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PARASITES / INTESTINAL PARASITES

 

What are intestinal parasites? In reality there are few animals on earth that complete their life cycle alone, without the involvement of other organisms. Just as we rely on living plants and animals for food and nourishment, there are creatures that directly rely on us to survive. While many organisms that inhabit the human body are “friendly” and live in harmony with our systems, parasites only benefit themselves, serving no helpful function in human health. Parasites can be divided into two categories: protozoa, which are single-celled organisms, and helminths, or worms, which are actually multi-celled animals. Harboring parasites can result in numerous health concerns, ranging from abdominal pain, to fever, loose stool, loss of appetite and weight, weakened immune system, and extreme fatigue. In addition, the waste products that parasites excrete can be toxic to the system, causing fatigue, impaired lymphatic function, and irritation of the intestinal lining.

How do you get them? Parasites and worms can be contracted a variety of ways, such as improper disposal of human or animal waste, walking barefoot on contaminated soil, and ingesting raw or partially cooked meat. In some cases, eggs from parasites may become airborne and inhaled through normal breathing. Outbreaks of parasitic infestation are often due to poor sanitary conditions and haphazard food processing and preparation. Professionals are saying that “over 85% of us have some sort of parasite in our bodies.”Parasites have an everlasting food supply,… you!Keep in mind, they are a living thing. They eat…. they urinate…. they defecate… in us!

YOU’RE RIGHT, THEY DO CREATE PROBLEMS FOR US

  • They change our sleeping habits!

  • They change our eating habits!

  • They change our digestive process!

  • They change our attitudes!

  • They change our health!

  • They change our life!


LETS GET TO KNOW THEM BETTER

  • VIRUSES are the smallest of all infectious agents, averaging about 100 nanometers (100 billionths of a meter) in length. They have so few genes and proteins of their own that in order to reproduce they need to commandeer the machinery of the cells they invade.

  • BACTERIA vary widely in size and shape, but tend to be at least 10 times larger than viruses, or at least 1 micrometer (1 millionth of a meter) long. They are single-cell organisms that reproduce independently.

  • SINGLE-CELL PARASITES tend to be at least 10 times larger than bacteria, or about .01 millimeter long.

  • MULTICELLULAR PARASITES are so large they can usually be seen with the naked eye. Tapeworms, for instance, can reach a length of 6 meters (20 feet).


COMMON TYPES OF WORMS:

  • Tapeworms: Taenias – fish tapeworm, beef tapeworm, and pork tapeworm. Obtained from eating raw or undercooked, infected meat. Adult worms can reach a length of more than 15 feet. Pork tapeworms can enter the brain and cause seizures. Fish tapeworms can produce over one million eggs per day. They can grow up to 33 feet. This worm is normally half an inch long, and is usually white/gray in color.

  • Whiteworms: They come in all sizes, from tiny pinworms to those that look like spaghetti or angel hair pasta.

  • Redworms: These look just like earthworms. They exude from the colon wrapped in balls. They reach up to 6 inches long.

  • Inchworms: These are thick (pencil size), black and bumpy, and about 2 inches long.

  • Blackworms: These are 10 – 12 inches in length and leave the colon wrapped in “yellow acid water” mixed together. They nest deep, impacted in the colon wall.

  • Pinworms: Tiny parasites that wiggle out about 3/4 inch long and thicker than white worms. Look like rice.

  • Hookworms: Curved about six inches long, and grayish. Infestation is as high as 50% worldwide. Hookworms grip the intestinal wall and suck blood.

  • “Little fish”: Fish-type parasites with heads and tails that swim out of the colon in schools. About 1/2 inch long, and “everyone has these.

  • ”Threadworms: Cream-colored parasites as thin as a thread. They often come out by the hundreds.

  • “Fuzz balls”: Round parasites with fur on them. About 1/4 – 3/4 inch diameter, yellow in color.

  • “Spiders”: Looks like a spider and are colored brown, often 1 inch long.

  • “Stickpin-Worms”: One inch long and a head like a pea, perfectly round, small ones are white, adults are black.

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