What Are the Symptoms of a Parasite Infection?

Before I discuss the Symptoms of Parasites or the symptoms of parasitic infection, let me just give you a brief introduction on parasites. As you must know, parasites are organisms that live off other organisms by sucking out their life juices. Parasites can live inside or with another mother organism.

The bodies of human beings can accommodate 100 plus different types of parasites. Some of the places which can get affected by parasitic invasion are upper arms, skin, muscles, liver, genitals, hands, feet, respiratory tract, digestive tract, diaphragm, chest, buttocks, blood and the abdomen. You won't believe it perhaps but according to a study done by WHO, 25% of the global population suffers from chronic intestinal infections due to parasitic attacks.

Commonest Symptoms of Parasites

Diarrhea

In diarrhea, frequent watery stools occur as a result of chloride and sodium loss caused by specific parasites like protozoa (primarily). As you can understand, it is the parasite causing an infection that leads to diarrhea.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Sometimes the walls of the intestinal cells are coated by parasites or the parasites cause inflammation or irritation of these cells. The result is that you tend to suffer from different types of GI symptoms. The body is unable to properly absorb fatty substances, especially vital nutrients. As a result you get steatorrhea or feces infected with excess far and bulky stools.

Bloating and gas

Bloating and gas are also caused by parasites living in the upper portions of the small intestine that result in inflammation. When you consume hard to digest food particles, like veggies, raw fruits and beans, it leads to the problem of gas and bloating getting magnified. If you don't eliminate the parasites from your body completely, then this situation can persist for years and years and can be very embarrassing.

Skin problems

Protozoan invasion can cause itchy dermatitis, popular lesions, sores and swellings, cutaneous ulcers. Allergic skin reactions, weeping eczema, rashes and hives are caused by intestinal worms.

Anemia

Nutrients are leached by intestinal worms which love to attach to the intestinal mucosal lining. When these intestinal worms are present in sufficiently huge numbers, the blood loss they cause leads to pernicious anemia or iron deficiency.

Immunity dysfunctions, chronic fatigue, faulty memory, impaired concentration, depression, apathy, flu like complaints, tiredness, malabsorption of nutrients, malnutrition are also Symptoms of Parasites. If the body is suffering from parasitic invasion, it cannot properly absorb vitamins B 12 and A, fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

A few more Symptoms of Parasites or syndromes of parasitic invasion are cancer, heart diseases, migraines, acne, epilepsy, diabetes, asthma, bad breath, a bitter taste in the mouth, excessive weight loss, excessive hunger, weight gain etc. These are all tell tale signs.