Beachgoers beware: Stomach bugs lurk in sand boasts the headline announcing that children who bury themselves in contaminated beach sand end up with diarrhea.

The problem is that they don't know it is contaminated. The article doesn't say whether there was a foul odor or discoloration to the sand. They don't inform us of tell-tale signs. Maybe people need to fill out feedback forms on exiting the beach to have quality reports like we do for dangerous ocean currents?

As a parent, I make sure to keep a lid on the outdoor sandbox in the playground so that the kids don't touch cat feces contaminated with toxoplasmosis. Are these precautions for fun or folly? No. They are for our protection. Why do we allow contamination to continue?

Instead of cat remains, our beach fronts reek of our own squalor. Now, who wants to go to the beach? They say, "just walk on the sand, but do not dig in it." Who takes the kids to the beach without a sand pail and shovel? Don't we want to walk along the sands picking up shells to use as scoops? What's the use of going if we can't build castles, moats, and waterways and watch the waves come in?

Besides, even the ocean is filthy today. They say the sewage outlet does not have to be right next to the sandy beach for it to be contaminated. The study involved beaches within a distance of 7 miles of sewage spew, that sounds far enough to me. This is so comforting to know. What are we going to do in the summer to celebrate Labor Day Holiday, the Fourth of July and all the other traditional special occasions?

Okay. The message is clear. Our world is contaminated. Must we use sanitizer to wash our hands everywhere we go? That was one recommendation in the article. Postscript: Even the sanitizer is unhealthy to use because it contributes to abundantly increasing new strains of bacteria and micro-organisms. It seems there is no where to turn. We are all stuck in this fishbowl and now we live and breath the pollution.

It is not just heavy metal particles, but living organisms we are breeding in our own waste products. We get flashing news reports to warn us of this events. We receive the signals but we are not reacting to them. We are numb. Yes! numb as a piece of wood. We feel not the slowly boiling kettle of water.

New York Times | Surf’s Up, but the Water Is Brown

Dirty water has been around for a while now. Here is a quote from a 2007 article, "Investigators studying beach attendance for the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission say the beaches of Santa Monica Bay — a 60-mile stretch from Malibu south to the Palos Verdes Peninsula — are drawing almost one million fewer visits each year, largely because of public apprehensions about the water."

You can visibly see the discolored water and smell the stench that does not wash off. Surfers and swimmers become so ill with skin rashes, ear infections and gastrointestinal ailments, so they prefer not to go into the water.

The brave who want to go the water try to protect themselves with vitamins, getting hepatitis and tetanus vaccinations, and rinsing body cavities with hydrogen peroxide. Personally, I wouldn't count on these for protection.

The problem is that even if they think the swimming pool is the better solution, it may not be, but that is for another hubpage.

How does this make you feel? For me she is helpless. I can't tell you how uncomfortable it is to watch this video. She is STUCK! What do you think of her mom telling her she can do it and get out by herself.

It is almost like being buried alive. Now to think after this episode she went home to be terribly ill and I imagine emotionally and mentally affected by this incident.

Take a close look at the photo that goes with the news article. There is a child buried up to his neck stretching up to the sky in sand that looks like an ant mound. Tell me, is that child screaming, or what? Sure, if you were covered in E. coli and Enterococcus you might be a bit miffed. And he can't move his arms or legs. He's completely stuck.

• This is the real thing everyone. Scientists published the data in the American Journal of Epidemiology and found that digging in the sand raised the risk of diarrhea by 44 percent in young children — those under the age of 11. And kids who were buried in the sand were 27 percent more likely to develop diarrhea than those who weren’t.

This was no small study, 27,000 people were interviewed. Although the children who developed diarrhea did not have to go to the emergency room or physician it makes for a very uncomfortable trip to the beach. It's not like sand up your pants. This includes cramps, running to find a bathroom. Now where would they do that? Probably, most likely, I'm just guessing, RIGHT! In the ocean. Okay. There youhave it, the spread of disease.

The point being we are the cause of all this pollution. I'm not blaming the poor children, mind you. The double trouble is that if you tell your child to wash their hands, not only are the contaminants in the soil, but also in the water. What is the solution? Rinse hands with bottled water that you brought with you. Pretty expensive. You probably already know what I think of plastic bottled water? That's for another story.

• Dr. Peter Katona tells it like it is, "germs everywhere.. . And the pathogens aren’t always where you expect them to be. Door knobs, for example, have been shown to have more germs than toilet seats."

What this means is we share the planet with all kinds of microbes and organisms. The problem is that they should have their place, while we have ours. We are enabling them to grow out of control in areas they do not belong.

We cannot sanitize this type of situation. We cannot "sweep it under the rug." We cannot bury our heads in the sand. (no pun intended) We can not hide from what we have created. We feel the effects daily.

• Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic wastewater (sewage, sullage, greywater), industrial wastes, and agricultural wastes. Hygienic means of prevention can be by using engineering solutions (e.g. sewerage and wastewater treatment), simple technologies (e.g. latrines, septic tanks), or even by personal hygiene practices (e.g. simple handwashing with soap).

WE ARE THE ANSWER

Dumping chemicals, waste products, fertilizers, washing detergents, sludge and other hazardous materials into our oceans is not an answer. For me, I always like to end on a positive note. I like to say we must find solutions. We must act responsibly. Not only talk about it but do something. The people nearest to the contamination are most likely the ones with the incentive. If it is their beaches that they want to enjoy as a place of harmony in nature and recreation.

We must hold our representatives, utilities, industries and ourselves accountable.

Florida Makes Her Move

The research study was done in the Northeast and I hope they get the message. I found out that Florida [population 18 million] in the Southeast is making the move to clean up. I hope its not too late. Florida is dependent upon her recreational facilities, ocean front properties, homes to retirement centers, snowbirds, fragile elderly and growing younger population. This does not include all the natural wildlife that could also be effected by the disruption in the environment.

• See this slide show of images: “ The sun-drenched beaches of southeast Florida lure tourists from all over the world. But few of them may realize that a torrent of human waste is dumped silently every day into the seemingly pristine waters offshore. ”

No pointing fingers. This problem is everywhere. Even the popular vacation locations in Brazil and most likely every other coastal area around the globe.

• RIO DE JANEIRO - The contrasts are striking, and are plain to visitors from the moment they arrive in Rio. From the plane they can see the sparkling jewel of Guanabara bay, as they land on its largest island, but then they have to drive past the fetid waters of a sluggish channel and a number of "favelas" or shanty towns to get to the city centre and tourist areas.

You didn't think I would write a story without adding a few hints about homeopathy, did you?

Although I believe homeopathy helps heal our illnesses, I do not think it is a solution for this pandemic problem. The behavior of our populations is not eco-friendly. We cannot take a camping trip in the woods and not dispose of our waste products properly. Maybe this will take innovations in technology. I wouldn't doubt we already have the technology, but just haven't invested in them because the upfront costs might be great, but the 'end results' might be life-saving.

With that said there are remedies for intestinal viruses and upset commonly used. But, I have a feeling they may not work if we continue down this path. Through my experiences I am learning that humans now need new remedies that are similar to the disease causative factors.

More and more people need nosodes [disease matter] and isopathy [ remedies from the original germ, bug or etiology]. We may be seeing more homeopathic E-coli, parasite, amoeba or other microbe help alleviate the distress.

You can learn a lot about acute diarrhea and homeopathic remedies on Hpathy.

The most common remedy for poison poisoning is Arsenicum album with 19 other remedies listed relating to other specific unique symptoms.

• The Hpathy article relates that Dr. J.B.Bell stated there were at least 140 indicated remedies to deal with diarrhea. That is why it is best to find a professional homeopath. Arsenicum album and Veratrum album come to mind first.
• Arsenicum. Stools in small quantities. Restlessness, anguish and intolerance of pain. Thirst for small quantities and often. The prostration and weakness are out the stool, of all proportion to stool.
• Antimonium tartaricum is known for helping the body remove intestinal parasites [Boericke'sHomeopathic Materia Medica]. Homeopathic remedies are not drugs and are unlikely to have any drug interactions or negative side effects.

Dr. Shah reports about toxic poisoning from fecal matter. This might occur if the contaminated water was swallowed.

• Contamination of food products and water supplies with infected fecal matter causes widespread infections. Flies can spread the infection directly from stool to foods. Typhoid is a water and food borne disease. Poor as well as developing countries such as Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Shri Lanka, Bangldesh), African countries have Enteric fever as a major health menace.

This Blogspot has complete information about digestive cleansing and other nutritionals including the well-known supplement of acidophilis to aid the body in replenishing beneficial bacteria to the intestinal tract.

• A home remedy that is recommended, but I'm not sure it works after the fact is to take a teaspoon of vinegar.

During the 2009 eclipse Indian women buried their children in sand up to their chin.

In the early morning hours July 22, 2009, when the longest solar eclipse of the century turned day into night in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, China and parts of the Pacific handicapped children were buried in sand in the belief it would cure them.

I hope this Hub sparked some activity to take precautions with your self and your family when visiting the ocean beaches. This is a reminder to keep a home and travel homeopathic emergency kit. And most of all, let's find ways to clean up the contamination instead of looking the other way.