Various types of parasites can be in the human body for a long time, causing very specific damage to health.
A significant number of people suffer from serious diseases caused by parasites. At the same time, many have no idea about the presence of pests in the intestines and other organs.
Each species of parasite known to science has its own individual characteristics that an adult should be aware of.
Risk of infection
At present, science knows more than 200 species of parasites, whose habitat is the human body.
The ways and means of penetration of pests to the most favorable place of stay have been studied in detail. We can say that each type of parasite has its own "specialization".
Many of the helminths live in the gastrointestinal tract. There are also those that parasitize the liver, lungs and even the brain.
Almost all people are subject to parasitic attacks. It is equally likely to be an adult or a breastfed baby.
A great danger is the presence of parasites in children. First of all, this is reflected in the state of health. Babies often get sick for no apparent reason.
There is a delay in physical and mental development. It is not so easy to identify the cause of discomfort, although it is often "found" in plain sight.
It is enough to carry out certain studies, identify the type of parasite and prescribe a course of treatment.
A significant number of adults are at risk, since their professional activity is associated with the processing of raw materials contaminated with helminths.
Some species of parasites are very resistant to environmental influences and can be destroyed with great difficulty.
Varieties of pests
The appearance of parasites in the human body is always accompanied by certain signs.
The peculiarity of this situation is that the symptoms are usually very weak and it is difficult to detect the presence of pests without special studies.
The following types of helminths parasitize the body:
- round;
- tape;
- trematodes.
This classification is compiled with external characteristics in mind, whereas, regardless of species, parasites have many common characteristics.
Hooks and suction cups of different shapes are designed to make it easier for parasites to fix their position in a certain place.
The life cycle of many parasites consists of several stages. Furthermore, a species like the tapeworm has two "owners": a man and a pet.
Closed-loop migration provides these pests with the ability to exist and reproduce. In the process of movement, the parasite enters the human body and feeds on it.
This characteristic is inherent in all microorganisms that live in the intestines or other organs. Only useful species are included in creative activity and parasites are included in destructive activity.
Given these circumstances, humans need to support beneficials and eliminate pests.
Roundworms
Ascaris is one of the roundworms. It is an orange parasite without suction cups.
The shape of the spindle allows it to migrate through various organs and penetrate the smallest holes and folds. This type of parasite is capable of invading the lungs or pancreas.
The eggs laid by the roundworm are protected by a strong shell that can resist the destructive effects of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Very often, people are infected by eating unwashed fruits and vegetables.
Pinworms enter the human body in exactly the same way. In appearance, it is a thin pale gray striped worm, growing in length up to 10 mm. Already in the larval stage, the parasite begins to harm humans.
Upon becoming sexually mature, the larva secretes toxic enzymes that irritate the intestinal mucosa.
An adult pinworm can penetrate the deep layers of the small intestine and penetrate it from one side to the other. In situations like this, a serious illness called peritonitis develops.
Another round parasite that parasitizes the large intestine is the whipworm.
When ingested, the following symptoms appear:
- headache and dizziness;
- persistent abdominal pain;
- sleep disorder.
Vlasoglav owes its name to its external characteristics: the worm is very thin and reaches a length of 50 mm. The parasite is the causative agent of whipworm.
The body never goes out of bounds - the worm can only be destroyed, after which the parasite comes out along with the feces.
Tapeworms
The appearance of parasites in humans follows similar scenarios. Tapeworm-shaped pork and bovine tapeworms enter the body by eating meat, respectively, pork and beef contaminated by the Finns.
In appearance, these Finns, or larvae, are white bubbles and resemble grains of millet.
Upon reaching the intestines, the larvae entrench themselves and begin to develop into a full-fledged parasite. The development is asymptomatic in most cases.
After about three months, the tapeworm is able to reproduce. This type of pest reaches a length of ten meters or more.
The presence of tapeworm in the body causes a serious disease of teniarhinosis. A more serious threat to human health is the Echinococcus ribbon-type parasite.
For this parasite, the human body is an intermediate refuge. The main owners are animals: dogs and cats. People become infected by contact with their beloved animals through the food route, through the mouth.
Upon reaching the intestine, the eggs begin to hatch into larvae, which have six hooks for attachment.
With the bloodstream, they are transported to various organs and most often are fixed in the liver and lungs.
As the echinococcus grows, it begins to destroy the surrounding tissues. Sometimes parasites large enough are mistaken for a tumor.
Alveococcus is another representative of the tape parasite in the human body. After penetration into the intestine, the larvae develop intensively and penetrate the walls of the small intestine and are transported by the bloodstream through various organs and systems.
Like the echinococcus, the parasite attaches itself to the liver and begins its destructive activity.
Alveococcus takes the form of a multi-chambered bladder called a larvocyst. These larvocysts can invade liver tissue and become cancerous metastases.
The blood supply to the liver tissue is interrupted, necrosis begins, posing a serious danger to human health and even life.
Fluke Worms
The list of tapeworms contains a separate species of parasite called trematodes.
The following species are particularly dangerous flukes:
- chance cat;
- fasciola;
- schistosome.
Liver pathologies are more common among human diseases than other organ diseases. The fins got their name due to their anatomical structure.
On the body of the parasite there are several suction cups, with the help of which the pest stays in a certain place and penetrates deep into living tissues.
The feline flounder is most commonly found in the gallbladder and pancreatic ducts.
Fluke enters the human body together with fish that has not been sufficiently salted or boiled.
In people affected by this plague, the temperature rises sharply, an unreasonable cough appears, and rashes appear on the body. If you don't take emergency measures, the person could die.
Fasciola is absorbed by the body by drinking unboiled water. With the connivance of the patient, it causes chronic jaundice.
Schistosomiasis, which is caused by a rare parasite, has become more common in recent years.
This fact is explained by the fact that a large number of people began to visit tropical countries where this pest is widespread.
Preventive measures
Medical practice shows that parasites take root in the intestines much more frequently than in other organs.
Pests of various types can adapt to exist in the liver, lungs, heart, brain and even the eyes; This list alone gives a sufficient idea of the danger that parasites pose to human health and full life.
Different types of parasites can enter the body both individually and in combination, increasing the severity of the injury.
To prevent pests of any kind from entering your body, it is enough to follow the basic rules of hygiene and sanitary requirements for food.
Young children should be under constant supervision, especially in summer when they go to the fields or to the sea.
Today you don't need to eat raw meat or fish, including sliced meat. This atavism should be left forever in the past, so as not to expose your body to unwarranted risk.