Doctor Thought It Was A Varicose Vein But When He Looked Closer... Weird!
By
Michael Avery in
Bizarre
On 10th April 2016
When a 42-year-old man had just returned from a vacation in Nigeria, he had no idea that his foot was going to make international headlines.
His trip to the African country had gone fine, but a few days after he came home, he felt an itch in his foot. When he got a closer look, he noticed that there was a slight red rash, and it seemed as if the veins on his foot were bulging. Having never noticed veins that big on him before, he decided to go to a doctor to see if something was wrong with him.
The doctor looked at it and instantly told him not to worry; nothing more than a varicose vein, something that everyone has and just about anything could make them appear bigger or smaller depending on a huge amount of other factors.
As his “vein” got bigger and bigger, he decided to go back to the doctor and asked them to look a little bit closer. That’s when they noticed that the “vein” had moved.
#1
After a meaningful and fun trip to Nigeria, a 42-year-old man was happy to be back home; but he began to notice what appeared to be a rash on his right foot.
He went to the doctor's, but they immediately told him not to worry: it was nothing more than a varicose vein that just appeared a bit bigger than the vein on his left foot. It's probably always been this big, but now that he's focusing on it, it just appears different and scary.
#2
Varicose veins are those gnarled, enlarged veins. Just about any vein can become varicose, but it usually happens in your legs and feet. These veins are usually only a cosmetic concern and usually don't lead to serious or life-threatening medical issues.
But getting rid of these veins is a multi-million-dollar industry. From special creams to laser treatments, it seems as if everyone has been trying to get rid of them.
#3
But when that 42-year-old man noticed his "varicose vein" beginning to move up and down his foot, he decided it was time to get a second opinion.
The doctors looked a little closer and realized that this "vein" had moved quite a few centimeters around the man's foot over the past month.
When they realized their mistake, you can only imagine the horror. This "vein" was actually a parasite that causes an infection called cutaneous larva migrans.
#4
This wasn't a vein in the man's foot: it was a worm.
These hookworms usually live in the intestines of our friendly pets like dogs and cats, and are usually spread through their droppings.
Humans then get infected through contact with the droppings, usually from walking barefoot on the beach or in soil that's near the animal waste.
#5
The best way to avoid contact with this worm is to wear shoes or flip-flops while walking on the beach. Usually this disease sticks in tropical areas, but there have been cases of a transfer happening in other climates!
But don't let the threat of this worm stop you from getting out there and enjoying the sun this summer! If you're on the beach or in a park, and you notice someone not picking up after their dog Just make sure they hear about it!
Thankfully, the man ended up just fine after taking an anti-parasitic drug. It really goes to show that if you notice something that seems odd on your body, you should definitely trust your instincts!
#6 Watch the video and learn how these worms survive in our body.
