All sorts of infections and diseases break loose and lots of health problems arise as a result of a parasite attack. To know how to handle these irritating microbes and how not to fall prey to their attack, you need to understand how their world operates and what enhances their chances of survival.
What is a parasite? A parasite is a microorganism capable of living its whole life by extracting all that it needs for survival from a host. As they grow and multiply, they release toxins that can be dangerous to the host. Infections can spread easily and health levels can deteriorate rapidly. Unless a parasite infection is diagnosed and treated early, it can lead to serious health conditions like sepsis.
Parasitic Infections if Untreated can be Life-threatening
Sepsis is often mistaken as blood poisoning. If a parasite infection is left untreated and grows, more toxins are released into the bloodstream that can turn fatal. For example, after an attack of pneumonia, urinary infections, influenza, etc the body enters a shock-like condition and organs refuse to work properly. This leads to death in many cases. If the condition is diagnosed at a later stage, there are also risks of the patient entering a state where he/ she has to fight PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), amputations, organ dysfunctions, unexplained fatigue, and severe pain. Such conditions are also known to last a lifetime. Hence it is very important to find out why you are not well and take immediate action if it is a parasite infection.
The most commonly seen Parasitic Infections
Some of the most commonly occurring parasitic infections are mentioned below. These conditions cannot be taken lightly as it turns into a life or death matter if ignored.
- Toxoplasmosis
- Malaria
- Amebiasis
- Pinworm(E.vermicularis)
- Chagas disease(caused by Trypanosoma cruzi)
- Tapeworm (Echinococcosis that spreads through sheep and also dogs)
- Tapeworm (Cysticercosis)
- Roundworm(Toxocariasis)
- Sexually transmitted diseases like Trichomoniasis
Symptoms that help you realize that you need medical help
Initially, most people tend to dismiss the symptoms and pass off the situation thinking it may be just the flu or any other viral infection. Always keep a check on your symptoms and make sure they are not getting worse with time. You can always get reliable information from online sites like https://microbeformulas.com/blogs/microbe-formulas/parasites-types-symptoms-tests-and-treatment to get a better insight regarding the symptoms and treatments. Below listed are some of the main indications you have to keep an eye for.
Tapeworm
The biggest nightmare is sometimes caused by the invasion of tapeworms. These parasites can live in the human body without causing any symptoms for a minimum of 8 weeks. Even after that, your body responds with mostly mild indications. There may be some diarrhea or vomiting. In other cases, the symptoms will be constipation or abdominal pain. They may keep recurring at intervals and can easily be dismissed as some kind of stomach upset. If not diagnosed properly at the right time, tapeworms can cause blindness, seizures and even heart disorders. Malnutrition is another serious outcome of tapeworm living in your body for a long period. They consume all the nutrients that are supposed to reach your body parts. This leads to severe deficiency in your nutritional level.
Giardiasis
The commonly seen symptoms of Giardiasis are
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping
- Bloating
- Gas
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
Sometimes the infected person may not even exhibit any symptoms. This is a confusing scenario as they will mingle with others freely and can even spread the disease on a large scale. Spreading awareness of such cases is very important as it can otherwise lead to massive epidemic outbreaks.
Chagas disease
Yet another confusing situation arises in the case of Chagas disease. Here also the patient may not show any sign of the disease even a few months after the infection has occurred. The parasite establishes its domain within the host body and remains silent for long periods until they propagate and form colonies. Once the toxin level is quite high, only then will the symptoms start to appear. By then, the infection would have entered a chronic phase. Some patients exhibit mild symptoms like;
- Mild swelling at the point of infection
- Mild temperature, which can be easily mistaken as a common fever
- Body aches and pains
- Skin rash
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Swollen glands
In most cases, people go for the normal medication they take for a stomach upset or the flu. Sometimes the symptoms are ignored and the infected person bears these slight disturbances along with his daily activities.
Once the chronic stage is reached, the symptoms change rapidly. Things turn serious very fast and can also lead to fatal conditions like cardiac arrest. The main symptoms at this stage are;
- Irregular heartbeat
- Congestive heart malfunction
- Swollen esophagus
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
Prevention of Parasite Infection
The infections spread through food, drink, contamination and physical contact. If the infected person is isolated and keeps the surrounding hygienic and sanitized, an outbreak can be prevented. It is possible to prevent parasite infection if a few hygienic practices are followed. Here are some that can help;
- Wash your hands and sanitize them after working with animals
- Proper disposal of animal feces
- Use properly sterilized water and food during travel
- Avoid using ice cubes from unknown shops and sellers
- Do all your health checks before and after visiting another country
- Make sure swimming pools are chlorinated before you take a swim
- Do not use water from unknown sources
- Keep your home and surroundings clean and hygienic
- Reduce and minimize clutter in your living space
If you feel that there is a chance that you have been infected, take precautionary measures. Visit a physician and explain all your symptoms. Make time for your health and be serious about it. Most people tend to get into the habit of self-medication. This can be risky. Unless you are a trained medical practitioner, never resort to self-treatment. You have to take the time to go see a physician and find out what has gone wrong. Proper and timely treatment can help save more than just time and cost.
