Parasite Infections

Category : Functional Medicine

Parasite Infections – A Common Problem For People With Gastrointestinal Problems

There are lots of people that are suffering from parasite infections and they do not know know. That could be why so many professionals have started to talk about them.

Believe it or not, research has shown that a large portion of the population is suffering from these infections.

These infections are going to show signs and symptoms. Most of these will include reflux, diarrhea, gas and bloating. However, not all of the signs will be related to the intestines. Therefore, it is important to know what to do if you are not suffering from any of these symptoms.

Most individuals are going to be able to put together gut symptoms with gut infections. But, those infections that do not have symptoms are going to be the most difficult. It is best to fully understand that these parasites can live in the gut but they can travel and they can make their way to the brain.

Symptoms Of A Parasitic Infection That are Often Missed

Brain fog
Sweet cravings
Mood disturbances (anxiety or depression)
Skin issues
Nutrient deficiencies (anemia)
Allergies
Fatigue
Crawling sensation under your skin

Symptoms Often Associated With Parasite Infections

Bloating
Gas
Indigestion
Diarrhea
Constipation
GERD or acid reflux
IBS
Crohn’s Disease
Ulcerative colitis
SIBO

Understanding an Infection Related to a Parasite

Parasites are organisms that are going to live off of another organism. You will see that they can produce toxins that are going to effect your body. This will happen because of the feces that the parasites produce and the dead debris that comes off of the parasites as well.

Some parasites will be large enough to be seen by the human eye. These will include hookworms, roundworms or even pinworms. These are just a few of them. However, there are other parasites that can only be seen by a microscope or by DNA analysis and PCR technology. Giardia, Entamoeba histolytica, Blastocystis hominis, Cryptosporidium, Dientamoeba fragilis, Entamoeba coli, Yersinia enterocolitica are a few of these. These will account for roughly 80% of the patients that I see. These individuals may also go from one doctor to the next looking for an answer as to what is wrong with them.

Those that have continual infections are not going to be able to regenerate hormones. This will put your body in a very complicated situation. Even when you get rid of the infection you may be infected again because your immune system will be weak.

All Systems in the Body Can be Effected

The immune, lymphatic, and detoxification systems in our body will work overtime when we have a parasite infection. The lymphatic system will try to get the toxins out of the body. It tends to get backed up.

The detoxification system is going to be cleaning the blood and then recirculating the blood. This puts this system into overdrive and causes stress.

The immune system works to produce antibodies and even white blood cells to fight the infection. It also stimulates cytokines and interleukins to fight against these parasites.

Learning Can be Effected in Children Because of Brain Fog, Anxiety and Irritability

Your mental performance can be decreased because of the parasites in the body. These parasites will often eat the food that you consume before your body has a chance to digest it. Therefore, you may not be getting the nutrients that you need. Studies have shown that parasites can be responsible for performance but will not be associated with memory or even the ability to obtain an education. This study does show that there is a link between the parasites in your body and your attention and cognitive abilities. You can increase your intelligence if you are able to get rid of the parasites in your body.

The above reasoning is why I will look for chronic infections when there is brain fog and complications with memory.

Problems with B12, Iron and Calcium

Parasites in your body can actually take away the nutrients that you are consuming when you are eating.

“Recent work has also shown that a malabsorption syndrome leading to poor absorption of essential nutrients may occur in patients heavily infected with hookworms, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Giardia lamblia.”

Those with parasites may find that they are suffering from chronic fatigue because they are continually losing vitamin B or even iron. Without these your body will not be able to produce any energy.

Our bodies are going to use B 12 and iron to make red blood cells so that oxygen and nutrition can be delivered to all of the cells. The thyroid and the adrenals must have this in order to work the way that they should. Our bodies need iron for oxygen. Without iron the body cannot make ATP and this is the energy in our bodies. Those that do not have enough iron could suffer from hypothyroidism and this could result in weight gain, depression and even problems with digestion.

Being Tested for Parasites

Testing the Stool for Parasites– Some companies out there such as Genova, BioHealth, Doctor’s Data and Diagnos-Techs will run tests to help you find parasites.

You may test fine with one test and then show positive with other panels that they offer.

They are more accurate tests and they can even use DNA to find what they are looking for.

Learn more about Testing For Parasites

Getting Rid of This Type of Infection

If you believe that you might be suffering from one of these infections then you must be tested.

You will see that there are a number of different methods out there to help you get rid of a parasite. Some of these parasites will be responsive to herbs while others may need antibiotics. It will also be very important for you to determine why you got the parasite in the first place. This could be related to birth control pills, to much sugar and even years of using antibiotics. If you are able to find out what has caused it you will be able to get your stomach back.

Hidden Infections Related to Adrenal Fatigue, Ebstein Barr

To learn more about hidden infections we will look at 3 common problems that could be behind Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

If you have symptoms related to AFS or CFS then you should be tested for the Epstein Barr virus (EBV), Lyme Disease, and Candida and Molds before you have any other type of testing.