What is a parasitic infection?
Parasitic infections are any illnesses or conditions caused by parasites living and reproducing in your body. Parasites are organisms that need another living thing (a host) to get the nutrients they need to survive.
Parasitic infections often cause intestinal illness, with symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. But they can also give you itchy skin rashes or infect other parts of your body, like your brain or lungs.
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What are the types of parasitic infection?
There are three main types of parasites that cause infections in humans:
- Protozoa.
- Helminths.
- Ectoparasites.
Protozoal infections
Protozoa are single-celled parasites. They can infect your blood, intestinal tract (gut), brain, skin, eyes and other parts of your body.
Helminth infections
Helminth is a general term for parasitic worms. Scientists further classify them as flukes (trematodes), tapeworms (cestodes), roundworms (nematodes) and thorny-headed worms (acanthocephalans). Both adults and immature (larval) helminths can infect you. Helminths usually infect your intestinal tract, but they can also infect your skin, brain and other tissues.
Ectoparasitic infections
Ectoparasites are insects and arachnids (spider-like bugs) that burrow into your skin and live there. This includes ticks, mites, lice and fleas. They usually don’t infect other parts of your body.
What are the most common parasitic infections?
Millions of people around the world get parasitic infections every year. The most common parasitic infections include:
Other examples of parasitic infections include:
FAQs
They can cause fever, fatigue, intestinal symptoms, skin rashes or neurological symptoms. You can get them from contaminated food, water or surfaces, bug bites and eating undercooked meat. Antiparasitic medications treat parasitic infections.
How do you know if your body is full of parasites? ›
Signs and Symptoms
Diarrhea. Nausea or vomiting. Gas or bloating. Dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus)
What is the main cause of parasitic infection? ›
Parasites are living things that use other living things - like your body - for food and a place to live. You can get them from contaminated food or water, a bug bite, or sexual contact. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not.
What should I do if I have a parasitic infection? ›
Some medications (antiparasitic medications) are designed particularly to eliminate parasites or, in the case of some worm infections, reduce the number of worms enough so that symptoms clear up. Also, certain antibiotics and antifungal medications are effective against some parasitic infections.
Does parasitic infection go away? ›
Some parasites go away on their own, especially if you have a healthy immune system and maintain a balanced diet. However, talk to a healthcare provider if you have signs of a parasitic infection. They can make an official diagnosis and help prevent the spread of the parasite to others.
How do I check myself for parasites? ›
Taking a parasite test.
Various kits are now available that allow you to take a stool sample and send it to a lab for analysis and your healthcare provider can order this test for you.
What does it feel like when parasites are leaving your body? ›
When this happens, we typically experience die-off symptoms, which could include headaches, diarrhea, increased fatigue, or vomiting. Although it may appear that you're getting worse, die-off symptoms are actually positive signs of healing.
What do parasites look like in stool? ›
For roundworms, you may find pieces of worms or large, live worms in your feces. For pinworms, you may see thin, white worms that appear like pieces of thread. Pinworms, which are about the length of a staple , are sometimes visible around the anal region at night when females lay their eggs on the surrounding skin.
What medicine do you take for parasites? ›
Antigiardial agents [14]:
- Metronidazole - The first choice of medication for giardia is metronidazole (see antiamoebic agents).
- Furazolidone is a nitrofuran compound with antibacterial and antiprotozoal activity. ...
- Tinidazole – see antiamoebic agents.
- Albendazole – see anticestodal drugs.
Giardia is arguably the most common parasite infection of humans worldwide, and the second most common in the United States after pin-worm.
Symptoms of intestinal parasites include:
- Diarrhea.
- Abdominal pain.
- Gas and gas pain.
- Bloating.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Anal itching.
Blood tests
- Serology This test is used to look for antibodies or for parasite antigens produced when the body is infected with a parasite and the immune system is trying to fight off the invader. ...
- Blood smear This test is used to look for parasites that are found in the blood.
Symptoms of giardiasis may include: Explosive, watery, foul-smelling stools. Greasy stools that tend to float.
What triggers parasitic infection? ›
Parasitic infections are diseases caused by organisms that live off of another living thing. They can cause fever, fatigue, intestinal symptoms, skin rashes or neurological symptoms. You can get them from contaminated food, water or surfaces, bug bites and eating undercooked meat.
Does a colonoscopy clean out parasites? ›
First, the clean-out process for the colonoscopy is very thorough (if you've had one you know what I mean) and it wipes out any obvious parasites. Even more important, is the fact that parasites actually live INSIDE the colonic wall which will not be seen with the camera.
What are 10 diseases caused by parasites? ›
Insects
- Disease* Parasite. Insect (vector)
- African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Tsetse flies.
- Babesiosis. Babesia microti and other species. ...
- Chagas disease. Trypanosoma cruzi. ...
- Leishmaniasis. Leishmania species. ...
- Malaria. Plasmodium species.
Prescription Medications: Qazi Cosmetic Center may prescribe topical or oral medications to kill the parasites and soothe itching. Common medications include scabicides for scabies and insecticides for lice.
How do you identify parasites in poop? ›
Stool Signs
- Threadworms look like tiny pieces of white cotton. For example, Strongyloides stercoralis worms are slender and measure 2 to 3 millimeters (mm) long (about 1/10 of an inch). ...
- Roundworms look more like earthworms.
- Tapeworms are long, pale yellow, and flat.
Higher parasite activity is linked to the full moon. This is because the circadian rhythm in your body reacts to changes in the moon's cycle. In accordance with your circadian rhythm, parasites are more active and reproducing.
