Parasites are introduced into the human body in different ways. After some time, they manifest themselves with a variety of symptoms and signs. In order to be sure to get rid of and remove the pest, it is necessary to carry out treatment with drugs and medicines prescribed based on the diagnostic results.
The human body and organs are very attractive to a large number of parasites that settle in them and use their resources. It is logical that in this case the body itself begins to receive less of the necessary nutrients, and in addition, it also becomes clogged with waste from the vital activity of microorganisms. As a result, signs of malaise and severe external symptoms appear.
Some of the parasites are quite dangerous, others have almost no effect on well-being, even with high concentrations, but it is important to detect them in time and take measures to remove them. How to get rid of parasites with the help of drugs, medicines and special remedies against them, we will consider below in the article.
Types of parasites in the human body
If you neglect to wash your hands before eating or eat unwashed vegetables and fruits, you can easily getGiardia, a microscopic flagellated parasite. In some cases, the introduction goes unnoticed, since there are no obvious signs of worms in humans.
Hookwormenters the human body when walking barefoot on damp ground. Characteristic symptoms are skin irritation and rashes on the lower extremities. If the hookworm reaches the internal organs, the consequences are reminiscent of roundworm infection.
Children are more likely to get caughtpinworm, a worm that settles in the intestinal cavity. Characteristic manifestations of this are lack of appetite, fatigue, and discomfort in the anus. Reproduction occurs by laying eggs in underwear or folds of the skin surface. Children get pinworm agents from dirty toys, dishes, and laundry. Pinworms in adults occur after contact with contaminated things.
Pork and bovine tapewormpenetrate into humans with insufficiently processed meat, pigs and cows, respectively. The most dangerous situation is the penetration of larvae into the eyes and brain. The maximum size of tapeworms reaches 7 meters, and their lifespan is 15-20 years. It is quite difficult to get rid of established tapeworms, even using strong drugs against them.
Toxocarabrought from domestic animals. The carrier is a dog or cat living next to a person. Adults grow up to 0. 3 m in length. Reproduction is carried out by eggs, which are released with secretions and ripen in the soil. Contact with such soil is a risk of introducing Toxocara, which spreads widely to all corners of the body. You can prevent the parasite by washing your hands regularly.
Echinococcusare introduced from an animal or from eating unwashed berries. The disease echinococcosis poses an increased threat to children, since the larvae are carried through blood vessels and can settle anywhere, forming a characteristic cyst. Echinococci often affects:
- Brain
- Liver
- The lymph nodes
- Kidneys
Penetrated insideroundwormscause the disease ascariasis. These worms easily settle in people, as they are transmitted with unwashed hands, unboiled water, and when interacting with soil. The maximum size of roundworms reaches 0. 4 meters; they settle in the brain, capillaries, lungs, eyes, and intestines. As a result of the action of parasites, symptoms appear:
- Poor digestion
- Allergic reactions
- Anemia
- Development of neurodermatitis, asthma, arthritis, seizures
- Sometimes the temperature rises
Has similar signswide tapeworm, carried with raw fish. In the body it is in a crowded state, the length reaches a gigantic 10 meters. The presence of the broad tapeworm causes pain in the stomach, attacks of nausea, especially after waking up, and weakness.
All of these parasites pose a danger to both adults and children, so it is imperative to get rid of them by removing them in various ways.
Signs of the presence of parasites in the body
If spots appear on the skin, it becomes rougher, wrinkles and pimples begin to appear, then this may be the first evidence of the presence of a parasite. With cracked heels or brittle nails, we are often talking about damage to the digestive system by Giardia or Trichomonas.
Other first signs are weakness of the immune system, due to which a person is constantly susceptible to infection, his paranasal sinuses become inflamed, and symptoms of sinusitis and tonsillitis are noticeable.
In the male body, parasitic infection often manifests itself as cystitis, prostatitis, sand and stones in the bladder, problems with erection and the ability to conceive a child. Damage to various parts of the brain by parasites has serious consequences.
Signs of parasites entering the female body are:
- Increased pain before menstruation
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Inflammatory process in the ovaries, adrenal glands
- Development of fibrocystic mastopathy
- Malfunction of the urine output system
- Myoma
If you do not treat and do not get rid of pinworms in time, they can cause inflammation of appendicitis, symptoms of insufficient secretion and removal of bile. When the lungs are infected, the symptoms resemble pneumonia or bronchitis. If you do not find the root cause of the disease and do not start using drugs against parasites, then the person receives the wrong treatment and the situation only gets worse as the body weakens further. Eventually:
- Immunity decreases
- Various types of allergies develop
- Body weight drops sharply
- Skin pathologies are formed that were not there before
- The patient is plagued by constant fatigue and lack of strength
- Signs of dysbacteriosis, anemia, vitamin deficiency, stool disorder in any direction appear
- The patient does not sleep well
Symptoms of parasites in the human body
- Constipationoccurs when bulky and long parasites living in the intestines block the intestinal lumen or bile flow paths.
- Diarrheapersecutes people if they have a worm, the secretions of which lead to loose stools.
- Bloating and flatulencethese are signs of the presence of foreign organisms in the large and small intestines.
- Intestinal irritationformed when fat metabolism is disrupted, leading to constipation, diarrhea, and cramps.
- Pain in joints and muscles. This is a sign of a parasite that has settled in muscle structures or synovial fluid. The symptoms are similar to arthritis, but the inflammation is caused by the presence of a foreign object.
- Manifestations of allergiesoccur against the background of an acute reaction of the human body to the remains of parasites. In addition, the immune system is forced to produce a larger volume of cells fighting the microorganism, which results in an increased allergic reaction.
- Rash on the skin, manifested by eczema, dermatitis, papillomas, ulcerations.
- Anemiais formed due to a deficiency of blood cells, which some worms that live in the intestinal environment feed on. The result is internal blood loss and symptoms of anemia.
- Weight gain or loss. Body weight increases when parasites take away the glucose needed by the human body. And the opposite situation occurs with metabolic disorders, which are caused by the presence of foreign organisms inside.
- Contrasting psycho-emotional statesin the form of increased excitability, irritability or depression, these are the consequences of the action of toxins produced by parasites and affecting the central nervous system.
- Disturbed sleepThis is a characteristic symptom of worms. At night, the liver cleanses itself of toxic substances, which ends in "panic" among "unexpected guests. "
- Grinding of teeth in sleep– a common sign of problems with the nervous system, more often found with worms in children.
- Chronic fatigueappears due to a deficiency of necessary substances that the body does not receive due to the fact that they are consumed by parasites. Expressed by decreased memory, apathy, and flu symptoms.
- Inflamed airwaysthis is a frequent sign of the existence in the body of organisms capable of movement and affecting the lungs, nasopharynx, and throat. As a result, this is expressed by symptoms of asthma, pneumonia, for example, high fever, runny nose, cough.
Let's look at the symptoms based on the location of the parasite in the body.
Heart
When affected by helminths, which are more known400 types, they often reach the human heart muscle, parasitizing on it. Under such conditions, the conditions for myocarditis arise when the muscular structure of the heart is in a state of inflammation. The first signs appear after 1-4 weeks. If the patient is not treated, the symptoms may become chronic.
Under the skin surface
There is a special type of worm that causes helminthiasis, living in the subcutaneous tissue. It is carried by mosquitoes and is called heartworm. A subcutaneous parasite often brings with it various viruses and infections, of which it is a carrier. Symptoms of the disease are subcutaneous seals. A characteristic feature is that the helminth moves when pressing on the seal from one side.
Eyes
The entry of larvae into the eyelid leads to the appearance of a boil on the skin. When parasites move, this is clearly felt. We list the diseases caused by parasites in the organs of vision:
- You can get ophthalmiasis in the tropical zone. After the microscopic larvae penetrate under the skin surface of the eyelid, they make their way through the conjunctiva and lacrimal sac into the inner area of the orbit, which can cause eye damage.
- With creeping myiasis, lines are visible on the eyelids that gradually lengthen.
- Infection of the mucous membrane by larvae leads to conjunctival larval granuloma. Treatment requires surgical removal of the parasite; there is no other way to get rid of it, for example, by taking special medications.
Stomach
Worms inhabit the organs of the digestive tract. The main disadvantage of their presence is toxic secretions that poison humans. Toxicosis is manifested by bad breath, lack of bowel movements, poor appetite and weight loss.
If such parasitic organisms are not removed, they will constantly increase their activity, which will lead to worsening symptoms.
Blood
When they enter the blood, parasites infect red blood cells, plasma, and white blood cells. The main representatives of this class of pests are trypanosomes and hemosporidia. Both species are unicellular.
Treatment for parasites
To select therapy, it is important to accurately determine:
- Type of microorganism
- Degree of damage, number of individuals, their sizes
- How long has the parasite lived in the body and how integrated has it become into the internal "ecosystem" of a person?
Based on the results of answers to these questions, a specific drug against the pest is selected. Some of these medications can also be used as prophylactics.
When selecting a specific medicine, it is necessary to take into account how sensitive the parasite is to it. After treatment, rehabilitation therapy is sometimes required to restore lost functionality.
The main drugs that allow you to get rid of and cure a person contain:
- Antibiotic
- Antihelminthic substances synthesized against a specific species
The selection of a specific drug, its dosage and period of administration is carried out by a professional doctor.
Medicines have a wide range of side effects, so many of them are sold only by prescription. To avoid worsening the health situation, it is important to consider possible side effects. This is especially true for older people with chronic diseases.
To ensure that you get rid of the parasite and prevent relapse after a successful course of treatment, you should pay increased attention to your health and strengthening your immune system. After removing worms from the stomach and intestines, it is necessary to restore normal microflora in the organs.
During the treatment process, you may need to adjust your diet to simplify digestion and saturate the body with useful substances, as well as take antihistamines for acute allergies.
Prevention against parasites
The best way to prevent it is to avoid contact with people who can be carriers. If parasites have been living in the human body for a long time, it is not easy to remove and get rid of them. Therefore, if there is a possibility of infection, then it is necessary to periodically be examined and cleanse the body.
We list preventive measures to avoid the introduction of pests:
- Maintaining personal hygiene
- Keeping your home clean
- Mandatory high temperature processing of meat and fish
- Eating only washed berries, vegetables, fruits
- If you have pets, it is important to monitor their health