Parasite Infections: How Do Parasites Affect Your Body?

Every moment of every day there are living things inside of your living body replicating and growing. Before you panic, know that this is a reference to your cells. They grow and change and replicate all the time.

Okay, panic, this also refers to trillions (not a typo) of microorganisms inside you that aren’t necessarily a part of you. You’ve probably heard them referred to as gut flora or biome. Now for the big panic, you might even have parasite infections spreading disease and discomfort inside of you.

While the first two categories are common to everyone, that last one isn’t. Also, that last one tends to produce a wide variety of symptoms and issues that let you know something is wrong.

This guide will explain what to look for when trying to determine if something has hitched a ride in your bits.

Affects of Parasite Infections

Parasites, like bacteria and viruses, can cause problems all by themselves or by causing a system disorder that gets classified as a disease.

In some cases, the disease is named after the underlying critter, which makes it easy to understand what’s happening. An example of this is trichinellosis caused by the wormlike creature Trichinella spiralis.

Other times, the disease can have multiple causes and make it difficult to track down the inciting cause. An example of this is IBS that comes from malabsorption caused by Taenia tapeworms. IBS can also be caused by gluten intolerance, intestinal malabsorption, and a diet high in FODMAPS.

Internal

How do you know if you have a parasite of the internal variety? These lodge in a lot of places and cause damage based on the species and its home turf.

Digestive Tract

Intestinal parasites cause digestive issues. This can affect you in terms of weight loss, dehydration from frequent diarrhea, cramps and pains, and fatigue. The fatigue can be from anemia caused by lost nutrients and iron or from a build-up of dead cells being shed by the parasite.

For digestive issues, treatments are usually fast and effective. You can even cleanse at home using the best oils with antimicrobial properties.

Brain

If you have been to a tropical climate, you can end up with something like Cysticercosis caused by T. solium. These tapeworms get in the brain and cause cysts. Sudden onset epilepsy, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, and frequent headaches are all affects felt from neurocysticercosis.

External

External parasites are easier to teach feet. These include roundworms and hookworms, that get in your feet on beaches and infected soils, as well as ticks or leeches that attach to the skin.

A raised, hard nodule just under the skin is one of the surest signs you have a parasite of this type.

For a tick, the insect parasite is easy enough to remove. The problem comes from the infection that can be released from inside the bug. Chronic Lyme disease is rare but devastating.

Stay Vigilant

Knowing that parasites exist is enough to make the skin crawl. Finding one’s self the host to parasite infections is harrowing.

While uncommon, these are serious issues. Stay vigilant of sudden shifts in your internal and external physical health and contact a physician if you spot trouble.

Keep the above info in mind when moving to a new area. Look out for what parasites are common and consider how to avoid them.