People are used to associating the word "parasite" with common worms commonly found in the human colon. But their localization can be so diverse that the patient is not even aware of the presence of subcutaneous parasites for several years. That's right, uninvited guests can comfortably sit under one's skin, and their size can rarely be called microscopic.
Types of parasites and their symptoms
Is your body itchy? Pustules on face? Sometimes there are clouds in the eyes? All are subcutaneous parasites that move quickly in the body and can affect internal organs. Such movement occurs independently or with the flow of blood. The patient may not know about such a "phenomenon" for many years until some worm gets under the epidermis and "welcomes" him.
To frighten the reader even further, it is necessary to provide the characteristics of possible parasites, whose habitat lies only under the skin.
Heartworm disease
If you go to tropical countries, be prepared for battle with insects, which not only cause itching or pain through their bites, but can also expose you to parasites from roundworms - filariasis. The danger of the disease lies in the long incubation period - about 5-7 years. All this time, the parasite will proliferate in the human body without any signs.
With a large amount of waste products being pushed into the body, a state of intoxication gradually begins to form in a person, which is manifested first of all by a characteristic rash on the skin. She only causes itching in the early stages. In the future, the patient will grope for some movable seals, will face vision loss, will face acute fevers.
In terms of diagnosis, here the patient is examined by a specialist when contacting the clinic. With the naked eye, you can see the worms crawling under the skin, they are also completely visible when examining the eyes. By clarifying the course of the disease and previous events, the specialist will diagnose and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Important!When traveling to hot countries, do not skip vaccination, even if it is not required by visa control or medical service.
Dracunculiasis
The helminths of the presented group enter the body through drinking contaminated water. It contains larvae that are, in principle, undetectable. But the infection itself can be fatal to a person, as the larvae grow up to a meter in size. Such a helminth can settle in the stomach or enter the lungs, completely stopping the respiratory process of the sick person. But this rarely happens, since in most cases this parasite will choose the lower extremities of the person.
Symptoms include:
- itching of the lower extremities;
- the formation of a characteristic roller on the leg or foot;
- various purulent lesions of the skin;
- peculiar bubbles, with a diameter of at least 8 cm, simply burst under the action of water.
Pay attention to the type of water you drink, as it will be easier to protect yourself and your loved ones from such an infection than it is to resort to treatment.
Scabies
All unpleasant scabies are manifested only by itching, rarely on the skin you can find any changes in the form of spots and redness. This is because ticks are on the skin, infection occurs only through contact with another carrier or in the case of contact with that person's clothing.
Ticks are small in size, not visible to the naked eye, but their activity in the body is quite extensive. In the case of penetration into the skin, the parasites gnaw their way in the deep layers of the epidermis - this causes itching. As the parasite goes on for a long time, fragments begin to appear on the skin, and if the surface is treated with iodine, you can notice a characteristic spider web of such passages.
Related signs include:
- bubbles form in places of scratches;
- hand and joint surfaces are more affected.
Important!Although it is quickly diagnosed by a specialist, treatment can take a long time, so it is better to listen to infection prevention measures.
Demodecosis
Among the multitude of parasites, the most notable are the wounds caused by ticks of the genus Demodex. Their distribution is localized mainly in the sebaceous glands of the face, presenting as characteristic acne. Outwardly, such a reproduction looks very unattractive. Eyelash loss is also known as lesions and symptoms.
Diagnosing such a lesion takes only a few minutes. The doctor simply examines the skin. But the treatment can last several years, even if exactly all the instructions of the specialist are followed.
Diagnosis of subcutaneous pests
In most cases, the diagnosis of the affected skin is made directly in the clinic of a specialist, who, after a visual examination, is able to identify the disease. But in order to accurately determine the cause and concomitant damage of internal organs, the patient is prescribed a comprehensive physical examination. First, it is necessary to clarify all lesions, and secondly, in this way it is possible to find the foci of accumulation of parasites (if any) and approximate their number.
If you see unpleasant symptoms in the form of rashes, itching and other changes, you should contact specialists such as:
- dermatologist;
- allergy;
- neurosurgeon;
- medical psychologist;
- infectious disease specialist.
A comprehensive examination includes a visit to a neurologist and a medical psychologist, as itching and rashes are often a simple psychological disorder. But such visits were only due to the lack of an accurate diagnosis, which was not done after examination by the local doctor.
In determining the type of disease, the laboratory diagnosis of the patient is especially important, which will accurately indicate the presence of parasites under the skin or in the internal organs. Such a survey consists of two phases:
- Direct diagnosis of parasites - the method of scraping or smearing the mucous membrane is used to study the changes. The direct method is used in cases where there are obvious manifestations of the presence of parasites: redness of the skin, blisters, pustules.
- The second stage involves studying the blood for the presence of antigen-antibody complexes, which accurately determine the immune response to fight the parasite in the human body. As a rule, the eliminated elements in the life activity of the parasite almost completely destroy the protective antibodies, as a result of which the weakened immunity of the body is unable to overcome the invasion andactivities of uninvited guests.
To prescribe treatment, it is necessary to accurately determine the type of parasite that has entered the human body. Here, along with skin scraping or smearing of mucous membranes, hair, blood, fingernails, feces, the contents of skin blisters and other important biological materials are often obtained for analysis.
Treatment
It is impossible to say exactly about the treatment of parasites under the skin. Here, their localization, region and stage of lesions play an important role.
Only the following techniques may be cited as general information:
- Subcutaneous mites must be eliminated using drugs based on the elimination of all types of parasites in the body. Here, specialists often prescribe acaricides, as well as antihistamines. As an external application, antibiotic ointments and gels, as well as vasoconstrictors, for example, a solution of adrenaline-resorcinol in water, act as an effective remedy. The instructions for use and treatment regimens will be explained by the doctor depending on the stage of the lesion.
- Tuberculosis can be treated with surgery. Includes all worms that have spread under the skin of a person or have attacked internal organs. The danger of such lesions lies in the fact that the parasite spreads in the internal organs, causing frequent brain damage. That is why the patient needs to undergo a full comprehensive examination to find the localization of the worms.
The general principle of removing parasites from the body occurs in two ways - a conservative method and surgical intervention. Alternative methods should not be used in the case of treatment of subcutaneous parasites, as it will take a long time and damage to the body can be serious and have consequences for the patient's later life. .
Preventive
Parasitic infection occurs through direct contact with an infected person or infected area, in the case of eating poor quality food or water. The leading place among the causes of parasitic infections is a violation of the rules of hygiene.
To protect yourself from the problems presented, you should:
- Wash your hands before eating, after touching objects in public, as well as after handling money.
- Do not try on someone else's clothes, as that person may be infected with the parasite, the larvae of which are located on the skin and are therefore easily transmitted.
- Do not use other people's cosmetics. Other people's lipstick, mascara, soap, and other items can become carriers of parasite larvae.
- When eating fruits and vegetables, make sure they are washed and other cleaning procedures free from dirt - some of which may include pest larvae.
- In the event of a wound or abrasion, it should be treated immediately to avoid infection.
Take care of your health and mandatory vaccinations in case of an upcoming trip to tropical countries. Do not refuse to help and treat wounds, bites and other mechanical wounds on the skin. So you can protect yourself from the visit of uninvited guests.