People are accustomed to associating the word "parasites" with common worms common in the human gut. But their localization can be so diverse that the patient does not even know about the presence of subcutaneous parasites for several years. Yes, uninvited guests can sit comfortably under a person’s skin, and their size can rarely be called microscopic.
Types of parasites and their symptoms
Does your body itch? Purulent acne on the face? Occasional clouds in the eye? These are all subcutaneous parasites that move vigorously throughout the body and can affect internal organs. Such movement occurs on its own or with blood flow. The patient may not know about such a "phenomenon" for many years until a worm finds itself under the layer of the epidermis and "greets" it.
To scare the reader even more, it is necessary to list the characteristics of possible varieties of parasites whose habitat is located just under the skin.
Filariasis
If you go to tropical countries, be prepared to fight insects, which with their bite can cause not only problems in the form of itching or pain, but can also infect you with parasites of the nematode type - filariasis. The danger of the disease lies in a long incubation period - about 5-7 years. All this time the parasites will multiply in the human body without giving any signs.
With a large amount of waste products that are injected into the body, a person gradually begins to develop intoxication, which is manifested, above all, by the characteristic urticaria on the skin. It itches only in the initial stage. In the future, the patient will feel several movable seals, will face vision loss, will cope with acute fever.
As for diagnostics, here the patient is examined by a specialist when contacting the clinic. With the naked eye you can see the reptiles under the skin, which are also perfectly visible when examining the eyes. Explaining the course of the disease and the events that precede it, the specialist diagnoses and prescribes appropriate treatment.
Bitan!When traveling to hot countries, do not neglect vaccination, even if it is not required by visa control or health services.
Dracunculosis
Helminths from the presented group enter the body through the ingested contaminated water. It contains larvae whose detection is in principle impossible. But the infection itself can be fatal to a person, as the larvae grow up to one meter. One such helminth can settle in the stomach or penetrate the lungs, completely blocking a person’s breathing. But this rarely happens, because in most cases, this type of parasite will choose a person's lower limbs.
Symptoms include:
- itching of the lower extremities;
- creating a characteristic roller on the legs or feet;
- various purulent skin lesions;
- distinctive bubbles, reaching at least 8 cm in diameter, which simply burst under the influence of water.
Pay special attention to what kind 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 the unpleasant itching is manifested only by itching, rarely on the skin you can find any changes in the form of spots and redness. This is due to skin mites, whose infection occurs only when interacting with another carrier of the disease or in case of contact with clothing.
Ticks are small in size, not visible to the naked eye, but their activity in the body is quite extensive. In case of penetration into the skin, the parasites bite their passages in the deep layers of the epidermis - this causes itching. With long walks of parasites, passages begin to appear on the skin, and if the surfaces are treated with iodine, you can notice the characteristic cobweb of such passages.
Related characters include:
- bubbles form at the scratching points;
- the hands and joint surfaces are more affected.
Bitan!Despite a quick diagnosis through examination by a specialist, treatment can take some time, so it is better to listen to precautions against infection.
Demodectic mange
Of the many varieties of parasites, it is worth mentioning the lesions of ticks of the genus Demodex. Their distribution is localized mainly in the sebaceous glands of the face, which is presented in the form of characteristic acne. From the outside, such reproduction looks very unattractive. Eyelash loss is also called lesions and symptoms.
The diagnosis of such a lesion takes only a few minutes. The doctor simply examines the skin. But treatment can take several years, even if all the prescriptions of experts are followed exactly.
Diagnosis of subcutaneous pests
In most cases, the diagnosis of the affected skin is made directly in the office of a specialist, who can already determine the disease by visual inspection. But in order to accurately identify the cause and the accompanying lesions of the internal organs, the patient was prescribed an extensive medical examination. First, it is necessary to clarify all the lesions, and secondly, in this way it is possible to find the foci of parasite accumulations (if any) and approximately determine their number.
If you find unpleasant symptoms in the form of rash, itching and other changes, you should consult such specialists as:
- dermatologist;
- allergist;
- neuropathologist;
- medical psychologist;
- infectious disease specialist.
A comprehensive examination includes a visit to a neurologist and medical psychologist, as itching and rash are often a simple psychological disorder. But such visits are only a consequence of the lack of an accurate diagnosis, which was not made after an examination by a local doctor.
In identifying the type of disease, laboratory diagnosis of the patient is especially important, which will accurately show the presence of parasites under the skin or in internal organs. Such research includes two phases:
- Direct diagnosis of parasites - scraping or swabbing the mucosa 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 phase involves studying the blood for the presence of an antigen-antibody complex, which precisely determines the immune response to the fight against parasites in the human body. As a rule, the rejected elements of the vital activity of the parasite almost completely kill the protective antibodies, due to which the weakened immunity of the body is unable to overcome the invasion and activity of uninvited guests.
To prescribe treatment, it is necessary to accurately identify the type of parasite that has penetrated the human body. Here, along with scraping the skin or smearing the mucous membranes, hair, blood, nails, feces, the contents of the blisters on the skin 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 their location, area and stage of the lesion play an important role.
Only the following techniques can be listed as general information:
- Subcutaneous mites must be removed with drugs based on the elimination of all types of parasites in the body. Here, experts often prescribe acaricidal drugs as well as antihistamines. As an external application, antibiotic ointments and gels, as well as vasoconstrictive drugs, for example, an aqueous solution of adrenaline-resorcinol, act as an effective drug. The instructions for use and treatment regimen will be explained by the doctor depending on the stage of the lesion.
- Dracunculosis is subject to surgery. Including all types of worms that have spread under a person's skin or have already affected internal organs. The danger of such lesions lies in the spread of parasites in the internal organs, which often causes brain suffering. Therefore, the patient must undergo a complete comprehensive examination to detect the location of the worm.
The general principle of removing parasites from the body occurs in two ways - by conservative method and surgical intervention. The use of alternative methods in the case of treatment of subcutaneous parasites is not recommended, as it will take a long time, and damage to the body can already be serious and have consequences for the patient's later life.
Prophylaxis
Parasite infection occurs through direct contact with a sick person or an infected area, in the case of consuming poor quality food or water. Violations of hygiene rules have a leading place among the causes of parasite infection.
To protect yourself from the problems presented, you need to:
- Wash your hands before eating, each time after contact with items in public places, as well as after using money.
- Don't try on other people's things because they can be infected with parasites, whose larvae are on the skin and are so easily transmitted.
- Do not use other people's cosmetics. Lipsticks, mascaras, other people's soap and other objects can become the same carriers of parasite larvae.
- When eating fruits and vegetables, be sure to expose them to washing and other cleaning procedures from dirt and dust - among them may be pest larvae.
- In case of a wound or scratch, they need to be treated immediately to prevent infection.
Take care of your health and undergo mandatory vaccination in case of an upcoming trip to tropical countries. Do not refuse this help and treatment of wounds, bites and other mechanical injuries to the skin. This way you can protect yourself from visiting uninvited guests.