Parasites are organisms whose existence is directly related to the host. In other words, parasitic organisms live at the expense of the host, exploiting it for their own interests and at the same time adversely affecting it. These creatures are extremely durable and reproduce at a high rate, so fighting them is quite a challenge. These types of organisms include: viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. In especially severe cases, parasites take all the juices of the owner, poison him with the products of his vital activity and cause serious damage to his health. How to identify parasites in the human body?
Who are parasites?
Parasites are organisms that exist only thanks to the host organism and at the same time have a negative effect on it. These include various types of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and worms. Bacteria have the smallest sizes. Nevertheless, they can be the cause of quite serious diseases, including:
- plague
- typhus
- tuberculosis
- tetanus
- meningitis etc.
Fungal parasites are the next most advanced organisms of this type. There are up to a hundred species of pathogenic fungi. Their size is slightly larger than bacteria, and unlike them, they are well protected from environmental factors, and are also equipped with good adaptation to changing environmental conditions. They are divided into two groups: filamentous and yeast fungi. The most prominent representative of this type of parasite is the Candida fungus. They affect the host's skin, nails, and mucous membranes and become the causative agent of candidiasis.
The most famous parasites are helminths. These include many species living in different host systems. The roundworm, trichina, causes a disease called trichinosis. This disease can affect both humans and pigs. Belonging to the class of flatworms, tapeworms are intestinal parasites. They live in and feed on the host's digestive system.
Most often, their owners are vertebrates: humans, cats, dogs, fish. Tapeworms have special suckers with which they stick to the intestinal walls. Since their primitive structure does not provide either a digestive system or any sense organs, they absorb nutrients throughout the body.
There are many tapeworms. The length of these parasites varies from a tenth of a centimeter to nine meters. Their body structure is also different: it can either be a whole organism, or it can consist of segments connected to each other by a chain. Flatworms are hermaphrodites - each representative of this species is both male and female at the same time.
An equally common type of parasitic roundworm is the nematode. The most famous among them: roundworms, pinworms, trichinella. Unlike tapeworms, they have a mouth cavity through which they feed on food stolen from their host. In most cases, they are heterosexual, but like tapeworms, there are hermaphrodites among them - organisms with sexual characteristics of both sexes.
Parasites are organisms that live only at the expense of the host. Unlike other organisms that live in symbiosis with the human body, they constantly harm it as a result of their life activity. Parasites include: protozoa, bacteria, fungi, helminths.
Ways of infection with parasites
There are many ways that parasites enter the human body, the main ones are:
- feeder– through contaminated food, water;
- contact-household- infection occurs through contact with contaminated objects, family members, pets;
- transferable– infection by blood-feeding insects;
- active- the parasite enters the human body during interaction with contaminated soil or bathing in a pond.
Nourishing
Among helminths transmitted by food, those transmitted by meat products should be mentioned separately. The most dangerous of them are pork and cattle tapeworms. The cow tapeworm can live in the human body for up to ten years, its length reaches three to ten meters. The pork worm, which settles in the intestines and begins to reproduce, infects the entire human body with the help of its cysticercus larvae.
In addition, meat from some animals may be contaminated with Trichinella. A few days after entering the human body, Trichinella develops a serious disease - trichinosis. It often ends in death. When buying meat, you should always pay attention to the seller. Since he is a person directly related to food, his duties include regular medical examination and strict adherence to sanitary norms. Unfortunately, in our time, few people control it, that's why such foci of the disease appear.
Also, freshwater fish is a dangerous product in terms of helminth infection. For example, cyprinids can cause a disease such as opisthorchosis. The eggs of this parasite enter the fish through river molluscs and have practically no effect on the fish itself - it simply serves as a carrier of the parasite.
Dried, smoked or dried fish pose a serious threat. Raw pike caviar, for example, can be infected with broad tapeworm. Diphyllobothriasis is a disease caused by this worm. A broad tapeworm can reach ten meters in length and can parasitize the small intestine for decades.
Communication and household
The most popular helminths spread in this way are pinworms and roundworms. Violation of hygiene rules is the main cause of enterobiosis and ascariasis. A child infected with pinworms scratches the anus during sleep, because the female pinworm comes out to lay eggs, after which various household items and clothes are infected.
If the infection is not detected quickly, then the whole family can suffer from the disease. Giardiasis can be contracted by drinking contaminated water. This parasite can live even in chlorinated water. Also, household items: toys, dishes can serve as a source of infection with these parasites.
Transmissible way of infection
Filariasis is a type of helminthiasis that can be transmitted by certain species of mosquitoes that are common in tropical and subtropical climates. Malaria or yellow fever is a deadly disease that is also transmitted by mosquitoes. Filaria can live in the blood and lymph, causing various adverse reactions in the host.
Active route of infection
In this case, parasites infect humans through direct contact with contaminated water or soil. For example, the earworm is a parasite that can be contracted simply by walking barefoot on contaminated soil.
There are many ways to get infected 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
When the body is infected with parasites, the symptoms can be very different. Parasites can be identified when the following symptoms appear:
- Constipation. Due to their size and abundance, some types of worms can cause blockage of various body systems: bile duct, intestines. These blockages cause a certain disease, and especially severe cases require surgical intervention.
- Diarrhea. Parasites that produce substances similar to prostaglandins as a result of their vital activity provoke frequent and loose stools of the host.
- Swelling. During their life, worms can often cause inflammation in the intestines. These inflammatory processes lead to excessive gas formation, which causes bloating.
- Allergy. Damaged mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract can cause undigested food molecules to enter the bloodstream. At this time, the immune system is activated, and as a result of its reaction, a large number of eosinophils, cells that cause inflammation, are released into the blood, which indicates that there is an allergic reaction in the body.
- Bad skin. Parasitic organisms on the skin can cause many different skin diseases.
- Weight problems. Both upper and lower weight deviations from the norm can be a sign of the presence of parasites in the body. Weight loss occurs due to indigestion and loss of appetite. Some helminths reduce blood sugar levels, causing the host to experience uncontrolled hunger, which leads to obesity.
- Chronic fatigue. Weakness, flu-like conditions, apathy, poor concentration and memory are common symptoms of poor nutrition. During a helminth infection, the functionality of the digestive system is disturbed, and therefore the absorption of various nutrients is disturbed, which causes chronic fatigue.
- Airway inflammation. Some types of worms move in the human body, including the respiratory system. In some cases, they cause lung damage that causes cough and fever. Roundworms can even cause a disease such as pneumonia.
- Irritability. As a result of exposure to helminth waste products, the human nervous system can be seriously damaged. Various nervous disorders are a sign of helminth poisoning in the body.
Identifying parasites in the human body is not so easy. Although the signs of their presence in the body are quite obvious, nevertheless, they can 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 different organisms that live by parasitizing another organism. As a result of their vital activity, the life expectancy of the host is significantly reduced. There are many ways to get infected with parasites, they literally surround a person. The symptoms of infection are quite diverse, and if you suspect an infection with parasites, you should see a doctor and undergo an examination.