According to the WHO, more than 4 billion people on Earth suffer from parasites. This massive infection is explained by the underestimation of the problem, insufficient education of the population, ineffective diagnosis and treatment of patients.
All parasites that can cause disease in humans can be divided into three major groups:
- Protozoan or Protozoan. There are a few varieties of them, but only a few are spread around the world - lamblia, toxoplasma, Trichomonas.
- Worms or helminths. In the CIS countries there are roundworms, pinworms, toxocares, trichinella, swine and bovine tapeworms, echinococci, feline worms and others.
- Ectoparasites (parasitizing outside) - lice with lice, ticks.
Infection of the human body with parasites from the latter group is very easy to notice, but protozoa and worms are often a "surprise" for their "owners".
Why are parasites dangerous?
Most parasites live for a long time and actively multiply in the human body, so the diseases caused by them take a chronic and constantly recurring course. In this case, the affected organs cease to function fully, immunity decreases, the patient is more vulnerable to infections.
As a result, the body of a person infected with parasites is depleted, weakened, poisoned by parasitic toxins and allergic. These processes, of course, do not develop at the speed of light, but years of ignorance about the presence of a plague on the body and, consequently, the lack of treatment cause serious health problems.
How can you be infected?
Knowing the main ways of contracting parasites is a chance to protect yourself and stay healthy. If we focus on common pathogens in CIS countries, the list of possible routes of transmission of these parasites in humans will be as follows:
- By dirty hands.
- Through dirty water (including when swimming).
- Through unwashed fruits and vegetables.
- With raw or undercooked meat and fish.
- Contact with infectious animal.
- Sexual contact (this is how trichomoniasis is transmitted).
How to suspect the presence of a parasite in a person?
Each parasite is characterized by its own location in the human body, respectively, and a special clinic for the defeat of one or the other organ. However, several signs common to all helminthiasis and some diseases caused by protozoa can be distinguished.
Intoxication
Its appearance is associated with the vital activity of the parasite in humans, it is the products it secretes that poison the patient's organism. This is manifested by headache, weakness, nausea, decreased appetite, irritability.
Allergy
Most of the time, it is a rash that appears and disappears and does not respond well to dermatological treatment. This can manifest itself as a diathesis in babies. The origin of this rash is also explained by the effects of the parasite's toxins on the body. If a person is allergic, the worm infection can cause more serious manifestations - swelling of the mucous membranes, attacks of bronchospasm and so on.
Weight loss
This symptom is especially pronounced in children who seem to eat well, but do not gain weight, lose weight and, at the same time, appear completely dejected. The reason for the weight loss lies again in the competition for nutrients from the patient's body with worms.
Periodic hyperthermia
Furthermore, the temperature does not rise much - up to 37, 5. This happens in the context of the absence of evident signs of some kind of disease.
Intestinal diseases
This is flatulence, constipation, diarrhea, snoring and pain in the abdomen. These symptoms are often explained by the presence of dysbiosis and are unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics and bacterial drugs.
Anemia
The parasites inside a person feed on it, so nutrients, micro and macro elements, as well as vitamins, often consumed by the patient, are not enough to meet the needs of the body itself. The first sign of this deficiency is the lack of iron in anemia, which is manifested by pale skin and mucous membranes, dizziness.
Variation in food preferences, cravings for sweets
These phenomena can also be explained by the lack of certain nutrients in the patient's body.
The appearance of these signs, even more than once, should alert you and compel you to see a doctor.
Diagnostic and protection methods
It should be noted immediately that any alternative methods for detecting parasites in the human body (for example, the announced Voll method) cannot be considered as a reliable source of information. Therefore, you can only rely on microscopic examination of stool and several specific blood tests to detect the presence of antibodies to individual worms and protozoa. The latter can be done in private laboratories.
To avoid becoming a victim of the parasite, one must follow simple rules:
- Always and anywhere, wash your hands with soap and water.
- There are only vegetables, fruits and herbs that are well washed or, better yet, scalded with boiling water.
- Do not drink raw water.
- Do not swim in muddy waters.
- It is mandatory to carry out a complete heat treatment of meat and fish products.
- Periodically wash children's toys, and those left outside, for example, in a litter box, should be disinfected.
- Check pets for parasites annually.
Remedies for parasites
Doctors recommend prophylaxis of worms twice a year with special preparations. However, it is impossible to prescribe arbitrarily for yourself, and even more so for a child, such drugs, since they are all toxic, not just to worms. Therefore, you should consult a doctor about the possibility of using this or that medication and its dosage.
If the presence of a parasite in the human body is confirmed, it is worth looking for a good parasitologist who will prescribe an effective treatment regimen, as taking a medication is usually not enough.