How do you know whether you have parasites

Who are the parasites

The first thing you need to know: "parasites" and "worms" is not one disease, but a large group of very different infections. Similarities bit:

1. All parasites, more or less adapted to life inside a person.
2. They do not bring a person good, but can cause significant damage.

If the advertisement says about parasites in general, you can be sure that you want to cheat.

To talk about the treatment or diagnosis of parasites in general, not to mention the type of infection, so as wrong as to say, for example, injuries, without specifying what kind of question. According to the complexity of treatment and the possible consequences of some parasitic infections different from the others as a light injury from fractures.

What are the symptoms can be caused by parasites

Different countries have different parasitic infections are common. For many regions of accurate statistics WHO Estimates of the Global and Regional Disease Burden of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases 11 Morbidity yet. But talk about the epidemic can not be: not all people infected, according to advertising, but only some.

In Russia and about 15 parasitic infections are most common in Europe.

The most important thing to remember: the different parasitic infections can cause various nonspecific symptomsInformation about parasitic infections of Control Disease Center (in English). This means that the same symptoms can be caused by many other factors.

Possible symptoms of major parasitic infections can be briefly described as follows:

Advertising is often associated with parasites many other symptoms: from poor appetite to hair loss. Usually, it's just a figment of charlatans who exploit the fear of patients and their ignorance in this very complex field of medicine.

How do you get

To reduce the risk of infection, no need to bone up on the mechanisms of transmission of each infection. It is enough to remember the common transmission pathInformation about the transmission of parasitic infections of Control Disease Center (in English) and how can you resist infection.

1. There unwashed food, drink dirty water

Through contaminated soil and water products passed many infections, including giardiasis, ascariasis, hydatid disease, hookworm.

How to protect yourself

1. carefully wash fruits and vegetables before eating.
2. Wash your hands, especially after contact with the soil.
3. Never drink water from unknown sources.
4. During travel (especially in developing countries) to drink only bottled water.

2. Eat raw or half-baked meat or fish

Such a transmission path characteristic for teniasis (pork tapeworm), trichinosis, diphyllobothriosis, opisthorchiasis and other infections.

How to protect yourself

1. Do not eat raw meat or fish, or eat only what has passed veterinary control.
2. carefully cook meat and fish.
3. Freeze the fish in a conventional freezer at -18 ° C should be at least two weeksOn approval SanPin 3.2.3215-14 "Prevention of parasitic diseases in the Russian Federation" (as amended on December 29, 2015). But it will not kill very resistant parasites, they can only destroy the industrial freezing. Therefore, the fish that you caught yourself, you have good cooking and frying: 20 minutes after boiling or heating.

3. Contact with an infected person

This mechanism is characteristic for enterobiasis (pinworm). Most often, the infection infected children during the games with their peers in kindergarten or school.

Another infection that is transmitted from infected people, it cysticercosis.

How to protect yourself

1. Wash hands before eating.
2. While travelingDetailed recommendations for travelers (in English) not to eat raw foods prepared by others. For example, fruit peeled.

4. Contact with the feces of infected animals or fleas

So passed dipilidioz, toxoplasmosis and other infections.

How to protect yourself

1. Wash hands after contact with animals or soil that they could be contaminated feces.
2. Periodically give the animal antiparasitic agents and regularly use the funds from fleas.

5. Contact with contaminated water and soil

Some parasites (eg, agents of hookworm or schistosomiasis) can penetrate into the body through the skin when you bathe or walk barefoot on contaminated soil.

How to protect yourself

1. When traveling in tropical countries always wear shoes.
2. Never swim in unknown freshwater reservoirs, which may be contaminated by sewage.

How do you know that you have parasites

Analysis of blood or feces to identify "all the parasites immediately" does not exist. Algorithms diagnosis of parasitic infections are very differentAnswers to basic questions about HIV prevention, treatment and diagnosis of parasitic infections in children and adults and always depends on:

1. What are the symptoms bother the person.
2. What infection it may be infected, based on the conditions of his life.

If the person has any symptoms, the doctor must rule out all possible causes before diagnosing a parasitic infection.

Do I need to drink antiparasitic drugs to prevent

No, this is the wrong tactic. Firstly, various parasitic infections amenable to treatment differently.

Magic pill that would be good to cope with all kinds of parasites, does not exist.

Second, to protect against the effects of parasitic infections is much more important to prevent infection, and is not often treated.

If a man remains in contact with the source of infection, the effect of the treatment is preserved only a few days or weeks. But if contact ceases, many parasites die without treatment.

Can I be treated with folk remedies

Use traditional remedies for the treatment of parasites - bad idea.

Really effective folk remedies for parasites are not yet known.

In addition, many folk remedies have an irritating effect and cause migration of parasites. And the latter is fraught with dangerous complications: intestinal obstruction, obstruction of the biliary tract, and so on.

What you need to remember about parasitic infections

1. Advertising miracle cures against parasites - a lie.
2. If a person is concerned about any symptom, you need to pay attention to all possible causes.
3. Treatment should be directed against specific infections.
4. In many parasitic infections, prevention is much more important than treatment. A prevention - it is basic hygiene measures.

Details of parasitic infections common in Russia and other countries →