Hello, it’s naturopath Michele here with some information about parasites and your health. They are quite common and can cause all sorts of uncomfortable symptoms. Could you have a parasite?

The reality is that most of us have some sort of parasite. Yes, even if you are healthy with no symptoms at all. That is because some parasites are useful for our health and go about their lives happily interacting in our gut microbiome without causing any issues. However, when you have a weakened immune system, you are most at risk. The question to ask is whether a parasite is creating disease and symptoms, as many chronic health conditions have underlying parasites as a contributing factor.

Technically speaking a parasite is any organism that lives and feeds off another organism generally at the host’s expense. There are many different forms of intestinal parasites ranging from protozoa such as giardia, to macroscopic worms or helminths such as roundworms and tape worms.

What are the signs you might have a parasite?

The symptoms you will experience depend upon the type of parasite you have. Some of the most common symptoms of intestinal parasites include:

abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, loss of appetite, flatulence, stool changes – constipation and/or diarrhea, blood & mucous in the stool
Iron deficiency anaemia
Skin symptoms such as rashes, eczema & hives
Teeth grinding at night
Unexplained fatigue
Sleep issues such as insomnia and restlessness
Unexplained anxiety
Unexplained weight loss
Muscle and joint pain
Rectal or vaginal itching
Failure to thrive in children

How do you get parasites?

Th most common form of parasite exposure is via overseas travel and a bout of gastro. Perhaps you have never felt quite right since? However, even a camping trip can put you at risk. Some of the ways they enter the body are:

Drinking contaminated water – this is the most common form of exposure and is referred to as the faecal/oral route. Some of the types of parasites you can be exposed to are Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Blastocystis.
Eating contaminated food – also considered the faecal/oral route and can transmit many different types of parasites.
Eating undercooked or raw meat such as pork and beef e.g. tapeworm infections
Pets - can be contaminated with parasites e.g., tapeworms
Contaminated soil – certain types of worm larvae can be transmitted to the body through the feet when you wall on infested soil e.g. hookworm

How do you test for parasites?

The first sign that you might have a parasitic infection could be through an abnormal routine blood result. A white blood cell called an eosinophil, detailed in your full blood count, can be elevated with a parasite infection. Similarly, a Total IgE antibody test may also be out of range with a parasitic infection. This is an immunoglobulin responsible for hypersensitivity allergic responses, but may also be elevate with a parasitic infection. In cases like this it may be worth investigating further if these markers remained elevated or cannot be attributed to other factors.

There are several more specific ways to test for parasitic infections:

General stool testing

Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing – this type of testing looks for DNA fragments of the parasite in your stool sample
Microscopy, Culture and Sensitivity (MCS) Stool culturing – this type of testing looks for eggs of types of parasites by staining the faeces and examining it under the microscope
Both have limitations but are readily available as a first line of investigation

Comprehensive Functional stool testing – this type of testing uses PCR technology but is much more comprehensive in the number and type of parasites it can detect in one test

If you think you might have a parasite and you are experiencing symptoms, please get in touch. I offer a free 15 minute chat to discuss your needs.

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