parasites

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http://www.fungusfocus.com/html/parasites_general_info.htm

 

 

The topic of parasites is included in this web site because it is

commonly recognized (at least in the alternative medical community)

that intestinal " dysbiosis " frequently is accompanied by, or caused

by, infestation with intestinal parasites. " Dysbiosis " refers to a

disorder of the natural biological state of the intestines, such as a

Candida or other fungus or yeast overgrowth, or the presence of

pathogenic bacteria or parasites.

 

Candida overgrowth is a major topic of this web site. The experience

as recounted by very many healthcare professionals in Internet

resources, as well as the personal experiences of Candida sufferers,

is that Candida overgrowths are commonly accompanied by both

pathogenic bacteria and parasites. The yeast forms a coating on the

mucosal lining of the intestines, and that lining provides protective

cover for the growth of these other undesirable agents.

 

Separately from Candida, there are numerous credible sources

suggesting that even in developed countries a very large percentage of

the population harbors intestinal parasites. The logic of their

arguments is hard to ignore.

 

HOW WE GET PARASITES

 

Kids are basically unsanitary. Kids eat dirt, play in the dirt with

other kids; wade or swim with other kids who may be unclean and may

even have dirty diapers. Diaper changing at home and at day care

centers can pass germs and parasites from one child to another, and to

surfaces, and to adults. And it's not just today's children, we all

grew up like this, having lots of potential for contracting parasites

that " found a home " and stayed with us.

 

We eat salads and raw ground-growing fruits and vegetables (carrots,

strawberries, cantaloupes, and so on) that are anything but sterile.

Food handlers may have " less than perfect " hygiene practices and may

themselves be infected with parasites. Foods that might be

contaminated, such as beef, pork and poultry, might not be properly

prepared. We play kissy-face with our pets. Lots of people, including

those in the armed forces, travel to undeveloped countries where

sanitation is poor. There are significant numbers of immigrants from

these undeveloped countries to Western countries, and a huge

percentage of those people carry parasites and other intestinal

infections.

 

We repeatedly and continually come in contact with parasitic sources

for our entire lives.

 

ARE PARASITIC INFECTIONS REALLY COMMON?

 

In a study of outpatients at the Gastroenterology Clinic in Elmhurst,

N.Y., a 74% incidence of parasites was found. A total of 20% of this

population harbored pathogens. One survey of public health

laboratories reported that 15.6% of specimens examined contained a

parasite. At Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory, almost 30% of

specimens examined are positive for a parasite.

 

ARE THEY UGLY?

 

Most of them are microscopic in size -- single celled amoebas and

other protozoa. Some of the Helminths (worms and flukes) are also

microscopic in size, but most are larger -- some very large. The four

classes of parasites are:roundworms

 

* protozoa (amoebas, Giardia, Plasmodium [malaria]);

* nematodes (roundworms, pinworms, and hookworms);

* cestodes (tapeworms);

* trematodes (flukes).

 

Some of these are really ugly. If you need an ugly fix, take a gander

at these roundworms. Yuuck!

 

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

 

Because of our constant exposure to parasites, the more progressive

healthcare professionals believe it's an odds-on chance that you carry

a parasitic infection. But, how would you know? Some symptoms would be

obvious clues, especially diarrhea and other intestinal difficulties.

But, many believe that it causes much less obvious symptoms, including

conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia.

 

According to Skye Weintraub, a Naturopathic physician and author of

The Parasite Menace, a parasitic infection could be manifested by any

number of signs. These include constipation, diarrhea, gas and

bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, joint and muscle aches and pains,

anemia, allergies, skin conditions, nervousness, sleep disturbances,

teeth grinding, and chronic fatigue.

 

Many health practitioners believe not only that parasites may be

responsible for a number of other health problems. Weintraub says,

" Many parasites go undetected because they are not producing serious

symptoms. It is easy to attribute feeling ill to other causes because

parasitic infections look like lots of other conditions. I have seen

other health problems disappear once the body has become parasite-free. "

 

The information provided here is just the beginning of understanding

parasitic infections. Many parasites are passed through the food chain

to the GI tract where they reproduce. The larvae can travel through

the blood stream and settle into any organ or part of the body. Most

well known is trichinosis caused by a roundworm (nematode) that is

ingested from eating infected meat, especially pork. The larvae settle

into the muscles where they form a cyst. Encysted larvae can remain

viable for many years, and in most cases, for the life of the animal

(and you). An infected swine will generally not show any clinical

signs of illness unless large numbers of the parasite are present.

 

Another example is the liver fluke, a trematode that lives in the bile

ducts in the liver and infects an estimated 30 million people. It is

primarily contracted from eating raw or inadequately cooked fish. The

worms can live at least as long as 10 years, and possibly as long as

20 years, but they reproduce so an infection is not self-limiting and

can be fatal.

 

The following snip from an Australian web site on parasites provides

revealing information on occult protozoan infections:

 

" Blastocystis hominis (B. hominis) & Dientamoeba fragilis (D.

fragilis) are protozoan parasites capable of causing constipation

and/or diarrhoea, mushy stools, stomach pain, bloating, chronic

fatigue, & weight loss. They have been implicated in some cases of

colitis, allergic colitis & bowel inflammation.

 

" Surveys employing specific stool collection and testing

techniques find the rate of infection is up to 50% in the general

population of many western countries. Despite these findings, the type

of testing necessary to detect these parasites is not routinely used

in clinical practice.

 

" Many people suffer digestive symptoms for years before diagnosis.

The symptoms are often wrongly attributed to Irritable Bowel Syndrome

(IBS). "

 

HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF I HAVE PARASITES?

 

The degree of rigor of the treatment program might depend on the

degree of certainty of an infestation, so a definitive lab test is a

good place to start. If you also have Candida symptoms, this is the

time to also have a screening test done to determine if Candida is a

factor.

 

See our associated web page FUNGAL, YEAST, AND PARASITE LAB TESTS for

tests and organizations that specialize in testing for parasites. The

mainstream medical and hospital labs have a poor reputation in

discovering parasitic infestations, so your medical practitioner

should use a lab that specializes in digestive disorders. Several such

labs are listed on the lab tests page. Any licensed medical

practitioner in your state can order these tests -- licensed medical

practitioners include MD's, DO's, Naturopaths, Chiropractors,

nutritionists, and a spectrum of other specialties -- see our HOW TO

FIND A DOCTOR page for more information.

 

Also see our associated web page MAKING SENSE OF FUNGAL, YEAST, AND

PARASITE LAB TESTS.

WHAT DO I DO?

 

In many cases, the treatment will be straightforward. If you do not

have a complication with Candidiasis, a parasitic infection can be

treated in a variety of ways that may include intestinal cleansing,

herbal remedies, and prescription drugs. If you have a Candida

overgrowth, then you need to treat both the Candida and parasite

infections concurrently.

 

Some people believe that their chances of having or contracting a

parasitic infection are high, and therefore undertake a routine

intestinal cleansing program just to eliminate parasites should there

be any. These are perhaps many of the same people who believe that a

periodic intestinal cleanse is a basic part of good health -- sort of

a " spring cleaning " approach.

 

Conventional (Allopathic) Medicine: If you suspect that you have a

parasitic infection then you might select a doctor or healthcare

provider who can order lab tests from one of the specialty labs. (Be

aware, though, that your suspicions might be wrong, and the source of

your problems might be something quite different, and potentially

serious.) If parasites are identified, and if your doctor is an MD or

DO (the only ones who can order prescription drugs), then they will no

doubt write a prescription for a standard medication likely to be

effective against the particular parasite. And that might be the end

of it.

 

You should know, however, that not all of the standard anti-parasitic

drugs are equally effective against all parasites, and many physicians

do not have the drug-parasite matrix memorized (probably almost none

of them do, and that's also about how many will take the trouble to

look it up). So, if the treatment isn't effective, it might mean some

research is required on your part. Ask the doctor's office staff for a

photocopy of the lab test results for your file -- they almost always

will comply without hesitation.

 

Once you have the name of the infecting organism you can do a targeted

search on a service like Google. Google is an excellent method of

exploring very narrow research topics. Search on the name of the

parasite along with one or more terms such as drug, drugs, medication,

sensitivity, and prescription to narrow the search results. When you

find a web page from a reliable medical resource that describes the

sensitivity of the organism to available drugs you are ready to make

another appointment -- with that doctor, or another one. Now, however,

you've got another problem -- the ego thing. Doctors aren't fond of

patients thinking that they know more than the doctor about treating

illnesses, so, you need to be diplomatic.

 

Alternative Medicine: The homeopathic, natural healing approach to

treatment excludes the use of prescription drugs, and instead depends

on herbal remedies, colonics, fiber and mineral absorptive agents,

intestinal cleansing, and so on. There is an enormous amount of

medical information available on the Internet from alternative

medicine sources and believers. We counted, and there are a bazillion

and nine web pages about parasitic treatments. Basically, they distill

down to two things: intestinal cleansing to clear out debris that

might be harboring or protecting the parasites, and herbal remedies to

kill the parasites.

 

Intestinal Cleansing: There are a wide variety of intestinal cleansing

programs and products. The Lemonade Diet is one such program that

seems to be favored by the online Candida sufferers community; read

our pages on INTESTINAL CLEANSING and MODIFIED LEMONADE DIET for more

information.

 

Herbal Remedies: There are dozens of herbal products on the market for

treating parasites. They all are composites of a number of individual

herbs having anti-parasitic qualities. Many of these herbs have been

used for hundreds and even thousands of years to rid humans and their

domesticated animals of intestinal parasites. Please see the

Anti-Parasitic section in our Product Guide for information on the

products we offer.

 

The following note from the Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab provides a

bit of authentication for herbal remedies for parasites:

 

Natural alternatives

 

Mirelman reported that allicin, the active principle of garlic

extract, is an inhibitor of growth for Entamoeba histolytica. Other

studies suggest its effectiveness with other parasites as well.

 

Other reports claim that berberine, the active ingredient of

goldenseal (Hydrastis), Oregon grape root (mahonia aquifolium), and

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) are effective against Entamoeba

histolytica and compare favorably to Quinacrine HCl in the treatment

of Giardiasis.

 

Quassia appears to be another useful anti-helminthic, which

anecdotally has been used successfully for Ascaris lumbricoides

(roundworms), amoebic dysentery and giardiasis. An advantage of

Quassia is its low toxicity.

 

Veterinary Remedies: There are a number of products available

over-the-counter (OTC) for treatment of animals, especially dogs, for

various worm infestations. Interestingly, the medications in some of

these products are the same as used in humans. (Interestingly, but not

surprisingly. Other than the obvious differences, dogs are almost

identical to humans biologically. This is the reason dogs are

frequently used to test drugs before testing them on humans. And,

almost every prescription drug for humans is also used for the

treatment of dogs, including Prozac and other psycho-pharmaceuticals.)

For example, OTC products include Tradewinds brand Dog Wormer which

consists of praziquantel, and Happy Jack Liqui-Vict 2X which consists

of pyrantel pamoate. Together, these two drugs are the standard drugs

for treatment of humans for pinworms, roundworms, hookworms (pyrantel

pamoate), and for tapeworms as well as intestinal, liver, lung, and

blood flukes (praziquantel). Other OTC worming drugs are also

available, such as Happy Jack's Tapeworm Tablets, consisting of

dichlorophene.

OTHER FUNGUSFOCUS PAGES ON PARASITES

 

For more information, especially relating to Candida, see our page on

TREATMENT PROTOCOLS.

 

Our page on Diagnostic Lab Tests covers medical lab tests for fungus,

yeast, bacteria, and parasites.

 

Three monographs by Gastroenterologist Dr. David Bernstein provide

details on ROUNDWORMS (nematodes), TAPEWORMS (cestodes), and FLUKES

(trematodes), with descriptions, diagnoses, and treatments.

 

An encyclopedic source provides a one-page overview of each of the two

classes of anti-parasitic drugs: Anti-protozoal drugs, and

Anthelmintics drugs (worms).

 

A monograph from the World Health Organization (WHO) on ANTHELMINTICS

describes the five basic and three additional drugs that cover the

most common parasitic worm infections (note that this list includes

pyrantel and praziquantel).

 

A page from the CDC (the US Center for Disease Control) describes

blood serum diagnostic procedures for intestinal parasites.

 

Read one or more of the books from our selection of bestsellers and

technical references on our page BOOKS ON PARASITES.

BOOKS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES

 

The CDC maintains an information web site on Diagnosis of Parasitic

Diseases (DPDx) at http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/Default.htm, including

information on identification, diagnostic tests, and recommended

treatments.

 

An extensive listing of symptoms that can be caused by parasites is at

INVISTA.

 

This same site provides a description of about 40 herbal remedies used

to treat parasitic infections