Human body parasites

[Guest guest]

Human body parasites

 

Human bodies, inside and out, are swarming with living parasites. Find

out which ones!

 

 

Millions of parasites, including mites, worms, bacteria, fungi, and

viruses are eating your flesh right now. The human race is subject to

infestation by more than 1,000 types of parasites. These freeloaders

can be extremely harmful, wreaking havoc on the health or their

unwitting hosts.

 

Virtually all parts of our bodies will host some type of parasite

within our lifetimes. Parasitic infestation of the bodies of humans

has reached epidemic proportions in some parts of the world, including

North America, representing a major health challenge that is often

overlooked by medical professionals. There is a tendency to only treat

the symptoms: chronic fatigue, skin rashes, muscle and joint pain,

weakened immune system, forgetfulness, food allergies, colitis, water

retention and many others, without considering that parasites may be

the root cause of health problems.

 

Parasites are living beings that exist on the bodies of other living

things. Inside the human body, parasites enjoy what we eat, sucking

the nutrients from our food while we get the leftovers and the

parasites' waste products. An example a particularly nasty parasite is

an American species of hookworm, aptly named Necator Americanus or

American Murderer. These ugly creatures attach themselves to

intestinal walls, then suck on tissues and blood, causing the host to

suffer from iron deficiency anemia.

 

When we are always hungry, we may jokingly say that we have tapeworms.

However, there is nothing funny about tapeworms. These huge parasites

may be more than 30 feet long and are capable of producing a million

plus eggs a day. Tapeworms consume so much food that the host may

actually be hungry all the time, yet may appear obese because of

tapeworm-induced water retention.

 

Pinworms are extremely common intestinal parasites. It's hard to avoid

pinworm infestation; their eggs are often airborne. Once pinworms are

snugly ensconced inside the human body, they crawl outside the anus at

night, causing severe itching, and then lay their eggs on bedding or

sleep wear.

 

One thing to remember about parasites: Although most of them lack a

brain as we know it, they are highly developed survival machines. They

focus all their energies on eating and reproducing. Getting rid of

them is difficult.

 

Not all parasites are menacing. Some living things that park

themselves on or in our bodies actually perform a service. One example

is the relatively harmless tooth amoeba. Brushing your teeth won't

drive these tiny squatters out; they run for cover when they see a

toothbrush, then happily emerge to feast on microscopic bits of food

or other organic material. This kind of relationship between host and

parasite is called mutualism.

 

Another less than dangerous parasite is the dust mite. Although they

can cause allergies, dust mites operate as a sort of clean up crew for

our skin. They march about on our skin and scalps all day, scarfing up

dead skin cells. They coexist with Demodex Folliculorum, the rather

ordinary eyebrow mite, which lives in human hair. Harmless compared to

the Dracula-like hookworm, eyebrow mites have been implicated in hair

loss but pose no significant health risk.

 

Combine the invisible guests such as worms and bacteria with visible

ones like fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies -- all of whom feed

on human blood or tissue -- and it's easy to get a little paranoid

about being host to an army of parasites.

 

What to do if you suspect that you suffer from an infestation of

harmful parasites? (Remember, experts say that more than 85 per cent

of us are.) The first thing to remember is; don't panic and run out to

buy a bagful of remedies that may be useless. Removing parasites takes

time and patience. There are a number of books available that provide

useful information that will help you and your health care provider

make wise decisions. Check out The Essentials of Medical Parasitology

by Thomas J. Brooks. Animals Parasitic in Man by Geoffrey Lapage.

Medical Parasitology by Markell and Voge, and just for fun, consider

Furtive Fauna by Roger Knutson. On the Web , search for writings by

Dr. Ross Anderson, N.D., Dr. Peter Wina, Dr. Frank Nova, and Dr. Hazel

Parcels.

 

One additional way you can keep parasites away is to strengthen your

own immune system. Eliminate sugar, saturated fat, junk food, white

flour, yeast, alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. Avoid eating meat that is

not well done. Educate yourself about proper food handling and storage

practices. Drink plenty of pure water and consider a moderate exercise

program.

 

Practice good personal hygiene by washing your hands often with an

antibacterial soap. Clean surfaces in your home with a mixture of 1/4

cup liquid laundry detergent (not dishwashing detergent) and 4

tablespoons chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Use rubber gloves and

keep the area well ventilated.