Human Parasites Symptoms

Part of detecting the presence of a parasite in the body is being able to read the body's signals and how to interpret them. Maybe you have not been paying enough attention to your symptoms, or you think that something else is causing the problem. It is amazing that so many people think that having chronic problems and other "vague" symptoms are just something you have to live with. Parasitic-related symptoms can come from anywhere in the body because they can reside almost anywhere. No organ or tissue is immune from their infestation or from their toxic waste products.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PARASITES?

The symptoms of parasites in humans will vary depending on the type of parasite that is affecting you. You may have contracted roundworm (the parasite that produces both trichinosis and ascariasis), ringworm (the parasite responsible for tinea capitis) or plasmodium (the parasite that causes malaria). However, there are some commonalities in the symptoms of human parasites that can indicate that you've contracted one of these infections.

• Diarrhoea Certain parasites, primarily protozoa, produce a prostaglandin (hormone like substances found in various human tissues) which creates a sodium and chloride loss that leads to frequent watery stools. The diarrhoea process in parasite infection is, therefore, a function of the parasite, not the body's attempt to rid itself of an infectious organism.

• Constipation Some parasites, because of their shape and large size. can physically obstruct certain organs. Heavy worm infections can block the common bile duct and the intestinal tract, making elimination infrequent and difficult.

• Nausea and vomiting Another fairly common symptom of a parasite will be periodic episodes of nausea and vomiting. Much like the symptom of diarrhea, nausea and vomiting can be caused by the infection of the parasite within some tissue of the digestive system, most commonly the intestines. It is within this area of the body that many parasites mature and even breed, which can prompt nausea and vomiting in many people.

• Abdominal Cramping Basically going hand-in-hand with diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, many parasites that affect people can also bring on some amount of cramping within the abdominal region. This is largely due to the body's reaction to the parasites as they breed and multiply. The cramping can run from dull to quite sharp, based on the amount of parasites currently in your system

• Shortness of Breath Sometimes the parasites, which usually reside in the digestive system, make a trek into the lungs. With this comes shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.

• dizziness

• changes in appetite

• gas and bloating Some parasites live in the upper small intestine where the inflammation they produce causes both gas and bloating. The situation can be magnified when hard-to-digest foods such as beans and raw fruits and vegetables are eaten. Persistent abdominal distention is a frequent sign of hidden invaders. These gastrointestinal symptoms can persist intermittently for many months or years if the parasites are not eliminated from the body.

• indigestion

• multiple food allergies

• loss of appetite

• Headaches If you've contracted a parasite of some sort, you may also begin to suffer from periodic headaches, but these usually accompany the more common symptoms as mentioned above. These headaches are generally moderate to severe, and react to over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen

• itching around the anus especially at night (indicating pinworms)

• restlessness and difficulty sleeping Multiple awakening during the night particularly between 2 and 3 AM, are possibly caused by the body's attempts to eliminate toxic wastes via the liver. These hours are governed by the liver. Sleep disturbances are also caused by nocturnal exits of certain parasites through the anus, creating the intense discomfort and itching.

• sore and aching intestines

• weight loss (although not necessarily)

• itching on the soles of the feet sometimes accompanied by a rash

• coughing bloody sputum in some cases

• Fever Some parasites may also elicit a reaction in the body in the form of a fever. It may be moderate fever of 100 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit or a relatively high fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit and above. The reason for the variance is two-fold, as it depends on both the type of parasite you've contracted and the way in which your body reacts to the parasite. With this fever, you may begin to experience the chills or the sweats, but that depends again on your reaction to the parasite and the type of parasite in your system.

• palpitations (indicating hookworms)

• anaemia Some varieties of intestinal parasites attach themselves to the mucosal lining of the intestines and then leach nutrients from the human host. If they are present in large enough numbers, they can create enough blood loss to cause a type of iron deficiency or pernicious

• fatigue If left untreated, parasites can lead to a great deal of fatigue and exhaustion, as the other symptoms and the parasites themselves will generally take a toll on a person's body. This will leave them lethargic and just not feeling up to snuff. It may also begin to cause some pain and discomfort in neighboring muscles of the body, especially when they begin to invade your bloodstream and inevitably your muscles.

• muscle pain Parasites are known to migrate to encyst (become enclosed in a sac) in joint fluids, and worms can encyst in muscles. Once Ads happens, pain becomes evident and is often assumed to be caused by arthritis Joint and muscle pains and inflammation are also the result of tissue damage caused by some parasites of the body's ongoing immune response to then- presence.

• conjunctivitis

• facial swelling around the eyes (indicating trichinosis)

• Wheezing and coughing , followed by vomiting, stomach pain and bloating (suggesting ascariasis or threadworms)