What does it mean when it comes to parasites in the human body? In medicine, parasites are called various pathogenic micro- and macro-organisms that are like parasites inside or outside their host, receiving good nutrition from him.
Such parasites include a large family of pathogens of infectious, somatic and parasitic diseases of humans: helminths (worms), viruses, fungi, insects, bacteria, protozoa, rickettsiae and others.
Human parasitic diseases are caused by arthropods, helminths, multicellular parasites and protozoa - plasmodia, lamblia, Trichomonas and toxoplasma.
The mechanism of transmission of pathogens of parasitic diseases
Parasites from the external environment enter the human body in various ways. For example, helminths enter the digestive tract through dirty hands, insufficiently washed greens, vegetables, berries and fruits. After the introduction of some or other parasites into the body, a person begins to suffer from ascariasis, toxocariasis, enterobiasis, echinococcosis, alveococcosis. In the environment, parasite larvae and eggs can often be found in water or soil contaminated with faeces.
At low temperatures or drying, the parasites do not die, they retain their viability for many years. Young children become infected through contact with infected toys, laundry, sand from sandpits. The highest risk of contracting parasitic diseases is observed in those who prefer to taste everything.
And also among the category of people who do not observe personal and industrial hygiene. Pork, as well as bovine tapeworm (teniasis and teniarinhoses) enters through the mouth into the digestive tract with meat products that have not been sufficiently heat-treated. Fish that have been insufficiently thermally processed or slightly salted can be infected with the larvae of fluke (the causative agent of opisthorchiasis) and broad tapeworm. The same goes for fish roe.
In some countries with hot and humid climates, some parasites (filariae and dirofilariae) are transmitted through the bites of midges, ticks, mosquitoes and fleas. In medicine, there is such a name - reinvasion. This is a condition of re-infection with parasites of people who have a habit of biting their nails. Medical statistics claim that any person on earth at least once in his life suffers a parasitic invasion, mainly at the age of 14 years.
Parasites in the human body - symptoms of diseases
Today, medicine has data on 250 types of helminths that parasitize the skin, the digestive system, as well as tissues and internal organs of a person. While in the intestines, they provoke acute pains of varying intensity, discomfort in the abdominal cavity; on this basis, the patient experiences nausea, vomiting, frequent insufficiently formed stools or constipation.
Helminths cause the development of diabetes mellitus, arthritis, eye diseases, cholecystitis, cystitis, hepatitis, urethritis, pancreatitis, myocarditis, pneumonia (pneumonia). It makes no sense now to describe the symptoms of all the diseases listed above, the description of which is available on the corresponding pages of the site.
Parasites, receiving food from their host, cause a deficiency of iron, protein, potassium, amino acids, manganese, vitamins and many other useful microelements in his body. Against this background, patients complain of general weakness, severe fatigue, headaches. Even with good nutrition, these patients lose weight. But sometimes there is obesity in metabolic disorders that occur with some helminthiasis: bovine tapeworm and wide tapeworm.
Nails and hair dull and break. Ongoing feeling unwell due to a lack of B vitamins can lead to anxiety, nervousness, and unexplained irritability in adults. And in children, the adequacy of behavior is noted. Pathogens parasitizing the liver cause poor sleep with frequent awakenings in the morning. Patients have impaired memory, they poorly assimilate educational materials, communication with others is somewhat difficult.
The pork tapeworm cysticercus gets into the brain tissue, contributing to the occurrence of convulsive epilepti-like seizures. There are also violations of speech and vision, movement and sensitivity, delirium and hallucination, loss of consciousness. The abundance of severe symptoms often cause doctors to suspect the formation of brain tumors.
Patients complain of interruptions (arrhythmia) in the work of the heart, palpitations, itching of the skin with rashes on its surface. The presence of parasite larvae in the lungs causes the development of obstructive bronchitis and even bronchial asthma. The bronchial tree is often affected by the larvae of ascaris and toxocara, cysticercus or pork tapeworm eggs.
Less often, parasites infect the inner layers of the skin, causing discomfort in the form of crawling and swarming, scabies. All types of pathogens of parasitic diseases are capable of actively suppressing the protective properties of the host organism. The mechanism of the pathology consists in the production of antienzymes by parasites that prevent the digestion of food.
On this basis, intestinal infections, acute respiratory diseases, poisoning and colds appear, there is a real risk of developing oncological pathologies. A clinical blood test indicates signs of anemia (anemia), eosinophilia, deficiencies in folate, protein, vitamin B12, and iron.
With various helminthiasis, the symptoms listed above and some others are observed. It all depends on the location of the parasites. Eye diseases are possible: uveitis, conjunctivitis, damage to the lens and retina, and even complete loss of vision.
Diagnostics of parasites in the human body
Before prescribing a course of treatment, the attending physician thoroughly examines the patient to clarify the diagnosis of the disease. Bacteriological examination of feces, in which helminth eggs are found, will help him in this; in the conjunctival sac, larvae of pork tapeworm are often isolated. Long-standing adult roundworms several tens of centimeters long, with active physical activity or straining, fly out of the rectum.
The eggs and larvae of all kinds of parasites are found by examining feces under a microscope. However, there are often difficulties in identifying the causative agents of the disease. They may not be visible in feces. A biochemical blood test shows the presence of class G immunoglobulin and the state of immunity, which decreases when parasites are affected. But this cannot serve as an indicator of the type of pathogen.
Therefore, the research result may remain positive for a number of years. Of course, the presence in the body of a large accumulation of parasites leads to a significant decrease in immunity, a decrease in the titer of immunoglobulins or the complete absence of them. Class M immunoglobulin is found in the acute period of invasion, but within a short period of time. The presence of this immunoglobulin reliably indicates the presence of parasites in the body.
How to get rid of parasites in the body
The doctor prescribes treatment primarily for patients who have obvious signs of parasite infestation: eating unwashed vegetables and (or) fruits, greens, poorly processed slices, contact with animals, sucking fingers and biting nails. In each case, the doctor individually prescribes complex treatment, since improper therapy often leads to serious complications.
For example, taking drugs against pork tapeworm can lead to fragmentation of the pathogen and the spread of its parts to various organs and the ensuing consequences.
Special preparations provide getting rid of the simplest parasites. The treatment regimen is developed individually, taking into account the type of pathogen, possible side effects and the patient's age. Usually, two or more courses of conservative therapy are carried out with intervals of three weeks. Probiotics actively help fight against parasites that have invaded the body, they normalize the active microflora. And also natural fermented milk products help - fermented baked milk, kefir and others. Decomposition products of parasites (toxins) are effectively removed from the body by a group of enterosorbents.
If a patient develops rashes and allergic reactions, antihistamines are added to the main treatment.
Folk remedies for parasites in the human body
Traditional medicine has many remedies and recipes for parasites. Our ancestors, not having modern medicines, successfully bred helminths with garlic, onions, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin oil, red pepper, ginger, mustard, horseradish, bitter wormwood, cloves, black and Manchu nuts, avran, tansy, pomegranate bark, chanterelles (mushrooms), carrots and strawberries.
Calendula, Saussurea, currant leaves, lespedets, sauerkraut pickle, caraway and dill seeds, strawberries, birch leaves help to get rid of the simplest parasites.
Traditional medicine recipes for parasites
- Recipe # 1.Chop one medium-sized onion, pour a glass of boiling water in a thermos and leave for 12 hours, then filter. Drink the entire contents on an empty stomach the next morning.
- Recipe No. 2.Mix 100 g of crushed pumpkin seeds with 100 g of sugar. Take orally in the morning before breakfast for 3 tbsp. spoons of the mixture and immediately drink 3 tbsp. spoons of castor oil.
- Recipe number 3.Pour a glass of boiling water over 2 tbsp. tablespoons of crushed dry leaves of wormwood, leave for three hours, strain. Treat for 10 days in a row, taking 3 teaspoons in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Prescription No. 4.It is used for patients with a sensitive stomach. Insist 6 hours taken in 2 tbsp. tablespoons of chamomile and buckthorn bark in a glass of boiling water. Filter and drink the entire infusion in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Recipe # 5.Mix 1 tsp. bark of oak, buckthorn, tansy and medicinal chamomile. Insist the mixture for 6 hours in half a liter of boiling water. Filter and drink 100 ml in the morning before breakfast. Treatment in all cases is long - from 40 to 90 days. Despite the fact that the effectiveness of herbal remedies is lower than that of pharmaceutical preparations, they improve the functioning of the liver and the gastrointestinal tract, the general condition of the patient and prevent re-infection. Choleretic herbs remove parasites from the gallbladder and ducts.
- Recipe # 6.Used for breeding protozoa. 1 tbsp. l. Pour the chopped saussurea with a glass of boiling water, leave to infuse for three hours and filter. 1 tbsp. l. 3 r / d before a meal in 30-40 minutes.
- Recipe # 7.Also from protozoa. The composition includes equal parts of crushed herbs of peppermint and cinquefoil, elecampane root and sandy immortelle flowers. We insist for 3 hours (2 tablespoons of the mixture in 500 ml of boiling water). ⅓ cup three times a day for a month before meals for 1 hour.
If there is no complete cure, repeat the course of therapy.