Parasites are always present in the human body.These can be pathogenic worms and amoebas, and protozoa that do not cause disease, and sometimes help overcome the bacterial flora.Threats to health are posed by parasites that feed on the host, injuring internal organs and disrupting the functioning 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 humans, others use them as temporary reservoirs for the transition to the next stage of development.
True parasites cannot live without a host and die in a free environment.The fake can feel the same way in the human body, in the ground, in the water and in the surrounding objects.There are also hyperparasites that settle in the same creatures and live off them.Depending on the location, parasites are divided into:
- Internal.These are endoparasites that feed on intestinal juice, organ tissue, 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 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.
Pay attention!
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 amebae.Worms are divided into flukes, tapeworms and roundworms.Arthropods include insects, arachnids and bloodsuckers.
What parasites do humans have?
People are equally infected with protozoa and helminths.Insects are diagnosed mainly in disadvantaged individuals.Adults, unlike children, can be infected with all known parasites.This is due to various diets and the opportunity to travel.Many are misled by the misleading belief that parasitic diseases are mostly diagnosed in childhood.They are actually detected more often at an early age, but adults are sick no less often than children;Signs of their clinical aggression can only 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 certain infections and general illnesses.Active individuals are called trophozoites and usually have flagella for movement.To continue the life cycle, protozoa have the ability to enclose themselves in capsules (cysts).These forms do not move and persist in the external environment and unfavorable conditions for a long time.
Many species of flagellates parasitize adults.They have different microscopic sizes and localizations:
- Trichomonas affects the genitourinary system, oral cavity and 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 invade the brain and cause "sleeping sickness";
- Leishmania resides in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow;
- Dysenteric amoebas live in the large intestine.
All species of protozoan parasites have a similar life cycle, which occurs by changing from the vegetative stage to the cyst stage.Reproduction in unicellular organisms occurs both sexually and asexually.
Pay attention!
Protozoa are true parasites and in the trophozoite stage cannot exist without a permanent or intermediate host.
Diseases caused by parasites of the worm class
The presence of round and flatworms is often detected in the body of adults.They differ in size, functional characteristics and degree of negative impact on organs and systems.
Nematodes
There are several types of these parasites in humans.They belong to the round class and are similar in appearance to spindles.Worms feel free in the host's body and in the open environment.Among the common nematode pathogens:
- Ascaris.Lives in the small intestine, measures 20 to 40 cm in length and reproduces sexually.
- Pinworm.Small worms, 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 after larval deposition.
- Hookworm.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.Worms, up to 5 cm long, live in the intestines and, thanks to their unique body structure, suck juice from the thickness of their walls.
- Trichinella.This is an intramuscular parasite up to 4 mm in size that causes trichinosis, a dangerous disease 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.Guinea worm localization can be in the subcutaneous layer of the legs, back or lower abdomen.
- Filaria.They enter the body through the bites of mosquitoes, midges and horse flies.The habitat of filariae is the circulatory and lymphatic systems.They clog the blood vessels of the heart, lungs and other organs, causing obstruction.
- Toxocara.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 Strongyloidiasis lives in the intestine at maturity.Eel larvae can spread throughout the human body through the bloodstream.
Important!
The negative impact on the body of water worms is due to its mechanical and toxic effects.
Trematodes
This is a parasite that lives in humans and has a coincidental second name.There are several types of these flatworms.They cause different diseases, but are similar in structure.All flukes have a leaf-shaped body with two suckers.Trematodes do not have an anus;Digested food is expelled through the mouth.
Trematode parasites affect the body depending on the location.Liver, lanceolate and cat affects the liver, gall bladder and bile ducts.Pulmonary happens to live in the lungs, blood happens to live in the blood vessels.
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Flukes always have an intermediate host in the form of various molluscs.
Cestodes
This type includes helminths from the class of tapeworms or tapeworms.They have a special structure and look like a chain of individual fragments (Strobilus).Cestodes are intestinal parasites and release large amounts of toxins into the body.
Among the worms of this class common in adults are:
- Wide tape.The largest parasite, up to 15 meters long, absorbs nutrients throughout the body and poisons the body with its toxins.
- Pork worms.It is the causative agent of taeniasis, reaching 3 meters in length and "armed" with several hooks.
- Cattle tapeworms consist of more than a thousand segments and grow up to 10 meters.
- Dwarf Dwarf Worms.The size of the worm is not 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 disease and can form larval blisters in internal organs.
Pay attention!
Cestodes are particularly dangerous because of their ability to parasitize in the form of cysticerci.These are packaged larvae that are carried to all organs through the bloodstream, causing mass invasion.
External parasites
The most common ectoparasite that lives in the human body is the tick.It lives in the scalp, armpits, groin, beard, and even eyelashes and eyebrows.A disease caused by parasites is called pediculosis.Depending on the location, body lice, genital and head lice are distinguished.You can get rid of insects using external means in the form of shampoos, ointments and solutions.
Important!
The danger of ticks lies in their ability to transmit typhus, which is a severe infectious disease, through saliva.
Symptoms of parasites in the human body
With external insects such as fleas and ticks, everything is clear;They show themselves as local itching and wound formation at the bite site.Internal parasites cause a more diverse clinical picture.It depends on the localization of the foreign organism, the size and 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 an attack usually include:
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- weaknesses;
- headache;
- changes in appetite towards its increase or decrease;
- anemia for no apparent reason;
- increased anxiety;
- sleep disorders;
- stomach ache;
- distortion of taste.
With liver damage, the clinical picture is complemented by pain in the right hypochondrium, excess skin and bitterness in the mouth.Filariasis is manifested by cardiac symptoms and respiratory failure, toxoplasmosis is accompanied by disturbances 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 fragility, discharge from the vagina and urethra, and itching.With an intestinal attack, symptoms of infection in adults may not appear for years, during which time the parasite multiplies and weakens the human immune system, which contributes 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 caused by the human body's reaction to foreign proteins.
Important!
The general signs of the presence of parasites in the body in the first stage may be similar to intestinal infections, 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 relatively small.When infected with large species of worms or highly pathogenic protozoa, the harm to health is unpredictable.
In addition to certain diseases, which sometimes have a severe course, foreign individuals cause serious dysfunction of vital systems.Toxins that the parasite releases 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 tissue injury 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.
Important!
Sometimes the symptoms of large worms in adults can manifest themselves in the form of an acute abdomen.This happens when the worms damage the intestinal lining and develop peritonitis.
Possible 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 and fish, there is a risk of contracting helminths such as Fluke and Trichinella.If you don't wash your hands or fruits and vegetables well enough, you can introduce the eggs of pinworms, roundworms, toxocara and other worms into your mouth.When visiting exotic countries, you can be infected with rare parasites such as guinea worm, malarial plasmodium and trypanosomes.
Carriers of 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 proper heat treatment of meat and fish products.
Important!
Travel lovers should first study the ways of infection by parasites living in certain countries.
Diagnostics
Sometimes it is possible to detect invasion in the body by simply submitting biological fluids and feces for analysis, as well as by studying the anamnesis.But not all parasites show clinical symptoms and form larvae.Therefore, PCR and ELISA are recognized as the best diagnostic methods.This is an immunological test 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 a specific pathogen.Blood hemoscanning is now also required, which is done by repeatedly magnifying the biological material.
Duodenal intubation helps to know everything about parasites in the liver.During the procedure, bile is collected followed by laboratory tests.If echinococcosis is in the stage of blister formation in the liver and lungs, the body is diagnosed using ultrasound, MRI and X-ray.A sample of the intestine can be seen during a colonoscopy.
Important!
Modern techniques make it possible to detect invasion already when the first signs of infection appear, therefore, to prevent the development of complications, you should consult a doctor as early as possible.
Therapy Methods
To combat the invasion, they use medical treatment of parasites in the human body, flour that limits the diet, sweets, alcohol, as well as proprietary techniques.A collection with cloves, Tansy and Wormwood helps fight disease.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 proven itself.
Pharmaceutical drugs for parasites are available in the form of suspensions, tablets, suppositories and injection solutions.For protozoa, adults are prescribed antiprotozoal drugs.
Parasites need to be treated for up to 5 days.
To get rid of worms such as roundworms with medicine, sometimes one use of anthelmintic tablets is enough.They destroy the worms from the inside, paralyzing their muscular system.It is more difficult to cure a person from Flukes, Echinococci and Alveococci.The course of treatment for the body sometimes lasts up to 6 months.
To get rid of parasites forever, you need to take medicines according to the regimen prescribed by your doctor.
Important!
Self-medication with pharmaceutical drugs is strongly discouraged because of the possibility of worsening the condition.Sometimes the first signs of parasite death are shown 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 certain infections such as malaria, toxoplasmosis or trichomoniasis, treatment with home recipes is out of the question.In this case, qualified medical help is required.
Pay attention!
Traditional medicine can be used for preventive purposes or as an additional therapy.
To get rid of the infestation, natural remedies based on herbs, flowers and products with a high content of essential oils are used.
You can be treated for parasites:
- wormwood infusion (one tablespoon per liter of boiling water);
- decoction of tansy (20 grams of herbs per 500 ml of boiling water);
- garlic milk (a head of garlic per 250 ml of hot milk);
- onion porridge (cut 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).
The natural remedy should be consumed for at least 10 days, one spoonful before each full meal.
Reviews on parasite treatment
- "I feed my 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 stomach pain near his navel for a year, suffered from nausea, took many tests and found nothing.
- "For preventive purposes, every autumn I take anthelmintic drugs, because at the dacha I sometimes eat vegetables directly from the bush. The suspension is cheap, tastes good and is well received."