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What Are the Symptoms of Having a Parasite?

When someone is exposed to a parasite, there is the potential for infection. It just depends on the type of parasite where this infection takes place. Most of the time, these pathogens will call the digestive system home. But they can quickly migrate into other areas of the body. No matter where the parasites infiltrate, their host often begins to show certain symptoms of their presence.

  1. Diarrhea

    • Of all the symptoms of parasites, diarrhea is one of the more common. This is largely due to the area of infestation. For parasites like plasmodiums and roundworms, the digestive tract is an ideal environment for the larvae to mature. As they invade digestive tissue, the individual is often subject to bouts of diarrhea or even dark, tarry stools, which is an indication of intestinal bleeding.

    Nausea

    • Often accompanying diarrhea is nausea. With this symptom, the parasite still penetrates the walls of the digestive tract, but, instead of prompting diarrhea, it causes nausea in its host. Sometimes, the nausea is so great that it can cause vomiting.

    Cramping

    • Another fairly common symptom of a parasite, especially with plasmodiums and roundworms, is cramping. When the larvae burrow their way into the intestinal walls, they can affect the way in which the intestines contract, causing them to become longer and more frequent. By increasing the length and frequency of the contractions, it can make the intestines more prone to spasm, which is then felt as an abdominal cramp in the individual.

    Fever

    • It isn't uncommon for a parasite to trigger a fever. Much like a bacterial or viral infection, a parasite prompts an immune response within the body. As the immune system attempts to fight off this type of infection, a person experiences a rise in temperature. With a parasite, it can hit upwards of 103 degrees F or above, but is normally around the range of 100 to 101 degrees F. Depending on the parasite, this fever is often associated with night sweats or the chills.

    Fatigue

    • Since the body is treating the parasite like any other infection, the immune system is essentially working overtime to fight off the pathogen. This process takes energy. Eventually, it wears a person down until he becomes fatigued and exhausted.

    Pain

    • Many times, a parasite means pain, and this pain can hit almost anywhere within the body. For some, it takes the form of a headache, since some parasites can trigger certain nerves within the brain responsible for pain. For others, this pain hits the muscles, which is a good indication that the parasite has found its way into the bloodstream.

    Respiratory Problems

    • When a parasite migrates, some of them are known to travel into the lungs. Once here, they tunnel into the pulmonary tissue, which can cause shortness of breath, persistent cough and wheezing.

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