Reese Barcelon
- Some doctors in Brazil invented a new purpose for Tilapia’s skin.
- They use it to treat severe burns victims as a replacement for pig skin and human tissue that they normally use due to shortage.
Severe burns are one of the hardest skin conditions to treat as it takes quite a long time before it heals. Therefore, people try to look for an alternative which can make the skin recover as fast as possible.
In the Philippines, whenever someone gets a severe skin condition, they would always resort to herbal treatment before opting to see a medical professional to properly treat a wound. The process involves the use of leaves which are applied directly to the skin, and sometimes crushed using mortar and pestle.
However, in Brazil, these doctors improvised their own skin treatment instrument through the use of the fish Tilapia’s skin.
Yes, you’ve read that right. They rip off the skin of the fish before sterilizing it and then they apply it to the body part which was burned severely.
Scientists discovered that a tilapia fish – which is abundant in the country, contains enough moisture and type 1 collagen which is similar to that of human’s skin. Using the fish’s skin as a treatment can aid in speeding up the healing process and reduce the need for pain killers.
Before the amazing discovery, the hospitals were used gauze bandage for burns – which can be extremely painful for the patient.
Moreover, tilapia treatment costs 75 percent cheaper than the usual sulfadiazine cream typically used on Brazilian patients.
According to a professor from Ceara University named Odorico de Morais: “The use of tilapia skin on burns is unprecedented,” said Odorico de Morais, a professor at Ceara University. “The fish skin is usually thrown away, so we are using this product to convert it into something of social benefit.”
Fish skin is considered a waste as it doesn’t really have a purpose in the food preparation, but the medical industry seemed to have found gold.
The researchers at the Federal University of Ceara, from Northern Brazil, hopes that this treatment will be applied by other practitioners as well.
On the other hand, here are the opinions of the netizens:
In conclusion, Tilapia Treatment is a wonderful discovery, especially for those who can’t afford the price of the cream that is used to treat burns. Through this, patients won’t have to spend a lot while enjoying the benefits of fish skin. Moreover, they won’t have to go through the painful process of changing their gauze bandages every single time.
What are your thoughts about this discovery? Do you think this treatment can be applied around the world?
