Parasites are constantly present in the human body.These can be both pathogenic worms and amoebas, and protozoa that do not cause diseases and sometimes help to cope with the bacterial flora.Health threats are 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 several types.Protozoa, arthropods and helminths live mainly inside the body and on its surface.Some organisms are permanent companions of people, others use them as a temporary reservoir for transition to the next stage of development.
True parasites cannot live without a host and die in a free environment.Fakes can feel the same in the human body, on soil, in water and on surrounding objects.There are also hyperparasites that inhabit such creatures and live off them.Depending on the 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.
- Cloth.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.
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In addition to the general classification, there is an individual division of all types of parasites by species and classes.Protozoa can be represented by ciliates, sarcoids and amoebae.Worms are divided into flukes, tapeworms and roundworms.Arthropods include insects, arachnids and bloodsuckers.
What parasites are there in humans?
Humans are equally often infected with protozoa and helminths.Insects are mainly diagnosed in socially weak individuals.Adults, unlike children, can be infected with all known parasites.This is due to the variety of diets and the possibility of travel.Many are misled by the misleading belief that parasitic diseases are mostly diagnosed in childhood.In fact, they are found more often at an early age, but adults are affected no less often than children;their clinical signs of invasion may simply be erased.
Protozoa 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 cause both specific infections and general diseases.Active individuals are called trophozoites and usually have flagella for locomotion.To continue their 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 adverse conditions.
Many species of flagellates parasitize adults.They have microscopic sizes and different localizations:
- Trichomonas affects the genitourinary system, the oral cavity and the prostate gland in men;
- intestinal balantidia 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 colon.
All protozoan parasite species have a similar life cycle that proceeds through a transition from a vegetative stage to a cyst stage.Reproduction in unicellular organisms occurs both sexually and asexually.
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Protozoa are true parasites and in the trophozoite stage cannot exist without a permanent or intermediate host.
Diseases caused by parasites of the class of worms
The presence of round and flatworms is often found in the body of adults.They differ in size, functioning characteristics and degree of negative impact on organs and systems.
Nematodes
There can be several types of these parasites in humans.They belong to the class of roundworms and look like a spindle.Worms feel free in the host's body and in the open environment.Common nematode pathogens include:
- Ascaris.It lives in the small intestine, reaches 20 to 40 cm in length and reproduces sexually.
- Pinworm.A small worm no more than 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 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.
- Whipworm.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.It is a muscle parasite up to 4 mm in size that causes the dangerous disease trichinellosis in humans.Trichinella looks like 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 the guinea worm can be in the subcutaneous layer of the legs, back or lower abdomen.
- Filariae.They enter the body through the bites of infected mosquitoes, midges and horseflies.The habitat of filaria is the entire circulatory and lymphatic system.They block the blood vessels of the heart, lungs and other organs, causing congestion.
- Taxi driver.The larvae of the worm 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 strongyloidiasis lives in the intestine at the maturity stage.Eel larvae can spread to the human body through the bloodstream.
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The negative impact on the body of roundworms is due to their mechanical and toxic effects.
trematodes
These are parasites that live in humans and have the second name fluke.There are several types of these flatworms.They cause different diseases, but are similar in structure.All flukes have a leaf-like body with two shoots.Trematodes do not have an anus;digested food is expelled through the mouth.
Trematode parasites affect the body depending on the location.Liver, lancelet, and cat flukes affect the liver, gall bladder, and bile ducts.The lung fluke lives in the lungs, the blood fluke lives in the blood vessels.
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Butterflies always have an intermediate host in the form of various molluscs.
Cestodes
This type includes helminths of the class of tapeworms or tapeworms.They have a special structure and look like a chain of their individual fragments (strobilus).Cestodes parasitize the intestines and release large amounts of toxins into the body.
Among the worms of this class, commonly found in adults are:
- Wide band.The largest parasite, up to 15 meters long, absorbs nutrients from the whole body and poisons the body with its toxins.
- Pork tapeworm.It is the causative agent of teniosis, reaches 3 meters in length and is "armed" with several hooks.
- The bull tapeworm consists of more than a thousand segments and reaches up to 10 meters.
- 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 alveococcus.Helminths cause liver and lung diseases and can form larval blisters in internal organs.
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Cestodes are particularly dangerous due to their ability to parasitize in the form of cysticerci.These are encapsulated larvae that are carried to all organs through the bloodstream, causing a massive invasion.
External parasites
The most common ectoparasite living in the human body is the louse.It lives in the scalp, armpits, groin, beard and even in the eyelashes and eyebrows.The disease caused by parasites is called pediculosis.Depending on the location, body, pubic and head louse are distinguished.You can get rid of insects with external means in the form of shampoos, ointments and solutions.
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The danger of lice lies in their ability to transmit typhus, a severe infectious disease, through saliva.
Symptoms of parasites in the human body
With external insects such as lice and fleas, everything is clear;they manifest as local itching and wound formation at the bite sites.Internal parasites cause a more varied clinical picture.It depends on the localization of the foreign organisms, their size and the scale of the invasion.
Hundreds of worms and protozoa of the same or different species can simultaneously parasitize humans.Parasites can live in humans unnoticed for several years and do not cause specific symptoms.Common signs of infection usually include:
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- weakness;
- headache;
- changes in appetite to increase or decrease;
- anemia without apparent cause;
- 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 manifests itself with signs of heart and respiratory failure, toxoplasmosis is accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system.Trichinellosis affects the muscles.
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, symptoms of infection in adults may not appear for years, during which time the parasites multiply and weaken the person's immune system, contributing to the development of chronic and systemic diseases.
Symptoms of the presence 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 itchy skin.This is due to the reaction of the human body to foreign proteins.
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Common signs of the presence of parasites in the body in the first stages can be similar to an intestinal infection, dermatitis and digestive disorders.
Why are parasites dangerous?
In humans, infection with parasites can cause various reactions and complications.If the invasion is provoked by small helminths, then the risk of complications is quite small.When infected with large types of worms or highly pathogenic protozoa, the damage to health can be unpredictable.
In addition to specific diseases, which sometimes have a severe course, foreign individuals cause serious dysfunctions of vital systems.The toxins that the parasites release 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.
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Sometimes the symptoms of large worms in adults can appear in the form of a sharp abdomen.This happens when the worms damage the intestinal lining and develop peritonitis.
Sources of possible infection and preventive measures
There are many ways to get parasites.People are exposed to infection every day.When eating undercooked meat and fish, there is a risk of infection with helminths such as fluke and trichinella.If you don't wash your hands or fruits and vegetables well enough, you can put the eggs of pinworms, roundworms, roundworms, and other worms in your mouth.When visiting exotic countries, you can become infected with rare parasites such as guinea worm, malaria plasmodium and trypanosomes.
The carriers of the infection are domestic and wild animals, bloodsucking animals, crustaceans and molluscs, as well as ants.Prevention consists in reducing the risk of infection by maintaining hand hygiene and proper heat treatment of meat and fish products.
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Tourists should first study the ways of infection with parasites living in a given country.
Diagnosis
Sometimes it is possible to detect an invasion in the body by simply submitting biological fluids and feces for analysis, as well as by studying the 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 that can detect parasite DNA and antibodies to them in venous blood.
Computer diagnostics are also popular now, but they only help to establish the fact of infection without identifying the specific pathogen.A blood hemoscan is also now required, which is performed by multiplying the biological material.
Duodenal intubation helps to understand everything about parasites in the liver.During the procedure, bile is collected, followed by laboratory tests.In the case of echinococcosis in the stage of blistering in the liver and lungs, the body is diagnosed with the help of ultrasound, MRI and X-ray examination.Intestinal samples may be seen during a colonoscopy.
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Modern techniques make it possible to detect the invasion even when the first signs of infection appear, therefore, to prevent the development of complications, you should consult a doctor as early as possible.
Therapeutic methods
To combat the infestations, they use drug treatment of parasites in the human body, a diet limiting flour, sweets, alcohol, as well as their own techniques.A collection of 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 itself.
Pharmaceutical drugs for parasites are available in the form of suspensions, tablets, suppositories and injectable solutions.Antiprotozoal drugs are prescribed for protozoa in adults.
Parasites should be treated for up to 5 days.
To remove worms such as roundworms with medication, a single use of anthelmintic tablets is sometimes sufficient.They destroy the worms from the inside by paralyzing their muscular system.It is more difficult to cure a person from flukes, echinococci and alveococci.The course of treatment of the body sometimes lasts up to 6 months.
To get rid of parasites forever, you must take medication according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor.
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Self-medication with pharmaceuticals 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 additional detoxification therapy.
Treatment with folk remedies
If parasites appear in the body, causing specific infections such as malaria, toxoplasmosis or trichomoniasis, treatment with home recipes is excluded.In these cases, qualified medical assistance is required.
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Traditional medicine can be used for preventive purposes or as an adjuvant therapy.
To get rid of 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 (tablespoon per liter of boiling water);
- decoction of tansy (20 grams of herb per 500 ml of boiling water);
- garlic milk (a head of garlic per 250 ml of hot milk);
- onion mash (cut two onions and mix with vegetable oil);
- pumpkin seed dessert (mix a cup of nuts with half a cup of honey);
- pumpkin puree (steam 1 kg of pulp in the oven for an hour and mash).
Natural remedies should be consumed for at least 10 days, one tablespoon before each full meal.
Parasite Treatment Reviews
- "I feed my whole family 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 abdominal pain near the navel for a whole year, suffered from nausea, took many tests and did not find anything. Recently, a doctor in a paid clinic wrote a prescription for a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug, my husband took one tablet and after a week the pain stopped. "
- "For the purpose of prevention, I take an anthelmintic drug every autumn, since at the dacha I sometimes eat vegetables straight from the bush. The suspension is cheap, tastes good and is well tolerated."