Parasitism is a widespread phenomenon in nature.It refers to the coexistence of two or more organisms that are not connected to each other in any way, but form a chain of host-parasite relationships.The second side uses the first as a source of food and habitat.Often one person has to act as the owner.
Classification
Human parasites include all living things except bacteria and viruses, which live and feed at his expense and cause harm.There are many creatures that can live on or in the human body.They can be divided into two large groups:
- endoparasites;
- Ectoparasites.
The former occur in various physiological systems and organs in the body.The latter either live on the body like mites or lice or infest it like bedbugs.
Group of endoparasites
A very large group that includes protozoa, helminths and some other parasites.
Protozoa or protozoa
They are so named because most of them are single-celled microorganisms.The human body can be affected by about 50 species of single-celled organisms.Protozoan infections cause various 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 pathogen is Trichomonas vaginalis.According to statistics, two out of a hundred people on the planet are infected with trichomoniasis.
The presence of trichomoniasis can be recognized by the following symptoms.Women's experience:
- copious foamy discharge with yellowish-greenish discharge;
- burning, itching and swelling of the genitals;
- hyperemia of the vaginal mucosa, etc.
In men, the symptoms of the disease 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.).
In addition, they can change shape, disguise themselves as other cells of the body (lymphocytes, platelets) and provide protection to intracellular microorganisms (viruses, chlamydia, etc.), making the latter difficult to identify and destroy.
Antimicrobial agents from the 5-nitroimidazole group are predominantly used for treatment.
Another common disease caused by protozoa is giardiasis.The pathogen is Lamblia.Parasites the small intestine.Penetrating into the large intestine, Giardia loses its mobility and turns into cysts (a stable temporary form of existence), which are excreted along with feces.
Infection occurs through consumption of food and water contaminated with cysts.
Cysts can also enter the body through dirty hands.For this reason, giardiasis often affects young children (1-4 years old) who are not inclined to follow the rules of personal hygiene..
The presence of Giardia can be suspected by intestinal disorders (constipation alternating with diarrhea, flatulence, growling, nausea, upper abdominal pain) and general malaise (lack of appetite, weakness, irritability, etc.).
Giardiasis is treated with the same medications as trichomoniasis.
Other diseases caused by protozoan parasites:
- amebiasis;
- Malaria;
- leishmaniasis;
- toxoplasmosis;
- sleeping sickness etc.
Helminths
People often call them worms.More than 400 species of parasitic worms can live in humans.The most common are pinworms and human roundworms.
Pinworms are small roundworms.Males reach a length of 5 to 6 millimeters, females - 10. They are the cause of enterobiasis.They live in the appendix and appendix.Pinworms are not difficult to recognize as they cause severe itching in the anal area.This is because females crawl through the anus at night and lay eggs in the skin.
When you scratch, the eggs get under your nails and onto your hands.Then the person spreads it himself, touching various things with unwashed hands.
Therapy is carried out with anthelmintics.All family members should be treated.In addition to medication, hygiene is also very important in this case, since enterobiasis is a classic disease of dirty hands.Nails should be trimmed short, hands should be washed thoroughly, laundry should be washed in hot water and ironed with a hot iron.The apartment needs to be wet cleaned.
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 develop into larvae, which penetrate through the small intestinal walls into the circulatory system.Then migration through the body begins.The bloodstream transports them to the liver, the right side of the heart, the lungs and even the brain.
When the larvae move through these organs, they cause a whole host of problems for humans.In the digestive system, they damage the liver, intestines and pancreas.
They can block the bile ducts and lead to acute cholangitis and pancreatitis.
Since they are located in the heart, they trigger pain, local bleeding and the development of coronary artery disease.
The consequences 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 includes parasites that are rare.For example, the larva of the horsefly living in Central and South America can cause dermatobiasis.The female horsefly lays eggs in the abdomen of mosquitoes, gnats and ticks.When insect bites, the larvae hatch from the eggs and burrow into the skin.Inflammation occurs and pus forms.After a certain period of time, the larvae leave humans.
The sand flea, which causes tungiasis, has a similar effect.But here a fertilized female is inserted 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.However, they never live directly on or in a human.They attack a human and leave after they've had enough.
Three types of lice parasitize humans (head, body and pubic).
Contrary to popular belief (they love dirt), parasites can become infected from any clean person.
Regardless of the type of lice, the symptoms are the same:
- Itching;
- Crying (release of serous exudate due to damage to the epidermis);
- crusts on sore spots;
- 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 a mixed type, for example when head and pubic parasites are present on the body.
Body lice are the most dangerous.They can transmit typhus, relapsing fever and Volyn fever.Lice cannot tolerate other dangerous diseases (HIV, hepatitis), since viruses that enter the intestinal tract along with the blood of an infected person are digested.
It is better not to use home remedies (kerosene, dichlorvos) to get rid of lice.The pharmaceutical industry offers a wide range of drugs for pediculosis in the form of ointments, creams, aerosols and shampoos.They are based on insecticides.A thin comb for combing out nits is included with the preparations.Disinfection of clothing and laundry is also required.
The scabies mite, or scabies mite, causes scabies, a contagious skin disease.You can become infected in completely random ways, for example by holding onto the 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 (one to three tenths of a millimeter).Ticks come to the surface twice in their lives.The first time in the form of a larva to penetrate another place, the second time - for mating.
The main problems for humans are caused by women.They lay eggs in the first half of the day and gnaw at places in the epidermis at night.
Recognizing scabies is easy.It is accompanied by an unbearable itching that gets worse in the evening and at night.Inflamed linear scabies can be seen on the skin.People who are prone to allergies experience severe allergic reactions.As a result of vigorous scratching, the skin becomes saturated with fluid, swells and is sometimes 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 the entire body (except the face and scalp).You wash the body either before or after therapy.Washing is not possible during this time.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 shower every other day.The laundry is ironed, furniture and clothing are treated with an antiseptic.After two days the course is repeated.
Another intradermal mite is the acne iron mite.It is also very small (0.5 millimeters maximum).Lives in the mouths of hair follicles, sebaceous ducts and meibomian glands (at the edges of the eyelids).The disease in this case is called demodicosis.
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.
In the initial stages, acne, rashes and ulcers appear.When the follicles are damaged, eyelashes and hair fall out.As the disease progresses, the skin turns an earthy gray and becomes lumpy.Demodicosis is dangerous due to the addition of secondary infection and scarring.
The treatment of demodicosis is quite complicated.The disease is chronic in nature, requiring long cycles of therapy and high drug concentrations.The intensive use of antiparasitic drugs has a negative effect on the condition of the liver and hematopoietic processes.However, stable long-term remission can be achieved.Simultaneous treatment by a dermatologist and a dermatocosmetologist is considered the most effective.
If you suspect a parasitic infection, you should not try to identify it yourself and check the effectiveness of antiparasitic drugs or folk remedies.It's easier to go to the doctor and do all the necessary tests.Properly prescribed treatment cleanses the body of these harmful parasites.