Parasitic diseases or damage to the human body by parasites, pathogenic fungi and bacteria, are the second most common after respiratory infections. The main danger is that people are not always aware of the presence of such an injury and the characteristic signs of the disease may not appear for months, while parasites cause irreparable damage to health. The symptoms of parasites in the body for a long time will be disguised as fatigue and minor pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Helminthiasis is not just a "dirty hands" disease. Eating poorly washed fruits, raw fish (sushi) and insufficiently fried meat can cause the appearance of worms and other protozoa. Helminth eggs can be passed from an infected person to a healthy person through tactile contact.
WHO statistics are frightening - about ¾ the entire population of the planet is infected with various parasites. The incidence rate in adults and children with pets is 99. 9%.
It is possible to get rid of helminths with the help of folk remedies and remedies, but there are difficult cases when only surgical intervention will help remove the pests.
Which human organs can be infected by parasites
There are 3 ways for worms and toxins to enter the human body - through the mouth, mucous membranes and skin. Against the background of a weakening of the immune system, parasites multiply without hindrance in the body. Immunity is further depleted, secondary immunodeficiency develops, general allergy of the body appears and resistance to various types of infections decreases. Acute pathologies develop into chronic ones, take a severe course.
The preferred habitat of parasites are all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Of the 300 types of parasitic diseases, 70% are intestinal forms. Extraintestinal types of helminthiasis affect:
- subcutaneous skin and fatty tissue;
- liver;
- muscular tissue;
- light;
- truri;
- heart tissue;
- eyeball;
- blood;
- common capsules.
The time of onset of the first symptoms of an injury depends on the type of parasite, the number, location of their localization, and the current state of human health.
The main symptoms of parasites in the body are similar for all types of helminth infections:
- appetite disappears;
- salivation increases;
- diarrhea alternating with constipation;
- mixed attacks and vomiting;
- sleep disturbance.
Grinding teeth during sleep can indicate the presence of worms in a child's body.
The main symptoms of helminthiasis are general illness, increased nervousness, mild dizziness, weight loss and the development of iron deficiency anemia. In the occurrence of allergic reactions (in 70% of cases), it is parasitic lesions that are not paid attention to and not treated in a timely manner.
Main types of parasites and distinctive symptoms of their presence
Currently, 70 species of parasites that can live inside humans have been identified. They are divided into the following subgroups:
- roundworms (worms);
- ribbon (ribbon);
- subcutaneous helminths;
- lightning (currents);
- tissue parasites;
- protozoa protozoa.
Symptoms caused by different types of parasites can vary. To understand whether the human body is affected or not, we will examine some of the most typical cases.
Stake worms
Enterobius vermicularis or peg worms are roundworms. They feed on blood and intestinal contents. These white worms 0, 5-1 centimeters cause a widespread helminthiasis - enterobiasis. According to statistics, the total share of this disease of all lesions is 65%, of which 90% are children.
Enterobiasis is contagious and spreads from person to person. The main route of entry of parasites into the body is by ingesting eggs. The life cycle is 4 weeks - during this time, males and females develop from eggs, which emerge through the anus and lay eggs in the skin around it and in the perineum. The movement and placement of the eggs causes a sharp burning sensation of the skin.
Pin worms are very difficult to treat because eggs not only get into the skin. The parasite's eggs fall into the crib, crawl on the floor and contaminate household items and toys.
It is very difficult to determine the presence of these parasites in the body, but the signs and symptoms of their presence have their own distinctive features:
- frequent urge to urinate, bed rest;
- bloating and pain in the lower abdomen, often on the right side;
- loss of appetite;
- diarrhea;
- general muscle weakness;
- female worms and egg claws are found visually in the folds of the anus.
With a small number of colonies, analysis-based diagnosis can be false-negative. To identify parasites, a triple stool and scratch test is performed, which is repeated after a few days. In rare cases, the doctor may prescribe a blood test with an expanded white blood cell count.
Refers to a subset of nematodes that enter the body after contact with a dog, cat or soil. Toxic drugs are not transmitted from person to person, but can be transmitted from mother to fetus in the womb, or go to the breastfed baby while breastfeeding. Parasitic infection of this species often occurs in autumn or spring.
Symptoms of toxocariasis depend on the location of the individuals.
Visceral toxocariasis
This type of damage is detected when parasites settle on internal organs: a person's liver, kidneys, pancreas, brain or heart. In the vast majority of cases, toxocara are placed in the patient's lungs. The following clinical picture is often observed:
- fever, chills, fever;
- the liver becomes denser, the spleen enlarges;
- lymph nodes grow slightly, are painful to the touch, and detach from surrounding tissues;
- dry cough with wet wheezing, mostly at night;
- difficulty breathing and shortness of breath;
- very common bronchitis and bronchopneumonia.
Lack of therapy for helminthiasis of this form can be fatal. Heart parasites can lead to death.
Neurological toxocariasis
Pathology occurs when parasites enter the central nervous system. Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the human body:
- children become hyperactive, can not successfully pass neuropsychological tests and are left behind in development;
- adults complain that it is difficult for them to read and can not explain why;
- degrades memory;
- manifest all types of neurological disorders.
If tosocarium remains in the brain, convulsions and epileptic seizures, paresis and paralysis of the limbs are possible.
Cutaneous toxocariasis
Symptoms will appear as localized urticaria, eczema or papular outbreaks appearing as the toxocar larvae migrate. Patients complain of unbearable itching, and the affected areas, in addition to rashes and blisters, become very swollen and red. Laziness of the skin appears around the areas.
ocular toxocariasis
A lesion in which parasite larvae colonize the eyeball. Their migration is clearly visible even to the naked eye. Only one eye is affected. In most cases, only one parasite is present. However, there are other signs of the presence of parasites:
- choroid inflammation;
- purulent inflammation of the vitreous tissue;
- children develop strabismus;
- In baby exudate there may be formations in the shape of "snowballs".
The main diagnostic techniques for any form of toxocariasis are history, immunological tests and a detailed blood test. Stool testing is not done because these parasites do not live in the gut. With adequate medication treatment, the prognosis for recovery is favorable.
Wide bar
This parasite enters the human body through the consumption of raw fish or caviar. The disease is called difilobotriasis and does not spread from person to person.
The broad band may only exist in the small intestine. There are specific symptoms of its presence, which develop in the following order:
- nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting;
- fever conditions;
- decreased or increased appetite;
- constipation alternating with diarrhea;
- gradual increase in B12 deficiency anemia symptoms;
- intestinal obstruction caused by blockage of the intestinal lumen by an adult helminth, as well as a violation of superficial and deep sensitivity;
- unsteady gait and crawling under the skin;
- Parasite particles may be present in the stool.
Diagnosis of the presence of parasites is made according to the results of blood tests and coproovoscopy.
Bull Tape
This strip can grow up to 7-10 meters in length. The parasite enters the human body in the form of larvae or eggs contained in poorly cooked or raw beef. The disease is called teniarinchiasis; adults are more sensitive to it.
Signs of parasites in the human body with teniarrhea appear sequentially:
- there is a constant feeling of constant hunger, false bulimia;
- has a decrease in appetite, sometimes in complete absence;
- abdominal pain, which may be of different localization, is increasing, the iliac region on the right hurts more;
- persistent severe bloating and recurrent diarrhea;
- inflammation of the tongue develops; Weak people can have sleep disorders, fainting and seizures.
is quite easy to identify and control the loss of bovine tapeworm, its individual segments - proglottids, crawling out of the anus without an act of defecation, especially often at night.
The simplest and most effective diagnostic method is pruritus and fecal analysis for proglottid egg contents. The prognosis of treatment is favorable.
Ekinokoku
Echinococcus belongs to the class of worms. The main source is stray dogs, wolves, jackals, foxes, which feed on echinococcus-infected shrimp. It is possible to be infected with parasites by a domestic dog if it has come in contact with road relatives or the feces of infected animals.
Human infection occurs when parasite larvae are swallowed, most often with contaminated water. A variant is possible when the eggs are inhaled with an odor and stick to the mucous membranes of the nose or throat, and when absorption is swallowed and introduced into the digestive tract.
The parasite larva, which has entered the intestine, penetrates the bloodstream and with venous blood flow reaches the liver, where it is fixed. If fixation does not occur, the echinococcus can affect the lungs or other organs. Contrary to popular belief, these parasites do not live in human muscles.
By capturing the organ tissue, the larva begins to grow and form a cyst. In the event of her death, cyst supura occurs. When a person is infected with a large number of larvae, numerous live and dead echinococcal cysts form.
Symptoms of the presence of this type of parasite do not appear for a long time, but as the cyst grows in the liver, the following symptoms appear:
- bowel movements, frequent vomiting, pain in the solar plexus;
- nodes are felt in the liver;
- in case of cyst compression, jaundice develops, accompanied by characteristic symptoms, which are accompanied by very severe itching;
- when a purulent cyst opens, severe pain, allergic reactions, up to anaphylactic shock occur.
If the parasite is attached to the lungs, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, chest pain and a bleeding cough occur. The progression of the cyst in the pleural area is fatal. With an progression to bronchitis, choking, blue skin, and severe allergic reactions develop.
Diagnosis is clarified by serological blood test and ultrasound confirmation. Echinococcosis can only be treated surgically! Specific treatment of antiparasitic drugs is carried out only in case of mass infection. Drinking alcohol or taking other folk remedies for these parasites is useless.
Giardia
It's quite easy to become a carrier of these parasites - human infection occurs with cysts from cats, dogs and rodents. Once introduced into the body, the parasites localize not only in the liver but also in the large and small intestines. Giardiasis affects children and adults with weakened immunity and low stomach acidity.
The disease is characterized by a wavy course with progressive neurological and allergic symptoms:
- cramping pain on the right side, especially after eating fatty foods;
- diarrhea alternating with constipation;
- dry and bitter mouth;
- with a normal level of hemoglobin in the blood, there is a fading of the skin, especially the nose "bleached";
- hair falls out;
- cracks and bumps on the lips appear;
- skin on the palms and soles is removed, rashes appear on the skin;
- has whooping cough attacks;
- enlarged liver, spleen and lymph nodes;
- develops severe apathy and general weakness.
Stools and duodenal contents are examined to clarify the diagnosis.
When you detect signs of parasites, you should not treat yourself, you should contact an infectious disease specialist. Only a doctor will be able to accurately diagnose and prescribe an adequate complex treatment.