How do I explain this to a teenager? - General Health Message Board

singer1 · 01-21-2006, 06:16 PM

This is kind of silly, but I have a teenager who ordered a pizza the other day and saw piece of hair in the pizza and felt that some of the hair was ingested. Now, I have a very worried teenager thinking that there was some sort of diease in that particular piece of hair. (teenagers have such an imagination) how do I explain (and be convincing) that there is nothing to worry about? Thanks everyone. I appreciate your help on this!

Jon powell · 01-21-2006, 08:01 PM

Eat a piece of his hair. Show him you are fine. Other than that do a search on the net.

I would say tell him all the things he touches everyday and has no idea what they could be, but I think that would freak him out even more.

singer1 · 01-21-2006, 09:42 PM

Well the hair that she felt that she ate wasn't anyones in the family and that is what is freaking her out. I did tell her about the things that she touches on a daily basis, but her response was.."I don't put my hands in my mouth" and she said that she ate some of this hair that was in the pizza. She is worried about what actually went in her tummy. I told her that the acid in her stomach probably took care of anything, but she didn't believe that so, I don't know what to say to her to convince her that she is alright. She said "what if there was some disease on the hair and I swallowed it?" I assume that she really is okay but, I don't know what to tell her that she will really be convinced of. maybe something factual??? Anyone have anything they know medically that I could tell her? Thanks again everyone!

Sunlover · 01-22-2006, 07:05 AM

Try to find some information on the net about stomach acid, stomach acid is actually hydrochloric acid! If she had a science class she knows what hydrochloric acid can do to an object (the stomach lining prevents the acid from destroying ITSELF) that hair is obliterated into nothing, the only thing that could possibly happen from ingested bacteria is nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, the BAD stuff is caused from INHALING something bad. Food is out of the stomach in one hour and usually down into the large intestine in 5 hours - so we are WELL past that mark! She was well past it when you even posted this! She is FINE!

singer1 · 01-22-2006, 08:52 AM

I will pass this along to her sunlover, thanks. She seems to think it could have more than bacteria on it. She talks like there was some really bad disease on it! Gees! The imagination that she has. As far as science class...she hated that class and didn't pay much attention! Bet she wished she would have now!!! Thanks again!