NATURAL REMEDY * holistic strategies to help you feel better
Do You Have Parasites?
Five signs you may have these bad bugs, and how to get rid of them. BY LISA TURNER
Who’s at risk? “Parasite” is a broad term that describes any organism that lives and feeds off another organism, including lice, giardia, and even mosquitoes. Intestinal parasites—including worms (known as “helminths,” usually visible without a microscope) and protozoa (microscopic, single-celled organisms)—specifically reside in the gut. Pinworms are the most common parasite in the U.S.,
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living primary in the large intestines. Giardia is the second-most frequent domestic parasite. When it’s swallowed, it makes its way through the digestive tract, splitting into two hungry microorganisms that attach to the walls of the small intestines. Other parasites, such as hookworm and whipworm, are less common in the U.S. And while you’ll hear plenty of horror stories about tapeworms—flat, segmented beasts that can grow as long as 50 feet—they’re relatively rare. You’re probably at risk only if you’ve traveled to a developing nation or work closely with livestock. Intestinal parasites are usually contracted from eating undercooked meat from an infected animal, or from raw fruits and vegetables that have been contaminated. Giardia is commonly water-borne. It lives well in cold streams, so if you’ve been drinking
that “clean” mountain water on your backpacking trip, you’re likely at risk. You can also pick up parasites through direct contact with contaminated soil and feces, or indirectly from contaminated objects such as bathroom handles or children’s toys.
Signs and Symptoms Once they’ve been introduced into your body, these freaky organisms travel into the warm, moist environment of the intestines, where they’re more than happy to hang out, feeding on nutrients, growing, and reproducing. Because they’re so well-adapted to the human body, they can live in your intestines for months or sometimes years without noticeable symptoms. And when they do cause problems, they may be tricky to pinpoint. Five signs that might mean you have an intestinal parasite:
Photo: Getty Images
You probably assume that parasites are a problem only if you’ve traveled to remote regions with iffy sanitation. But they’re way more common than you might think. Millions of Americans have parasites, and some types infect as much as five percent of the U.S. population. Here’s what you need to know about those bad bugs—and how to banish them, for good.
• AUGUST 2021
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6/22/21 4:41 PM
