A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in humans: protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites. Some parasites are visible to humans and can be seen when passing stool however others are microscopic and cannot be seen except with a microscope such as Entamoeba histolytica which is a protozoan.
Giardia is arguably the most common parasite infection of humans worldwide, and the second most common in the United States after pin-worm.
There are hundreds of potential symptoms one may experience with parasitic (and candida) overgrowth. Symptoms can vary from person to person and change depending on other underlying factors and imbalances including genetics, environment, how much toxicity a person has, nutrient deficiencies and more. That being said, there are some main “across the board” symptoms that most people may experience when dealing with parasitic overgrowth.
Contrary to popular belief, parasitic overgrowth is not just isolated to poorer countries. They are everywhere and can be contracted from produce, public places, undercooked meats and seafood such as sushi but also fully cooked meats, especially pork. The overgrowth arises when your stomach acid is not at optimal levels to kill the parasites which them allows them to enter our intestines alive and then take hold and multiply there.
Here are some of the common symptoms you may experience if you have parasitic overgrowth. You may experience one or more of the following:
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Gas or bloating
- Dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus)
- Rash or itching around the rectum or vulva
- Stomach pain or tenderness
- Feeling tired
- Weight loss
- Passing a worm in your stool
- insomnia
- Waking up at 3AM consistently
- grinding teeth at night
- loud digestive noises
- skin rashes
- acne
- iron deficiency
- anemia
- difficulty gaining weight
- difficulty losing weight
- rapid weightloss
- brittle hair, skin, nails
- psoriasis and other skin autoimmune
- autoimmune disease
- Th1 immune deficiency
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Unexplained weight loss
- Increased appetite
- Muscle aches
- Fever
- Chills
- frequent viral or bacterial infections
- food allergies
- food sensitivities
- sugar and carb cravings
- itching anus
- itching skin
- Skin irritation, mysterious rashes, hives, rosacea, or eczema