It is difficult for a normal person to even imagine how many parasites can endanger their health. These "settlers" can live in the human body for years, literally depriving it of life and poisoning it with their poison.
Types of parasites
From a medical point of view, parasites include unicellular and protozoa. Depending on their habitat, they are divided into exoparasites (lice, beetles and others) and endoparasites.
Endoparasites have their own subspecies:
- Larvae laid by insects.
- Protozoa (amoeba, lamblia).
- helminths (worms or worms).
Paths of infection
Every parasite has its own way of entering the human body. The most common way is diet, that is, with the help of water or food. Many insects can carry parasite larvae and contaminate the environment. By consuming raw water, unwashed, and not thoroughly cooked foods, a person becomes infected with parasites.
Some species are transmitted directly through personal contact - this path is called contact household. No direct contact with the dealer is required for infection, it is enough to use household items. This is how enterobiasis and some other parasitic forms are transmitted.
An equally popular vector-borne infection route. In this case, the parasites are transmitted by blood-sucking insects. So, they can be preserved after being bitten by a mosquito or other insect.
The last method to get parasites is the percutaneous route, the second name is active. Infection occurs through the penetration of the larvae through the mucous membranes and skin. This happens through contact with contaminated soil or water in a body of water.
Symptoms
Parasites in the human body can live a long time and do not manifest themselves. The symptoms will be natural, but they will be disguised as other diseases. Because of this, a person may be unaware that they are infected for a long time.
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.Tangled worms can clog some organs.
- Pain in joints and muscles.This pain is caused by the migration of larvae through the human body, to which the immune system reacts in this way.
- allergy.The parasites themselves are an allergen to the body, and damage to the stomach walls contributes to indigestion and the entry of food molecules into the blood.
- The appearance of granulomas.This is a type of neoplasm that results from the covering of the body cells of the destroyed eggs by parasites.
- Dermatological manifestations;
- anemia.Often people suffer from anemia, precisely because of the activity of parasitic forms;
- Severe weight fluctuations;
- Mental disorders.In the course of life, parasites release toxins that negatively affect the host's nervous system. Body poisoning can result in neurosis, depression, anxiety;
- Bruxism.This is the grinding of teeth while you sleep. This is the nervous system's response to the appearance of foreign objects. However, this fact is not definitively proven by science.
- Sleep disorder.Usually it arises from unpleasant sensations. An example would be pinworms that lay their eggs at night. The pinworm leaves the rectum and secretes a toxin that causes severe itching.
- dysbacteriosis;
- oncological diseases;
- Chronic fatigue.Occurs due to lack of nutrients, which negatively affects the condition of the body.
- Diseases of the respiratory tract.A number of parasites can live in the airways and cause disease. Other parasites provoke colds by moving through the airways.
- Immunity disorders.The ingestion of most vitamins by parasites leads to a weakening of the body's barrier functions and an increased chance of developing diseases.
However, there are also symptoms that are characteristic of the presence of parasites in a particular human organ. For example, papillomas, the appearance of bald spots on the head, cracked heels, etc. , may indicate the life of parasites in the liver. In addition, the presence of certain types of parasitic forms in humans can provoke a certain type of disease.
Disease detection
Unfortunately, some doctors negate their duties and do not send a person to special studies to identify parasites in the body. The most common test is dropping feces for worm eggs. The fact is that parasites can inhabit different organs.
There have been cases where worms have been found in a person's brain and eyes. Is it likely that their brain eggs will end up in the feces? Most likely not. Even if there are worms in the intestines, the parasite's eggs may not be able to be found.
First, the doctor must perform a visual examination of the patient. Outwardly, one can suspect the presence of human parasites. The easiest way to detect them is to do a blood test to detect specific antibodies against worms.
Description of human parasites
There are several dozen types of parasites that live in the human body.
worms or worms are a type of worm.Their size depends on the species, for example, female roundworms can reach 40 centimeters. Some species can be longer than 10 meters. A popular habitat for worms is the intestines, but they are often found in other organs, even the brain.
For example, roundworm larvae circulate 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 Ascaris in the human body is accompanied by a disruption of the work of internal organs, poisoning of the body, allergic manifestations and even an increase in temperature.
Among the tapeworms is the pork tapeworm, which travels through the blood to the brain.
This parasite enters the body through poorly processed meat products. This worm lives up to 20 years.
Pinworms are most common in children but are quite common in adults. These worms are small and reach a length of 1 centimeter. The spread of pinworm eggs occurs in the contact household. The female leaves 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 on human hands and transfer them to all surrounding objects.
The second name of enterobiasis is the disease of dirty hands. Anyone who comes in contact with the wearer is likely infected. Therefore, if pinworms are found, it is recommended that the whole family be treated.
Toxocarais a type of parasite that lives in dogs. They penetrate the human body and also develop well in it. Unlike these worms in the dog's body, human toxocars do not leak, but they affect many organs and cause certain diseases. You can get infected with toxocars through the soil as the larvae of these worms leak with the dog's feces. But the parasite's eggs can also spread from the dog's moist breath.
Alveococcus and Echinococcusinfect the body in a variety of 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 most often infects children.
They not only reduce the child's immunity, but also lead to a delay in the mental and physical development of children.
This list is far from complete. The main danger posed by parasites is that nobody is immune to infection. Their secrecy leads to the fact that a person feeds parasites for years without even realizing it. Compliance with personal hygiene, constant wet cleaning of the case and compliance with the norms for heat treatment of meat products are not bad infection prevention. It is useful to undergo a medical exam every six months and pass the necessary tests to prevent the spread of parasites.