Human Parasites. What Kind Of Parasites Can Live In Our Bodies?

When you think of a parasitic infection, you think of various worms from roundworms to flatworms. Human parasites can cause a wide range of symptoms and effects from simple bloating to death, but what kind of parasites can live in our bodies?


What Kind Of Parasites Can Live In Our Bodies?

The common causes of parasitic infections are exposure to contaminated food, water, or surfaces. Even coming into contact with contaminated soil can have parasites get into your bloodstream through the skin. Let’s take a look at the different parasitic worms that can make their way into your body and the symptoms they may cause.


Flukes

Humans normally contract flukes through consuming contaminated fish or contaminated water. We mention flukes first as they’re one of the worms that could infect your body without you ever knowing. However, the scary thing about flukes can live inside of a human body for up to 30 years.

These parasites like to make their home in the bile ducts, the thin tubes that connect the liver and the small intestines. Once the flukes make their home in the bile ducts, they start pumping eggs into the intestines.

Flukes are one of the few parasites that can actually move elsewhere in your body besides your digestive system.

They can even get into your blood and other tissues in your body, causing a range of symptoms vomiting to hives. The most painful symptom of a fluke infection is abdominal pain caused by the parasite getting into the lining of the liver. As more flukes are born in the bile duct, it could block that pathway to the small intestine, causing additional abdominal pain.


Pinworms

It’s not uncommon for children to contract pinworms at least once in their lives because of their exposure to other children and contaminated surfaces. Pinworms can get on clothes, bed sheets, and can even be contracted airborne from those who are already contaminated.

Fortunately, pinworms are the easiest of the parasitic infections to treat and, depending on the person, could have little to no symptoms of the infection at all besides an itch. The itch is caused from the fact that female pinworms move to the anal area, normally when the person is asleep, and lays her eggs there.

Practicing good hygiene, changing linens and clothes daily, and disinfecting children’s toys and other surfaces can help prevent the spread of pinworms.

Hookworms

Much like pinworms, hookworms don’t cause many symptoms besides an itch in a relatively healthy person. If you’re walking barefoot through soil, you have the chance to pick up a hookworm through your skin. The hookworm passes through your skin and gets into the bloodstream.

Their method of travel to your small intestines is a unique one. Hookworms travel through your blood into your lungs where they wait for you to cough. Once they cough, they make their way into your digestive system once you swallow.

Unlike other parasitic worms, hookworms don’t live as long in your intestines as they normally latch themselves onto your waste and exit your body after a year. However, if it can be faster if you follow a healthy detox regimen and keep your digestive system cleansed occasionally. Unfortunately, for those who may not be as healthy as others, the symptoms of hookworms can range from intestinal cramps to a fever.


Tapeworms

Tapeworms are another common worm you’ve probably heard of through the grapevine. When anyone tells you to cook your pork thoroughly it’s because they want you to avoid tapeworms. When tapeworms make their way into your intestines, they burrow their way in there.

When you see images of long white worms inside of intestines then tapeworms are the parasites that you’re looking at.

They can live inside of a human up to thirty years and can grow up to eighty feet long.

Much like other worms, you may not even know that you have a tapeworm. The only way you’ll know if you have a tapeworm is seeing parts of it in your stool. However, just because you don’t notice any symptoms doesn’t mean tapeworms can’t cause major health issues. Tapeworms could possibly block the bile duct or intestines if they get too large. If they somehow make their way out of the intestines, they could get into major organs such as the heart or brain, which could lead to life-threatening situations.


Trichinosis Worms

Trichinosis worms are also spread by contaminated and undercooked meat. Once they mature in your intestines they can get into other parts of your body through the muscles.

These worms are one of the more dangerous worms to have because they can get into major organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, or muscles around the spinal cord. However, even if they’re staying in your intestines, you can suffer symptoms from nausea to diarrhea. The longer the worms stay in your body the more symptoms you’ll pick up from conjunctivitis to swelling.

Since most worms make a living inside of your intestines, one of the best ways to keep your gut an inhospitable environment for parasitic worms is to cleanse regularly. The cleaner you keep your gut, the less worms will be able to survive inside of your body. When you’re cleansing, it’s important to take products with natural ingredients.

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.