All types of parasites in the human body have a detrimental effect on his health. They infect the organs, feed on nutrients necessary for human life, and emit harmful toxic substances. That is why it is so important to get rid of them in a timely manner.
The human body is affected by various parasites, some living in 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.
Classification of parasites
Human parasites are very common, they are divided into groups:
- Endoparasitesare called organisms that parasitize humans. This group in turn is divided into protozoa (consisting of one cell) and helminths (worms). The simplest, parasitic in the human body are amoeba, giardia, Trichomonas, Toxoplasma. As for the worms, here again there is a division into roundworms (nematodes), flatworms 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 also carry quite dangerous diseases: typhoid, anthrax, trypanosomiasis and others.
Unicellular parasites:
- Garden. . . Giardiasis infection is a faecal-oral mechanism. Once the cysts (still unformed parasites covered with a protective membrane) are removed from the anus of a sick person, they spread to vegetables, fruits and other foods. Through poorly washed hands, stagnant water, insufficiently washed fruits and vegetables, the cysts enter the human oral cavity, from where they safely reach the intestines, where they become adults again and multiply again. The result is a vicious circle that will continue until adequate treatment is provided and hygiene measures are not followed. Symptoms of the disease are weakness, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. Itching of the anus, skin rash, bronchial asthma may occur. The 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, man is an intermediate host, as the cycle of sexual development of the parasite occurs in the body of the animal. The disease is manifested by a prolonged rise in temperature to subfebrile levels, general signs of intoxication, the patient has enlarged lymph nodes, joint and muscle pain. Also, the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and vision are impaired, the central nervous system may suffer, there are signs of heart disease and endocrine system. Complex treatment is prescribed - antibiotics from the tetracycline group and sulfonamides.
- Trichomonas. . . Trichomonas is sexually transmitted, the risk of infection by contact is minimal, but still exists. The symptoms of the disease in women are itching, redness of the genitals, burning sensation and foamy discharge. Men may have difficulty urinating and have urination. Treatment - antitrichomonad drugs.
Pinworm is an intestinal parasite
The most famous internal parasites are pinworms. They live in the gut and cause a disease called enterobiosis. This type of parasite affects not only humans but also monkeys. Risk group - preschool children, according to statistics, enterobiosis is diagnosed in half of children aged 2 to 10 years.
Worms are transmitted from person to person, you can become infected through any objects that a sick person has used, or by shaking hands. The main condition for the transfer of eggs from pinworms is not to wash your hands after contact, especially before eating. Worms, or more precisely their eggs, can be carried by flies and cockroaches.
Pinworms can live only in the intestines, they are especially comfortable in the small area, colon and appendix. For mating, the parasites choose the ileum, from where the female crawls through the anus and lays eggs in the anus. Symptoms of pinworms in the body are itching in the anus, allergies, fatigue, anemia, abdominal pain, exhaustion.
Anthelmintics are prescribed to treat enterobiosis. Prevention of pinworms is based on hand hygiene. They should be washed after visiting public places.
Roundworms - roundworms
The length of an adult can reach 40 cm. Roundworms live in the human intestine, their eggs hatch naturally, then continue to develop in the soil, where they remain until they re-enter the human body. Dirty hands and unwashed vegetables and fruits are ways to infect roundworms. The eggs of roundworms are covered with a shell that does not dissolve in the human stomach and allows roundworms to survive and enter the intestines, where mature individuals develop.
Ascariasis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Then symptoms appear, which depend on the location and stage of development of the parasite. In the first migratory phase of ascariasis, the patient is worried about fever, cough with sputum, skin rash, migraine, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen. In the late phase, when the parasite has already entered the intestine, stool disorders are observed (dysentery, cholera-like symptoms, signs of typhoid fever may occur). There are painful sensations in the abdomen, sudden weight loss and fatigue.
Wide tapeworm
Infection with this parasite occurs through fish. This is an intermediate host of the worm. It is not necessary to eat for infection, sometimes only contact with infected fish is enough. That is why it is so important to handle the hands, the knife, the board very carefully after cutting the fish.
Neither worms nor their larvae are transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one. Symptoms of infection are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased or decreased appetite, dyspepsia. 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 appear pale skin, headache, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, weakness, anemia. The treatment is aimed at killing the worm. Anthelmintics are used for this.
Beef tapeworm
The 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 the feces. The eggs fall into the soil, then onto the plants, these plants are eaten by cattle. In the body of an animal, the eggs become larvae, which are localized in the muscles. If a person eats infected beef, the larvae enter the intestines. The 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, the mature segments can separate from the worm and crawl from the human intestine.
Symptoms of the disease are nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, increased salivation, dizziness, weakness, nervousness, fatigue, abdominal pain with uncertain location, allergies, fluctuations in appetite.
To remove bovine tapeworm from the body, there is a scheme consisting of 3 stages: preparatory (cleansing of the body), treatment with antiparasitic drugs, recovery (diet, herbal medicine).
Pork tapeworm
A person can be infected with swine tapeworm through dirty hands, poorly cooked meat, dirty water, an infected person can excrete segments and larvae of tapeworm in the environment with vomiting and feces.
The worm can live in the human body for up to 15-17 years, it adheres to the intestinal mucosa and its larvae can spread throughout the body with blood flow and attach to any organ. It is especially dangerous if the larva enters the brain.
Pigs are an intermediate host; people who have frequent contact with raw meat are at greatest risk of becoming infected with this parasite. The pig chain can be infected both by contact and by eating undercooked meat. In order for all the larvae of the porcine tapeworm to be destroyed in the meat, the meat must either be cooked for a long time or frozen for 2-3 weeks.
Swine tapeworm can affect the small intestine, liver, brain, visual organs, muscles, etc. If tapeworm affects vital organs, then a person may experience paralysis or even death.
Symptoms of porcine tapeworm: the appearance 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 of taking drugs that have a paralyzing effect on the worm, as a result of which it can not stay on the intestinal walls and come out. But at the same time it releases a large amount of toxic substances that can cause anaphylactic shock in humans. Therefore, treatment should only be performed 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;
- Larvae of biplanes (oral myiasis).
The clinical picture may be as follows:
- allergies;
- weakness, weight loss;
- bad breath;
- feeling of stirring in the larynx;
- itching and sweating;
- nausea, loss of strength.
Worms that live in the mouth can destroy teeth, creating purulent deposits on the mucous membranes 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.
Summary
Not all of them have been discussed above, even the most common parasites that can live in the human body. It is important to understand the great danger of this neighborhood: worms in humans can cause very serious consequences and ultimately cause the death of their owner. That is why it is very important to diagnose parasites in time and get rid of them. As for the preventive measures, they consist mainly in hygiene and high-quality roasting of the eaten meat.