Could
It Be Intestinal Parasites?
 An alarming number
of Americans are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea,
pain, bloating, and gas. People with these symptoms are occasionally
diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis, or
excessive stress, but prescription treatments for these conditions
don’t always bring relief.
You may be surprised
to learn that chronic stomach problems can be caused by intestinal
parasites. Intestinal parasites are organisms that live inside your
digestive system, essentially “stealing” nutrients from
your body. Intestinal parasites can be single-celled (like protozoa)
or helminthes (worms).
How common are
intestinal parasites and other human parasites? More common than
you might think. There are millions of people who have parasitic
infections and don’t realize it. To illustrate this fact,
here are some startling statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention:
- At least 14 percent of the
U.S. population is infected with Toxocara, a parasite passed
from dogs and cats to humans.
- Several outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis
(a waterborne intestinal parasitic infection commonly known
as “crypto”) have occurred in the United States,
including one 1993 outbreak in Milwaukee that affected 400,000
people.
- Enterobiasis is the most
common pinworm infection in the United States, with an estimated
40 million people infected, often school-aged children.
- Trichuriasis, a roundworm
infection also referred to as the human whipworm, occurs most
frequently in the southern United States. An estimated 800 million
people are infected worldwide.
No one wants to
believe that intestinal parasites could be lurking inside the body,
causing a multitude of painful symptoms. An obvious sign of intestinal
parasites would be passing worm-like organisms in the stool. However,
if you have been suffering with any of the following symptoms, an
intestinal parasite could be to blame:
- Bloating
- Gas
- Nausea or vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Dysentery
- Rash or itching around the
rectum
Don’t be
fooled into assuming that intestinal parasites are found only in
third-world countries. Human parasites are becoming more widespread
in the United States, especially for people who:
- Travel
- Enjoy water sports (swimming,
waterskiing, boating, etc.)
- Go on a cruise
- Live in or visit tropical
and subtropical areas
- Work or spend time inside
institutional settings (schools, health care facilities, fitness
centers, etc.)
- Own pets or interact with
animals
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