It is difficult for an ordinary person to 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 venom.
Types of parasites
From a medical point of view, parasites include unicellular and protozoa. Depending on their habitat, they are divided into ex-parasites (lice, bed bugs, and others) and endoparasites.
Endoparasites have their own subspecies:
- Larvae deposited by insects.
- Protozoa (amoeba, lamblia).
- Helminths (worms or worms).
Infection routes
Each parasite has its own path of entry into the human body. The most common way is food, that is, with the help of water or food. Many insects can carry parasite larvae and pollute the environment. By consuming raw water, unwashed and undercooked food, a person becomes infected with parasites.
Some species are transmitted directly by person-to-person contact; this route is called contact-home. For contagion, it is not necessary to have direct contact with the distributor, just use household items. This is how enterobiasis and some other parasitic forms are transmitted.
An equally popular vector-borne route of infection. In this case, the parasites are carried by blood-sucking insects. Thus, they can be obtained after being bitten by a mosquito or other insect.
The last method to contract parasites is the percutaneous route, the second name is active. The infection occurs by the penetration of the larvae through the mucous membranes and the skin. This occurs 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 themselves. The symptoms, of course, will be, but they are disguised as other diseases. That is why a person for a long time may not realize that he is infected.
Symptoms appear more frequently depending on the location of the larvae, but the body may indicate infection and other manifestations. The most common are:
- Flatulence,and constant, indicates the presence of worms in the small intestine;
- Diarrhea.Caused by the absorption of sodium chloride by parasites;
- Constipation.Worm entanglements can clog some organs;
- Pain in 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 to the body and damage to the stomach lining contributes to indigestion and the entry of food molecules into the blood;
- The appearance of granulomas.It is a type of neoplasm resulting from the envelope of the body cells of the destroyed eggs of the parasites;
- Dermatological manifestations;
- Anemia.Often, people suffer from anemia precisely due to the activity of the parasitic forms;
- Large fluctuations in weight;
- Mental disorders.In the process of vital activity, parasites release toxins that negatively affect the host's nervous system. The consequence of poisoning the body can be neurosis, depression, anxiety;
- Bruxism.This is grinding your teeth during sleep. This is the response of the nervous system to the appearance of foreign bodies. But this fact is not conclusively proven by science;
- Sleep disorder.As a rule, it occurs due to uncomfortable sensations. An example would be the pinworms here, which lay their eggs at night. When exiting the rectum, the roundworm secretes a toxin that causes intense itching;
- Dysbacteriosis;
- Oncological diseases;
- Chronic fatigue.It occurs due to a lack of nutrients, which negatively affects the state of the body;
- Respiratory tract diseases.Several parasites can live in the respiratory tract and cause illness. Other parasites cause colds by moving through the respiratory system;
- Immunity disorders.Absorption of most vitamins by parasites leads to a weakening of the body's barrier functions and an increased likelihood of disease.
But there are also characteristic symptoms of the presence of parasites in a particular 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 certain types of disease in humans.
Disease detection
Unfortunately, some doctors deny their functions and do not send a person to special studies to identify parasites in the body. The most common test is the delivery of feces for worm eggs. The fact is that parasites can inhabit various organs.
There have been cases where worms were found in the brain and eyes of a person. Are eggs from the brain likely to pass into the stool? Probably not. Even if there are worms in the intestines, the parasite eggs may not be found.
First, the physician must perform a visual examination of the patient. Outwardly, one can suspect the presence of human parasites. The easiest way to detect them is through a blood test designed 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 species of worms.Its size depends on the species, for example, female roundworms reach 40 centimeters. Some species can exceed 10 meters in length. A favorite habitat for worms is the intestines, but they are often found in other organs, including the brain.
For example, pinworm larvae circulate through 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 disorder of the work of internal organs, intoxication of the body, allergic manifestations and even an increase in temperature.
Among tapeworms is the pork tapeworm, which migrates to the brain via blood.
This parasite enters the body through poorly processed meat products. This worm lives up to 20 years.
Pinworms develop most often in children, but they are quite common in adults. These worms are small in size, reaching 1 centimeter in length. The spread of pinworm eggs occurs through household contact. The female exits the rectum and lays eggs in the outer folds of the anus. The toxin released by the female causes intense itching, causing the eggs to fall on human hands and transfer them to all surrounding objects.
The second name for enterobiasis is dirty hand disease. Everyone who comes in 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 in it. Unlike these worms in the dog's body, human toxocars do not get out, but they affect many organs and cause certain diseases. You can become 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 by the dog's wet breath.
Alveococcus and Echinococcusinfect the body in many ways. Its danger lies in the fact that the larvae transform 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 child's immunity, 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 immune from infection. Its secrecy leads to the fact that a person feeds the parasites for years without suspecting it. Compliance with personal hygiene, constant wet cleaning of the house and compliance with the rules of heat treatment of meat products are not a bad prevention of infection. It will be useful to undergo a medical examination and pass the necessary tests every six months, to prevent the spread of parasites.