Parasites often prevent a person from living normally, because they weaken the body a lot. What representatives most often parasitize at us, as well as how to deal with them - the article will tell.
Parasites are creatures that live and feed on their host. They can inhabit all animals, fish, birds and also humans. This causes a lot of problems, because these creatures spoil your health a lot. Parasites in the human body can live in the liver, intestines, blood and even attack the brain and lungs. What are the most common types? There are several different categories of parasites: flat and round worms, protozoa and insects. How they affect the body and how to expel them - the article will tell.
Types of parasites
As already mentioned, there are different types of parasites in the human body:
- protozoa (trypanosome, malaria plasmodium, lamblia, amoeba dysentery);
- flatworms (cat worm, liver worm, bovine and swine tapeworm);
- roundworms (roundworm, moth);
- insects (lice, fly, fleas);
- chelicerae (mites).
These species usually attack the human body. All of them are united by the fact that they feed on their host's juices and tissues, killing them slowly. It is difficult to expel any one of them, because each one has many fixation devices (suction cups, hooks, chelicerae), and some even install themselves in the cells of the body, from where it is simply impossible to expel them.
Probably everyone knows lice, fleas and ticks, because these creatures live on the surface of the body, they are easy to find and it is a little easier to fight. But not everyone is aware of the body's internal parasites and, in fact, they are the most dangerous to health.
The simplest
These small organisms are found everywhere:
- in the water;
- Earth;
- air.
It is impossible to see them, as they are composed of just one cell. There are harmless representatives: ciliated shoes, amoeba proteus, green euglena and others. Some even help animals, for example, some ciliates digest cellulose from grass for cows, but there are many parasites in this abundance.
Malaria plasmid
This native of Central Africa haunts many countries today. Plasmodium malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus, which are not very demanding, and the main thing for them is heat and water. Many countries have prevented the disease: they have drained the swamps, destroyed the larvae, the disease has retreated there, but this parasite is still raging in the Central African and South American region.
Once in the body, the malaria plasmodium goes through two phases: hepatic and erythrocyte. The first passes after a few hours. The plasmodium attacks the liver cells, penetrates them, begins to multiply and feeds on the host's nutrients. At that moment, the person already feels the first unpleasant symptoms:
- headache;
- nausea;
- lack of appetite.
After a few days, the parasite leaves the liver and goes into the bloodstream and settles in the red blood cells. He has lived there for a long time. Every 3-4 days he leaves one and enters the other. The departure is accompanied by the release of residues of the protozoan, therefore, the temperature of the owner rises quickly and strongly, fever, vomiting and intestinal disorders arise.
The treatment of malaria by Plasmodium is difficult, because the parasite hides in the cells of the host. When the main symptoms of the disease appear, it is necessary to call an ambulance and constantly water the patient before his arrival, as temperature and fever cause dehydration. A type of plasmodium will be installed in the hospital (there are more than 5), and treatment will be prescribed.
Prevention is simple - surround your place of residence with a mosquito net if there are breeding grounds for the Anopheles mosquito in the district, as well as drain swamps or flood your surface with special means that create a film through which mosquito larvae cannot breatheand die .
Amoeba dysentery and giardia
Both parasites live in the human digestive organs and any animal can become its host. They penetrate the body along with dirty water, unwashed fruits or vegetables. His favorite places are the hepatic ducts, the small intestine and the upper part of the large intestine.
The symptoms will soon appear and it is difficult not to notice them. The first manifestations are faecal disorders. Over time, the temperature rises sharply, with the onset of severe diarrhea and vomiting. Most of the time, a person dies of dehydration, because the last two symptoms practically do not stop, the patient loses water quickly.
The fight against these parasites consists of drinking plenty of clean boiled water and in special packages of salt - prepared with a special composition of salts that help to retain water in the body. Prevention is also simple - washing products, monitoring the state of drinking water, as it is the source of the reproduction of these parasites.
Flat earthworms
Parasites in the human body can be unicellular and multicellular. These are flatworms. The name comes from the form, because they are really flat, because they breathe with the entire surface of the body, so they try to decrease the volume as much as possible. There are 3 types of worms: ciliate, worms and worms. The former are harmless, live on land or in water. But the second two classes are exclusively parasitic.
Suckers
These are small worms that have suckers in the mouth and belly. They prefer to live in our body within the duct of the liver and gallbladder. These helminths have two main life stages - a larva and an adult. Larvae hosts can be aquatic mollusks (liverworm), fish (catworm), but cattle and humans are permanent.
Adults usually settle in the liver area, but they can sometimes enter the intestines, lungs and even the brain. Your accommodation is accompanied by:
- headache;
- losing weight;
- lack of appetite;
- anemia.
They can only be killed by special anthelmintic drugs, which the doctor will prescribe, depending on the type of parasite.
Prevention is simple: don't drink water and try not to swim in bodies of stagnant water, and also don't chew grass leaves in the field, as many people like to do, because flatworm larvae can also be in the grass.
Ribbon
Tapeworms are so called because these parasites are long (with the exception of the echinococcus), so they really look like a ribbon. They also develop with a change of "place of residence", but most of the time it is the person who is their permanent owner.
Bovine and swine tapeworms attack the small intestine. They are secured with suction cups and hooks, so they cannot be removed by feces. They are constantly growing, they can reach lengths of 10 meters or more. They can only be expelled from there with special drugs that kill the parasite, the suckers will relax, it will fall and leave with feces.
One of the most dangerous representatives of tapeworms is the echinococcus. The host of its larva is man and herbivores, and the adult worm settles in predators. It is the larval phase of the parasite that is dangerous, because it differs in structure from that which forms the tapeworm.
The echinococcal larva is a sac in which many larvae develop. This structure can attack the brain, lungs, intestines, liver. It is dangerous with its unlimited growth, because sooner or later it simply tears the owner's handkerchiefs. If the echinococcus has reached the brain or lungs, only one operation can save the patient, but it can also be dangerous.
If tapeworms are already installed in our body, we urgently need to go to the hospital, as they are constantly growing, obstructing the intestines (tapeworms), affecting the lungs or the brain (echinococci), drinking all the vital juices and killing their host. Prevention consists of checking the presence of small white or yellowish larvae in meat and fish. If they are present, then this product should never be eaten!
Round worms
Many have also heard of roundworms, because they poison people's lives as often as boring ones, especially young children. The most "famous" representatives are roundworms and pinworms, which inhabit the human intestine. Sometimes, they can enter other organs: liver, eyes, brain.
Roundworms develop with a change in habitat: the larvae live in a person's lungs and adults in the intestines. The name "round" characterizes their cross shape - they are really round.
These worms do not have fixation devices, but they do have muscles that help them resist feces. Sometimes, they themselves crawl out of the body (moth) and lay eggs in the anus.
It is the children who suffer from them, because babies do not know the rules of hygiene, so, after combing the place where the eggs are laid, they can stick their fingers in their mouth and get infected again.
Treatment is possible with drugs prescribed by a doctor. If the mother of a baby with moth is afraid to give you pills, you can cure it without them. For this, it is necessary from 5 to 6 in the morning (it is at that time that the female leaves the body and lays eggs around the anus) to clean the interior of the priests with vodka and then lubricate the treatment site withbaby so as not to dry out delicate skin.
Prevention consists of the fact that it is necessary to constantly monitor hygiene: wash your hands after touching the soil, do not drink dirty water.
Parasite test
If you have doubts about your own health, you can test for parasites in the body. If any of the following symptoms are present, put a plus sign.
- Weight loss is observed without diets or dietary changes.
- The temperature is constantly increased in the region of 37-37, 5 grams.
- You have no appetite or, on the contrary, you want to eat constantly.
- There is often a desire to eat something sweet.
- Increased headaches.
- Weakness heat waves.
- Fecal disorders.
- Nausea or vomiting
- Allergic rashes or swelling.
- Pain in the liver and intestines.
- Fainting (if the brain is affected).
- Shaking hands.
- Constant pallor.
If there are 1 to 4 positive points, it means that there are no worms, but the person is experiencing constant stress, is sick or has problems with the digestive tract. If there are 5 to 7 positive points, then the presence of parasites is suspected, but more than 8 positive responses indicate real problems, so it is necessary to consult a doctor urgently.
Parasites poison the human body, weaken the immune system, prevent them from leading a normal active life, so it is necessary to remember the symptoms of their manifestation and treatment methods, in addition to preventive measures, because only then will you be able to protect yourselfand your family.