Symptoms and Treatment of Human Parasites

Parasites have always been present in the human body.These may be disease-causing helminths and amoebas, or they may be protozoa that do not cause disease and sometimes help cope with bacterial colonies.Parasites pose a threat to health by feeding on their hosts, damaging internal organs and disrupting the function of vital systems.

Classification of human parasites

Human parasites can come in many types.Protozoa, arthropods and worms live mainly in the body and on its surface.Some organisms are humans' constant companions, others use them as temporary reservoirs to transition to the next stage of development.

True parasites cannot survive without a host and die in a free environment.False people feel the same way about human bodies, soil, water and surrounding objects.There are also superparasites that inhabit similar organisms and feed on them.According to the different sites of parasitism, parasites can be divided into:

• internal.These are internal parasites that feed on intestinal fluids, organ tissue, blood, and lymph fluid.
• external.They are called ectoparasites and live in the body, hair and skin folds.
• Fabric.Their habitat is the internal organs (liver, heart, lungs, gallbladder, brain).
• Cavity.These parasites live, feed and reproduce in the intestines and stomach.
• intracellular or blood.They are usually small in size and are found in biological fluids.

notes!

In addition to general classification, all types of parasites are individually divided into species and classes.Protozoa can be represented by ciliates, fleshworms, and amoebas.Worms are divided into flukes, tapeworms and roundworms.Arthropods include insects, arachnids, and blood-sucking animals.

What parasites do humans have?

People are equally frequently infected with protozoa and worms.Insects are mainly diagnosed among socially disadvantaged groups.Unlike children, adults can be infected with all known parasites.This is due to the diversity of diets and opportunities to travel.Many people are misled by the misleading notion that parasitic diseases are primarily diagnosed in childhood.In fact, they are more likely to be detected at an early age, but adults are no less affected than children.Their clinical signs of invasion may simply be eliminated.

Protozoa and their location

These single-cell parasites survive in adults for decades; they are studied through protozoology.They can cause specific infections and general illness.Active individuals are called trophozoites and usually have flagella for movement.In order to continue the life cycle, protozoa have the ability to enclose themselves in capsules (cysts).These forms are fixed and persist over time despite external circumstances and adverse conditions.

Many species of flagellates parasitize adult worms.They come in microscopic sizes and different positioning:

• Trichomonas affects the male genitourinary system, oral cavity, and prostate;
• Enterobaratia lives within the lumen of the large intestine;
• Giardia parasites the liver, bile ducts, and intestines;
• Malaria parasites destroy blood cells;
• Toxoplasma spreads through the bloodstream to all organs, including the brain;
• Trypanosomes attack the brain and cause "sleeping sickness";
• Leishmania colonizes lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow;
• The amoeba dysentery lives in the large intestine.

Parasites of all protozoan species have a similar life cycle, transitioning from a vegetative to a cyst stage.The reproduction of single-celled organisms is divided into sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction.

notes!

Protozoa are true parasites that cannot exist without a permanent or intermediate host during the trophozoite stage.

Diseases caused by helminth parasites

The presence of roundworms and flatworms is often detected in adult worms.They vary in size, functional characteristics, and degree of negative impact on organs and systems.

Nematodes

There can be many types of these parasites in humans.They belong to the class Ascaris and have a spindle-like appearance.Worms feel free inside their hosts and in the open environment.Common pathogens of nematodes include:

• roundworms.Lives in the small intestine, is 20 to 40 centimeters in length, and reproduces sexually.
• Pinworms.A small worm, no more than 12 mm in length.It affects the intestines and can produce up to 15,000 eggs per day.The male dies after mating and the female dies after giving birth to larvae.
• hookworm.Lives in the jejunum and duodenum.The parasite can suck 0.3 milliliters of blood from a person's body every day and destroy the intestinal wall with its sharp teeth.
• Whipworm.The worm, up to 5 centimeters long, lives in the intestines and, thanks to its unique body structure, sucks juices from its thick walls.
• Trichinella spiralis.This is an intramuscular parasite up to 4 mm in size that causes the dangerous form of trichinellosis in humans.Trichinella spiralis looks like a spirochete and is a viviparous worm.
• Guinea worm.This parasite can reach 1 meter in length inside the human body and looks like a thin white thread.Guinea worms can be localized in the subcutaneous layers of the legs, back, or lower abdomen.
• Heartworm.They enter the body through the bites of infected mosquitoes, midges and horseflies.The home of filarial worms is the entire circulatory and lymphatic system.They can clog blood vessels in the heart, lungs, and other organs, causing blockages.
• Toxocara.The worm larvae migrate throughout the body and infect the heart, lungs, liver and brain.The size of adult worms can reach 18 cm.
• Eel intestines.The causative agent of strongyloidiasis lives in the intestine during its mature stage.Eel larvae can be spread throughout the body through the bloodstream.

Important!

Negative effects on the body of roundworms are due to their mechanical and toxic effects.

fluke

These are parasites that live inside humans, and their second name is flukes.There are many types of these flatworms.They cause different diseases but are structurally similar.All flukes have a leaf-shaped body with two suckers.Flukes do not have an anus; digested food is excreted through the mouth.

Fluke parasites affect the body depending on location.Liver flukes, lanceolate flukes and cat flukes affect the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts.Paragonimus lives in the lungs, and schistosomiasis lives in the blood vessels.

notes!

Flukes always have intermediate hosts in various mollusc forms.

Tapeworm

This type includes tapeworms, or tapeworm-like worms.They have a special structure that looks like a chain of individual segments (strobilus).Tapeworms live in the intestines and release large amounts of toxins into the body.

Common such worms in adults include:

• Wide tape.The largest parasites are up to 15 meters long, absorb nutrients from the whole body and poison the body with toxins.
• Pork tapeworm.It is the causative agent of taeniasis, can reach 3 meters in length, and is "armed" with multiple hooks.
• The bull tapeworm is composed of more than a thousand segments and can be up to 10 meters long.
• Dwarf tapeworm.The size of the worm does not exceed 5 centimeters; it survives in the human body for about 2 months and then dies.
• Echinococcus and Aspermococcus.The worms can cause liver and lung disease and may form larval blisters in internal organs.

notes!

Tapeworms are particularly dangerous because they can become parasitic in the form of cysticerci.These are encapsulated larvae that are carried through the bloodstream to all organs, causing massive invasion.

ectoparasites

The most common external parasite living on the human body is lice.It lives in the scalp, armpits, groin, beard, and even eyelashes and eyebrows.Diseases caused by parasites are called pediculosis.According to different parts, they can be divided into body lice, pubic lice and head lice.You can use external means such as shampoos, ointments, and solutions to get rid of insects.

Important!

The danger with lice is that they can spread typhus, a serious infectious disease, through their saliva.

Symptoms of human parasites

All is clear about external insects such as lice and fleas; they manifest themselves as localized itching and the formation of ulcers at the bite site.Internal parasites cause a more diverse clinical picture.This depends on the location of the alien organisms, their size and the scale of the invasion.

Hundreds of worms and protozoa of the same or different species can parasitize humans at the same time.Parasites can live in the human body for years unnoticed and cause no specific symptoms.Common signs of infection often include:

• nausea;
• Vomit;
• constipation or diarrhea;
• weakness;
• Headache;
• Changes in increased or decreased appetite;
• Anemia without apparent cause;
• more nervous;
• sleep disorders;
• stomach ache;
• A twist of taste.

When liver damage occurs, clinical manifestations also include pain in the right rib, yellowing of the skin, and bitter taste in the mouth.Filariasis presents with symptoms of cardiac and respiratory failure, and toxoplasmosis is associated with central nervous system dysfunction.Trichinellosis affects the muscles.

When the genitourinary system is affected by protozoa, symptoms of infection in women include frequent urination, vaginal and urethra discharge, itching, etc.In the case of intestinal infections, symptoms of infection in adults may not appear for several years, during which time the parasites multiply and weaken the body's immune system, leading to the development of chronic and systemic disease.

Symptoms of the presence of protozoa in the body often include fever, headache, and allergic reactions.Often one of the first symptoms of internal parasites is a rash on the body and itchy skin.This is due to the body's reaction to foreign proteins.

Important!

General symptoms of the first stages of parasite presence in the body may resemble intestinal infections, dermatitis, and digestive disorders.

Why are parasites dangerous?

In humans, parasitic infections can cause a variety of reactions and complications.If the invasion is caused by a small worm, the risk of complications is fairly small.When infected with large helminths or highly pathogenic protozoa, health hazards can be unpredictable.

In addition to specific diseases, which are sometimes severe, alien individuals can cause severe dysfunction of living systems.The toxins released by the parasite into the bloodstream can affect the central nervous system and poison the body.Large worms have negative mechanical effects on organs.Many doctors believe that this tissue damage leads to tumors and tumors.In addition, parasites can cause gastrointestinal ulcers, bronchitis and pneumonia, cystitis and pancreatitis, cholecystitis and colitis.

Important!

Sometimes, symptoms of large worms in adults can present as an acute abdomen.This occurs when worms damage the lining of the intestines and develop peritonitis.

Possible sources of infection and preventive measures

There are many ways to become infected with parasites.People get infected every day.There is a risk of contracting worms such as flukes and trichinella when eating undercooked meat and fish.If you don't wash your hands or wash your fruits and vegetables well enough, you can introduce eggs of pinworms, roundworms, toxocara, and other worms into your mouth.When traveling to exotic locations, you may become infected with rare parasites such as Guinea worm, Plasmodium, and Trypanosoma.

Carriers of the infection are domestic and wild animals, blood-sucking animals, crustaceans and molluscs, and ants.Prevention includes reducing the risk of infection through hand hygiene and appropriate heat processing of meat and fish products.

Important!

Travel enthusiasts should first research how the parasites living in a particular country are infected.

diagnosis

Sometimes invasion in the body can be detected simply by submitting biological fluids and stool for analysis and studying medical history.But not all parasites show clinical symptoms and form larvae.Therefore, PCR and ELISA are recognized as the best diagnostic methods.These are immunological tests that detect parasite DNA and antibodies in venous blood.

Computerized diagnostics are also now popular, but they can only help determine the fact of infection, not identify the specific pathogen.Blood scans of the blood are now also required, which are performed by repeatedly amplifying the biological material.

Duodenal intubation can help identify all cases of parasites in the liver.During this process, bile is collected and laboratory tests are performed.If hydatid disease is in the liver and lung vesicle-forming stages, the body can be diagnosed with ultrasound, MRI, and X-rays.Intestinal specimens can be seen during a colonoscopy.

Important!

Modern technology makes it possible to detect invasion at the first signs of infection, therefore, in order to prevent the development of complications, you should consult a doctor as early as possible.

Treatment

To combat the invasion, they used drugs to treat parasites in the human body, a diet restricted to flour, sweets, alcohol, and know-how.A range containing clove, tansy and mugwort helps prevent disease.Drinking sweet brandy tea (one tablespoon per cup) on an empty stomach followed by a laxative has also been shown to be effective.

Parasite medications are available as suspensions, tablets, suppositories and injections.For protozoa, adults need to take antiprotozoal drugs.

Parasites require treatment for up to 5 days.

To remove worms such as roundworms with medication, sometimes a single application of deworming tablets is enough.They destroy the worms from the inside, paralyzing their muscular systems.It is more difficult to cure patients with flukes, echinococcosis, and alveolar cocci.The physical treatment process sometimes takes up to 6 months.

To get rid of parasites forever, you need to take medications according to the treatment regimen prescribed by your doctor.

Important!

Self-medication is strongly not recommended as it may worsen the condition.Sometimes the first sign of parasite death is the release of toxins into the bloodstream, which requires additional detoxification treatment.

Folk remedies treatment

If parasites that cause certain infections (such as malaria, toxoplasmosis or trichomoniasis) are present in the body, treatment with home recipes is not possible.In these situations, qualified medical assistance is required.

notes!

Traditional medicine can be used for preventive purposes or as adjunctive treatment.

To eliminate the infection, natural remedies based on herbs, flowers and products high in essential oils can be used.

You can get parasite treatment:

• mugwort infusion (one tablespoon per liter of boiling water);
• Tansy decoction (20 g per 500 ml of boiling water);
• Garlic milk (one garlic per 250 ml of hot milk);
• Onion porridge (chop two onions and mix with vegetable oil);
• Desserts made with pumpkin seeds (mix one cup of pumpkin seeds with half a cup of honey);
• Pumpkin puree (pure 1 kg of pulp by steaming it in the oven for one hour).

The natural remedy should be taken for at least 10 days, taking one tablespoon before each main meal.

Comments on Parasite Treatment

• "I feed pumpkin seeds to the whole family. I dry them at room temperature, mix them with jam, condensed milk or honey and eat them with tea. As a result, no one has parasites."
• "My husband has had stomach pain near his belly button for a whole year. He felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. He did many tests but found nothing. Recently, the doctor at the fee-based clinic prescribed a broad-spectrum anthelmintic. My husband took one pill and the pain disappeared after a week."
• "As a precaution, every autumn I take deworming pills, because in the villa I sometimes eat vegetables picked directly from the bush. This suspension is cheap, tastes good and is well tolerated."