Parasites are introduced into the human body in several ways. After some time they manifest themselves with a variety of symptoms and signs. To be sure to eliminate and eliminate the parasite, it is necessary to carry out treatment with drugs and medicines prescribed according to the diagnostic results.
The human body and organs are very attractive to a large number of parasites that settle in them and use their resources. It is logical that in this case the body itself begins to receive less necessary nutrients, and, moreover, it also becomes clogged with waste resulting from the vital activity of microorganisms. As a result, signs of discomfort and serious external symptoms appear.
Some parasites are quite dangerous, others have almost no effect on well-being, even in high concentrations, but it is important to detect them in time and take measures to remove them. How to get rid of parasites with the help of drugs, medicines and special means against them, we will consider below in the article.
Types of parasites in the human body
If you neglect to wash your hands before eating or eat unwashed fruits and vegetables, you can easily contract itGiardia, a microscopic flagellated parasite. In some cases, the introduction goes unnoticed, since there are no obvious signs of worms in humans.
Hookwormenters the human body when walking barefoot on damp ground. Characteristic symptoms are skin irritation and rashes on the lower extremities. If the hookworm reaches the internal organs, the consequences resemble roundworm infection.
Children are more likely to get caughtpinworms, a worm that lodges in the intestinal cavity. Characteristic manifestations of this are lack of appetite, fatigue and discomfort in the anus. Reproduction occurs by laying eggs in underwear or in the folds of the skin surface. Children get pinworms from dirty toys, dishes and laundry. Pinworms in adults occur after contact with contaminated things.
Porcine and bovine tapewormenter humans with insufficiently processed meat, pigs and cows respectively. The most dangerous situation is the penetration of the larvae into the eyes and brain. The maximum size of tapeworms reaches 7 meters, and their lifespan is 15-20 years. It is quite difficult to get rid of established tapeworms, even using powerful drugs against them.
Toxocarabrought by pets. The pet carrier is a dog or cat that lives next to a person. Adults grow up to 0. 3 m in length. Reproduction occurs through eggs, which are released with the secretions and mature in the soil. Contact with such soil carries the risk of introducing Toxocara, which spreads widely to all corners of the body. You can prevent the parasite by washing your hands regularly.
Echinococcusthey are introduced by an animal or by eating unwashed berries. The disease echinococcosis poses a greater threat to children, as the larvae are transported through blood vessels and can settle anywhere, forming a characteristic cyst. Echinococci often affect:
- Brain
- Liver
- The lymph nodes
- Kidneys
Penetrated insidenematodescause the disease ascariasis. These worms easily settle in people, as they are transmitted by unwashed hands, unboiled water and when interacting with soil. The maximum size of nematodes reaches 0. 4 meters; they are deposited in the brain, capillaries, lungs, eyes and intestines. As a result of the action of parasites, symptoms appear:
- Poor digestion
- Allergic reactions
- Anemia
- Development of neurodermatitis, asthma, arthritis, convulsions
- Sometimes the temperature rises
It has similar markingslarge tapeworm, brought with raw fish. In the body it is in a crowded state, the length reaches gigantic 10 meters. The presence of broad tapeworm causes stomach pain, attacks of nausea, especially after waking up, and weakness.
All these parasites pose a danger to both adults and children, so it is imperative to get rid of them by removing them in various ways.
Signs of the presence of parasites in the body
If spots appear on the skin, it becomes rougher, wrinkles and pimples begin to appear, this may be the first evidence of the presence of a parasite. In the case of cracked heels or brittle nails, we often speak of damage to the digestive system caused by Giardia or Trichomonas.
Other early signs are weakness of the immune system, due to which a person is constantly susceptible to infections, his paranasal sinuses become inflamed, and symptoms of sinusitis and tonsillitis are noted.
In the male body, parasitic infection often manifests itself as cystitis, prostatitis, sand and stones in the bladder, problems with erection and the ability to conceive a child. Damage to various parts of the brain by parasites has serious consequences.
Signs of parasites entering the female body are:
- Increased pain before menstruation
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Inflammatory process in the ovaries, adrenal glands
- Development of fibrocystic mastopathy
- Malfunction of the urine output system
- Myomas
If you do not treat and get rid of pinworms in time, they can cause inflammation of appendicitis, symptoms of insufficient secretion and removal of bile. When the lungs are infected, the symptoms resemble pneumonia or bronchitis. If the root cause of the disease is not found and drugs against parasites do not begin to be used, the person receives the wrong treatment and the situation only gets worse as the body weakens further. In the end:
- Immunity decreases
- Various types of allergies develop
- Body weight decreases dramatically
- Skin pathologies form that were not there before
- The patient is plagued by constant tiredness and lack of strength
- Signs of dysbacteriosis, anemia, vitamin deficiency, stool disorders appear in any direction
- The patient does not sleep well
Symptoms of parasites in the human body
- Constipationoccurs when large, long parasites living in the intestine block the intestinal lumen or bile flow pathways.
- Diarrheahaunts people if they have a worm, the secretions of which lead to loose stools.
- Bloating and flatulencethese are signs of the presence of foreign organisms in the large and small intestine.
- Intestinal irritationthey form when fat metabolism is disrupted, causing constipation, diarrhea and cramps.
- Joint and muscle pain. This is a sign of a parasite that has settled in the muscle structures or synovial fluid. The symptoms are similar to arthritis, but the inflammation is caused by the presence of a foreign body.
- Manifestations of allergiesoccur against the background of an acute reaction of the human body to the remains of parasites. Furthermore, the immune system is forced to produce a greater volume of cells that fight the microorganism, which results in an increase in the allergic reaction.
- Rash, manifested by eczema, dermatitis, papillomas, ulcerations.
- Anemiait is formed due to a lack of blood cells, which some worms living in the intestinal environment feed on. The result is internal blood loss and symptoms of anemia.
- Weight gain or loss. Body weight increases when parasites take away glucose needed by the human body. And the opposite situation occurs with metabolic disorders, caused by the presence of foreign organisms inside.
- Contrasting psycho-emotional statesin the form of increased excitability, irritability or depression, these are the consequences of the action of toxins produced by parasites and which affect the central nervous system.
- Disturbed sleepThis is a characteristic symptom of worms. At night, the liver cleanses itself of toxic substances, which ends in "panic" among the "unexpected guests".
- Teeth grinding in sleep– a common sign of nervous system problems, most often found with worms in children.
- Chronic fatigueappears due to a shortage of necessary substances that the body does not receive due to the fact that they are consumed by parasites. Expressed by decreased memory, apathy and flu-like symptoms.
- Inflamed airwaysthis is a frequent sign of the existence in the body of organisms capable of moving and influencing the lungs, nasopharynx and throat. As a result, this is expressed by symptoms of asthma, pneumonia, for example, high fever, runny nose, cough.
Let's look at the symptoms based on the location of the parasite in the body.
Heart
When affected by helminths, which are better known400 types, often reach the human cardiac muscle, parasitizing it. In such conditions, the conditions for myocarditis occur when the muscular structure of the heart is in a state of inflammation. The first signs appear after 1-4 weeks. If the patient is not treated, the symptoms can become chronic.
Below the surface of the skin
There is a special type of worm that causes helminthiasis and lives in the subcutaneous tissue. It is carried by mosquitoes and is called filariasis. A subcutaneous parasite often carries with it various viruses and infections, which it is a carrier of. Symptoms of the disease are subcutaneous seals. A feature is that the helminth moves when you press on the seal from one side.
Eyes
The entry of the larvae into the eyelid leads to the appearance of a pimple on the skin. When parasites move, this is clearly felt. We list the diseases caused by parasites in the organs of vision:
- You can get ophthalmiasis in the tropical zone. After the microscopic larvae penetrate beneath the skin surface of the eyelid, they make their way through the conjunctiva and lacrimal sac into the inner area of the orbit, causing eye damage.
- With creeping myiasis, gradually lengthening wrinkles are visible on the eyelids.
- Infection of the mucosa by the larvae leads to larval conjunctival granuloma. Treatment requires surgical removal of the parasite; there is no other way to get rid of it, for example, by taking special drugs.
Stomach
Worms inhabit the organs of the digestive tract. The main disadvantage of their presence is toxic secretions that poison humans. Toxicosis is manifested by bad breath, lack of bowel movements, poor appetite and weight loss.
If such parasitic organisms are not removed, they will constantly increase their activity, which will lead to a worsening of symptoms.
Blood
When they enter the blood, the parasites infect red blood cells, plasma, and white blood cells. The main representatives of this class of parasites are trypanosomes and haemosporidia. Both species are unicellular.
Treatment for parasites
To select therapy, it is important to accurately determine:
- Type of microorganism
- Degree of damage, number of individuals, their size
- How long has the parasite lived in the body and how integrated has it become into a person's internal ecosystem?
Based on the results of the answers to these questions, a specific drug against the parasite is selected. Some of these drugs can also be used prophylactically.
When selecting a specific medicine, it is necessary to take into account the sensitivity of the parasite to it. After treatment, rehabilitation therapy is sometimes necessary to restore lost function.
The main drugs that allow you to get rid and cure a person contain:
- Antibiotic
- Anthelminthic substances synthesized against a specific species
The selection of a specific drug, its dosage and period of administration is carried out by a professional doctor.
Medicines have a wide range of side effects, so many of them are sold only by prescription. To avoid worsening the health situation, it is important to consider the possible side effects. This is especially true for older people with chronic illnesses.
To ensure that you get rid of the parasite and prevent relapses after an effective course of treatment, you should pay more attention to your health and strengthening your immune system. After removing worms from the stomach and intestines, it is necessary to restore normal microflora in the organs.
During the treatment process, it may be necessary to change the diet to simplify digestion and saturate the body with useful substances, as well as take antihistamines for acute allergies.
Prevention against parasites
The best way to prevent it is to avoid contact with people who may be carriers. If parasites have been living in the human body for a long time, it is not easy to remove and get rid of them. Therefore, if there is a possibility of infection, it is necessary to periodically examine and clean the body.
We list preventive measures to avoid the introduction of parasites:
- Maintain personal hygiene
- Keep the house clean
- High temperature processing of meat and fish is mandatory
- Eat only washed berries, vegetables, fruits
- If you have pets, it is important to monitor their health