Symptoms of parasites under the human skin

26 February 2022

Often, when we hear about parasites, we certainly imagine helminths, but in reality their number is large today.

Many of them can exist in the upper layers of the epithelium and subcutaneous fat, remaining invisible to the bearer.

The subcutaneous worm can enter the human body: through tactile contact with infected people; from bloodsucking insects carrying parasite larvae from animals.

The main feature of this invasion is the difficulty in recognizing the pathology, since at first the infection can be masked by other somatic diseases.

The main signs of the presence of this type of parasites in the body are severe weakness, decreased performance and a constant desire to scratch the skin. When these signs appear, it is advisable to turn to specialists: a therapist, a dermatologist, an allergist, an infectious disease specialist. The joint work of doctors and the diagnostic methods used by them in their work help to recognize the presence of subcutaneous invasion in the body over time.

Types of helminths

There are a number of subcutaneous worms that can create a lot of problems with their appearance. Their presence can be detected if you pay attention to certain symptoms. With timely diagnosis of the disease, getting rid of unwanted guests will be much easier.

To get an idea of how to quickly recognize their presence, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most popular representatives:

Filariasis

This type of helminthiasis is found exclusively in tropical areas. Therefore, when traveling, be as careful as possible, it will not be difficult to collect it.

Pathogens are a great danger, since the duration of the incubation period can reach from 5 to 7 years, while actively reproducing. They show no sign of their presence, continuing to absorb nutrients and vitamins into the body all these years.

Dracuncoliasis

Parasitosis can overtake the future carrier in helminth-infected water. It is impossible to determine with the naked eye the presence of the larvae of this parasite in the water, in addition, neither the device nor special analyzes will be able to determine. The danger lies in the fact that an inconspicuous larva can reach one meter in its mature state. As a rule, dracunculiasis infection leads to death.

It must be understood that the death is due to the fact that an adult helminth of meters in length occupies a large part of the stomach and easily penetrates the lungs, thus blocking access to the oxygen supply. But, as a rule, pathogens are found in the lower extremities, so cases of death are quite rare in modern medicine.

Scabies

This type of disease is by far the most common. It will not be an exaggeration that, perhaps, every second inhabitant of the planet has encountered this unpleasant disease. The main symptom of this disease is constant itching on the skin.

If you look closely, you can determine exactly where the worms are, instead of their localization, you can observe noticeable redness and irritation of the skin. In addition to intense itching, unpleasant symptoms are no longer observed in an infected person.

On a note.Transmission is done from the sick to the healthy, through physical contact, as well as when using the same things.

Diagnosis is almost impossible without the availability of special equipment, it is possible to determine, as mentioned above, only the place of their mass accumulation. The cause of the irritation is explained by the fact that parasitic mites penetrate under the epithelium disturbing the upper layer of the epithelium, thus leaving obvious traces.

demodicosis

Pathogens prefer the sebaceous glands as a habitat. Their appearance is accompanied by purulent formations on the face, which are so easily confused with acne. The more intense the parasite develops, the more noticeable it is on the face. In addition to abscesses, it should be said about another symptom that may seem even more unpleasant: the loss of eyelashes.

Caution.The diagnosis of this parasite is quite simple compared to other species. An experienced doctor will not even prescribe special tests to ascertain the presence of helminthiasis, it is enough for him to conduct only a visual examination of the patient. The fact that the treatment is prolonged for several years is also unpleasant. Getting rid of the disease is quite difficult, so even with constant treatment it can take more than a year.

symptoms of subcutaneous parasitosis demodicosis

heartworm disease

These parasites are transmitted to humans through physical contact with an infected animal, usually carried by our pets. Nematodes enter the human body quickly enough, one of the carriers can be a mosquito.

To notice this is quite simple, the bite becomes dense, inflammation and itching appear. The parasite settles in the body and begins active life. The most important symptom that will allow you to immediately establish an accurate diagnosis is the feeling of agitation.

This is due to the fact that adults can move freely. Cases have been recorded where infected people have seen a helminth under the skin and it can also escape through the mucous membrane of the eye.

Strongyloidosis

The larvae of this parasite easily penetrate the epidermis, for this it is enough to walk on the ground with bare feet.

In addition to severe itching, redness and noticeable inflammation, the infected person's skin is covered with red blisters.

strongyloidosis in subcutaneous parasites

Schistosomiasis

The pathogen is found in Africa and Asia, lives exclusively in fresh water. Easily penetrates the human body. It prefers to be in human skin or the genitourinary system. In the course of its life, it releases toxic products for humans. Toxins severely disrupt the body and cause severe poisoning.

The appearance of this or that parasite is accompanied by certain symptoms, so an experienced doctor will usually diagnose it even before receiving the results of a full medical examination. The survey aims not only to confirm its presence, but also to determine its exact location, as well as the approximate number of individuals.

schistosomiasis with subcutaneous parasites

Symptoms

What symptoms appear depends on which parasites the person is infected with. There are significant differences, but most of the symptoms are typical of subcutaneous worms. We highlight the main symptoms:

Skin lesion. It can manifest itself in the form of severe rash, redness, acne, severe itching, in some cases traces of worms are visible.
General malaise. Not only can toxic waste products affect the general condition of the patient, it should be understood that the worms feed on nutrients from the carrier's body, while the carrier's body does not receive useful substances. In this regard, weakness increases, a person quickly gets tired, fever and insomnia can be observed.
Often the worms penetrate into other vital organs, thereby disrupting their work.
Among the subcutaneous helminths, individuals are quite often found, the movement of which is well felt by the bearer.

Filariasis

Primary symptoms, which can last for the first few years, include:

urticaria, with the appearance of extensive red spots;
severe itching;
Temperature increase;
been feverish.

After some time, the primary symptoms are replaced by more severe manifestations, such as:

eczema, warts, ulcers;
sleep disturbances (increased sleepiness, insomnia);
continuous migraine;
subcutaneous nodes;
some individuals become noticeable when they examine the patient's eye.

For your information.Such a condition requires serious medical intervention, since the prolonged presence of the pathogen can lead to loss of vision, the development of a tumor.