Parasites are constantly present in the human body.These can be both pathogenic worms and amoebae and protozoa that do not cause disease and sometimes help to cope with the bacterial flora.A health threat is posed by parasites that feed on the host, damage internal organs and disrupt the functions of vital systems.
Classification of human parasites
Human parasites can be of different types.Protozoa, arthropods and helminths live mainly inside the body and on its surface.Some organisms are constant companions of man, others use them as a temporary reservoir for the transition to the next stage of development.
True parasites cannot live without a host and die in a free environment.The fake ones can feel the same in the human body, on the ground, in water and on surrounding objects.There are also hyperparasites that settle inside similar creatures and live off them.Depending on their location, parasites are divided into:
- Internal.These are endoparasites that feed on intestinal juices, organ tissues, blood and lymph.
- External.They are called ectoparasites, they live on the body, in the hair and in the folds of the skin.
- Tissue.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 microscopic in size and found in biological fluids.
Note!
In addition to the general classification, there is an individual division of all types of parasites into species and classes.Protozoa can be represented by ciliates, sarcodes and amoebae.Worms are divided into trematodes, tapeworms and nematodes.Arthropods include insects, arachnids, and leeches.
What parasites do humans have?
People are equally often infected with protozoa and helminths.Insects are diagnosed mainly in socially disadvantaged individuals.Adults, unlike children, can be infected with all known parasites.This is due to the variety of diets and the opportunity to travel.Many are fooled by the misleading belief that parasitic diseases are mostly diagnosed in childhood.In fact, they are detected more often at an early age, but adults get sick no less often than children;their clinical signs of invasion can simply be erased.
Protozoa and their localization
These single-celled parasites live for decades in the bodies of adults;they are studied by the science of protozoology.They can cause both specific infections and general diseases.Active individuals are called trophozoites and usually have flagella for locomotion.To continue the life cycle, protozoa have the ability to enclose themselves in capsules (cysts).These forms are immobile and persist for a long time in the external environment and in unfavorable conditions.
Many flagellate species parasitize adults.They have microscopic dimensions and different locations:
- Trichomonas affects the genitourinary system, oral cavity and prostate in men;
- intestinal balantids 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 amoebae live in the large intestine.
All species of protozoan parasites have a similar life cycle, which occurs from the vegetative stage to the cyst stage.Reproduction in unicellular organisms occurs both sexually and asexually.
Note!
Protozoans are true parasites and cannot exist in the trophozoite stage without a permanent or intermediate host.
Diseases caused by parasites of the worm class
The presence of round and flat worms is often detected in the body of adults.They differ in size, functional characteristics and degree of negative impact on organs and systems.
Nematodes
Different types of these parasites may be present in humans.They belong to the nematode class and have a spindle-like appearance.Worms feel free in the host's body and in an open environment.Among the common nematode pathogens:
- Ascaris.It lives in the small intestine, measures 20 to 40 cm in length and reproduces sexually.
- Pinworms.A small worm, no longer than 12 mm.It affects the intestines and can lay up to 15,000 eggs per day.The male dies after mating, the female after the deposition of the larvae.
- Hookworm.It lives in the jejunum and duodenum.This parasite inside a person can suck up to 0.3 ml of blood per day, damaging the intestinal wall with sharp teeth.
- Whipworms.The worm, up to 5 cm long, lives in the intestine and, thanks to its unique body structure, sucks juices from the thickness of its walls.
- Trichinella.This is an intramuscular parasite up to 4 mm in size that causes the dangerous disease trichinosis in humans.Trichinella has the shape of a spiral and is a viviparous helminth.
- Guinea worm.This parasite in the human body reaches 1 meter in length and looks like a thin white thread.The localization of Guinea worm can be 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 heartworms is the entire circulatory and lymphatic system.They clog blood vessels in the heart, lungs and other organs, causing them to become blocked.
- Toxocara.The worm larvae migrate throughout the body and infect the heart, lungs, liver and brain.The size of adult helminths reaches 18 cm.
- Intestinal eel.The causative agent of strongyloidosis lives in the intestine in the maturity stage.Eel larvae can spread throughout the human body through the bloodstream.
Important!
The negative impact on the body of nematodes is due to their mechanical and toxic effects.
Trematodes
These are parasites that live in humans and have the second name of fluke.There are several types of these flatworms.They cause different diseases, but have a similar structure.All trematodes have a leaf-shaped body with two suckers.Flukes do not have an anus;digested food is expelled through the mouth.
Fluke parasites affect the body depending on the location.Liver, lanceolate, and feline flukes affect the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts.The lung fluke lives in the lungs, the blood fluke lives in the blood vessels.
Note!
Trematodes always have an intermediate host in the form of a variety of molluscs.
Tapeworms
This type includes helminths of the tapeworm or tapeworm class.They have a special structure and look like a chain of their individual fragments (strobilus).Tapeworms parasitize the intestines and release large amounts of toxins into the body.
Among the worms of this class common in adults are:
- Wide ribbon.The largest parasite, up to 15 meters long, absorbs nutrients throughout the body and poisons the body with its toxins.
- Pork tapeworm.It is the etiological agent of taeniasis, reaches 3 meters in length and is "armed" with numerous hooks.
- The bull tapeworm is made up of more than a thousand segments and grows up to 10 meters.
- 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 disease and can form larval vesicles in internal organs.
Note!
Tapeworms are particularly dangerous due to their ability to parasitize in the form of cysticerci.These are encapsulated larvae that are transported to all organs through the bloodstream, causing mass 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 louse, pubic louse and head louse are distinguished.You can get rid of insects using 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 saliva.
Symptoms of parasites in the human body
With external insects such as lice and fleas everything is clear;they manifest themselves with local itching and the formation of sores at the bite sites.Internal parasites cause a more varied clinical picture.It depends on the location of the alien organisms, their size and the extent of the invasion.
Hundreds of worms and protozoa of the same or different species can parasitize humans at the same time.The parasites can live undetected in humans for several years and cause no specific symptoms.Common signs of infestation usually include:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- weakness;
- heachache;
- changes in appetite towards its increase or decrease;
- anemia for no apparent reason;
- increased nervousness;
- sleep disorders;
- stomach pain;
- perversion of taste.
With 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 cardiac and respiratory failure, toxoplasmosis is accompanied by disorders in the functioning of the central nervous system.With trichinosis, the muscles are affected.
When the genitourinary system is affected by protozoa, signs of infection in women are manifested by frequent urination, discharge from the vagina and urethra, and itching.In intestinal infestations, the symptoms of the infection in adults may not appear for years, during which the parasites multiply and weaken the human immune system, contributing to the development of chronic and systemic diseases.
Symptoms of protozoa in the body often include fever, headache, and allergic reactions.Often one of the first signs of parasites in the body is a rash on the body and itching on the skin.This is due to the human body's response to foreign proteins.
Important!
General signs of the presence of parasites in the body in the early stages can be similar to intestinal infections, dermatitis and digestive disorders.
Why are parasites dangerous?
In humans, parasitic infection can cause various reactions and complications.If the invasion is caused by small helminths, the risk of complications is rather small.If infected by large worm species or highly pathogenic protozoa, health damage can be unpredictable.
In addition to specific diseases, which sometimes have a serious course, foreign individuals cause serious dysfunctions of vital systems.Toxins released by 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 lesions lead to oncology and tumors.In addition, parasites cause ulcerative lesions of the intestine and stomach, bronchitis and pneumonia, cystitis and pancreatitis, cholecystitis and colitis.
Important!
Sometimes the symptoms of large worms in adults can manifest themselves in the form of an acute abdomen.This happens when worms damage the intestinal lining and develop peritonitis.
Sources of possible infection and preventive measures
There are many ways to get infected with parasites.People are exposed to infections every day.When you eat undercooked meat and fish you run the risk of contracting helminths such as fluke and trichinella.If you don't wash your hands or fruits and vegetables well enough, you can put pinworm eggs, roundworms, toxocara and other worms into your mouth.When you visit exotic countries, you can contract rare parasites such as Guinea worm, malarial plasmodium, and trypanosomes.
Carriers of the infection are domestic and wild animals, blood-sucking animals, crustaceans and molluscs, as well as ants.Prevention consists of reducing the risk of infection by maintaining hand hygiene and adequate heat treatment of meat and fish products.
Important!
Tourism lovers should first study the ways of infection of parasites living in a particular country.
Diagnostics
Sometimes it is possible to detect an invasion in the body simply by having biological fluids and feces analyzed, as well as by studying the 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 capable of detecting the DNA of parasites and antibodies against them in venous blood.
Computer diagnostics is also now popular, but it only helps to establish the fact of infection, without identifying the specific pathogen.Now blood haemoscanning is also necessary, which is carried out by repeated enlargement of biological material.
Duodenal intubation helps to find out everything about parasites in the liver.During the procedure, bile is collected followed by laboratory testing.In case of echinococcosis in the stage of blistering in the liver and lungs, the body is diagnosed using ultrasound, MRI and X-rays. Intestinal samples can be observed during colonoscopy.
Important!
Modern techniques make it possible to detect the invasion already when the first signs of infection appear, therefore, to prevent the development of complications, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Methods of therapy
To combat invasions, they use medicinal treatment of parasites in the human body, a diet that limits flour, sweets, alcohol, and also proprietary techniques.A collection with cloves, tansy and wormwood helps against diseases.The method based on drinking sweet tea with cognac (1 tablespoon per glass) on an empty stomach, followed by the use of a laxative, has also proven effective.
Pharmacy drugs against parasites are available in the form of suspensions, tablets, suppositories and injectable solutions.For protozoa, adults are prescribed antiprotozoal drugs.
Parasites should be treated for a maximum of 5 days.
To remove worms such as roundworms with drugs, sometimes just one use of anthelminthic tablets is enough.They destroy worms from the inside, paralyzing their muscular system.It is more difficult to cure a person from trematodes, echinococci and alveococci.The course of treatment for the body sometimes lasts up to 6 months.
To eliminate parasites forever, you need to take medications according to the regimen prescribed by your doctor.
Important!
Self-medication with medications is highly discouraged due to the possible worsening of the condition.Sometimes the first signs of death of parasites are manifested by the release of toxins into the blood, which requires additional 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 assistance is required.
Note!
Traditional medicine can be used for preventive purposes or as an auxiliary therapy.
To eradicate infestations, natural remedies based on herbs, flowers and products with a high content of essential oils are used.
You can be treated for parasites:
- infusion of wormwood (one tablespoon per liter of boiling water);
- tansy decoction (20 grams of herb per 500 ml of boiling water);
- garlic milk (one head of garlic per 250 ml of hot milk);
- onion porridge (chop two onions and mix with vegetable oil);
- dessert made from pumpkin seeds (mix a glass of seeds with half a glass of honey);
- pumpkin puree (steam 1 kg of pulp in the oven for an hour and blend).
Natural remedies should be consumed for at least 10 days, a spoonful before each full meal.
Pest Treatment Reviews
- "I feed my entire family with pumpkin seeds. I dry them at room temperature, mix them with jam, condensed milk or honey and serve them with tea. As a result, no one suffers from parasites."
- "My husband had a stomach ache near the navel for a whole year, suffered from nausea, did many tests and found nothing. Recently, a doctor from a paid clinic prescribed a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug, my husband took one tablet and after a week the pain disappeared."
- "For preventive purposes, every autumn I take an anthelmintic drug, since at the dacha I sometimes eat vegetables directly from the bush. The suspension is inexpensive, tastes good and is well tolerated."