Parasites are constantly present in the human body.These can be pathogenic worms and amoebas, as well as protozoans that do not cause diseases and sometimes help to cope with the bacterial flora.Parasites, which feed on the host, damage internal organs and disrupt the functioning of vital systems, pose a threat to health.
Classification of human parasites
Human parasites can be of several types.Protozoans, arthropods and worms live mainly inside and on the surface of the body.Some organisms are permanent companions of humans, others use them as temporary reservoirs for the transition to the next stage of development.
True parasites cannot live without a host and die in the free environment.Fakes can feel the same way in the human body, soil, water and surrounding objects.There are also hyperparasites that inhabit similar creatures and feed off of them.Depending on the location, parasites are divided into:
- Internal.These are endoparasites that feed on intestinal fluids, organ tissues, blood and lymph.
- External.They are called ectoparasites and live on the body, hair and skin folds.
- Fabric.Their habitat is the internal organs (liver, heart, lungs, gall bladder, brain).
- Cavity.These parasites live, feed and reproduce in the intestines and stomach.
- Intracellular or blood.They are usually microscopic in size and are found in biological fluids.
Note!
In addition to the general classification, each type of parasite is individually divided into species and classes.Protozoa can be represented by ciliates, sarcoids and amoebas.Worms are divided into flukes, tapeworms and roundworms.Arthropods include insects, arachnids, and bloodsuckers.
What parasites are there in humans?
Humans are infected with protozoa and helminths equally often.Insects are mainly diagnosed in socially disadvantaged individuals.Unlike children, adults can be infected with all known parasites.This is due to the varied diet and the opportunity to travel.Many people are misled by the misleading belief that parasitic diseases are mainly diagnosed in childhood.In fact, they are more often detected at an early age, but adults are not less often affected than children;clinical signs of invasion can simply be erased.
Protozoans and their localization
These single-celled parasites live in the body of adults for decades;they are studied by the science of protozoology.They can also cause specific infections and general diseases.Active individuals are called trophozoites and usually have flagella that indicate movement.To continue the life cycle, protozoans are able to enclose themselves in capsules (cysts).These forms are immobile and persist for long periods in the external environment and adverse conditions.
Several flagellate species parasitize adults.They are microscopic in size and have different localizations:
- In men, trichomonas affects the urogenital system, the oral cavity and the prostate gland;
- intestinal balantidiums live in the lumen of the large intestine;
- Giardia parasitizes the liver, bile ducts, and intestines;
- malarial plasmodia destroy blood cells;
- toxoplasma spreads through the bloodstream to all organs, including the brain;
- Trypanosomes attack the brain and cause “sleeping sickness”;
- Leishmania settles in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow;
- Dysenteric amoebas live in the colon.
All species of protozoan parasites have a similar life cycle that occurs with the transition from the vegetative stage to the cyst stage.Unicellular organisms reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Note!
Protozoa are true parasites and cannot exist in the trophozoite stage without a permanent or intermediate host.
Diseases caused by parasites belonging to the class of worms
The presence of roundworms and flatworms is often detected in the body of adults.They differ in size, operational characteristics and the degree of negative impact on organs and systems.
Nematodes
There are several types of these parasites in humans.They belong to the class of roundworms and resemble a spindle in appearance.Worms feel free in the host body and in the open environment.Among the common causative agents of nematodes:
- Ascaris.It lives in the small intestine, is 20-40 cm long and reproduces sexually.
- Pinworm.A small worm, up to 12 mm long.It affects the intestines and can lay up to 15,000 eggs per day.The male dies after mating, the female after laying the larvae.
- Hookworm.It lives in the jejunum and duodenum.This parasite can absorb up to 0.3 ml of blood in a person per day, damaging the intestinal wall with its sharp teeth.
- Whipworm.The worm, which is up to 5 cm long, lives in the intestines and, thanks to its unique body structure, sucks the juice from the thickness of its walls.
- Trichinella.It is an intramuscular parasite up to 4 mm in size that causes the dangerous disease trichinosis in humans.Trichinella looks like a spiral and is a live worm.
- Nematode.This parasite in the human body reaches 1 meter and looks like a thin white thread.Guinea worm can be localized in the subcutaneous layer of the legs, back or lower abdomen.
- Filaria.They enter the body through the bites of infected mosquitoes, midges and horseflies.The habitat of filariae is the entire circulatory and lymphatic system.They clog the blood vessels of the heart, lungs and other organs, causing blockages.
- Toxocara.The larvae of the worm travel throughout the body and infect the heart, lungs, liver and brain.The size of adult helminths reaches 18 cm.
- Gut eel.The causative agent of strongyloidiasis lives in the intestines at maturity.Eel larvae can spread throughout the human body through the bloodstream.
Important!
The negative effect on the body of cylindrical worms is due to their mechanical and toxic effect.
Trematodes
These are parasites that live in humans, and the second name is fluke.There are several types of these flatworms.They cause different diseases, but are similar in structure.Each fluke has a leaf-shaped body with two suckers.Trematodes do not have an anus;digested food leaves through the mouth.
Trematode parasites affect the body depending on the location.Liver, lanceolate, and feline distemper affect the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts.Pulmonary distemper lives in the lungs, dysentery lives in the blood vessels.
Note!
Flukes always have intermediate hosts in the form of various molluscs.
Cestodes
This type includes tapeworms or helminths from the class of tapeworms.They have a special structure and look like a chain of their individual fragments (strobilus).Cestodes live in the intestines and release large amounts of toxins into the body.
Common worms in this class in adults include:
- Wide band.The largest parasite, up to 15 meters long, absorbs nutrients throughout the body and poisons the body with its toxins.
- Pig tapeworm.The causative agent of taeniasis, its length reaches 3 meters and "armed" with several hooks.
- The bull tapeworm consists of more than a thousand segments and can grow up to 10 meters long.
- Dwarf tapeworm.The size of the worm does not exceed 5 cm;it lives in the human body for about 2 months and then dies.
- Echinococcus and alveococcus.Helminths cause liver and lung diseases and can form larval cysts in internal organs.
Note!
Cestodes are particularly dangerous because they can parasitize in the form of cysticerci.These are encapsulated larvae that travel through the bloodstream to all organs, causing massive invasion.
External parasites
The most common ectoparasite living on the human body is the louse.It lives in the scalp, armpits, groin, beard, and even eyelashes and eyebrows.The disease caused by parasites is called pediculosis.Depending on the location, body lice, pubic lice and head lice are distinguished.You can get rid of insects with external means in the form of shampoos, ointments and solutions.
Important!
The danger of lice lies in their ability to transmit typhus, a serious infectious disease, through their saliva.
Symptoms of parasites in the human body
With external insects, such as lice and fleas, everything is clear;manifest in local itching and the formation of wounds at the site of the bite.Internal parasites cause a more varied clinical picture.This depends on the localization, size and degree of invasion of the alien organisms.
Hundreds of worms and protozoans of the same or different species can parasitize humans at the same time.Parasites can live unnoticed in humans for several years and do not cause specific symptoms.Common signs of infection usually include:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- weakness;
- headache;
- change in appetite towards its increase or decrease;
- anemia for no apparent reason;
- increased nervousness;
- sleep disorders;
- stomach ache;
- perversion of taste.
In case of liver damage, the clinical picture is complemented by pain in the right hypochondrium, yellowness of the skin and bitterness in the mouth.Filariasis is manifested by signs of heart and respiratory failure, toxoplasmosis is accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system.In trichinosis, the muscles are affected.
If the urogenital system is affected by protozoa, the signs of infection in women are frequent urination, discharge from the vagina and urethra, and itching.In the case of an intestinal infection, the symptoms of the infection may not appear in adults for years, during which time the parasites multiply and weaken the human immune system, which contributes to the development of chronic and systemic diseases.
Symptoms of the presence of protozoa in the body are often fever, headache and allergic reactions.Often one of the first signs of parasites in the body is a rash on the body and itchy skin.This is due to the human body's reaction to foreign proteins.
Important!
The general signs of the presence of parasites in the body in the first stages can be similar to intestinal infection, dermatitis and indigestion.
Why are parasites dangerous?
In humans, infection with parasites can cause various reactions and complications.If the invasion is provoked by small helminths, the risk of complications is quite small.If you become infected with large species of worms or highly pathogenic protozoans, the damage to health can be unpredictable.
In addition to specific diseases, which sometimes have a severe course, alien individuals cause serious malfunctions in vital systems.The toxins released by the parasites into the blood affect the central nervous system and poison the body.Large helminths have a negative mechanical effect on organs.Many doctors believe that such tissue damage leads to oncology and tumors.In addition, parasites cause ulcerative lesions of the intestines and stomach, bronchitis and pneumonia, cystitis and pancreatitis, cholecystitis and colitis.
Important!
Sometimes in adults, the symptoms of large worms can appear in the form of an acute abdomen.This occurs when the worms damage the intestinal lining and develop peritonitis.
Sources of possible infections and preventive measures
There are many ways to become infected with parasites.People are exposed to infections every day.If you eat poorly cooked meat and fish, you are at risk of contracting worms such as fluke and trichinella.If you don't wash your hands and fruits and vegetables well enough, you can put the eggs of roundworms, roundworms, toxocara and other worms in your mouth.When visiting exotic countries, you can become infected with rare parasites such as marine worms, malaria plasmodium and trypanosomes.
The carriers of the infection are domestic and wild animals, blood-sucking animals, crustaceans and molluscs, as well as ants.Prevention means reducing the risk of infection by observing hand hygiene and using appropriate heat treatment of meat and fish products.
Important!
Tourism enthusiasts should first study the ways of infection by parasites living in a given country.
Diagnostics
Sometimes it is possible to detect invasion in the body simply by submitting biological fluids and feces for analysis and studying the anamnesis.But not all parasites show clinical symptoms and form larvae.Therefore, PCR and ELISA are the best diagnostic methods.These are immunological tests that can detect the DNA of parasites and antibodies against them in the venous blood.
Computer diagnostics are still popular today, but they only help establish the fact of infection, without identifying the specific pathogen.From now on, a blood test is also required, which is performed with multiple magnifications of the biological material.
Intubation of the duodenum helps to find out everything about the parasites in the liver.During the procedure, bile is collected and then a laboratory test is performed.In the case of echinococcosis, at the stage of formation of blisters in the liver and lungs, the body is diagnosed using ultrasound, MRI and X-ray.Intestinal samples are visible during colonoscopy.
Important!
Modern techniques make it possible to detect the invasion already at the first signs of infection, therefore, in order to prevent the development of complications, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Therapeutic methods
To overcome the invasions, medical treatment of parasites in the human body, a diet limiting flour, sweets, and alcohol, as well as patented techniques are used.The clove, tansy and wormwood collection helps against diseases.The method of drinking sweet tea with cognac on an empty stomach (1 tablespoon per glass) and then using a laxative has also proven effective.
Pharmacy drugs against parasites are available in the form of suspensions, tablets, suppositories and solutions for injection.In the case of protozoa, adults are prescribed antiprotozoal drugs.
Parasites should be treated for up to 5 days.
A single use of anthelmintic tablets is sometimes sufficient for medicinal removal of worms such as roundworms.They destroy the worms from the inside, paralyzing their muscular system.It is more difficult to cure a person from flukes, echinococcus and alveococcus.The process of treating the body sometimes takes 6 months.
To get rid of parasites forever, you need to take medicines according to the dosage prescribed by the doctor.
Important!
Self-medication with pharmaceutical drugs is strongly not recommended due to possible worsening of the condition.Sometimes the first signs of the parasite's death are manifested by the release of toxins into the blood, which requires further detoxification therapy.
Treatment with folk remedies
If parasites appear in the body that cause specific infections, such as malaria, toxoplasmosis or trichomoniasis, treatment with home recipes is out of the question.In these cases, qualified medical help is required.
Note!
Traditional medicine can be used for preventive purposes or as an adjunctive therapy.
Natural remedies based on herbs, flowers and products with high essential oil content are used to avoid infections.
Can be used against parasites:
- wormwood infusion (one tablespoon in a liter of boiling water);
- tansy decoction (20 grams of herb in 500 ml of boiling water);
- garlic milk (one head of garlic for 250 ml of hot milk);
- onion porridge (chop two onions and mix with vegetable oil);
- pumpkin seed dessert (mix a glass of seeds with half a glass of honey);
- pumpkin puree (1 kg of pulp is steamed in the oven for an hour and pureed).
Natural remedies should be consumed for at least 10 days, one tablespoon before each full meal.
Reviews on the treatment of parasites
- "I feed my whole family pumpkin seeds. I dry them at room temperature, mix them with any kind of jam, condensed milk or honey and serve them with tea. Because of this, no one suffers from parasites."
- "My husband had a stomach ache near his navel for a whole year, he was nauseous, they took many tests and nothing was found. Recently, a doctor at a paid clinic prescribed a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug, my husband took a pill, and after a week the pain stopped."
- "For prevention, I take an anthelmintic every autumn, as I sometimes eat vegetables straight from the bush at the dacha. The suspension is cheap, tastes good and is well tolerated."