Brain parasites — Parasites that affect the brain

It is a mistake to assume that brain parasites in humans can parasitize only in the gastrointestinal tract and liver. There are types of worms that can live and reproduce in the brain.

Ways of getting worms in the brain

Most common ways of getting parasites in the body are:

• foodstuffs that have not undergone heat treatment,
• unwashed vegetables and fruits,
• poorly washed hands,
• infected drinking water.

Once in the stomach, the worms are able, together with some substances be absorbed through the walls into the venous bloodstream. Next, they spread throughout the body, getting including in the brain.

Some parasites of the human brain can enter the body through the respiratory system. If the parasites were on the nasal mucosa, they can easily penetrate into the brain. Dirty river water can also be a source of infection. Infested water gets into the inner ear, where the worm can breed and develop.

To ensure that the parasites can settle in the brain, it is necessary to overcome the barrier. The fact is that between the blood and brain fluid there is a blood brain barrier composed of cells. These cells form a seal that is able to carry nutrients to the brain, blocking the penetration of other foreign objects.

According to some beliefs believe that some part of the parasite secretes enzymes that dissolve the protective barrier, thereby releasing a passage to the brain.

Hitting the brain, the worms break in the brain function, visual and at times of respiratory activity.

Symptoms of infection with worms

Common symptoms of parasitic worms effects on the human brain similar.

Depending on which part has been infected experiences the following symptoms:

• headaches followed an emetic reflexes,
• unstable body temperature,
• General malaise of man (fatigue, weakness, nervousness, depression)
• epileptic seizure,
• when the advanced form of parasitism may result in paralysis.

Difficult to recognize whether there are parasites in the human brain, because the symptoms of their symptoms are similar to symptoms of other more common diseases. In addition, many human parasites for a long time with no symptoms to develop. So some people live with parasites for up to 30 years and not even know it.

Almost all the worms, being in the brain, secrete toxic substances that cause brain swelling and seizures. To detect them in the human head is carried out x-ray examination, magnetic resonance imaging.

The detection of symptoms should immediately consult a doctor for treatment.

The types of worm parasites that affect the brain

Pork tapeworm

One of the most common worms, parasites in the human brain, can be called the pork tapeworm. Infection occurs through contact with worm eggs in human stomach. Under the action of acid of the stomach dissolves the shell of the eggs of the tapeworm and the larvae penetrate into blood vessels of the stomach. Through the vessels, the larvae spread throughout the body, including the brain. The affected area becomes meninges, basal cisterns and ventricles, the cortex.

At the initial stage of infestation, a person feels an unbearable headache, irritability, dizziness. With further development of neurocysticercosis (a condition in which damaged the brain the pork tapeworm) is the probability of occurrence of epileptic seizures. With the defeat of the cerebral ventricles, most likely manifestation of Bruns syndrome, overlap gaps ventricle.

Negative effects on the brain able to create and dead worms pork tapeworm. Upon decomposition, they provoke swelling and, consequently, dysfunction of the optic nerve. Edema possible gag reflex.

Hazardous worms pork tapeworm is that the probability of death, even when later treatment is 50%.

Lose head cyclofillydea

A disease in which the brain is affected Finns of cyclophyllidea called echinococcosis. It has a protracted nature with the manifestation of such symptoms as severe headache and retching. Complicated form of the disease is accompanied by a psychological change in the human condition, and epileptic seizures.

Tapeworm ingested with raw meat food. The main body of the lesion in humans is the liver, brain and lungs. After 4-6 months after infection with the tapeworm reaches the size up to 40 mm in length. Around the parasiteformed fibrous capsule, which with the growth of the tapeworm grows in size and compresses the tissues of the body.

With timely diagnosis of the disease and treatment have the chance of a full recovery. The main treatment is surgical or palliative intervention. Completely remove the fibrous capsule without an opening, as the liquid that fills them can trigger inflammation and re-infection.

Trypanosome

Trypanosomiasis in appearance resemble flat ribbons of silver is very small, so they can be seen only under the microscope. The main sources of infection are tsetse flies. After ingestion, larvae penetrate the human circulatory system and transported to the organs.

The immune system practically does not react to Trypanosoma, so it can freely reproduce in the internal organs.

The first signs of the disease may be a constant sleepy state. The fact that trypanosome for reproduction and development use oxygen and take it from krovenosnyh vessels of the man. As a result, the human body is lacking oxygen and sleepy.

To get trypanosomas in exotic countries inhabited by the tsetse fly. When not treated in people infected with trypanosomes could die. Therefore, it should not be assumed that the disease will pass on their own, it is better to consult a doctor.

Another pretty mysterious and rare brain parasite — amoeba Naegleria fowleri. In the world during the study of brain parasites known only 175 cases of infection. And only 6 of them were fatal.

The source of infection Naegleria fowleri are dirty warm bodies of fresh water. Amoeba entering the nose of a person, join the inner part or of the mucosa and continue its movement in the direction of the brain. With the help of an enzyme that can dissolve human tissue, the parasite quickly enough to destroy it. That is why infection by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri is almost always fatal.