Types of Stomach Parasites

More than 1,000 types of parasites that can live in the human body. The two main types are helminthes and protozoa. Helminths are multi-celled worms that do not multiply once they mature. Protozoa are single-celled parasites that multiply inside the body and can cause serious infection. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, people usually come into contact with parasites through contaminated food, soil or water. The most common symptoms of a parasitic infection include nausea, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, lethargy and diarrhea.

Roundworms

• Roundworms are the most common type of stomach parasite in humans. People ingest the microscopic eggs, which then hatch inside the body. The most common type of roundworm, and the No. 1 parasite in North America and Europe, is the pinworm. They cause digestive complications, insomnia, irritability and itchy anus. Another type of roundworm is the hookwoom, which is commonly known as the American Murderer. These worms come from contaminated water and food and hook themselves into the inner walls of the intestines, where they suck blood, causing anemia, fatigue and tissue death. Other types of roundworms include ascaris, baylisacaris, and schistosomiasis.

Tapeworms

• Tapeworms can vary in length from ½ inch up to 33 feet long. Some species can live for over 25 years inside the human body. Pork tapeworms come from undercooked pork; they can travel throughout the body through the bloodstream, causing swelling, headaches and seizures. Fish tapeworms are the largest type of tapeworm. They make the human host insatiably hungry, leading to water retention and weight gain. Humans can pick up dog tapeworms through petting and caring for cats and dogs. When an animal is infected, you can see small segments of the tapeworm in feces; they look like grains of rice in most cases.

Flukes

• Flukes can stay in the human body for up to 20 years, making them the hardest parasites to remove. Humans can become infected with this type of parasite by consuming raw or undercooked fish or water plants, unwashed vegetables, or meat. Liver flukes infect the liver's ducts and the gallbladder. Blood flukes travel all over the body through the bloodstream and can cause seizures. Lung flukes cause coughing and bloody mucus and can sometimes be mistaken for lung cancer.

Giardia Lambia

• This parasite lives in drinking water, and according to Humaworm.com up to 50 percent of drinking water in the U.S. contains it. Because of their hard outer shell, giardia lambia are not affected by chlorine. Symptoms of a giardia lambia infection include severe abdominal pain, dehydration, diarrhea and fatigue. The infection is very contagious and symptoms may last 2-6 weeks.

Cryptosporidium

• This parasite, like giardia lambia, has a protective outer shell that shields it from disinfectants and allows it to survive outside of a human host for extended periods of time. The infection this parasite causes is called Cryptosporidiosis, or crypto for short. Crypto is considered one of the most common causes of waterborne disease in the U.S. The symptoms of crypto include weight loss, stomach cramps, water diarrhea and dehydration. Symptoms begin to show between two and 10 days after infection and can last for one to two weeks.