Parasites are creatures whose existence is directly linked to their host. In other words, parasitic organisms live at the expense of the host, exploiting it in their own interests, and at the same time negatively influencing it. These creatures are extremely hardy and reproduce at a high rate, so fighting them is quite a difficult task. These types of organisms include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. In particularly severe cases, parasites take away all the juice from their owner, poison him with the products of their vital activity, and cause serious damage to health. How to identify parasites in the human body?
Who are the parasites?
Parasites are organisms that exist solely thanks to the host and at the same time have a negative effect on it. These include different types of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and worms. Bacteria are the smallest. Nevertheless, they can cause quite serious diseases, including:
- plague
- typhoid
- tuberculosis
- tetanus
- meningitis etc.
Fungal parasites are the next most advanced type of organisms. There are up to a hundred species of pathogenic fungi. Their size is slightly larger than bacteria, and unlike them, they provide excellent protection against environmental factors and adapt well to changing environmental conditions. They can be divided into two groups: filamentous fungi and yeasts. The most significant representative of this type of parasite is the Candida fungus. They affect the skin, nails and mucous membranes of the host and are the causative agents of candidiasis.
The most popular parasites are helminths. They include many species that live in different host systems. The roundworm called trichina causes the disease called trichinosis. This disease can affect both humans and pigs. Tapeworms, belonging to the class of flatworms, are intestinal parasites. They live in the digestive system of the host and feed on it.
Most often, their hosts are vertebrates: humans, cats, dogs, fish. Tapeworms have special adhesion discs with which they stick to the intestinal wall. They absorb nutrients throughout the body, as their primitive structure does not provide either the digestive system or the senses.
There are a lot of tapeworms. The length of these parasites varies from a tenth of a centimeter to nine meters. The structure of their bodies is also diverse: they can be either a whole organism or they can consist of segments connected to each other in a chain. Flatworms are hermaphrodites - all representatives of this species are simultaneously male and female.
An equally common type of parasitic roundworm is the nematode. The most famous of them are: roundworms, pinworms, trichinella. Unlike tapeworms, they have a mouth cavity through which they feed on nutrients stolen from the host. They are mostly heterosexual, but, like tapeworms, there are also hermaphrodites - organisms that have sexual characteristics of both sexes.
Parasites are organisms that live solely at the expense of the host. Unlike other organisms living in symbiosis with the human body, they cause permanent damage to it as a result of their vital activity. Parasites include: protozoa, bacteria, fungi, worms.
Ways of infection by parasites
Parasites can enter the human body in several ways, the main ones are:
- nutritional– with contaminated food and water;
- contact household– infection occurs through contact with contaminated objects, family members, and pets;
- transferable– infection through blood-feeding insects;
- active– the parasite enters the human body during interaction with contaminated soil or swimming in a lake.
Nutritional
Of the helminths that spread through food, those that spread through meat products should be singled out. The most dangerous of them is the pig and cattle tapeworm. The cattle tapeworm can live in the human body for up to ten years, and its length can reach three to ten meters. The pig tapeworm settles in the intestines and begins to multiply, using its cysticercus larvae to infect the entire human body.
In addition, the meat of some animals may be infected with trichinella. A few days after Trichinella enters the human body, it develops a serious disease - trichinosis. It often ends in death. When buying meat, you should always pay attention to the seller. Since it is in direct contact with food, its duties include regular medical examinations and strict adherence to health regulations. Unfortunately, few people pay attention to this nowadays, which is why such outbreaks of the disease arise.
In addition, from the point of view of helminth infection, freshwater fish is a dangerous product. For example, cyprinids can cause a disease such as opisthorchiasis. The eggs of this parasite enter the fish through river molluscs and have virtually no effect on the fish itself - it simply serves as a carrier of the parasite.
Dried, smoked or cured fish is a serious danger. For example, raw pike caviar can be infected with broad tapeworm. Diphyllobothriasis is a disease caused by this worm. The broad tapeworm can reach up to ten meters and lives in the small intestine for decades.
Contact and housekeeping
The best-known worms spread in this way are roundworms and roundworms. Violation of hygiene rules is the main cause of enterobiasis and ascariasis. A child infected with pinworms scratches his anus while sleeping because the female pinworm comes out to lay eggs, after which various household items and clothing become infected.
If the infection is not detected quickly, all members of the family can suffer from the disease. Giardiasis can be contracted by drinking contaminated water. This parasite can survive even in chlorinated water. In addition, household items: toys, utensils can serve as a source of infection with these parasites.
Mode of transmission of infection
Filariasis is a type of helminthiasis that can be transmitted by mosquito species common in certain tropical and subtropical climates. Malaria or yellow fever is a deadly disease that is also spread by mosquitoes. Filariae can live in the blood and lymph tissue and cause various negative reactions in the host.
An active route of infection
In this case, the parasites infect humans through direct contact with contaminated water or soil. For example, hookworm is a parasite that can be contracted simply by walking barefoot on contaminated soil.
There are several ways of infection by parasites, of which there are four main ones. In order to somehow protect yourself from infection, you should carefully follow the rules of personal hygiene and try not to eat suspicious foods, especially meat.
How to identify parasites in the body
The symptoms of a body infected with parasites can be very different. Parasites can be identified when the following signs appear:
- Constipation. Due to their size and large number, some worms can cause blockage of different body systems: the bile duct, the intestines. These blockages lead to certain types of disease and require surgical intervention in particularly severe cases.
- Diarrhea. Parasites that, as a result of their vital activity, produce substances similar to prostaglandins, cause frequent and loose stools in the host.
- Bloating. Worms can often cause intestinal inflammation during their lifetime. These inflammatory processes cause excessive gas formation, leading to bloating.
- Allergy. Due to the damaged mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, molecules of undigested food can enter the blood. In such cases, the immune system activates, and as a result of its reaction, a large number of eosinophils, inflammatory cells, enter the blood, indicating an allergic reaction within the body.
- Bad skin. Many different skin diseases can be caused by parasitic organisms on the skin.
- Weight problems. Weight deviations from the norm, both up and down, can serve as a sign of the presence of parasites in the body. Weight loss occurs due to indigestion and loss of appetite. Some helminths lower blood sugar levels, causing uncontrollable hunger in the host, leading to obesity.
- Chronic fatigue. Weakness, flu-like conditions, apathy, poor concentration and memory are signs that often occur with poor nutrition. In the event of a helminth infection, the functioning of the digestive system is impaired, therefore the absorption of various nutrients also deteriorates, which leads to chronic fatigue.
- Respiratory inflammation. Some worms move around the human body, including the respiratory system. In some cases, they cause disruption of the lungs, causing cough and fever. Roundworms can also cause diseases such as pneumonia.
- Nervousness. The human nervous system can be severely damaged by exposure to helminth waste products. Various nervous system disorders are signs of worm poisoning in the body.
Identifying parasites in the human body is not entirely simple. Although the signs of their presence in the body are quite obvious, they can still be misinterpreted and attributed to a completely different disease. Therefore, the best way to detect parasites in the body is to see a doctor and get the necessary tests done.
Parasites are different organisms that live by parasitizing another organism. As a result of their vital activity, the viability of the host is significantly reduced. There are many ways to become infected with parasites; they literally surround a person. The symptoms of infection are quite varied, and if you suspect an infection with parasites, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination.