All types of parasites in the human body have a detrimental effect on its health. They infect organs, feed on nutrients that are needed for human life, and release harmful toxic substances. Therefore, it is so important to get rid of them in a timely manner.
The human body is affected by various parasites, some live inside the body, others on its surface. They differ in size, in the way they enter the body, in the characteristics of their vital activity.
What parasites live in the human body? How to get rid of them? What preventive measures are there? These issues will be discussed below.
Parasite classification
Human parasites are very common, they are divided into groups:
- Endoparasitesorganisms that parasitize inside a person are called. This group, in turn, is divided into protozoa (consist of a single cell) and helminths (worms). The simplest parasitic in the human body are amoeba, lamblia, Trichomonas, toxoplasma. As for the worms, here again there is a division into round worms (nematodes), flat and tapeworms.
- Ectoparasites- these are organisms that parasitize on the surface of the human body - lice, ticks, fleas, bugs. In addition to the fact that they feed on human blood, cause great discomfort (bites, burning, skin wounds), they carry quite dangerous diseases: typhus, anthrax, trypanosomiasis and others.
Single-celled parasites:
- Giardia. . . Giardiasis infection is a fecal-oral mechanism. After cysts (not yet formed parasites, covered with a protective membrane) are removed from the anus of a sick person, they spread to vegetables, fruits and other food products. Through poorly washed hands, stagnant water, insufficiently washed fruits and vegetables, cysts enter the human oral cavity, from where they safely reach the intestines, where they again turn into an adult and multiply again. The result is a vicious cycle that will continue until adequate treatment is provided and hygiene measures are followed. The symptoms of the disease are weakness, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating. Itching in the anus, skin rashes, bronchial asthma may occur. Pathology is characterized by weight loss, anemia, and weakening of the immune system. Treatment is with antiprotozoal drugs. The dosage is prescribed by the doctor.
- Toxoplasma. . . Infection with these protozoa occurs through contact with infected pets. In this case, a person is an intermediate host, since the cycle of sexual development of the parasite occurs in the animal's body. The disease is manifested by a prolonged increase in temperature to subfebrile levels, general signs of intoxication, the patient has enlarged lymph nodes, joint and muscle pains appear. Also, the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and the visual are disrupted, the central nervous system may suffer, there are signs of heart disease and the endocrine system. Complex treatment is prescribed - antibiotics of the tetracycline group and sulfonamides.
- Trichomonas. . . Trichomonas is sexually transmitted, the risk of infection by contact is minimal, but still there. Symptoms of the disease in women are itching, redness of the genitals, burning sensation and foamy discharge. Men may have difficulty urinating and have discharge. Treatment - anti-trichomonas drugs.
Pinworm is an intestinal parasite
The most famous internal parasites are pinworms. They live in the intestines and cause a disease called enterobiasis. This type of parasite affects not only humans, but also monkeys. Risk group - children of preschool age, according to statistics, enterobiasis is diagnosed in half of children from 2 to 10 years old.
Worms are transmitted from person to person, you can get infected through any objects that a sick person used, or through a handshake. The main condition for the transfer of pinworm eggs is not washed hands after contact, especially before eating. Worms, or rather their eggs, can be carried by flies and cockroaches.
Pinworms can only live in the intestines, they are especially comfortable in the thin section, in the colon and cecum. For mating, the parasites select the ileum, from where the female crawls out through the anus and lays eggs in the anus. The symptoms of pinworms in the body are itching in the anus, allergies, fatigue, anemia, abdominal pain, exhaustion.
For the treatment of enterobiasis, anthelmintics are prescribed. Pinworm prevention is based on hand hygiene. They must be washed after visiting any public places.
Roundworms - roundworms
The length of an adult can reach 40 cm. Roundworms live in the human intestine, their eggs are hatched naturally, then they continue their development in the soil, where they remain until they enter the human body again. Dirty hands and unwashed vegetables and fruits are ways of infection with roundworms. Roundworm eggs are covered with a shell that does not dissolve in the human stomach and allows roundworms to survive and get into the intestines, where mature individuals develop.
Ascariasis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Then symptoms appear, which depend on the location and phase of development of the parasite. In the first, migratory phase of ascariasis, the patient is worried about fever, cough with sputum, skin rashes, migraines, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen may appear. In the late phase, when the parasite already enters the intestines, stool disorders are observed (dysentery, cholera-like symptoms, signs of typhoid fever may occur). There is pain in the abdomen, a sharp weight loss, and fatigue.
Wide tapeworm
Infection with this parasite occurs through fish. This is the intermediate host of the worm. It is not necessary to eat for infection, sometimes just contact with infected fish is enough. That is why it is so important to handle the hands, knife, board very carefully after cutting the fish.
From a sick person to a healthy one, neither worms nor their larvae are transmitted. Symptoms of infection are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased or decreased appetite, dyspeptic disorders. The first signs of the disease may appear a month or two after infection. As a result of the long-term presence of the parasite in the human body, pallor of the skin, headache, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, weakness, anemia occur. Treatment is aimed at killing the worm. For this, anthelmintics are used.
Bovine tapeworm
Bovine tapeworm can grow up to 12 m in length. It is a hermaphrodite that can produce over 100, 000 eggs, which are excreted in excrement. Eggs fall into the soil, then onto plants, these plants are eaten by cattle. In the body of an animal, eggs become larvae, which are localized in the muscles. If a person eats contaminated beef, the larvae enter the intestines. Larvae are not transmitted from person to person.
Adult worms have a head with four suction cups, a neck, and a body consisting of segments. The number of segments is constantly growing, mature segments can separate from the worm and crawl out of the human intestine.
Symptoms of the disease are nausea, vomiting, dyspeptic disorders, increased salivation, dizziness, weakness, nervousness, fatigue, abdominal pain of uncertain localization, allergies, fluctuations in appetite.
In order to remove the bovine tapeworm from the body, there is a scheme consisting of 3 stages: preparatory (cleansing the body), treatment with antiparasitic drugs, recovery (diet, herbal medicine).
Pork tapeworm
A person can become infected with pork tapeworm through dirty hands, poorly cooked meat, dirty water, an infected person can excrete tapeworm segments and larvae into the environment with vomit and feces.
The worm can live in the human body up to 15-17 years, it sticks to the intestinal mucosa, and its larvae can spread throughout the body with blood flow and attach to any organs. It is especially dangerous if the larva enters the brain.
Pigs are the intermediate host; people who have frequent contact with raw meat are most at risk of contracting this parasite. Pork chain can be infected both by contact and by eating insufficiently heat-treated meat. In order for all the larvae of the pork tapeworm to be destroyed in the meat, the meat must either be cooked for a long time or frozen for 2-3 weeks.
Pork tapeworm can affect the small intestine, liver, brain, visual organs, muscles, etc. If the tapeworm affects vital organs, then a person may experience paralysis or even death.
Symptoms of pork tapeworm: the occurrence of allergic reactions, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, weakness, dizziness, headache, weight loss, itching in the anus. The worm infects the intestinal mucosa, so the symptoms are very similar to enteritis.
Treatment consists in taking drugs that have a paralyzing effect on the worm, as a result of which it cannot stay on the intestinal walls and exits. But at the same time, it emits a large amount of toxic substances, which can cause anaphylactic shock in a person. Therefore, treatment should only be carried out under the supervision of a physician.
Parasites in the mouth
Parasites in the human mouth can most often be represented by the following types:
- trichomonas;
- oral amoeba;
- Diptera larvae (oral myiasis).
The clinical picture may be as follows:
- allergies;
- weakness, weight loss;
- fetid odor from the mouth;
- a feeling of stirring in the larynx;
- itching and perspiration;
- nausea, loss of strength.
Worms that live in the mouth can destroy teeth, create purulent deposits on the mucous membrane and tongue. Treatment is prescribed only by a doctor who takes into account the existing symptoms, as well as the types of parasites. A prerequisite for treatment is the examination of all people in contact with the patient.
Summarizing
Above, not all were considered, even the most common parasites that can live inside the human body. It is important to understand the great danger of that neighborhood: worms in a person can cause very serious consequences and, as a result, cause the death of their owner. Therefore, it is very important to timely diagnose parasites and get rid of them. As for preventive measures, they mainly consist in hygiene and high-quality roasting of meat eaten.