You may be saying to yourself, Ewwwwww! and what is she TALKING about now? – I just had lunch!
Yes, I said it. A Parasite. The thought of this may be unpleasant, or your worst nightmare. And I’ll admit, it’s downright disgusting, but here’s the thing…
Having a parasite is WAY more common than you think. And it could be related to many other seemingly unrelated ailments. Depending on the type of parasite, an infection can cause massive inflammation, brain fog, digestive troubles, chronic fatigue, and a variety of other issues. Parasitic infections are an often overlooked, yet can be a crucial step in overcoming chronic health issues. Especially in stubborn cases where someone just can’t seem to get well, or move the needle on their health challenges. Put another way, when nothing else is working, think Parasite!
WHAT IS A PARASITE?
Parasites are organisms that live inside your body and feed off of the food you eat, and even parts of your body. Some examples include roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, pinworms, lice, Giardia, Blastocystis hominis, Toxoplasma gandi, liver flukes and Schistosoma. Some are visible with the naked eye. Some are microscopic. Some eat the food you consume, others can leave you anemic by chowing down on your red blood cells. Some lay eggs that can cause itching and insomnia, like pinworms. Some are responsible for bad hair days and the errant chin hair that appears out of nowhere when you are least likely to be within reach of a tweezer. They come in many shapes and sizes and can live inside of you for YEARS without you knowing it. So rude.
HOW DO YOU GET A PARASITE?
Having a parasite is no longer just from visiting an underdeveloped country on an exotic vacation. This is something you can get from your friendly neighborhood dog or cat. How about the local eatery? Maybe some not so well filtered water. It is far more common than expected. Some of the more common ways to contract parasites include:
- Drinking contaminated food and water
- Eating undercooked meat
- Consuming unclean or contaminated fruits and vegetables
- Walking barefoot outside in the dirt
- Swimming in infected lakes, ponds or creeks.
- Handling animals
- If someone is infected with a parasite, they can then pass it on to others if they don’t wash hands after using a bathroom and leave little eggs on anything they touch, like a phone, a door handle, a menu!! It just gets better and better people.
The point is, it is very easy to catch and transmit parasites even in this day and age of indoor plumbing, water purification, toilet paper and Netflix. Yeah Netflix. It’s not relevant yet I felt the need to include it for completeness. Other risk factors for contracting parasites:
- Poor sleep
- Overuse of antibiotics
- Poor diet
- Owning pets. Even Chia pets (kidding people, Pets, yes. Chia Pets, no!)
- Not washing your produce effectively.
- Traveling to underdeveloped countries. Like New Jersey.
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE A PARASITE?
There are many different kinds of parasites that can lead to an assorted array of symptoms. Here are some clues that you may have a parasite:
- You have unexplained constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, nausea or have been diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). What I find interesting is that most doctors don’t necessarily check patients for these infections because just like you, they think of parasites as not “first world” problems. And even if you were tested, most likely the local routine lab test wouldn’t show anything helpful. Standard stool cultures and microscopy tests are basically worthless at catching intestinal infections. It may be helpful to run more sensitive testing like the GI MAP to find out if your gut symptoms are related to unwanted trespassers. Please note that even better quality testing may not identify parasites in your system.
- You traveled internationally and got traveler’s diarrhea on your trip — like this NEVER EVER HAPPENS. Wake up people!! This is like every trip right? How do YOU know what kind of craziness happens on planes and restaurants and hotels? Or heaven forbid your crazy hoarding aunt Harriet with the 12 cats?
- Past food poisoning: You had food poisoning and your digestion has not been the same since. This is classic. After the initial event, you continue to experience some level of gut distress. Why, do you ask? Because You. Are. Not. Alone!!!! (On a positive note, you can at least tell your mother that you’re “dating” —Ed.)
- Insomnia: You have trouble falling asleep or you wake up multiple times during the night. This may be because the parasite causes physical discomfort or because it’s a nocturnal beast.
- Anemia: This is commonly related to blood loss through the stool or from the parasite actually eating your red blood cells. It’s like the cast of the Walking Dead. Except…no apocalypse, no zombies. And you don’t have to wear the same clothes for 90 episodes.
- Skin irritations or unexplained rashes, hives, rosacea or eczema. Are you chronically itching, rashing and hiving without significant improvement with treatment?
- Bruxism: You grind your teeth in your sleep. By the way, toxins released by intestinal parasites can also lead to anxiety. These toxins interact with your neurotransmitters leading to mood swings, nervousness and grinding of the teeth at night.
- Joint and Muscle Pains: Why? Because these parasites can actually invade the joint space, release inflammatory toxins and impact movement and range of motion.
- Brain symptoms – Examples include: fatigue, exhaustion, mood changes, depression, personality shifts, headaches and memory issues. This is partly related to anemia. But is also due to toxins released by the parasites that alter brain neurochemistry. You can totally use “the parasite made me do it!” as an excuse for anything. It totally works. I got a free Dunkin’ Donuts coffee once. They also told me never to come back, so…..you win some, you lose some.
- Appetite changes: You never feel satisfied or full after your meals, especially if this is accompanied by weight loss. On the flip side, nausea and gas are common symptoms that can reduce hunger levels.
