People are used to associating the word "parasites" with common worms common in the human colon. But their location can be so varied that the patient is not even aware of the presence of subcutaneous parasites for several years. Yes, uninvited guests can comfortably sit under a person's skin, and its size can rarely be called microscopic.
Types of parasites and their symptoms.
Does your body itch? Purulent acne on the face? Occasional cloudiness in the eye? All of these 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 this "phenomenon" for many years until some worm is under the epidermis layer and "greets" him.
To further scare the reader, it is necessary to provide characteristics of possible varieties of parasites, the habitat of which is located only under the skin.
Filariasis
If you go to tropical countries, prepare for a fight with insects, which through their bite can not only cause problems in the form of itching or pain, but can also infect you with parasites of the nematode species - filariasis. The danger of the disease lies in the long incubation period, about 5-7 years. During all this time, the parasites will multiply in the human body without giving themselves away with any signs.
With a large number of waste products thrown into the body, poisoning gradually begins to develop in a person, manifesting itself, first of all, with characteristic hives on the skin. She delivers itchiness only in the initial stage. In the future, the patient will grope for various moving seals, face vision loss, and face acute fever.
As for diagnoses, here the patient is examined by a specialist when communicating with the clinic. With the naked eye, she can see worms crawling under the skin, they are also perfectly visible when examining the eyes. By clarifying the course of the disease and the events that precede it, the specialist diagnoses and prescribes the appropriate treatment.
Important!When traveling to hot countries, do not neglect vaccination, even if it is not required by visa control or health services.
Dracunculiasis
Helminths of the presented group enter the body through ingested contaminated water. It contains larvae, the detection of which is, in principle, impossible. But the infection itself can be fatal for a person, as the larvae grow up to a meter in size. One of these helminths can settle in the stomach or penetrate the lungs, completely blocking the person's breathing. But this rarely happens, since in most cases this type of parasite will choose the lower extremities of a person.
Symptoms include:
- itching of the lower extremities;
- the formation of a characteristic roller on the legs or feet;
- various purulent skin lesions;
- peculiar bubbles, reaching at least 8 cm in diameter, which simply burst under the influence of water.
Pay close attention to the type of water you drink, because it is easier to protect yourself and your loved ones from such an infection than to resort to treatment.
Scabies
All unpleasant scabies is manifested only by itching, rarely on the skin you can find changes in the form of spots and redness. This is due to skin mites, whose infection occurs only when you interact with another carrier of the disease or in case of contact with garments of your clothing.
Ticks are small in size, they are not visible to the naked eye, but their activity on the body is quite extensive. In the case of penetration into the skin, the parasites gnaw its ducts in the deep layers of the epidermis, causing itching. With long walks of parasites, passages begin to appear on the skin, and if the surfaces are treated with iodine, you may notice a characteristic cobweb of such passages.
Related signs include:
- bubbles form at scratch spots;
- hands and joint surfaces are more affected.
Important!Despite the rapid diagnosis through examination by a specialist, the treatment can take a long time, so it is better to listen to the precautions against infections.
Demodecosis
Of the many varieties of parasites, tick lesions of the genus Demodex should be mentioned separately. Its distribution is mainly located in the sebaceous glands of the face, which occurs in the form of a characteristic acne. Outwardly, such a reproduction looks very unattractive. Eyelash loss is also known as injuries and symptoms.
Diagnosis of such an injury takes only a few minutes. The doctor simply examines the skin. But the treatment can last several years, even if all the specialist's prescriptions are followed to the letter.
Diagnosis of subcutaneous pests.
In most cases, the diagnosis of the affected skin is made directly in the office of a specialist, who, by means of a visual examination, can already determine the disease. But in order to accurately identify the cause and concomitant injuries of the internal organs, the patient is prescribed a comprehensive medical examination. First of all, it is necessary to clarify all lesions, and secondly, in this way it is possible to find foci of accumulation of parasites (if any) and roughly determine their number.
If you find unpleasant symptoms in the form of a rash, itching and other changes, you should contact specialists such as:
- dermatologist;
- allergist
- neuropathologist;
- medical psychologist;
- infectious disease specialist.
A comprehensive exam includes a visit to a neurologist and a medical psychologist, as itching and rash are often a simple psychological disorder. But such visits are due only to the lack of an accurate diagnosis, which was not made after an examination by the local doctor.
To identify the type of disease, laboratory diagnostics of the patient are especially important, which will accurately show the presence of parasites under the skin or in internal organs. Such a survey includes two stages:
- Direct diagnosis of parasites: a scraping or smear of the mucous membranes is used to study the changes. The direct method is used in case of a clear manifestation of the presence of parasites - redness of the skin, blisters, purulent acne.
- The second stage consists of the study of the blood to detect the presence of antigen-antibody complexes, which accurately determines the immune response to the fight against parasites in the human body. As a rule, the discarded elements of the vital activity of parasites almost completely kill protective antibodies, so the weakened immunity of the body cannot overcome the invasion and activity of uninvited hosts.
To prescribe a treatment, it is necessary to accurately identify the type of parasite that has entered the human body. Here, along with a skin scraping or mucous membrane smear, hair, blood, nails, feces, the contents of skin blisters, and other important biological materials are often taken for analysis.
Treatment
It is impossible to say exactly about the treatment of parasites under the skin. Here, your location, area, and stage of injury play an important role.
Only the following techniques can be cited as general information:
- Subcutaneous mites must be eliminated using medications based on the elimination of all types of parasites from the body. Here, specialists often prescribe acaricidal agents, as well as antihistamines. As an external application, antibiotic ointments and gels, as well as vasoconstrictor drugs, for example, an aqueous solution of adrenaline-resorcinol, act as an effective remedy. The doctor will explain the instructions for use and the treatment regimen based on the stage of the injury.
- Guinea worm is subject to surgical intervention. Including all kinds of worms that have spread under a person's skin or that have already hit internal organs. The danger of such injuries lies in the spread of parasites in the internal organs, which often causes the brain to suffer. That is why the patient must undergo a complete comprehensive examination to find out the location of the worms.
The general principle of removing parasites from the body occurs in two ways: a conservative method and a surgical intervention. It is not recommended to use alternative methods in the case of the treatment of subcutaneous parasites, as it will take a long time and the damage to the body can already be serious and have consequences for the later life of the patient.
Prophylaxis
Parasitic infection occurs through direct contact with a sick person or an infected area, in the case of ingesting poor quality food or water. Among the causes of parasite infestation, the first positions are given to violations of hygiene rules.
To protect yourself from the problems presented, you must:
- Wash your hands before eating food, every time you have been in contact with objects located in public places, as well as after using money.
- Do not taste someone else's things, because you can get infected with parasites, the larvae of which are found on the skin, and therefore are easily transmitted.
- Do not use other people's cosmetics. Lipsticks, masks, someone else's soap, and other items can become the very carriers of parasite larvae.
- When eating fruits and vegetables, be sure to expose them to washing and other cleaning procedures for dirt and dust; among them there may also be pest larvae.
- In case of injury or abrasion, it is necessary to treat them immediately to prevent infection.
Take care of your health and get the mandatory vaccinations in case of an upcoming trip to tropical countries. Don't refuse help and treatment for wounds, bites, and other mechanical skin injuries. So that you can protect yourself from the visit of uninvited people.