is relevant generally. But it is likely to be especially relevant for breast cancer in women, because of the close proximity of the breasts to the armpits. I explain why in Point 2 of Paper #9 and Point 4 of Paper #6.
Our groin areas today:
Our groin areas were the armpits (legpits) on the rear legs of our four-legged predecessor species, and were key skin exit areas for their harmful microorganisms.
Because we retain this same system today, our groin areas, like our armpits, also naturally smell of the dead, dying and decomposing bodies of the harmful microorganisms that have been pushed out from there.
Our groin areas should not be blocked or partially blocked by washing them with soap or other antimicrobial personal hygiene products, especially if any traces are left behind; or by applying currently (2014) available antiperspirants, deodorants or similar products to these areas.
Our forehead today:
Like the sweat from our hands, the sweat from our forehead evaporates almost immediately on contact with the atmosphere. So, you may not think you sweat all that much on the forehead.
But, if you put on a hat or cap and draw it down over the top part of your forehead, you will realise just how much the forehead actually sweats.
The forehead is a key skin exit area for harmful microorganisms, and so it should not be blocked or partially blocked by applying currently (2014) available cosmetics, perfumes or similar products; or by washing it with soap or other antimicrobial personal hygiene products, especially if any traces are left behind.
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4. We should not block or partially block the exit of harmful microorganisms:
So, what follows from these matters?
What follows is that we should not block or partially block the body's natural ability to push out, with sweat (either visible or not), via the pores of the skin, microorganisms that it judges to be harmful, be they: (a) The foreign ones (pathogens), or (b) The excess numbers of our natural ones (microbiota) when they have multiplied too greatly.
Otherwise, the harmful microorganisms remain trapped inside the body and cause problems.
Because the body pushes out harmful microorganisms, with sweat (either visible or not), from all parts of the skin, we should not block or partially block this mechanism by washing with soap or other antimicrobial personal hygiene products, especially if any traces are left behind; or by applying currently (2014) available antiperspirants, deodorants, cosmetics, perfumes, skincare products, fake tanning products, suntan lotions, body lotions, hair removal products, shaving foams, or similar products to any part of the skin.
In particular, it is MOST important that we do not block or partially block the key skin exit areas for them .. that is, our armpits, groin areas, feet, hands and forehead.
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5. New products:
I am confident it will be possible for medical research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare companies, cosmetic companies and other companies to develop NEW products* to replace the above currently (2014) available ones.
*See the below Note.
I envisage that these new products:
(1) Will not block or partially block the body's natural ability to push out, with sweat (either visible or not), via the pores of the skin, microorganisms that it judges to be harmful, be they: (a) The foreign ones (pathogens), or (b) The excess numbers of our natural ones (microbiota) when they multiply too greatly, and
(2) Will be non-toxic .. that is, they will be capable of being swallowed without causing any toxic effects. Although these products will be applied to the skin (rather than being swallowed), as explained in Paper #6 they will be taken into the body via the hair on the skin .. and so, it is essential they be non-toxic; and they should also provide the correct natural nutrients, to be taken in via the hair, for the relevant internal part of the body located near the hair.
*Note: I very much doubt it will be possible to develop new antiperspirants that will be safe .. because, by their nature, antiperspirants prevent sweating and therefore prevent the exit of harmful microorganisms with the sweat.
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6. Need for medical research:
Because the above ideas are novel, they have not yet been examined and tested by medical science.
It is my hope that the ideas will soon be examined and tested by medical research institutes, hospitals, university medical schools, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare companies, cosmetic companies and other organisations.
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7. Risk of possible adverse side-effects:
For all treatments recommended in this Paper #4, I repeat the warning in Point 3 of Paper #1:
"Almost all medical treatments carry with them the risk of possible adverse side-effects, either for all people or just for some people.
It is therefore VERY important that, before carrying out any of the treatments recommended in the papers, you first check with your Doctor that it will be safe for you to do.
This is especially important if you are very ill, if you are pregnant or might be pregnant, if you are elderly, or if you are taking any prescribed medication.
I am not a Doctor. And, as we all know, medical science is extremely complex. So, please make sure you first check with your Doctor before carrying out any of the recommended treatments.
And if, after commencing a treatment, you believe it might be causing an adverse side-effect, you should immediately stop the treatment and check with your Doctor."
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That concludes Paper #4.
Next is Paper #5, in which I deal with antimicrobial resistant (AMR) microorganisms.
Please go to Paper #5 ...
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Love one another and care for our planet,
Gee
Gee Ryan (Gerald)
16 November 2014
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Love One Another Basin (side of basin, in reds), Gee Ryan (Gerald), 2016. H 38 inches x W 38 inches (96.52cm x 96.52cm). Mixed media on canvas. Art email address is gee@geeryan.com and art website is geeryan.com
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