Why Are Intestinal Parasites Dangerous
As the name of parasites suggests, they live inside us and feed off us. In places with high hygiene levels parasites dont cause a great threat, but in poor countries and places where hygiene is low and sanitary conditions are poor, parasites can pose a real life threat. When our intestines become a host to parasites, even the high levels of acid in the digestive tract cannot protect our body, so our body tries to defend itself through our immune system, and the gut can become inflamed.
The intestinal parasites prevent from the food we eat to be absorbed properly by the body and release toxins into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Severe infections can cause a bowel obstruction when your intestine is partly or completely blocked. The blockage prevents food, fluids, and gas from moving through the intestines in the normal way. Severe infestation can also cause anemia as it can cause bleeding in the intestines.
The problem is that because there are so many types of parasites, they may cause a wide range of symptoms, and only a few of them are actually digestive in nature. So if you have tried various treatments to relieve your symptoms without success, you may have intestinal parasites that can be the hidden cause of many unresolved health issues you have.
Use Deworming Medications Prescribed By Your Vet
Once your veterinarian has had a chance to examine your dog and analyze the fecal sample, they will determine the best type of deworming medications to treat the worms that are present.
Your veterinarian may prescribe an oral or injectable dewormer that will kill the adult and larval worms. They may also recommend starting your dog on monthly topical or oral flea prevention, since tapeworm infections can recur if there are fleas in your dogs environment.
Supplements For Eliminating Parasites
Sometimes, however, the parasite could not be identified. Thats why I formulated The Myers Way® Parasite Breakthrough® Kit to help promote and maintain a healthy and normal population of probiotic bacteria in your digestive tract. I designed this kit specifically to help tackle the issue of microbial imbalance, as well as help populate the digestive tract with beneficial probiotic bacteria that are normal residents in your digestive tract.
You can treat your intestinal parasite symptoms at home with the two powerhouse supplements I include in my Parasite Breakthrough Kit. Microb-Clear® creates an inhospitable environment for parasitic microorganisms and the most common pathogens present in the human GI tract and stomach while sparing the beneficial gut bacteria.
Probiotic 100 Billion CFU restore and maintain healthy levels of the good bacteria that keep infections in check, support a healthy immune system, and repair your gut.
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How Worms Are Spread
Threadworms are caught when someone swallows the worms eggs. The eggs hatch inside the bowel, where they live, then travel out through the anus to lay their eggs on the skin there at night time.
The eggs can be spread when a child scratches their bottom and eggs get under the fingernails, or when a child does not wash their hands after going to the toilet. When the child then puts their fingers in their mouth the eggs can enter the body. However, the eggs can also spread into bedding or clothing, or be blown into the air, settling on many surfaces in the home or school.
They can survive for up to 2 weeks in the environment and can easily infect other people. Domestic pets are not a source of infection.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Ascariasis
Most people with ascariasis don’t have any symptoms. Those who do can have symptoms that range from mild to severe depending on how many worms are in the intestines. Symptoms also depend on which part of the body is affected. They include:
- coughing up worms
- diarrhea
- belly pain or bloating
Kids are more likely than adults to complain of gastrointestinal symptoms. That’s because their intestines are smaller and more likely to get blocked by the worms. A large mass of worms in the intestines can lead to malnutrition and poor growth. It can also block the appendix and other organs, leading to appendicitis or problems with the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder.
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Do Parasites Go Away On Their Own
Once you know what type of parasite infection you have, you can choose how to treat it. Some parasitic infections disappear on their own, especially if your immune system is healthy and you eat a balanced diet. For parasites that dont go away on their own, your doctor will generally prescribe oral medication.
How To Get Rid Of Intestinal Parasites
Intestinal parasites attach themselves to your intestinal walls, so it seems only logical to starve them out by being a bad host and eating the foods they hate.
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What Are Intestinal Parasites
Parasites in general are classified into many groups, but the two main types of intestinal parasites are helminths and protozoa. Helminths are worms with many cells that cannot multiply in the human body, such as tapeworms, pinworms, and roundworms. Protozoa, on the other hand, have only one cell and can multiply inside the human body and can cause serious infections.
Stomach Parasites: Do You Have Them
If you asked most non-health conscious people about parasites, they’d probably shrug and insist it’s something that happens to other people, in other countries but certainly not to them, in their country.
Unfortunately, parasites are not just a problem in the developing world. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden, parasites are “more common in the US than people realize.”
According to the CDC, more than 60 million people in the United States have a chronic toxoplasma gandii infection. That’s just one of many stomach parasites and it affects 60 million people in the United States alone.
Now consider the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of parasite species out there.
So, do you have parasites? To put it mildly, the odds are not in your favor.
What’s more, parasites could be to blame for your sugar cravings, which highlights the importance of doing a sugar detox.
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How Is Worm Infestation Treated
Worm infestation can be treated in the following ways:
- Antiparasitic medication: These kill parasitic worms.
- Surgery: In very severe cases, surgery is advised when parasites have invaded other parts of the body.
- Special diet: A customized diet or intake of adequate nutrition may be advised.
Healthy practices of good hygiene can help prevent worm infection:
- Washing hands with soap before cooking, eating, after playing, changing the diaper, using the toilet, and touching an animal or animal waste.
- Avoiding eating raw or undercooked meat, fish, or poultry.
- Washing fruits and vegetables in purified water.
- Drinking safe clean water.
How To Diagnose A Parasite
It can be relatively easy for your doctor to diagnose parasites. Symptoms can lead a doctor to suspect parasites, and then tests ensue. These include a fecal sample test, where a doctor will examine samples of your stool for evidence of parasites. The scotch tape test also works well the doctor will press a piece of tape to the area around the anus several times, then look for parasite eggs under a microscope. More serious situations might require x-rays and other methods to find parasites in the gut, but this diagnostic test is rare.
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Signs That May Mean You Have A Parasite
The signs of a parasite are often caused by the toxins that it releases into the human bloodstream. Here are the most common symptoms:
How Are You Diagnosed
If your doctor suspects you have pinworms, they may ask you to do a âtape test.â As soon as you wake up in the morning, youâll place a piece of clear tape around your anus, then gently peel it off. Any pinworm eggs will stick to the tape, which your doctor can see under a microscope in a lab.
A tapeworm infection is usually diagnosed by finding eggs or tapeworm segments in the stool. Your doctor may ask you to bring in a sample so a lab can look for eggs, larvae, or tapeworm segments. A blood test can spot antigens, foreign substances that let your doctor know your body is trying to fight the infection. Sometimes, an MRI or CAT scan can find cysts formed by the pork tapeworm.
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Are Stomach Parasites Causing Your Fatigue
Page Contents
You might wonder why Im including an article on stomach parasites symptoms in a website about chronic fatigue syndrome.
The reason is that after carrying out a lot of testing, including comprehensive stool testing, it was discovered that I had a stomach parasite. This parasite contributed greatly to my particular version of chronic fatigue syndrome.
I think it is very important that you carry out testing to discover if stomach parasites could be contributing to your chronic fatigue.
There are some stomach parasite symptoms to watch out for and Ill go into this further in the following information.
Normally, there are thousands of tiny organisms and bacteria living in your gut. Most of them are harmless and are responsible for contributing to the balance and general health of your digestive system.
Sometimes, however, you may experience a range of gut-specific symptoms such as:
- Unexplained constipation
All of these symptoms can be traced to a parasitic infection.
Worried That You May Have A Parasite Please Come See Us
If youre experiencing any of the symptoms listed above and think you may have a parasite, please call 232-1919 to make an appointment with one of our Westchester Health gastroenterologists. The sooner we can test for parasites, identify which type you have and start treating you, the sooner you can start to feel better. Whenever, wherever you need us, were here for you.
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The Biggest Reason You Shouldn’t Diagnose Yourself
So its unlikely that all the TikTokers posting about stomach worms actually have them. But if youre concerned about stomach worms because you have frequent diarrhea or an upset stomach, there are many other GI illnesses that could explain your symptoms, Dr. Lee says.
You could have celiac disease an autoimmune disorder that makes your body attack itself when you eat gluten or irritable bowel syndrome a GI disorder that responds to triggers with diarrhea, stomach pain, or constipation. You could also have inflammatory bowel disease, which is characterized by inflammation in your gut. It could also be viral gastroenteritis, Dr. Lee says, which is inflammation, swelling, and irritation inside the lining of your GI tract.
So the biggest risk in diagnosing and treating yourself for stomach worms is opening yourself to side effects of concentrated papaya seeds or the herbs in unregulated supplements, Dr. Lee says. But a close second is thinking youve cured yourself when you may actually have another illness that needs treatment. The same symptoms can point to many different disorders, which is why its so important to check in with your doctor.
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What Are The Causes And Symptoms Of Trichinellosis
Trichinellosis is different than other roundworm infections. Its not an intestinal infection. It affects your muscles. People get it through eating undercooked meat, especially sausage, pork, horse, walrus and bear meat.
Some people may experience mild symptoms or none at all. But you may feel tired or get stomach symptoms, including:
- Diarrhea.
When trichinosis enters the muscles, you may get:
- Eye infection and rashes.
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Stomach Parasites: What’s Eating You From The Inside
The thought of stomach parasites can be more than a little unnerving. It’s no surprise, then, that most people tend to not think about the topic much.
But here’s the thing. Stomach parasites don’t have to be scary when you’ve got some powerful parasite cleanse tools and knowledge at your disposal. This article will teach you everything you need to know about stomach parasites, how to tell if you have them and what to do about them.
Change In Appetite & Weight Loss
If you notice a sudden change in your appetite, particularly an increase in appetite, it may be due to the presence of parasites in your body.
In fact, an increased appetite combined with weight loss is often noticed in cases of tapeworm or pinworm infestation.
This happens as the parasites consume a good amount of the food eaten by the infected person, thus making the person hungry more often than usual.
Also, the infected person may notice a strong early morning hunger and may never feel satisfied or full after eating a meal.
If you experience weight loss with an increase in appetite, consult your doctor.
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Tests For Worms In Kids
Your GP will probably use the sticky tape test to check for worm eggs or worms.
This involves putting sticky tape over your childs anus, removing it and then putting it onto a glass slide. When the doctor or another professional looks at the slide under a microscope in a laboratory, they can see whether there are any worms or worm eggs.
Its best for your child to have this test early in the morning before having a bath or doing a poo and wiping their bottom.
Why Should You Care About Stomach Parasites
Even in light of these statistics, many people may find it in themselves to shrug and say, “oh well out of sight, out of mind” when it comes to parasites.
But the problems with parasites go well beyond the “ick” factor of having a bunch of creepy-crawlies roaming around inside you. Stomach parasites can cause serious health problems. These include:
- Digestive issues
- Yeast infections
- Itchiness around the vagina and/or anus
Unfortunately, many people on the standard Western diet have become desensitized to the above health problems.
It’s often only once people do a parasite cleanse that they realize just how terrible parasites were making them feel.
Luckily, this article is going to give you the skinny on how to get rid of parasites naturally.
First, though, let’s look at the types of stomach parasites so we can understand where they come from.
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Complementary And Alternative Therapies
Conventional medical treatments can get rid parasites more quickly and with fewer side effects than most alternative treatments. Alternative treatments may be helpful along with conventional medications. However, your doctor must find out what kind of organism is causing your problems before you start treatment. The following nutritional guidelines may help keep parasites from growing.
What Are The Causes And Symptoms Of Pinworm
Pinworm is the most common roundworm infection in the United States. It most often occurs in children and can spread easily in school or daycare. The infection starts when eggs enter the mouth and travel to the intestines. The eggs hatch and develop into adult pinworms.
A female pinworm then lays her eggs in and around the anus . Without realizing it, people touch the eggs with their fingers. For example, a small child might touch or scratch their bottom or not wash hands after using the bathroom. Parents may not wash their hands properly after changing a diaper of a child with pinworms.
After touching an infected area, people may put their fingers in or near their mouths or touch surfaces. Pinworm eggs can attach to bedding, clothing, toys, doorknobs, furniture and faucets for up to two weeks.
Those with pinworm infections may experience mild symptoms or none at all. The most common symptom is itching around the anus or vagina. The itching can become intense after a pinworm lays eggs.
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How To Handle Parasites
If you suspect a parasitic infection is the cause of your symptoms, then it is best to get proper stool testing before you try anything. You can of course always choose an optimal diet and lifestyle to boost your immune system, regardless of whether you have an infection or not. If anything, it will just boost your immune system, which is the best way to handle parasites. If you think you have a parasite, stop eating modern processed food to take away their food supply.
In addition, when dealing with an infection, some people have the idea of just trying to kill them. However, you cant simply try to kill a parasite it wont do much good for two reasons. First, they are in multiple stages. You may kill the adults, but not the half million eggs deposited throughout your body. These things are designed to survive.
Secondly, think of parasites as your garbage men. Their job is to eat up your garbage. If you kill them, the garbage in your body will just keep accumulating.