According to the WHO, more than 4 billion people on Earth suffer from parasites. Such a massive infection is explained by the underestimation of the problem, the insufficient education of the population, the ineffective diagnosis and treatment of patients.
All parasites that can cause disease in humans can be divided into three major groups:
- Protozoa or Protozoa. There are many varieties of them, but only a few are widespread throughout the world - lamblia, toxoplasma, Trichomonas.
- Worms or helminths. In the CIS countries there are roundworms, pinworms, toxocara, trichinella, strips of pork and beef, echinococcus, cat lice and others.
- Ectoparasites (parasites outside) - lice with lice on the head, ticks.
Infection of the human body with parasites from the latter group is quite easy to notice, but protozoa and worms often become a "surprise" to their "owners".
Why are parasites dangerous?
Most parasites live long and actively multiply in the human body, so the diseases caused by them take on a chronic, recurring course. In this case, the affected organs cease to function fully, immunity is reduced, the patient becomes 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 lightning speed, but years of ignorance of the presence of a pest in the body and, accordingly, lack of treatment causes serious health problems.
How can you get infected?
Knowing the key ways to get rid of parasites is a chance to protect yourself and stay healthy. If we focus on common pathogens in CIS countries, then the list of possible routes of transmission of these parasites to humans will be as follows:
- Through dirty hands.
- Through polluted water (including when swimming in it).
- Through unwashed vegetables and fruits.
- Through raw or undercooked raw meat and fish.
- Contact an infectious animal.
- Sexual contact (thus transmitting trichomoniasis).
How to suspect the presence of a parasite in a person?
Each parasite is characterized by its localization in the human body, respectively, and a separate clinic of loss of one or another organ. However, some signs can be distinguished that are common to all helminthiasis and some diseases caused by protozoa.
Dehja
His appearance is associated with the vital activity of the parasite in a person, it is the products secreted by him that poison the patient's body. This is manifested by headache, weakness, nausea, decreased appetite, irritability.
Allergies
Most often it is a skin rash that appears and disappears and does not respond well to dermatological treatment. This can manifest as diathesis in infants. The origin of such a rash is also explained by the effects of parasitic toxins on the body. If a person is allergic, the worm infection can cause more severe manifestations - swelling of the mucous membranes, bronchospasm attacks, etc.
Weight loss
This symptom is especially pronounced in children who seem to be eating well but not gaining weight, losing weight and at the same time looking distracted. The reason for the weight loss lies again in the competition for nutrients to the body of the worm patient.
Periodic hyperthermia
Moreover, the temperature does not rise much - up to 37. 5. This occurs against the background of the lack of visible signs of some kind of disease.
Intestinal disorders
This is bloating, constipation, diarrhea, rumble and soreness in the abdomen. Very often, these symptoms are explained by the presence of dysbiosis and are unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics and bacterial drugs.
Anemia
Parasites within a person feed on it, therefore, 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 such a deficiency is iron deficiency in anemia, which is manifested by pale skin and mucous membranes, dizziness.
Change in food preferences, craving for sweets
These phenomena can also be explained by the lack of certain nutrients in the patient's body.
The appearance of these signs, let alone all at once, should alarm and force you to see a doctor.
Diagnostic and protective methods
It should be immediately noted that any alternative method for detecting parasites in the human body (for example, the advertised Voll method) can not be considered as a reliable source of information. Therefore, you can only rely on microscopic examination of the stool, and numerous and specific blood tests for 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, a person should follow simple rules:
- Always and everywhere wash your hands with soap and water.
- There are only vegetables, fruits and herbs that have been thoroughly washed, or rather burned with boiling water.
- Do not drink raw water.
- Do not swim in muddy waters.
- It is also mandatory to carry out a complete thermal treatment of meat and fish products.
- Periodically wash children's toys and those that have been outside, for example, in a sandbox, should be disinfected.
- Check pets every year for parasites.
Parasitic remedies
Doctors recommend worm prophylaxis 2 times a year with special preparations. However, it is impossible to arbitrarily prescribe for himself, and even more so for a child, such drugs, as they are all toxic not only to worms. Therefore, you should consult a doctor about the possibility of using this or that medicine and its dosage.
If the presence of a parasite in the human body is confirmed, it is worth seeking a good parasitologist who will prescribe an effective treatment regimen, as taking a medicine is usually not enough.