Unfortunately, parasites can not only live and eat in a person's internal organs, but also penetrate the skin. This can lead to many diseases with their own characteristics. It is important to diagnose the cause of the unpleasant symptoms in a timely manner and start treatment before the parasite can cause great damage to the body. Most parasites that live under the skin can only be infected in tropical latitudes: swimming in stagnant ponds, drinking raw water, or falling victim to blood-sucking insects. But some people "settle" in their bodies without leaving home.
Various diseases and parasites
Medicine distinguishes many diseases, the diagnosis of which suggests subcutaneous worms in humans.
- Cysticercosis. The causative agent is the larvae of the pork tapeworm. Most of the time, they enter the body through unboiled water or food. These worms are located under the internal organs, eyes, brain, muscles and skin (observed on shoulders, palms, chest). The parasite can live in the human body for several years, developing thickening and swelling under the epidermis that thickens over time. Slightly helpful in diagnosis is hives, which often appear as rashes on the skin.
- Schistosomiasis. The disease is caused by worms that live in African and Asian waters. Worms can affect the genitourinary system and skin. The main symptoms are itching, rash, dermatitis, profuse sweating at night, kidney damage, and hepatomegaly.
- Filariasis. These are thread-like nematodes that live in South America, Asia and Africa. They are spread by blood-sucking insects. The disease lasts for a long time (up to seven years), but causes many skin diseases: ulcers, eczema, nodules, papules, rashes. Complications in the form of arthropathy, glaucoma, cataracts may occur if a person does not pay attention to persistent headaches, drowsiness, sleep disturbances and general weakness.
- scabies. Scabies mites from half a century ago are common. It settles in the deep layers of the epithelium, feeding on it and laying eggs there. Female parasites can live for about two months but lay dozens of eggs under the skin. The tick breaks through the channels of the epithelial cells, which is what causes severe itching. Target Sites - Body folds, sides of thighs, breasts, armpits, genitals and hair. Human skin is covered with blistering rashes, pimples, boils and other complications.
- earthworm. Not only can these parasites live under the skin, they can also affect the eyeball. The females of these worms are up to 30 cm long and the males up to 10 cm. The carriers of this worm are dogs and cats, and mosquito bites can bring microfilaria larvae to humans. In this case, the physical development of an adult can take years. According to statistics, most of the operations to remove the eyeballs fall accurately on the diagnosis of ascariasis, after the vision has completely deteriorated, until blindness. The seal forms under the skin, becomes itchy, and becomes red and can reach the size of an egg. Adult worms are located in it.
- Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm). These are round worms up to 120 cm in length. More common in tropical climates. Besides humans, cats and dogs are also affected. You can get them by drinking raw water and swimming in contaminated reservoirs. Once inside the body as larvae, the worms can only become adults after living inside the human body for a year. Most often, the legs suffer from this disease: they are prone to complications such as contractures, inflammation of the joints, etc. In addition, Guinea worms in humans are full of gangrene and blood poisoning.
- mouth sores. Helminth pathogens live in tropical and subtropical climates. Hookworms are introduced under a person's skin through the slightest damage to the skin (usually the legs), and they still live there. The disease presents with symptoms such as severe itching and sometimes cough, anemia, signs of damage to internal organs.
- Demodex. This is one of the most common skin diseases. It occurs due to penetration of tick pathogens under the skin. This is a non-helminthic disease, but the pest also lives in the epidermis (in the meibomian tubes and sebaceous glands). Symptoms of the parasite: Massive, visible acne on the face, cheeks, forehead, and around the eyes, sometimes with loss of eyelashes.
Diagnosis, symptoms and signs
If subcutaneous worms and parasites are suspected, it is necessary to seek medical attention as soon as possible, as some people live in the human body for several years before developing symptoms. Therefore, by the time of detection, it is too late for the parasite to cause damage to health.
Because the clinical presentation of worms and other subcutaneous inhabitants is rather vague, and many symptoms appear in isolation, there is often no clear list of signs. There are many indicators that can indicate subcutaneous parasites: persistent itching, skin irritation, seals of various sizes, rash, small blisters on the epithelial surface, indirect - sleep disturbance, fatigue. To find the cause of this manifestation and rule out a worm infestation, you will need to visit a number of specialists, including:
- Dermatologist;
- neuropathologist;
- Allergy;
- infectious disease specialist;
- Psychologists (if previous specialists found no pathology in their profile).
Depending on the symptoms, the diagnosis can be made in a number of ways:
- blood antigen test;
- Examination of epidermal samples;
- smear;
- surreptitiously;
- shave.
It is these indicators that can detect the presence of parasites on human skin.
traditional pest control methods
Treatment depends directly on the type of parasite. In each case, the appropriate treatment is chosen, taking into account the age and stage of neglect. Most drugs are toxic not only to worms, but also to humans.
- Dracunculiasis can only be eliminated surgically;
- Hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid soap can effectively expel scabies parasites;
- For schistosomiasis, antimony drugs will help;
- Relieve demodicosis of the body with a cosmetic range for facial skin care (special soap for washing, cream).
In addition to traditional medical treatment, patients need to strengthen hygiene procedures, carefully monitor the cleanliness of the body, premises, clothing, and avoid unnecessary contact with people. In some cases, you will need diet foods, skin care cosmetics.
Prevention of subcutaneous worms
You need to be very careful with a worm infestation as it is very simple to immobilize the parasite in the body and it can take years to be properly diagnosed and cured.
To minimize the risk of subcutaneous worm infection, doctors recommend remembering the following rules:
- You need to be vaccinated before traveling to countries with tropical climates;
- Always follow hygiene rules: wash hands after contact with large numbers of people, after money, after using the toilet, before eating;
- Women should not use someone else's makeup because of the high risk of bringing parasite larvae (or ticks) to the skin;
- Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before use, but it is best to pour boiling water to keep the meat heated for a long time, and boil the water for drinking;
- Carefully treat any skin damage with an antiseptic, especially in the tropics;
- Do not swim in dirty and questionable waters.
If the parasite has settled under the skin, this is a reason to contact a dermatologist as soon as possible. He will be able to determine the type of worm and prescribe the appropriate treatment. In most cases, patients are awaiting conservative treatment, which includes taking antihelminthic and other medications that relieve symptoms of the disease in humans.