It is difficult for an ordinary person to even imagine how many parasites can threaten their health. These "colonists" can live for years in the human body, literally sucking life out and poisoning it with their poison.
Types of parasites
From a medical point of view, parasites include unicellulars and protozoa. Depending on their habitat, they are divided into exoparasites (lice, bedbugs and others) and endoparasites.
Endoparasites have their own subspecies:
- Larvae laid by insects.
- Protozoa (amoeba, lamblia).
- Helminths (worms or worms).
Paths of infection
Each parasite has its own path of entry into the human body. The most common way is food, that is, using water or food. Many insects can carry parasite larvae, contaminating the environment. By consuming raw water, unwashed and undercooked food, a person becomes infected with parasites.
Some species are transmitted directly through person-to-person contact - this path is called household-contact. For infection, it is not necessary to have direct contact with the dispenser, it is enough to use household items. This is how enterobiosis and certain other parasitic forms are transmitted.
An equally popular vector-borne infection route. In this case, the parasites are carried by blood-sucking insects. So, they can be obtained after being bitten by a mosquito or other insect.
The last method to get parasites is percutaneous, the second name is active. Infection occurs by the larvae penetrating through the mucous membranes and skin. This happens due to contact with contaminated soil or water in a body of water.
Symptoms
Parasites in the human body can live for a long time and not manifest. The symptoms, of course, will be, but they are disguised as other illnesses. This is why a person may not be aware for a long time that they are infected.
Symptoms most often appear depending on the location of the larvae, but the body can signal infection and other manifestations. The most common are:
- Flatulence,and constant, indicates the presence of worms in the small intestine;
- Diarrhea.Caused by absorption of sodium chloride by parasites;
- Constipation.Entanglements of worms can obstruct some organs;
- Pain in the joints and muscles.These pains are caused by the migration of larvae through the human body, to which the immune system reacts in this way;
- Allergy.Parasites themselves are an allergen for the body, and damage to the walls of the stomach contributes to indigestion and the entry of food molecules into the blood;
- The appearance of granulomas.This is a kind of neoplasm resulting from the envelopment of the cells of the body from the destroyed eggs of parasites;
- Dermatological manifestations;
- Anemia.People often suffer from anemia precisely because of the activity of parasitic forms;
- Strong fluctuations in weight;
- Mental disorders.In the process of vital activity, parasites release toxins that negatively affect the nervous system of the host. The consequence of bodily poisoning can be neurosis, depression, anxiety;
- Bruxism.It's teeth grinding during sleep. It is the nervous system's response to the appearance of foreign bodies. But this fact is not conclusively proven by science;
- Sleep disorder.As a rule, this happens due to uncomfortable sensations. An example would be the pinworms of them here, which lay their eggs at night. When leaving the rectum, pinworm secretes a toxin that causes severe itching;
- dysbacteriosis;
- Oncological diseases;
- Chronic fatigue.Occurs due to a lack of nutrients, which negatively affects the state of the body;
- Diseases of the respiratory tract.A number of parasites can live in the respiratory tract and cause disease. Other parasites cause the common cold by moving through the respiratory system;
- Immunity disorders.The absorption of most vitamins by parasites leads to a weakening of the barrier functions of the body and a greater likelihood of contracting diseases.
But there are also symptoms characteristic of the presence of parasites in a specific human organ. For example, papillomas, the appearance of bald spots on the head, cracked heels, etc. , can indicate the life of the parasites in the liver. In addition, the presence of certain types of parasitic forms can cause a certain type of disease in humans.
Disease detection
Unfortunately, some doctors deny their homework and do not send anyone to special studies to identify parasites in the body. The most common test is the delivery of feces to the worm eggs. The fact is that parasites can inhabit various organs.
There have been cases where worms have been found in a person's brain and eyes. Is it likely that their brain eggs end up in the feces? Probably not. Even if there are worms in the intestines, the eggs of the parasites may not be found.
First, the doctor should perform a visual examination of the patient. Externally, one can suspect the presence of human parasites. The easiest way to detect them is to do a blood test to detect special antibodies against worms.
Description of human parasites
There are several dozen types of parasites that inhabit the human body.
Worms or helminths are a kind of worm.Their size depends on the species, for example, female roundworms reach 40 centimeters. Some species can exceed 10 meters in length. The intestines are a favorite habitat for worms, but they are often found in other organs, even the brain.
For example, roundworm larvae travel around the body, collect nutrients and return to the intestines, where they grow and reproduce. They often live in the respiratory organs. The presence of roundworm in the human body is accompanied by a disorder in the work of internal organs, intoxication of the body, allergic manifestations and even an increase in temperature.
Among tapeworms is the pork tapeworm, which travels to the brain through the blood.
This parasite enters the body through poorly processed meat products. This worm lives for up to 20 years.
Pinworms develop most often in children, but they are quite common in adults. These worms are small, reaching 1 centimeter in length. The spread of pinworm eggs is through contact with households. The female emerges from the rectum and lays eggs in the outer folds of the anus. The toxin released by the female causes severe itching, which causes the eggs to fall onto human hands and transfer them to all surrounding objects.
The second name for enterobiosis is the disease of dirty hands. Everyone who comes into contact with the carrier is likely infected. Therefore, when pinworms are found, it is recommended to treat the whole family.
Toxocarais a type of parasite that lives in dogs. They enter the human body and also develop well there. Unlike these worms in the dog's body, human toxocars do not come out, but they affect many organs and cause certain diseases. You can get infected with toxocars through the ground, as the larvae of these worms come out with the dog's feces. But also the parasite's eggs can be spread from the dog's wet breath.
Alveococcus and Echinococcusinfects the body in several ways. Their danger lies in the fact that the larvae turn into cysts, which can be found in various internal organs.
Giardia is the simplest.Like pinworms, Giardia is the most common infection in children.
They not only reduce the immunity of the child, but also cause a delay in the mental and physical development of children.
This list is far from complete. The main danger of parasites is that no one is safe from infection. Their secret leads to the fact that a person feeds parasites for years without knowing it. Respect for personal hygiene, constant wet cleaning of housing and compliance with the standards of heat treatment of meat products are not poor prevention of infections. It will be helpful to have a medical examination and take the necessary tests every six months to prevent the spread of the parasites.