Could there be anything worse than being told you have worms? It happens to many people, more often than some of us realize, and it can be a result of a variety of circumstances.
Causes of Parasites
The most common cause of Parasites in the United States is from people visiting other countries. Parasites can develop from a number of sources, and when consuming food, and drinks, especially in underserved countries, where water sources are not put through rigorous testing to ensure safety. Several areas actually require visitors to have a course of antibiotics on hand when visiting, due to the risk of Parasites and infections.
Several years ago, there was a popular diet food that was packaged in a foreign country, and the results for most people that consumed this product were a case of Parasites. Although not serious in most cases, the infected people suffered severe diarrhea and weight loss prior to discovering the culprit.
Although the vast majority of Parasites is contracted in other countries, it still happens in the United States. Parasites can be contracted from animals to humans in certain circumstances, although rare. When persistent stomach issues are a problem and do not disappear within a week, it may be time to be checked for a parasite infestation, although most people never even consider this as a problem to their intestinal problems.
Dangers of Parasites
While most Parasites simply make patients sick, some can be very dangerous. This is where proper care for a, patiently is essential. Parasites are not necessarily always confined to the intestinal tract. Some parasites can affect the heart and brain. In these cases, a patient may require hospitalization as they are treated. Nurses should assume there is a chance of contamination for themselves with infected patients. Dressing as per hazmat protocol should eliminate the danger of contamination from the patient.
Types of Parasites
Flatworms:
Flatworms include Tapeworms and Flukes. Flatworms breathe and eat literally through their skin. Oxygen and nutrients literally pass through their skin. They have no separate organs for digestion or circulation.
Flatworms feed on the blood, tissue fluids, or pieces of cells inside the bodies of their hosts. Flatworms live in the skin, mouth, gills or other outside parts of a host, or they can live internally such as the ones that live in humans that infect the blood and organs.
Flatworms range in size from being microscopic to some over 20 meters long for example in the whale tapeworm. The most common types of flatworms that live in humans are Tapeworms and Flukes.
Tapeworms:
Tapeworms live in human intestines where they feed on the partially-digested food in their host’s intestines. It is a fully protected environment and they grow and thrive in these conditions.
Tapeworms are parasitic worms and are most often referred to as just parasites. They literally survive through their host’s nutrients. Parasites need hosts to survive.
Flukes:
Flukes are a type of parasitic Flatworm. Flukes get their name from the way they look as they are flat and the word "fluke" comes from a German word "flah" meaning "flat". Flukes have at least one external sucker, which they use to attach themselves to their host.
Some flukes live on the gills, skin or outside of their hosts while others, such as blood flukes that live in humans, live internally in their hosts. Blood flukes are largely confined to very hot tropical areas such as North Africa and South East Asia and contribute to some extreme health conditions.
Roundworms:
Some of the most common types of Roundworms include Pinworms or Threadworms, Hookworms, Ascaris (a word that literally means ‘intestinal worm’) and Heartworms.
Roundworms have hollow bodies and openings at either end and generally grow between 2-5 inches long. Roundworms are very commonly found in pets and animals such as dogs and cats and can be easily passed on to humans.
Signs of Infection from Parasites
People experience different signs of infection symptoms with parasite infections but there are some that are more common:
Persistent abdominal swelling is a frequent sign of hidden invaders.
Skin conditions can arise: Intestinal worms can cause hives, rashes, weeping sores and other allergic-type skin reactions.
- Restlessness & anxiety.
- General lethargy and unusual energy level fluctuations.
- Constipation.
- Diarrhea.
- Frequent gas and bloating.
- Bowel upsets.
- Joint and muscle aches and pains.
Food allergies: Sometimes, parasites can irritate and even perforate the intestinal lining, so that large undigested molecules enter the bloodstream, which would not ordinarily do so.
Precautions can prevent many cases of Parasites, however, there are some cases that develop with no apparent risk factors involved. Parasites are not generally high in the ratio of being contagious, however, there can be exceptions, always take proper precautions when working with a patient that is infected.
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