Intestinal Parasites...Are You an Unsuspecting Host?

By Marcia Lewis, RN, Clinical Director of THR at In Harmony Center

Wikipedia defines an intestinal parasite infection as "a condition in which a parasite infects the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and other animals.  Such parasites can live anywhere in the body, but most prefer the intestinal wall."  It is estimated that over 80% of all Americans (85% of people around the world) have some form of intestinal parasite.  

How do I get parasites?

The most common causes of intestinal parasites are through consumption of contaminated water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene, improper hygiene, eating raw vegetables and fruits, and soil-eating behavior. Specifically, lack of access to facilities for safe disposal of human waste can result in parasitic infection and disease. Lacking available hygiene resources, such as hand washing facilities also negatively impacts the rate of disease. A huge concern worldwide is lack of available safe water.

Parasites can get into the intestine by going through the mouth from uncooked or unwashed food, contaminated water or hands, or by skin contact of larvae in soil.  When the organisms are swallowed, they move into the intestine where they reproduce and can ultimately cause symptoms.

So how do I know if I have parasites?

From Garcia Thompson and Parasites, A Modern Epidemic, "If you were tested by a doctor for parasites, chances are the results would come back negative.  Does this mean you do not have parasites?  Unfortunately, medical testing procedures only catch about 20% of the actual cases of parasites.  Over  1000 species of parasites can live in your body and tests are available for approximately 40 to 50 types.  This means, doctors are only testing for about 5% of the parasites and missing 80% of those.  This brings the clinically found parasites down to 1%."

The most common symptoms are chronic fatigue and gastrointestinal distress. However, other symptoms can include:

• Itchy nose, ears, anus
• Men, sexual dysfunction
• Forgetfulness
• Slow reflexes
• Gas and bloating
• Unclear thinking
• Loss of appetite
• Yellowish face
• Fast heart beat
• Heart pain
• Pain in the navel
• Eating more than normal and still feeling hungry
• Blurry or unclear vision
• Pain in the back, thighs, shoulders
• Lethargy
• Numb hands
• Burning sensation in the stomach
• Women, problems with menstrual cycle
• Drooling while sleeping
• Damp lips at night
• Grinding teeth while asleep
• Bed-wetting
• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Achy joints
• Anemia
• Allergies
• Skin conditions
• Granulomas
• Nervousness
• Sleep disturbances (especially between 2-3 am)
• Tooth grinding/clenching
• Immune system dysfunction

Realize although you may not feel ill or tired, there may still be parasites within your system.  Parasitic infections are masters at hiding while feeding off the human body.

What do parasites do?

Parasites by nature must feed off their host to survive.  Without a host (you) they simply cannot exist. Parasites do three things: eat, lay eggs and secrete.

1. Depending on the type of parasite, they eat different things.  Many thrive off of dairy, sugar and proteins.  These live off the food you eat and are mainly in the digestive tract and liver. But no organ is immune to a parasitic infection.  Some parasites feed off the very cells of your body, thus making you sick.  They literally suck nutrition out of the cells and are the most dangerous....traveling to places in your body beyond the digestive tract. And, parasites can exist in your body for 10, 20 or even 30 years.
2. Parasites reproduce by laying eggs. The larger parasites, visible to the naked eye, are worm-type and cannot/do not travel past the digestive tract.  These lay their eggs where they cling to the intestinal walls, then hatch and start feeding. The smaller parasites are mainly microscopic and include protozoa and amoebae.  These act like bacteria, travelling through the bloodstream, reproducing without laying eggs, behaving more like an infection.
3. The third thing a parasite does is secrete toxins.  Secretions from parasites are poisons that our bodies are forced to deal with by increasing detoxification.  Dysentery is an example of high levels of toxins being released into the body at once...debilitating.  A chronic parasitic infection that secretes low levels of toxins eventually leads to an extremely stressed immune system...and over time, this weakened state leads to increased susceptibility to antibiotic-resistant infections of all kinds.

What are the types of large parasites?

Pinworms have an infection rate of 60% as reported to the CDC.  The most common parasite infection is passed through touching things previously touched by an infected person who left a trail of eggs. Symptoms include severe itching in and around the anus (particularly at night), insomnia and restlessness.  And, 33% of pinworm infections show no symptoms at all.

Tapeworms are one of the most terrifying parasites, growing to lengths of 15 feet or more inside your large intestine.  The entire body of the tapeworm absorbs nutrients from you, which makes it extremely dangerous to your health.  The usual means of infection is through eating undercooked meat or contaminated food carrying the tapeworm itself or its larvae. It's not uncommon that you will exhibit any symptoms from a tapeworm infection until it is several feet in length. At this point, severe diarrhea, dizziness, stomach pain and nausea are present.  These worms may obstruct the intestine and require surgical removal.

Roundworms  (also known as Nematodes) are everywhere. There are 15,000 known species and several thousand can be in a single handful of garden soil.  Some can lay up to 200,000 eggs in a day. Infection occurs with contact/ingestion of eggs which are then incubated in your body.  Infestations can cause pneumonia, intestinal blockage, severe constipation, skin rashes, stomach pain, insomnia, eye pain, and damage to the liver and pancreas.

Hookworms have infected as many as 1 billion people.  The larvae penetrate your skin and travel through the blood to your intestines where they attach themselves to the intestinal walls.  Once secure, they feed on your blood supply and grow to 1/2 inch before beginning to reproduce.  There are no symptoms of a hookworm infection until large colonies are attached and drain iron from the blood causing anemia.  Anemia then leads to mental dullness, loss of appetite, and even cardiac arrest.

Giardia is the most common intestinal parasite infecting humans.  Infection is caused by coming into contact with contaminated food, water, or soil.  Essentially, everything you touch could be infected with Giardia. It rapidly takes over your small intestine, coating it with millions of baby parasites that start feeding off your body. The symptoms include stomach and abdominal cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, fatigue, and nausea.  There are many cases that your body is able to keep Giardia at bay and there are no symptoms.  

What is involved in Treatment and Prevention?

Because parasitic infection can be symptomless or hard to diagnose by clinical means, a regular annual parasite cleanse and colon hydrotherapy is recommended. The parasite cleanse we use at In Harmony Center is Advanced Naturals ParaMax.  This product contains potent but gentle herbs and essential oils that cleanse the intestinal tract and balance the entire system. Some severe infections require medical intervention and even surgery.

Keeping the adaptive energy of the body by increasing vitality through healthy choices is the core of prevention.  Along with the annual cleanse and colonics:

• A very clean organic diet with well-rinsed vegetables and fruits, thorough cooking and no pork. Safe food handling and prep procedures are mandatory.
• Decreasing or eliminating foreign travel and eating most meals at home reduces exposure to parasites.
• Hand washing, especially after contact with people or animals.  Make sure to get under the fingernails with a hand brush.
• Drink clean water and filters in your home are essential.  Water stored in glass is best.
• Zoonotic transfer from animals to humans is a very real threat....know your pets and meat suppliers.

Parasites are not only hard to get rid of, but you can easily become re-infected.  Married couples tend to have the parasites together and re-infect each other.  Treating the couple at the same time is good practice...and also the children.  Stay on the cleansing program for the recommended time period and do NOT miss a dose.  Parasites live because they are tenacious and stealthy, so you must be vigilant and perseverant.