What do you know about human parasitic diseases? The variety of human parasites is not limited to internal worms.
There are several types of parasites that penetrate and live under a person’s skin, causing unpleasant symptoms similar to internal parasites.
In addition, the diversity is not limited to helminthiases alone - there are fleas, insects, and protozoa.
Each of them has certain symptoms and manifestations that you should pay attention to.
It is also important to know how to get rid of subcutaneous parasites.
Varieties of parasitic skin diseases
What types of parasites can live under human skin? The most diverse, among them are insects, helminths, fleas and protozoan unicellular organisms. Human skin lesions by various types of parasites are differentiated into separate categories of parasitic diseases.
Each disease group is grouped by characteristic pathogens:
- The simplest organisms cause protozoan skin diseases.
- Lice cause acariasis lesions on the skin.
- Insects can cause entomotic skin lesions.
- Helminthiases develop as a result of infection in helminths.
All pathogens of these human skin parasitic diseases are unpleasant and require diagnosis and treatment. Long -term neglected forms can lead to irreversible consequences from blindness to death. Fortunately, it can be added that most of the list of parasites that live under human skin is specific to countries with hot and humid climates.
Diseases caused by protozoa
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is caused by the simplest single cell pathogen carried by mosquitoes. A person infected with leishmaniasis becomes a reservoir of further spread of the infection. After being bitten by a mosquito, which is the main host of Leishmania, a person develops cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis. Skin leishmaniasis appears as deep ulcers or pustules and extensive skin lesions. The mucocutaneous form of the disease leads to significant appearance deformities, especially on the face. Airway edema in leishmaniasis can be fatal.
Leishmaniasis occurs in 90 countries of the world and is a very common disease in Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Peru.
Diseases caused by fleas
Demodecosis
Diseases caused by parasites that live under the skin in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of human life. This is a microscopic mite - demodex. It is mainly localized on the eyelids, facial skin, and auditory canal. Rarely - in the chest and back.
Demodex damage causes acne, a complicated dermatitis, which is exacerbated in spring and autumn. The skin appears red, hyperemic, wavy, inflamed. The edges of the ciliated eyelids are usually swollen, red, the eyelashes stuck together, along the edges of the eyelids there is a discharge in the form of crusts, and the loss of the eyelashes is a special feature. Sometimes the disease persists without obvious manifestations, therefore lice are considered conditionally pathogenic. Typically, demodicosis is exacerbated in people with impaired immunity, with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and metabolic disorders.
Scabies
Another ubiquitous disease caused by mites is called itchy itch. These mites gnaw at the human skin ducts, where they lay their eggs. The development of adult fleas is accompanied by a complex cycle. Usually this process takes place at night, so during this time the itching on the skin is increasing. The main diagnostic symptom of the presence of parasites under a person’s skin looks like small reddish-brown dots located nearby. This is a double quotation mark punctuated by a check mark.
The disease is complicated by various infections borne by the patient in an effort to relieve itching: streptoderma, nodular seals, blood crusts around scratches, rashes in the form of bloody blisters and other skin lesions. Complicated scabies can resemble urticaria, pyoderma, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis.
Infection usually occurs through prolonged contact with a sick person (it has been proven that scabies requires skin-to-skin contact, lasting up to 30 minutes; you can’t rule out the relatively low chances of infection when using common household items).
Diseases caused by insects
All skin diseases caused by dipterans are collectively called myiasis.
Wolfarthiosis
The disease is caused by an insect called a wolfarth fly, which lays larvae on mucous membranes or wounds on the human body. Larvae destroy tissue, releasing special enzymes, causing severe pain, necrosis, edema, pus and gangrene in the affected tissue. They are usually parasites in the eyes, nose, ears. Wolfarth flies are widespread in countries with hot and temperate climates.
Diseases caused by helminths
Dirofilariasis
Diseases caused by round helminths. The cause of infection is pets - cats and dogs. The carrier is a mosquito. After its bite, sexually mature nematode individuals begin to grow in the human body, which, as a rule, parasites under human skin. Insect bites become denser, inflamed and itchy. A special feature of the pathogen is its ability to move under the skin, therefore, the disease is accompanied by a feeling of movement, crawling inside the inflamed seal. Sometimes nematodes can be seen under the skin; Individual cases arising from the mucous membranes of the eyes are described.
Allergic reactions, fever, nausea, and weakness can be accompanying symptoms.
Strongyloidosis
A disease caused by parasitic larvae that attack a person’s skin if he walks barefoot on the ground. Strongyloidosis foci are found in Georgia, Ukraine, Krasnodar, Stavropol Oblast. Ringworm larvae invade through the skin and move downwards, causing redness, itching on the skin and the development of red blisters.
Treatment recommendations
General recommendations have been developed for the treatment of diseases caused by one or another human subcutaneous parasite. The most relevant for our region are the treatment of strongyloidosis, scabies and demodicosis. Treatment is prescribed after diagnosis of the disease and only by a specialist. Some complications and manifestations of the disease require an individual approach to treatment.
- Helminthiasis is recommended to be treated with antiparasitic drugs.
- For the treatment of itching, ointments, creams and other effective medications are used. In the fight against scabies, a treatment regimen and prevention system for the person contacted has 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 applied directly to the skin, as well as various cosmetic procedures.
Subcutaneous parasitic diseases require effort to treat, so it is best to prevent infection by applying the basic rules of personal hygiene. It is not superfluous to know the general symptoms that accompany such a disease, so as not to come into contact with the sick person.