Parasites are creatures whose existence is directly linked to their host. In other words, parasitic organisms live at the expense of their host, exploit it for their own benefit and at the same time negatively influence it. These creatures are extremely hardy and reproduce at a high rate, so fighting them is quite a difficult task. This type of living beings includes: viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. In particularly severe cases, parasites take away all the juices from their owner, poison him with the products of their vital activity and seriously harm his health. How to identify parasites in the human body?
Who are the parasites
Parasites are organisms that exist solely thanks to the host organism and at the same time negatively affect it. These include various types of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and worms. Bacteria have the smallest size. Despite this, they can be the causative agents of quite serious diseases, including:
- plague
- typhus
- tuberculosis
- tetanus
- meningitis, etc.
Fungal parasites are the most developed organisms of this type. There are up to a hundred species of pathogenic fungi. They are slightly larger than bacteria and, unlike them, provide excellent protection against environmental factors, and are also endowed with good adaptation to changing environmental conditions. They are divided into two groups: filamentous fungi and yeasts. The most important representative of this type of parasite is the Candida fungus. They affect both the skin, nails and mucous membranes of the host and are the causative agent of candidiasis.
The most common parasites are helminths. They include many species that live in different host systems. The roundworm, trichina, causes a disease called trichinosis. This disease can affect both humans and pigs. Tapeworms, which belong to the flatworm class, are intestinal parasites. They live in the digestive system of the host organism and feed at its expense.
Most often, their hosts are vertebrates: humans, cats, dogs, fish. Tapeworms have special suction cups with which they attach to the intestinal walls. They absorb nutrients throughout the body because their primitive structure does not provide for a digestive tract or sensory organs.
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 body is also varied: they can either be a whole organism or consist of segments connected to each other in a chain. Flatworms are hermaphrodites - each representative of this species is both male and female.
An equally common type of parasitic roundworm is the roundworm. The best known of them: roundworms, pinworms, trichinella. Unlike tapeworms, they have an oral cavity through which they feed on nutrients stolen from the host. For the most part, they are heterosexual, but just like tapeworms, there are hermaphrodites among them, organisms that exhibit sexual characteristics of both sexes.
Parasites are organisms that live exclusively at the expense of their host. Unlike other organisms that live in symbiosis with the human body, they cause it constant harm due to their vital activity. Parasites include: protozoa, bacteria, fungi and helminths.
Modes of infection by parasites
There are many ways in which parasites can enter the human body, the main ones are:
- nutritional– by contaminated food and water;
- contact-household– infection occurs through contact with contaminated objects, family members, pets;
- transmissible– an infection that occurs by insects that feed on blood;
- active– the parasite enters the human body during interaction with contaminated soil or while swimming in a pond.
Nutritional
Among the helminths transmitted by food, it is worth separately highlighting those that are transmitted by meat products. The most dangerous of these are pork and cattle tapeworms. The bovine tapeworm can live in the human body for up to ten years and reach three to ten meters in length. The pork tapeworm, having settled in the intestines and beginning to multiply, infects the entire human body with the help of its cysticercus larvae.
Additionally, the meat of certain animals can be contaminated with Trichinella. A few days after Trichinella enters the human body, a serious illness develops: trichinosis. It often ends in death. When buying meat, you should always pay attention to the seller. Since this is a person directly related to food, his responsibilities include regular medical examinations and strict compliance with sanitary standards. Unfortunately, in our time, few people monitor this, which is why such foci of illnesses appear.
In addition, from the point of view of helminthic 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 practically no effect on the fish itself - they simply serve as a carrier of the parasite.
Dried, smoked or cured fish pose a serious danger. Raw pike caviar, for example, can be infected with the broad tapeworm. Diphyllobothriasis is a disease caused by this worm. The broad tapeworm can grow up to ten meters long and parasitize the small intestine for decades.
Contact and housekeeping
The most well-known helminths that are spread in this way are pinworms 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, everyone in the family can suffer. Giardiasis can be contracted by drinking contaminated water. This parasite can survive even in chlorinated water. Also, household items: toys, dishes can serve as a source of infection by these parasites.
Communicable route of infection
Filariasis is a type of helminthiasis that can be transmitted by certain species of mosquitoes common in tropical and subtropical climates. Malaria, or yellow fever, is a deadly disease also transmitted by mosquitoes. Filariae can live in the blood and lymph, causing various negative reactions in the host.
Active route of infection
In this case, the parasites infect a person 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 many routes of infection by parasites, among which four main ones can be distinguished. 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
Symptoms when the body is infected with parasites can be very different. Pests can be identified when the following signs appear:
- Constipation. Due to their size and large number, certain types of worms can cause blockage of various body systems: the bile ducts, intestines. These blockages lead to a certain type of disease and, in particularly serious cases, require surgical intervention.
- Diarrhea. Parasites, which, as a result of their vital activity, produce substances similar to prostaglandin, cause frequent and loose stools in the host.
- Bloating. During their lifetime, worms can often cause inflammation of the intestines. These inflammatory processes cause excessive gas formation, which leads to bloating.
- Allergy. Damaged walls of the gastrointestinal tract can cause undigested food molecules to enter the bloodstream. In this case, the immune system comes into play and, as a result of its reaction, a large number of eosinophils, cells responsible for inflammation, are released into the blood, indicating an allergic reaction in the body.
- Bad skin. Many skin diseases can be caused by organisms that parasitize the skin.
- Weight problems. Deviations from the norm, both upward and downward, can serve as a sign of the presence of parasites in the body. Weight loss is due to indigestion and loss of appetite. Some helminths reduce blood sugar levels, causing the host to feel uncontrollably hungry, which leads to obesity.
- Chronic fatigue. Weakness, flu-like illness, apathy, concentration and memory problems are signs that often occur in the event of a poor diet. In case of helminth infection, the functionality of the digestive system is impaired and therefore the absorption of various nutrients is impaired, leading to chronic fatigue.
- Respiratory tract inflammation. Some types of worms travel throughout the human body, including the respiratory system. In some cases, they cause disruption of the lungs, causing cough and fever. Roundworms can even cause illness such as pneumonia.
- Nervousness. The human nervous system can be seriously damaged as a result of exposure to helminth waste. Various nervous disorders are a sign of helminth 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 consult a doctor and undergo the necessary tests.
Parasites are various organisms that live by parasitizing another living thing. Due to their vital activity, the viability of the host significantly decreases. 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 a parasitic infection, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination.