Are you one of those who are continually undergoing abdomen upsets pretty often? Is this linked with a persistent sensation of queasiness and loose stools? You may be in a shocker as you might be cherishing parasites in your stomach. Of course, it is frightening to hear, but it’s the truth. But, not all the parasites are bad for your body, some of them can be beneficial such as gut bacteria. In order to know about parasites you initially have to understand the chemistry between the parasites and the body. But before that, you require to know what actually are intestinal parasites?
Intestinal Parasites
These are such types of parasites or worms that live inside another organism’s body and feed them for their nourishment and growth. Frequently these parasites exist in the intestinal tract of an organism. The most prevalent classes of abdominal worms are flatworms and roundworms.
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Flatworms – which usually include tapeworms and flukes.
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Roundworms – which cause ascariasis, pinworm, and hookworm infections.
What are the Symptoms?
Parasites release some toxins into the body which when interact with the intestinal juices cause hormonal changes.
Once these intestinal parasites are successful in making a home in your body, then it may be troublesome to detect them.
In general, most of the time, there are no such symptoms, but an infected person may undergo mild symptoms that are given below.
Common signs of intestinal worms are:
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Gastric pain
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Diarrhea, queasiness, or vomiting
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Gas/bloating
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Tiredness
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Constant weight loss
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Anemia
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Fever
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Allergy
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Cephalalgias
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Redness of skin
Internal and external difference between flatworms and roundworms
Both these worms may appear similar to each other but they have different internal and external features. Flatworms belong to the Phylum Platyhelminthes with over 20,000 Species collectively. Whereas roundworms belong to the Phylum Nematoda with over 16,000 parasitic species.
In general, flatworms are dorso-ventrally flattened while roundworms are more cylindrical and are tapered at both ends. Similarly, roundworms have a stiff external cover called a cuticle that they shed frequently during their lives as they develop. Flatworms are not equipped with this, as their bodies are embraced with cilia, hairlike growths.
Apart from this, flatworms frequently exist in bodies of water, while roundworm classes can breathe either on water or in soil. Talking about the internal features, flatworms do not have a body cavity as they are acoelomate. Also, they have a gastrovascular cavity, with only a single opening that functions as both mouth and anus. On the other hand, roundworms are pseudocoelomates, which indicates they have a body cavity separating the endoderm and mesoderm layers. Also, they have a complete digestive tract, with two separate openings for the mouth and anus. Apart from this, diversity is more eminent amongst roundworms as compared to flatworms.
Are these parasites toxic to humans?
Definitely, there are plenty of free-living flatworms and roundworms that are harmful to humans. Some of them include Blood flukes, liver flukes, lung flukes, etc. Also, there are worms such as hookworms and whipworms that cause diseases such as Ascaris.
Though, there are some natural ways through which you can get rid of these intestinal parasites. Some of them are:
Having a parasite cleanse diet
Research has found that over half of the percentage of people do not know that they have a parasite in their bodies. And that’s the reason you should plan a diet that not only keeps you healthy but also keeps these parasites away from your body.
Practitioners suggest implying specific dietary strategies in the treatment of intestinal parasites. These strategies involve temporarily withdrawing coffee, refined sugar, alcohol, and refined grain. Apart from this, including more garlic into your meal and consuming vitamin B and C foods can also help keep parasites away from the body. Also, research has found that remedies such as pumpkin seeds, papaya seeds, berberine, clove oil, curled mint are also natural parasite cleansing foods that must be included in your diet. Some natural practitioners also suggest a healthy dose of probiotics, because it protects your body against another infestation.
Berberine
A compound accessible in a variety of herbs such as the European barberry (Berberis vulgaris), berberine has been found to fight off intestinal parasites in several preliminary studies. In a report, berberine derived from barberry showed action that may help protect against tapeworm infection. Along with barberries, berberine is found in herbs like goldenseal and coptis.
Papaya seeds
Papaya seeds possess anthelmintic and anti-amoebic characteristics that help in expelling intestinal parasites. Also, it enhances the digestion and results in killing the parasites.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon raises the temperature within your intestine, thus making the survival of parasites difficult. It also improves your digestion and makes the excretion of parasites easier.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera displays purgative effects that help in cleaning out all the toxins as well as parasites from your belly. It is one of the most immeasurable remedies for operating intestinal parasites.
The relationship between parasites and humans has always remained a mystery. Though there are some cases where parasites have been seen as beneficial for human health. But most of the time they have perpetually been troublesome for humans.
In a study, it was found that women who possess roundworms in their bodies get fertile more frequently and quickly as compared to others. Also, studies have shown that roundworms trigger an anti-inflammatory response in humans. Another study stated that a blood-sucking parasite called hookworm can cure sensitivities, fever, and asthma. But it hasn’t been scientifically proven that hookworms are the solution.
There is a lot more to know about the parasites, and scientists are clearly working on this. Links and the chemical relationship between humans and parasites are not justified since more research is required on it. Though, you can say that parasites can both be harmful and beneficial to humans. Only the thing you have to do is to find the right one for you that best suits your body. Moreover, if you are fighting against the parasites then, the above-mentioned natural remedies may help you in that.