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Paul KarasonVictim of self-medication
Country:
 USA |
Content:
Paul Karason: A Victim of Self-Medication
58-year-old Paul Karason attempted to cure his dermatitis on his own and now looks like a distant descendant of the alien Na'vi from the blockbuster movie 'Avatar'. The rule of "trust professionals" is one of the most violated rules in the world. Deep down, everyone believes they can do more or less everything, and with instructions downloaded from the internet, they become semi-gods. The risk faced by these self-taught individuals depends on whose services they decide to save money on. Amateur electricians can receive a deadly electric shock or create something that will burn down their house overnight. Self-taught plumbers risk flooding their neighbors' homes and spending more on repairs than it would have cost to call a professional. Self-medication...the range of possible consequences here can vary greatly. In the case of 58-year-old Paul Karason, he attempted to treat his dermatitis on his own and now looks like a distant descendant of the Na'vi aliens from the movie 'Avatar'.
Alien-Blue Skin
Karason acquired his alien-blue skin thanks to colloidal silver, a suspension of silver particles in a liquid base. He has been treating his dermatitis with this remedy for over 10 years. There is some logic in his choice of remedy, as silver has been attributed with antibacterial properties since ancient times. However, after the invention of penicillin, the use of silver in medicine gradually declined. Until 1999, some medicinal products based on silver were still being sold. However, they were later banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as it was determined that silver can cause argyria when ingested. Among other things, this condition is characterized by a strong and unfortunately irreversible pigmentation of the skin – which is exactly what happened to Paul Karason.
Striving for a Green Undertone
Interestingly, Karason claims that his skin has started to lighten recently. He believes this is due to gradually reducing the amount of silver he consumes. Karason jokes that he will try to achieve a green tint in the future. However, medical professionals view such statements skeptically, as the silver that has naturally entered his body and accumulated in his skin and internal organs cannot be removed. In theory, laser surgery could potentially help Paul, but at his level of pigmentation, even that would likely be ineffective.
