It is very difficult for an ordinary person to imagine how many parasites can threaten his health. These "columns" can live for years in the human body, literally absorbing life from it 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 exoparasites (lice, bugs and others) and endoparasites.
Endoparasites have their subtypes:
- Insect nesting larvae.
- Protozoa (amoeba, lamblia).
- Helminths (worms or worms).
Infection routes
Each parasite has its own way of penetrating the human body. The most common way is food, that is, with the help of water or food. Many insects can carry parasite larvae, polluting the environment. By consuming raw water, unwashed and not fully cooked foods, a person becomes infected with parasites.
Some species are transmitted live by person-to-person contact - this route is called the contact family. For infection, it is not necessary to have direct contact with the distributor, it is enough to use household items. This is how enterobiasis and some other parasitic forms are transmitted.
A vector transmission route of transmission just as well known. In this case, the parasites are carried by blood-sucking insects. Thus, they can be taken after being bitten by a mosquito or other insect.
The last method for getting parasites is the percutaneous route, the second name is active. Infection occurs through the penetration of larvae through mucous membranes and 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 appear. The symptoms, of course, will be, but they are disguised as other diseases. This is why a person for a long time may not be aware that he is 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:
- Stomach gas,and constant, indicates the presence of worms in the small intestine;
- Diarrhea.Caused by the absorption of sodium chloride by parasites;
- Constipation.Tangles of worms can block some organs;
- Joint and muscle pain.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 walls contributes to digestion and the entry of food molecules into the bloodstream;
- The appearance of granulomas.This is a type of neoplasm that results from the encapsulation of the body cells of destroyed parasite eggs;
- Dermatological manifestations;
- Anemia.Often people suffer from anemia precisely because of the activity of parasitic forms;
- Sharp weight fluctuations;
- Mental disorders.In the process of life, parasites release toxins that negatively affect the host nervous system. The consequence of body poisoning can be neurosis, depression, anxiety;
- Bruxism.This is gnashing of teeth during sleep. This is the response of the nervous system to the appearance of foreign bodies. But this fact has not been conclusively proven by science;
- Sleep Disorder.As a rule, it arises from unpleasant sensations. An example would be the worms of their pegs here, which lay their eggs at night. Leaving the rectum, the worm secretes a toxin that causes severe itching;
- Dysbacteriosis;
- Oncological diseases;
- Chronic fatigue.Occurs due to 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, causing disease. Other parasites provoke colds by moving through the respiratory system;
- Immune disorders.Absorption of most vitamins by parasites leads to weakening of the body's barrier functions and a greater likelihood of being affected by 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. , May indicate the life of parasites in the liver. In addition, the presence of certain types of parasitic forms can provoke a certain type of disease in humans.
Disease Detection
Unfortunately, some doctors deny their duties and do not send a person to special studies to identify parasites in the body. The most common analysis is the distribution of feces for worm eggs. The fact is that the parasites can reside in different organs.
There have been cases where worms have been found in the human brain and eyes. Is there a high probability of getting their eggs from the brain to the feces? Most likely not. Even if there are worms in the gut, the parasite eggs may not be found.
First of all, the doctor must perform a visual examination of the patient. Externally, the presence of human parasites may be suspected. The easiest way to detect them is to do a blood test aimed at detecting specific antibodies to the worms.
Description of human parasites
There are several dozen types of parasites that inhabit the human body.
Worms or venoms are a type of worm.Their size depends on the species, for example, female worms 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, even the brain.
For example, worm larvae circulate throughout the body, collecting nutrients and returning to the gut, where they grow and reproduce. They often live in the respiratory organs. The presence of ascaris in the human body is associated with a disorder of the work of internal organs, intoxication of the body, allergic manifestations and even an increase in temperature.
Among the worms is the pig tape, which migrates to the brain through the blood.
This parasite enters the body through poorly processed meat products. This worm lives up to 20 years.
The second name of enterobiasis is the disease of dirty hands. All people in contact with the carrier are likely to be infected. Therefore, when stake worms 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 toxokars do not come out, but they affect many organs and cause certain diseases. You can become infected with toxocariasis through the soil, as the larvae of these worms come out with the dog feces. But parasite eggs can also be spread by the dog's wet breath.
Alveococcus and Echinococcusinfect the body in many 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 stinging worms, Giardia is the most common infection in children.
They not only reduce the child's immunity, but also provoke a delay in the mental and physical development of children.
This list is not exhaustive. The main danger of parasites is that no one is immune to the infection. Their secret leads to the fact that a person feeds on parasites for years without suspecting it. Compliance with personal hygiene, constant wet cleaning of dwellings, and compliance with heat treatment norms of meat products are not a bad prevention of infection. It will be helpful to have a doctor's examination and get the necessary tests every six months in order to prevent the parasites from spreading.