What do you know about human parasitic diseases? The variety of human parasites is not limited to internal helminths.
There are certain types of parasites that penetrate and live under a person's skin, causing the same unpleasant symptoms as internal parasites.
In addition, the diversity is not limited to helminthiasis - there are ticks, insects and protozoa.
Each of them has certain symptoms and manifestations that you should be aware of.
It is also equally important to know how to get rid of subcutaneous parasites.
Varieties of parasitic skin diseases
What kind of parasite can live under human skin? The most diverse, among which are insects, helminths, ticks and single-celled protozoan organisms. Human skin lesions by various types of parasites are differentiated into a separate category of parasitic diseases.
Each group of diseases is united by characteristic pathogens:
- The simplest organisms cause skin diseases by protozoa.
- Ticks cause acariasis lesions on the skin.
- Insects can cause entomotic lesions on the skin.
- Helminthiases develop as a result of helminth infection.
All of these human skin parasitic disease pathogens are equally unpleasant and require diagnosis and treatment. Long-term neglected forms can lead to irreparable consequences, from blindness to death. Fortunately, it can be added that most of the list of parasites that live under the human skin is mostly typical of countries with hot, humid climates.
Diseases caused by protozoa
leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is caused by the simplest single-celled pathogens carried by mosquitoes. A person infected with leishmaniasis becomes a reservoir for the spread of the infection. After being bitten by a mosquito, the main host of Leishmania, the individual develops cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis. Cutaneous leishmaniasis presents as deep ulcers or pustules and extensive skin lesions. The mucocutaneous form of the disease leads to significant appearance deformities, especially of the face. Airway edema in leishmaniasis can be fatal.
Leishmaniasis occurs in 90 countries around the world and is a very common disease in Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Peru.
Diseases caused by ticks
demodecosis
Disease caused by a parasite that lives under the skin in the sebaceous glands and human hair follicles. This is a microscopic mite - demodex. It is mainly located on the eyelids, facial skin and ear canals. Rarely - chest and back.
Demodex damage causes complicated acne, dermatitis, which is exacerbated in spring and autumn. The skin is red, hyperemic, bumpy, inflamed. The ciliated edge of the eyelid is usually swollen, red, the eyelashes are stuck together, along the edge of the eyelid there is crusty discharge, and the loss of eyelashes is characteristic. Sometimes the disease proceeds without obvious manifestations, so the tick is considered conditionally pathogenic. Demodicosis is usually exacerbated in people with impaired immunity, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and metabolic disorders.
Scabies
Another ubiquitous disease caused by mites is called itchiness. These mites gnaw at passages in human skin, where they lay eggs. The development of an adult tick is accompanied by a complex cycle. Normally, this process takes place at night, so at that time, the itching on the skin intensifies. The main diagnostic symptom of the presence of parasites under a person's skin looks like small double red dots located nearby. These are double passages gnawed by a tick.
The disease is complicated by various infections the patient brings while trying to relieve the itching: streptoderma, nodular seals, bloody scabs around scratches, bloody blistering rashes, and other skin lesions. Complicated scabies may resemble urticaria, pyoderma, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis.
Infection usually occurs through prolonged contact with sick people (scabies has been shown to require skin-to-skin contact lasting up to 30 minutes; you should not discount the very low probability of infection when using common household items).
Diseases caused by insects
All skin diseases caused by Diptera are collectively called myiasis.
Wolfartriasis
The disease is caused by an insect called the wolfarth fly, which deposits larvae on mucous membranes or wounds in the human body. The larvae destroy tissues, releasing a special enzyme, causing severe pain, necrosis, edema, pus and gangrene of the affected tissues. They usually parasitize the eyes, nose, ears. The wolfarth fly is common in countries with warm and temperate climates.
Helminth-caused diseases
Heartworm
Disease caused by round helminths. The source of infection is domestic animals - dogs and cats. The carrier is a mosquito. After their bite, sexually mature individuals of nematodes begin to develop in the human body, which, as a rule, parasitize under human skin. The insect sting becomes denser, inflamed and itchy. A characteristic of the pathogen is its ability to move under the skin, so the disease is accompanied by a sensation of movement, crawling inside the inflamed seal. Sometimes a nematode can be seen under the skin; cases of an individual emerging from the mucous membrane of the eye are described.
Allergic reactions, fever, nausea, and weakness may accompany symptoms.
strongyloidosis
Disease caused by parasite larvae that invade a person's skin if he walks barefoot on the floor. Strongyloidosis foci are found in Georgia, Ukraine, Krasnodar, Stavropol Territory. Roundworm larvae invade the skin and migrate underneath, causing redness, itchy skin, and the development of red blisters.
treatment recommendations
General recommendations have been developed for the treatment of diseases caused by one or another subcutaneous human parasite. The most relevant for our region is the treatment of strongyloidosis, scabies and demodicosis. Treatment is prescribed after diagnosis of the disease and only by a specialist. Some complications and disease manifestations require an individual approach to treatment.
- Helminthiasis is recommended for treatment with antiparasitic drugs.
- For the treatment of itching, ointment, cream and other effective remedies are used. In the fight against scabies, a treatment regimen and a system of preventive measures for contact persons have been developed.
- Demodex treatment is performed with complex measures to strengthen the immune system, treat gastrointestinal diseases and other procedures. Ointments for the treatment of scabies are used directly on the skin, in addition to various cosmetic procedures.
Subcutaneous parasitic diseases require efforts to be treated, so it is better to prevent infection by applying basic rules of personal hygiene. It is not superfluous to know the common symptoms that accompany these illnesses, so as not to come into close contact with the sick.