Common Bodily Fluids – What Makes the List?

 

Bodily fluids come in all forms and although unpleasant to think about, they are all vital to our health. Bodily fluids are just like the fluids in our cars. Gas, oil, antifreeze and windshield wiper fluid all serve a role in helping our cars function properly.

Below is a list of bodily fluids and the role each one plays in keeping our bodies healthy and running on all cylinders. 

List of Bodily Fluids

Bodily fluids are liquids that come from inside human bodies and help transport nutrients and expel waste from human cells. A short list of bodily fluids includes:

  • Blood. Blood plays a major role in the body’s defense against infection by carrying waste away from our cells and flushing them out of the body in urine, feces, and sweat. Blood also supplies the body with essential substances such as hormones, sugar, and oxygen that the body needs to function and survive.
  • Saliva. Mostly made of water, saliva contains proteins and minerals that prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and helps you chew and swallow comfortably.
  • Semen. In males, semen is released during ejaculation and contains protein, fructose, and catecholamines.
  • Vaginal fluids. Biological fluids that are within or expelled from the vagina and contain carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, and other acids produced by the normal lactobacillus bacteria.
  • Mucus. Mucus contains antibodies, enzymes, and proteins that help fight bacteria and viruses and prevents the mouth, nose, throat, sinuses, and lungs from drying out.
  • Urine. Made of 95% water, urine flushes out chemicals and dead blood cells from the body and is a way for your body to get rid of extra water that it does not need.

Bleeding finger

A Short List of Diseases That can be Transmitted Through Bodily Fluids

Although bodily fluids work hard to keep us healthy, many are widely recognized as transmitters for human diseases.

Some examples of diseases that can be transmitted through bodily fluids are:

  1. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A virus that attacks the immune system and can be transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids.
  2. Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is an infectious liver disease that can be transmitted through direct contact with blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal fluids.
  3. Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver and can be spread through direct contact with an infected person’s blood.

Cleaning Up Bodily Fluids

Did you know that it is possible for a person to have hepatitis, HIV, or other diseases and not realize it? Therefore, it is important to treat all bodily fluids as if they contain an infectious disease. If you find yourself in a situation that requires blood or bodily fluids cleanup, it may be better to turn to a professional bioremediation company for help.  

Aftermath does more than clean up bodily fluids – we sanitize and fully remediate potential bloodborne pathogens and blood stains from homes and properties. As an industry leader for almost 20 years, we provide business and residential customers with a full range of cleaning assistance and bioremediation for cases involving suicide, homicide, personal and industrial accidents, unattended death, tear gas, and communicable disease outbreaks. Have your questions answered about Aftermath and our services.

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Sources

Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/i-had-hepatitis-c-and-didnt-know-it-you-may-have-it-too/2014/12/01/46712476-54a5-11e4-809b-8cc0a295c773_story.html

U.S. National Library of Medicine: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/790.html

New Health Guide: http://www.newhealthguide.org/What-Is-In-Semen.html

Cengage: http://www.cengage.com/chemistry/book_content/0495391123_bettelheim/91123_32_Ch32_OnlineChapter.pdf