Parasites are constantly present in the human body.These can be both pathogenic worms and amoebas as well as non-pathogenic protozoa and sometimes help to cope with the bacterial flora.The threat to health is caused by parasites that feed on the host, damaging internal organs and disrupting the function of vital systems.
Classification of human parasites
Human parasites can be of many types.Protozoa, arthropods and helminths live mainly inside the body and on the body surface.Some creatures are constant companions of humans, others use them as a temporary reserve to move to the next stage of development.
True parasites cannot live without a host and die in a free environment.Dummies can feel the same in the human body, on land, in water and on surrounding objects.There are also hyperparasites that reside inside similar organisms and live off them.Depending on the location, parasites are divided into:
- Internal.These are endoparasites that feed on intestinal fluid, organ tissue, blood and lymph.
- Outside.They are called parasites, they live on the body, in the hair and in the folds of the skin.
- Fabrics.Their habitat is 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 are found in biological fluids.
Note!
In addition to the general classification, there is also an individual division of all types of parasites into species and classes.Protozoa can be represented by ciliates, sarcodes and amoebas.Worms are divided into flukes, tapeworms and roundworms.Arthropods include insects, arachnids, and bloodsuckers.
What parasites do humans have?
People are equally commonly infected with protozoa and helminths.Diagnosis is mainly in socially disadvantaged individuals.Adults, unlike children, can be infected with all known types of parasites.This is due to the variety of diet and opportunities to travel.Many people are fooled by the mistaken belief that parasitic diseases are mainly diagnosed in childhood.In fact, they are detected more often in childhood, but adults are affected no less than children;Their clinical signs of invasion can be simply eliminated.
Protozoa and their localization
These protozoan parasites live in the adult human body for decades;they are studied by the science of protozoa.They can cause both specific infections and general diseases.Active individuals are called trophozoites and often have flagella for locomotion.To continue their life cycle, protozoa have the ability to enclose themselves in capsules (capsules).These forms are immobile and exist for a long time in the external environment under unfavorable conditions.
Many species of flagellates parasitize adults.They have different microscopic sizes and local locations:
- Trichomonas affects the reproductive system, oral cavity, and prostate in men;
- intestinal balantidia lives in the lumen of the large intestine;
- Giardia parasitizes the liver, bile ducts and intestines;
- Plasmodia malaria destroys blood cells;
- toxoplasma spreads through the bloodstream to all organs, including the brain;
- trypanosomes attack the brain and cause “sleep sickness”;
- Leishmania colonizes lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and bone marrow;
- Dysentery amoebiasis lives in the large intestine.
All protozoan parasites have a similar life cycle, which occurs by changing from a vegetative to a cystic stage.Reproduction in unicellular organisms occurs both sexually and asexually.
Note!
Protozoa are true parasites and in the trophozoite stage cannot exist without a permanent or intermediate host.
The disease is 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 degree of negative impact on organs and systems.
Nematodes
There may be several types of these parasites in humans.They belong to the class of nematodes and have a spindle-like shape.Worms feel free in the host's body and in an open environment.Among the common pathogens of nematodes:
- Roundworm.Lives in the small intestine, is 20 to 40 cm long and reproduces sexually.
- Pinworms.A small worm, no more than 12 mm long.It affects the intestines and can lay up to 15,000 eggs per day.Males die after mating, females die after the larvae deposit.
- Hookworm.Live in the jejunum and duodenum.This parasite inside humans can suck up to 0.3 ml of blood per day, damaging the intestinal wall with its sharp teeth.
- Roundworm.The worm is up to 5 cm long, lives in the intestines and, thanks to its unique body structure, absorbs water from the thickness of the intestinal wall.
- Trichinella.This is an intramuscular parasite up to 4 mm in size, causing dangerous trichinosis in humans.Trichinella has a spiral shape and is a reproductive helminth.
- Guinea worm.This parasite in the human body is up to 1 meter long and looks like a thin white thread.The location of Guinea worms can be in the subcutaneous layer of the legs, back or lower abdomen.
- Filaria.They enter the body through the bites of infected mosquitoes, flies and horseflies.The habitat of heartworms is the entire circulatory and lymphatic system.They clog the blood vessels of 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 reaches 18 cm.
- Eel intestines.The causative agent of strongyloidiasis lives in the intestine in its adult stage.Eel larvae can spread throughout the human body through the bloodstream.
Important!
The negative impact on the body of roundworms is due to their mechanical and toxic effects.
flukes
These are parasites that live in humans and have a second name, trematodes.There are several types of these flatworms.They cause different diseases, but have similar structures.All trematodes have leaf-shaped bodies with two suction cups.Roundworms do not have an anus;Digested food will be expelled through the mouth.
Trematode parasites affect the body depending on the location.Liver flukes, lanceolates and cats affect the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts.Lung flukes live in the lungs, blood flukes live in blood vessels.
Note!
Trematodes always have intermediate hosts, which are many types of molluscs.
Cestodes
This category includes helminths of the class tapeworm or tapeworm.They have a special structure and look like a chain of individual pieces (strobilus).Cestodes are parasitic in the intestines and release large amounts of toxins into the body.
Among the worms of this class that are common in adults are:
- Broadband.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 causative agent of tapeworm disease, up to 3 meters long and "equipped" with many hooks.
- Beef tapeworms consist of more than a thousand segments and are up to 10 meters long.
- Dwarf tapeworm.The size of the worm is no more than 5 cm;It lives in the human body for about 2 months and then dies.
- Echinococcus and alveoli.Helminths cause liver and lung disease and can form larval blisters in internal organs.
Note!
Cestodes are especially dangerous due to their ability to parasitize in the form of cysts.These are encapsulated larvae that are carried by the blood to all organs, causing mass invasion.
External parasites
The most common parasites that live on the human body are lice.It lives in the scalp, armpits, groin, beard and even eyelashes and eyebrows.The disease caused by the parasite 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 saliva.
Symptoms of parasites in the human body
With outside insects such as lice and fleas, everything is clear;they manifest as local itching and ulcer formation at the bite site.Internal parasites cause a more diverse clinical picture.It depends on the location of the alien creatures, their size and the scale of their invasion.
Hundreds of species of worms and protozoa of the same or different species can simultaneously parasitize humans.Parasites can live undetected in humans for many years and cause no specific symptoms.Common signs of infection often include:
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- weakness;
- headache;
- change in taste in the direction of increase or decrease;
- anemia for no apparent reason;
- increased anxiety;
- sleep disorders;
- stomach-ache;
- metamorphosis of taste.
With liver damage, the clinical picture is complemented by pain in the right hypochondrium, jaundice and bitterness in the mouth.Filariasis is manifested by signs of heart failure and respiratory failure, and toxoplasmosis is accompanied by dysfunction of the central nervous system.With trichinosis, 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.With intestinal infection, symptoms of infection in adults may not appear for many years, during which time the parasites multiply and weaken the human immune system, contributing to the development of chronic and systemic diseases.
Symptoms of having protozoa in the body often include fever, headache, and allergic reactions.Usually 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!
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 infections can cause a variety of reactions and complications.If the invasion is provoked by small helminths, the risk of complications is quite small.When infected with large worms or highly virulent protozoa, health damage can be unpredictable.
In addition to specific diseases, sometimes severe, expatriates also cause serious dysfunction of vital systems.The toxins that the parasite releases into the bloodstream will 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 will lead to cancer and tumors.In addition, the parasite also causes ulcerative lesions in the intestines and stomach, bronchitis and pneumonia, cystitis and pancreatitis, cholecystitis and colitis.
Important!
Sometimes symptoms of large worms in adults can manifest themselves in the form of acute abdominal pain.This happens when the worms damage the intestinal lining and develop peritonitis.
Sources of infection and preventive measures
There are many ways to get infected with parasites.People are exposed to infections every day.When eating undercooked meat or fish, there is a risk of being infected with helminths such as tapeworms and trichinella.If you don't wash your hands or fruits and vegetables thoroughly enough, you can put pinworm eggs, roundworms, toxocara worms, and other worms into your mouth.When visiting foreign countries, you may become infected with rare parasites such as guinea worm, malaria plasmodium and trypanosomes.
Carriers of the disease are domestic and wild animals, bloodsuckers, crustaceans and mollusks, as well as ants.Prevention includes reducing the risk of infection by maintaining hand hygiene and proper heat treatment of meat and fish products.
Important!
Travel lovers should first study how parasites living in a particular country are infected.
Diagnose
Sometimes it is possible to detect entry into the body by sending biological fluids and feces for analysis, as well as historical studies.But not all parasites show clinical symptoms and form larvae.Therefore, PCR and ELISA are recognized as the best diagnostic methods.These are immunoassays that can detect parasite DNA and antibodies against them in venous blood.
Computer diagnostics are also very popular today, but they only help determine the fact of infection without identifying the specific pathogen.Currently, blood scanning is also required, which is performed by continuously magnifying the biological material.
Duodenal intubation helps to learn everything about parasites in the liver.During the procedure, bile is collected followed by laboratory testing.In the case of echinococcosis at the stage of vesicle formation in the liver and lungs, the body is diagnosed using ultrasound, MRI and X-ray.Intestinal specimens can be seen during a colonoscopy.
Important!
Modern techniques help to detect invasion as soon as the first signs of infection appear, therefore, to prevent the development of complications, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Treatment methods
To combat the invasion, they use drugs that treat parasites in the human body, a diet limited in flour, sweets, alcohol, as well as proprietary techniques.A collection of cloves, marigolds and wormwood helps fight diseases.The method based on drinking sweet tea with cognac (1 tablespoon per glass) on an empty stomach, followed by the use of laxatives, has also been proven.
Antiparasitic drugs are available in the form of suspensions, tablets, suppositories and injectable solutions.For protozoa, adults are prescribed anti-protozoa drugs.
Parasites need to be treated for a maximum of 5 days.
To get rid of worms such as roundworms with medication, sometimes just using an anthelmintic pill is enough.They destroy worms from the inside, paralyzing their muscular system.It is more difficult to cure a person of trematodes, echinococci and alveoli.The course of treatment for the body sometimes lasts up to 6 months.
To permanently eliminate parasites, you need to take medication according to the regimen prescribed by your doctor.
Important!
Self-medication with pharmaceuticals is not recommended as the condition may worsen.Sometimes the first signs of parasite death are manifested by the release of toxins into the blood, requiring additional detoxification therapy.
Treat diseases with folk remedies
If parasites present in the body cause specific infections such as malaria, toxoplasmosis or trichomoniasis, treatment with home recipes is not necessary.In these cases, qualified medical assistance is required.
Note!
Traditional medicine can be used for preventive purposes or as an auxiliary therapy.
To eliminate the infestation, natural remedies based on herbs, flowers and products with a high content of essential oils are used.
You may be treated for parasites:
- wormwood infusion (one tablespoon per liter of boiling water);
- tansy decoction (20 grams of herbs 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 puree).
Natural remedies should be consumed for at least 10 days, one tablespoon before each full meal.
Reviews on the treatment of parasites
- "I feed pumpkin seeds to my whole family. I dry them at room temperature, mix them with jam, condensed milk or honey and drink them with tea. As a result, no one gets parasites."
- "My husband had abdominal pain near his navel for a whole year, was nauseous, had many tests but found nothing. Recently, a doctor at a paid clinic prescribed a broad-spectrum dewormer. My husband took one pill, and after a week the pain was relieved."
- "For prevention purposes, every fall I drink anthelmintic drugs, because at the dacha, I sometimes eat vegetables straight from the bush. The suspension is inexpensive, tastes good and is well tolerated."