Parasitism in nature is a widespread phenomenon.It refers to the coexistence of two or more organisms that are not interconnected in any way, but form a chain of host-parasite relationships.The second side uses the first as a food source and habitat.Often a person has to act as the owner.
Classification
Human parasites include all creatures except bacteria and viruses that live and feed at your expense, causing harm.There are many creatures that can live on or within the human body.They can be divided into two large groups:
- endoparasites;
- ectoparasites.
The former exist within the body, in various physiological systems and organs.The latter live on the body like mites or lice, or attack like bedbugs.
Group of endoparasites
A very large group that includes protozoa, helminths and some other parasites.
Protozoa or protozoa
They are called that because most of them are single-celled microorganisms.The human body can be affected by about 50 species of single-celled organisms.Protozoal infections cause several diseases.
Infection with them can occur in different ways:
- during sexual contacts;
- along with food;
- through insect bites, etc.
The most common sexually transmitted parasitic infection is trichomoniasis.Its causative agent is Trichomonas vaginalis.According to statistics, two out of every hundred people on the planet are infected with trichomoniasis.
The presence of trichomoniasis can be recognized by the following symptoms.Female experience:
- abundant frothy discharge of yellowish-greenish secretion;
- burning, itching and swelling of the genitals;
- hyperemia of the vaginal mucosa, etc.
Signs of the disease in men are less pronounced:
- pain when urinating;
- discharge from the urethra;
- sometimes blood in the urine.
Trichomonas are dangerous because they can cause various complications (infertility, cervical cancer, etc.).
Furthermore, they can change shape, disguise themselves as other cells in the body (lymphocytes, platelets) and provide shelter for intracellular microorganisms (viruses, chlamydia, etc.), which makes the latter difficult to identify and destroy.
For treatment, antimicrobials from the 5-nitroimidazole group are predominantly used.
Another common disease of protozoal origin is giardiasis.The causative agent is lamblia.Parasitizes the small intestine.Penetrating into the large intestine, Giardia loses its mobility and turns into cysts (a form of stable temporary existence), which are excreted along with feces.
Infection occurs through consumption of food and water contaminated with cysts.
Cysts can also be introduced into the body through dirty hands.For this reason, giardiasis often affects young children (1-4 years old), who are not willing to observe personal hygiene rules..
The presence of Giardia can be suspected by intestinal disturbance (constipation alternating with diarrhea, bloating, snoring, nausea, pain in the upper part of the abdomen) and general malaise (lack of appetite, weakness, irritability, etc.).
Giardiasis is treated with the same medications as trichomoniasis.
Other diseases caused by protozoan parasites:
- amoebiasis;
- malaria;
- leishmaniasis;
- toxoplasmosis;
- sleeping sickness, etc.
Helminths
People often call them worms.More than 400 types of parasitic worms can live in humans.The most common are human worms and roundworms.
Pinworms are small roundworms.Males reach a length of 5-6 millimeters, females - 10. They are the cause of enterobiasis.They live in the cecum and appendix.Pinworms are not difficult to detect because they cause intense itching in the anal area.This is due to the fact that females crawl through the anus at night and lay eggs in the skin.
When scratching, the eggs get under the nails and on the hands.Then the person himself scatters them, touching various things with dirty hands.
Therapy is carried out with anthelmintic drugs.All family members must be treated.In addition to medications, hygiene is very important in this case, as enterobiasis is a classic disease of dirty hands.Nails must be cut short, hands must be washed well, bed linen must be washed in hot water and ironed with a hot iron.The apartment needs to be cleaned with water.
The human roundworm is another type of parasitic roundworm.They are much larger and more dangerous than pinworms.The length of females can reach 40 centimeters, males are smaller.
Ascaris eggs enter the body in the same way as pinworm eggs.In the small intestine, the eggs turn into larvae, which penetrate through its walls into the circulatory system.Then migration begins throughout the body.The bloodstream carries them to the liver, right side of the heart, lungs and even the brain.
Moving through these organs, the larvae create a number of problems for humans.In the digestive system, they damage the liver, intestines and pancreas.
They can block bile ducts and cause acute cholangitis and pancreatitis.
Being in the heart, they cause pain, local bleeding and the development of coronary artery disease.
The results of staying in the lungs are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, bronchitis, etc.
When moving through the brain, neuroses, dizziness, convulsions and epileptic seizures can be observed.
Other symptoms of ascariasis:
- nausea and vomiting;
- rapid fatigue during physical work;
- loss of appetite and body weight;
- diarrhea;
- pain in the abdomen;
- rash and itching.
Various anthelmintics are used to combat roundworms.
Other common helminthiases include:
- schistosomiasis;
- trichinosis;
- echinococcosis;
- clonorchiasis;
- opisthorchiasis;
- hookworm infection, etc.
Other endoparasites
This group contains rarely encountered parasites.For example, fly larvae, which live in Central and South America, can cause dermatobiasis.The female fly lays eggs in the abdomen of mosquitoes, mosquitoes and ticks.When bitten by insects, larvae emerge from the eggs and penetrate the skin.Inflammation begins and pus forms.After a certain time, the larvae leave the person.
The sand flea, which causes tungiasis, acts in a similar way.But here a fertilized female is introduced into the epidermis.
Ectoparasites
There are fewer of them than endoparasites.The most famous of them:
- lice;
- ticks.
Ectoparasites also include fleas, bed bugs and mosquitoes.But they never live directly on or in a person.They attack a person and, fed up, abandon them.
Three types of lice parasitize humans (head, body and pubic).
Parasites, contrary to popular belief (they love dirt), can be acquired by any clean person.
Regardless of the type of lice, the symptoms are the same:
- itch;
- crying (release of serous exudate due to damage to the epidermis);
- crusts in painful areas;
- pyoderma (purulent skin lesion).
Different types of lice prefer to live in different parts of the body, hence the classification of lice.
Sometimes it is of mixed type, for example, when head and pubic parasites are present in the body.
The most dangerous are body lice.They can transmit typhus, relapsing fever and Volyn fever.Lice do not tolerate other dangerous diseases (HIV, hepatitis), since viruses, which enter the intestinal tract along with the blood of an infected person, are digested.
It is best not to use home remedies (kerosene, dichlorvos) to get rid of lice.The pharmaceutical industry offers a wide selection of antipediculosis drugs in the form of ointments, creams, aerosols and shampoos.They are based on insecticides.A fine comb to comb out nits is included with the preparations.Disinfection of clothes and linens is also necessary.
The scabies, or itch, mite causes scabies, a contagious skin disease.You can get infected in the most random way, for example, by holding a railing in a public building.Infection is guaranteed through close physical contact, especially sexual contact.The tick takes 15 minutes to penetrate the epidermis.The insect is very small in size (one to three tenths of a millimeter).Ticks come out twice in a lifetime.The first time in larval form to penetrate to another place, the second time - to mate.
The main problems for humans are caused by women.They lay eggs during the first half of the day and at night they gnaw through passages in the epidermis.
Recognizing scabies is easy.It is accompanied by unbearable itching, which sharply intensifies in the evening and at night.Inflamed linear mange can be seen on the skin.People prone to allergies experience severe allergic reactions.Due to severe scratching, the skin is saturated with liquid, swells and sometimes becomes covered with bloody crusts.
Scabies is treated with antiscabiotic agents.They are available in the form of emulsions, aerosols and creams.It is necessary to treat not only the affected areas, but also the entire body (except face and scalp).They wash their body before or after therapy.You cannot wash during this.If there are crusts on the body, they will be softened and removed.Rub the cream or emulsion in for at least two minutes.Do not wash your hands for three hours after using the product.You can take a shower every day.Bed linen is ironed, furniture and clothes are treated with antiseptic.After two days, the course is repeated.
Another intradermal mite is acne iron.It is also very small (maximum 0.5 millimeters).It lives in the mouths of hair follicles, ducts of the sebaceous and meibomian glands (on the edges of the eyelids).The disease is called demodicosis in this case.
90 percent of people have acne, but the pathological process does not always begin, especially when the immune system is weakened or as a result of severe stress.
At the initial stage, acne, rashes and ulcers appear.When follicles are damaged, eyelashes and hair fall out.As the disease progresses, the skin changes color to earthy gray and becomes lumpy.Demodicosis is dangerous due to the addition of a secondary infection and the formation of scars.
The treatment of demodicosis is quite complicated.The disease is chronic in nature, as long courses of therapy and high concentrations of medication are required.Intensive use of antiparasitic drugs has a negative effect on the state of the liver and hematopoietic processes.However, long-term stable remission can be achieved.Simultaneous treatment with a dermatologist and dermatocosmetologist is considered the most effective.
If you suspect a parasitic infection, you should not try to identify them and check the effectiveness of antiparasitic medications or folk remedies.It's easier to go to the doctor and get all the necessary tests done.Correctly prescribed treatment will cleanse the body of these harmful parasites.