Parasitic diseases are a group of diseases caused by microorganisms, arthropods and worms. They differ in a slow course and impact on vital systems. Digestive disorders, changes in body weight, chronic fatigue are the main signs of the presence of parasites in the human body. To diagnose invasive diseases, an ultrasound of the peritoneal organs, a stool analysis for dysbiosis and a biochemical blood test are performed.
What parasites can live in a person
The causative agents of parasitic pathologies are worms, arthropods and unicellular organisms: viruses, fungi, protozoa. In 69% of cases, helminthic invasions are diagnosed, provoked by such helminths:
- flukes (flukes) - schistosomes, feline and liver flukes;
- scrapers (acanthecephalosis) - bead-shaped scraper, giant comb;
- roundworms (roundworms) - hookworms, pinworms, roundworms, whipworms;
- cestodes (tape) - broad tapeworm, bovine tapeworm, echinococcus.
Endoparasites predominate among helminthic invasions, which settle in the small or large intestine. Common arthropod pathogens of parasitic diseases include:
- ticks;
- centipede;
- cane;
- insects.
The group of temporary parasites includes blood-sucking arthropods and leeches, and the group of permanent ones includes lice, parasitic worms and itchy mites. Most often invasive pathologies are caused by opportunistic fungi, protozoa - amoebas, lamblia.
Parasites adversely affect the body, causing undesirable systemic effects: intoxication with waste products, gastrointestinal dysfunction, allergies, anemia.
Common signs of the presence of helminths
Symptoms depend on the type, location and amount of parasites in the body. The basis of the clinical picture is the immune response to infection with a parasitic infection and damage to individual organs.
Digestive problems
Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are mainly caused by parasitic worms, which are localized in the small intestine. Their waste products cause an allergic reaction in the body, narrowing of the bile ducts. As a result, there are complaints about:
- indigestion;
- swelling;
- sour belching;
- poor appetite.
More than 80% of patients suffer from constipation, diarrhea and flatulence.
Stomach ache
Abdominal pain and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen are clear signs of parasites in the body. They irritate the receptors of the gastrointestinal mucosa, which causes the spastic contraction of smooth muscle. As a result, abdominal pain occurs.
If parasites-flukes act as provocateurs of an invasive disease, abdominal discomfort occurs due to their introduction into the intestinal wall.
Anal itching
Periodic itching in the anal area and painful bowel movements are the first signs of parasites in the body. Symptoms are mainly caused by pinworms, less often by roundworms. The former lay eggs in the anus, which causes severe itching.
The lifespan of pinworms is only 1. 5 months. Parasite eggs have a protective shell, so they are not destroyed by external factors.
Failure to observe hygiene leads to self-infection, an increase in the number of worms in the body.
Change in body weight
An increase or decrease in body weight is a clear sign that parasites are in the body. Weight fluctuations are the result of:
- increased or decreased appetite due to intoxication;
- metabolic disorders;
- intestinal dysbiosis.
In half of the cases, patients complain of a constant feeling of hunger. But if the parasites are localized in the small intestine, more than 70% of the nutrients do not enter the bloodstream.
Blood in the stool
The signs of parasite infestation depend on the causative agent of the invasive disease. The presence of blood and mucus in the stool indicates intestinal damage:
- human nematode;
- wide ribbon;
- pinworms.
Penetrating the body, parasites cause intestinal irritation. Inflammation of the walls leads to bleeding and mixing of blood with stool.
Skin changes
Allergic reactions are the most pronounced signs of parasites in the human body. According to statistics, massive invasions cause toxic-allergic changes in 92% of patients:
- itchy skin;
- abscesses;
- Red dots;
- yellowing;
- peeling;
- dry skin.
The yellowness of the skin indicates stagnation of bile in the body, an increase in the activity of liver enzymes.
Decreased immunity
Helminthiasis in an adult is accompanied by dysbiosis. More than 75% of the immune tissue is found in the gastrointestinal tract, so the parasitic disease leads to secondary immunodeficiencies. A decrease in the body's resistance to infections is indicated by:
- frequent colds;
- long-term healing of cuts and abrasions;
- regular exacerbations of chronic pathologies.
Parasites deplete the body's protective reserves, reducing the production of antibodies to viruses, fungi and bacteria.
Allergy
Worms poison the body with the products of their vital activity. Intoxication leads to autoimmune disorders, which are manifested by allergic effects:
- itchy skin;
- bronchospasm;
- rash on the body.
The most pronounced toxic-allergic reactions cause roundworms, trichinella and echinococcus.
Joint and muscle pains
Myalgia and arthralgia - pain in the muscles and joints - are signs of the presence of parasites in the human body. In the migration phase, helminth larvae are carried by the bloodstream. Many of them settle in joint fluid and muscles, causing painful sensations.
Palpitations
Parasite toxins adversely affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Massive helminthic invasions cause:
- tachycardia (rapid heartbeat);
- hypertension.
Dangerous complications are provoked by representatives of the tapeworm - echinococcus. They form echinococcal cysts not only in the heart, but also in the lungs.
Hair loss
Impaired absorption of substances from the intestine leads to a lack of many vitamins and metabolic disorders. Therefore, the frequent companions of parasitic diseases are:
- dull hair;
- excess oily scalp;
- alopecia (hair loss).
Lack of vitamins and minerals leads to relapses of oily seborrhea, which in many causes irreversible hair loss.
Change of taste preferences
Violation of taste perception (dysgeusia) when the body is affected by parasites is due to a change in the protein composition of the blood, hypovitaminosis.
What are the signs of dysgeusia:
- unpleasant taste in the mouth;
- cravings for sweets;
- dullness of taste;
- burning sensation in the mouth.
Taste disturbances are often associated with gastrointestinal diseases caused by parasitic worms.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Metabolic disorders, deficiency of vitamins and other useful components lead to a decrease in the energy reserve of the body, disorders in the liver. Therefore, patients with invasive diseases complain:
- rapid fatigue;
- constant sleepiness;
- distraction;
- lethargy.
The feeling of fatigue does not go away even after a long rest or sleep.
Avitaminosis
Avitaminosis is the absence of vitamins in the body. It occurs when parasites are located in the small intestine. Symptoms depend on the missing vitamin. Most often, patients complain of:
- dizziness;
- decreased visual acuity;
- frequent nausea;
- headache;
- deterioration of the skin.
Long-term vitamin deficiencies are dangerous due to vital organ dysfunction.
Anemia
Anemia or anemia - a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin in blood cells. When the body is damaged by parasites, a deficiency of vitamins occurs, which are involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin and erythrocytes:
- folic acid;
- cyanocobalamin;
- C vitamin.
Anemia with helminthiasis is manifested by shortness of breath, headache, loss of appetite, tinnitus.
Nervousness, sleep disturbances
Infection with parasites in humans is manifested by intoxication, which negatively affects the functioning of the nervous system. Subsequently, there are complaints about:
- a sharp change in mood;
- anger;
- depressive state;
- sleep disorders.
Emotional lability against the background of hypovitaminosis and anemia is a clear sign of damage to the body by parasitic worms.
Deterioration of memory and attention
Cognitive disorders - a decrease in intellectual abilities, memory and attention - arise against the background of chronic poisoning of the body with the products of the vital activity of parasites. Helminths cause disturbances in the work of many organs, which cause the nervous system and brain tissue to suffer. But in 94% of cases, the cognitive impairments are reversible.
Cough
A dry cough with no accompanying symptoms of ENT disease is one of the signs of parasitic infection. In 8 out of 10 cases, an unproductive cough is caused by:
- human nematode;
- pulmonary fluke.
During the migration phase, the worm larvae enter the lungs. When coughing, nematodes enter the oral cavity, after which they are ingested and deposited in the intestine.
Other signs
Additional symptoms of invasive disease include:
- increase in body temperature;
- liver enlargement;
- bad breath;
- obstructive jaundice;
- yellow coating on the tongue;
- bronchospasm;
- isolation of fragments of worms with feces;
- restless sleep;
- chest pain;
- increased gas formation;
- vaginitis in women;
- pain in the right side.
With brain damage, neurosis, mental disorders are possible.
Symptoms of infection with other types of parasites
The clinical picture depends on the causative agent of the parasitic disease.
| Form of the disease | Symptoms |
| giardiasis | nausea, belching, itching, flatulence, fever |
| pediculosis | itchy scalp, burning on lice bites, red spots and lumps on the head, insomnia, nits in the hair |
| mycosis | peeling of the skin, nail damage, sour smell, thickening of the epidermis, cracks |
| amoebiasis | abdominal pain, choking, bloody stools, lack of appetite. |
There are many signs of invasive body injuries. To rule out complications, a blood test for parasites is recommended at least once a year.
Why are untreated parasitic infestations dangerous?
Parasitic infections have a systemic effect on the body, which disrupts the functions of all organs. Delayed treatment leads to:
- intestinal blockage;
- pancreatitis;
- prolapse of the rectum;
- lymphadenitis;
- myocarditis;
- bronchopneumonia;
- cholecystitis;
- endometritis;
- pleurisy;
- stomach ulcer;
- meningoencephalitis;
- cardiac arrest;
- purulent peritonitis.
In the presence of chronic diseases, parasites complicate their course. Ignoring invasive diseases is dangerous with disability and even death.
Diagnosis and treatment
Laboratory tests are used to identify parasites:
- scraping for enterobiasis;
- coprogram;
- analysis of feces for egg leaf;
- enzyme immunoassay for antibodies against parasites.
In case of intestinal invasions, instrumental examination is recommended: ultrasound of the peritoneal organs, colonoscopy and liver scintigraphy.
The effectiveness of anthelmintic therapy is determined on the basis of the results of repeated diagnostics, which is carried out 1 month after treatment.
Depending on the results of the diagnosis, antiparasitic drugs are prescribed:
- anti-nematode;
- against flukes;
- protivocestodozny;
- broad spectrum anthelmintics;
- antifungal;
- anti-lice;
- remedies for scabies mites.
Parasitic cysts (such as echinococcal cysts) are surgically removed.
Clinical manifestations and methods of treatment of parasitic diseases depend on the type of pathogen. Parasites enter the body through natural openings: mouth, skin pores, urethra, etc. Timely diagnosis and therapy of invasive diseases prevent complications: meningitis, peptic ulcer, myocarditis.