Subcutaneous parasites, living in the thickness of human skin, damage it and cause inflammation. They can penetrate from the main "implantation" site to other organs and cause serious illness. Most subcutaneous helminths are found in southern countries, and an average person can get infected with them while on vacation or business trip.
The danger of subcutaneous helminthic invasion is that it is asymptomatic during the incubation period, which can last for years. This later interferes with the treatment and reduces its effectiveness.
What are subcutaneous parasites
Helminths affect not only a person's internal organs, but also their skin. Getting into its thickness, they damage the epidermis, feed on its cells and defecate. The waste products of subcutaneous worms cause poisoning as they contain toxic substances. And the longer the worms are under a person's skin, the more pronounced are the symptoms of invasion.
Subcutaneous worms cause many diseases as they affect the immune and lymphatic systems of the human body. For example, parasites can provoke the development of elephantism - elephantiasis. It interferes with the circulation of lymph in the body. This leads to an increase in the volume of the limbs and their disfigurement. In the last stage, the affected organ becomes covered with ulcers, necrosis develops.
Human helminths that live under the skin include:
- Nematodes of the genus Dirofilaria. Causes heartworm. Infection of the body occurs through the bite of blood-sucking insects: lice, fleas, ticks, which are carriers of larvae from one host to another. An adult heartworm can reach 30 cm in length. The reproduction process takes place in the thickness of the skin, so the female puts microfilariae into the bloodstream.
- Filariae. Causes filariasis. They are parasitic roundworms. An adult can reach almost half a meter, while the diameter of the body is no more than 0. 3 mm. Filariasis carriers are blood-sucking insects that transmit parasite larvae from one host to another.
- roundworm larvae. A person causes the development of cysticercosis. The infection occurs through the intestine, where the parasite eggs penetrate along with water, food, dirt. Subsequently, under the influence of gastric juices, its shell dissolves - the larvae come out. Then they are transported throughout the body along with the bloodstream.
- Blood worms of the genus Schistosoma. It's called schistosomiasis. An adult can reach 2 cm in length. Reproduction occurs through the penetration of larvae into the body - cercariae along with water.
Main manifestations and treatment
If a person has parasites under the skin, this is first reflected in his condition: sagging, color changes, scarring and microcracks appear. This is due to the fact that the "guests" damage the skin, feed on its cells and poison the waste.
Subcutaneous parasites in humans cause symptoms of helminthic invasion:
- Allergic rashes;
- Cough;
- Decreased immunity;
- Itch;
- Peeling, redness of the skin;
- Appetite problems;
- Joint and muscle pain;
- sleep disorders;
- Irritability;
- Apathy.
Skin parasites in a sick person cause malfunctions of the entire organism: anemia, dysbacteriosis, etc. develop.
Treatment of a parasitic disease is selected individually. The choice of method is influenced by the degree of damage to the body, symptoms and type of pathogen. In some cases, in addition to drug treatment, an operation may be required to remove the helminth from under the skin or even the entire affected organ.
Along with anthelmintic drugs, antihistamines, vasoconstrictors are used. If the inflammation started due to worms living under the skin, antibiotic therapy is necessary.
You should not try to get rid of helminths that live under the skin with the help of traditional medicine - as practice shows, they are ineffective and can harm human health.
Symptoms of Filariasis
The subcutaneous worms that cause this disease - filariae - appear in the human body after the bite of an infected bloodsucking insect. The largest number of cases are recorded in tropical and subtropical countries.
These subcutaneous worms in humans are able to live in the human body and not manifest themselves for a long time: the incubation period of the disease can last up to 7 years. This makes diagnosis difficult.
The symptoms and manifestations of the invasion appear gradually, as the parasite grows under a person's skin and its effect on surrounding tissues. The most common manifestations of filariasis include:
- Urticaria;
- Itch;
- warts;
- eczema;
- Small hard lumps under the skin.
As the illness worsens, fever, general weakness, headache, and drowsiness may occur.
Filariasis treatment should take place in a hospital setting. For drug deworming, antiparasitic drugs are used. The effectiveness of therapy is monitored by a blood test. In cases where it does not help, a sick person undergoes a surgical operation to restore lymph flow from the affected organ.
Cysticercosis and schistosomiasis
Tapeworm larvae cause cysticercosis. This type of helminth is distinguished by its ability to survive: it is enough for a parasite to enter the human body and quickly turn into an adult, which will then begin to multiply.
This feature makes it difficult to treat the disease - if the head segment remains after the worm is surgically removed, the parasite will grow back. Despite the fact that the adult tapeworm is located in the human intestine, its larvae are spread throughout the body with the bloodstream, including under the skin. Subsequently, they can stay there for a long time - from 5 to 30 years.
If, with cysticercosis, the worms are coiled under the skin or in muscle tissue, then for a person the disease is asymptomatic. However, the location of the parasite can be determined by tumor-like neoplasms that will rise above the skin. On palpation of the tubercle, it can be determined that it is hollow inside. The skin of the shoulders, the upper half of the chest, and the palms of the hands often become the favorite spot for tapeworm larvae.
With subcutaneous cysticercosis, medication is not carried out, the patient must be under the supervision of a doctor. This is due to the fact that when the parasite dies after using antiparasitic agents, toxins begin to enter the body. They, in turn, can give a strong allergic reaction.
Schistosomiasis larvae, cercariae cause schistosomiasis in humans. Infection occurs through water. The first symptoms of worms under the skin appear 10-15 minutes after invasion. This is due to the fact that worms under the skin secrete a large amount of their own secretory fluid, which causes a toxic-allergic reaction in a person.
First manifestations:
- intense itching;
- Urticaria;
- Skin irritation.
Then there is a lull, after which (after 1-2 months) the acute stage of schistosomiasis begins, which indicates the neglect of the disease:
- Fever;
- nocturnal hyperhidrosis;
- Urticaria;
- Dry cough;
- Changes in the qualitative composition of blood.
Currently, the treatment of schistosomiasis is limited to the use of 2 anthelmintics. In the acute phase of the disease, steroids, antihistamines, anti-inflammatory drugs are also used.
Dirofilaria and Morgellon Viruses
These two diseases have similar symptoms, with some differences. With heartworm disease, a sick person finds on his body a small tubercle under the skin, which moves during palpation. This is what indicates that a subcutaneous worm ended up in the body. The same manifestation of invasion is observed with the Morgellon virus.
The essential difference between these two parasites is that heartworm does not bother the host: the blister under the skin does not cause discomfort, it may appear and disappear from time to time. Worms parasitize on the arm, leg, near the eyes, nose, on the chest, in men - on the genitals. If heartworm has been under the skin of a person for a long time, under the influence of toxins, the body temperature rises and weakness is felt.
With the Morgellon virus, an intense itching is felt on the skin of the helminthic invasion. In the absence of medical care, a bleeding wound, eczema, soon appears. This increases the risk of infecting the body with other diseases several times over.
The best treatment for the parasite is surgical removal.