What You Need to Know About Parasites (2024)

There’s a myth that intestinal parasitesand parasitic diseasesare rare and hard to contract. These microscopic hitchhikers are more common than you think, and they don’t only affect your digestive tract.

Symptoms of a parasite often manifest as gastrointestinaldistress, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. These invaders can wreak havoc on your entire body, from your brain to your liver. Some of them have the potential to cause problems that can last years. Parasites can also contribute to inflammation, immune impairment, and even autoimmune activation.

Helminthsand protozoaare the two main types of intestinal parasites. Helminthsare multi-cell parasitic wormssuch as pinworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and roundworms. Protozoaare microscopic, single-cell parasites. Since they’re invisible to the naked eye and don’t always cause immediate symptoms, protozoaare much harder to detect. People can live for years not knowing they’re infected.

How Do You Get Parasites?

Most people don’t realize how easy it is to get infected with a parasite. Hard, protective cyststhat surround the parasite allow a long life cycleand easy transmission. Protozoaare especially easy to pick up via the oral route, as all it takes is one cystto make it into the mouth for infection to occur.

Traveling to countries with underdeveloped sanitation and poor quality drinking water is one way to pick up a parasite, but it isn’t the only way. Outside of travel, some of the most common ways you can get parasites are:

Swimming — some parasites thrive in water, and chlorine doesn’t kill them all. All it takes is one accidental swallow of water from a public pool, hot tub, or river.
Food — unwashed produce and undercooked seafood are a perfect hiding spot for parasites.
Caring for others — assisting others in personal hygiene like bathing and diaper changes puts you at risk for parasite exposure. That makes daycare centers and nursing homes some of the easiest places to pick up a parasite.
Outdoor activities — you can infect yourself with a parasite if you don’t wash your hands after outdoor activities like gardening or horseback riding.
Drinking contaminated water — contamination of public drinking water in the US isn’t common, but it does happen. According to the CDC, if you get your water from a well, you’re at a much higher risk. This is especially true after flooding, which can leach contaminated runoff into private wells.

Symptoms of Parasites

Different parasites cause many different symptoms, and some can mimic other infectious diseases. Whether the culprit is a helminthor protozoa, the most recognizable symptoms of a parasite are:

Gastrointestinaldistress — since parasites take up residence in the intestines, this is where the most damage occurs. Diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, and nausea are all common symptoms of parasites.
Weight loss— parasites can cause nausea and poor nutritional absorption, which can lead to weight loss.
Chronic fatigue syndrome — parasites steal your nutrients and disrupt your intestinalmicrobiome, resulting in fatigue and brain fog.
Anemia— some parasites feed on red blood cells, which can cause anemia.¹
Joint pain — there’s a known link between parasite infections and arthritis, which causes joint pain and swelling.²
Bruxism — the clenching and grinding of teeth, is a little known symptom of parasites that’s most common among children.³
Fevers — several different parasites can cause fevers. While most common at the time of initial infection, this can also be a symptom of chronic or untreated infection.

Intestinal parasites are also a known cause of some inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In fact, many autoimmune diseases can have an infectious trigger as the root cause, including parasites, bacteria, viruses, or fungi.⁴

The Most Common Intestinal Parasites

Most people are familiar with helminths, commonly referred to as intestinal worms. Surprisingly, few people are as familiar with protozoaninfections, despite these being some of the most common intestinal parasitesin humans. Some of the most common protozoain the United Statesinclude:

Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidiumis a parasite often found in farm animals. It spreads through contaminated water sources. Cryptosporidiumhas a strong outer shell resistant to chlorine. This makes it notoriously hard to kill. Cryptosporidiumis the most common cause of parasitic infectionvia public pools and water parks.⁵

Infection is called cryptosporidiosisor “crypto.” It causes watery diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. Symptoms of crypto usually start 2-10 days after infection.⁵ The worst of it usually lasts for a week or two, but if left untreated you can get recurrent disease flares well after the initial infection. Importantly, we’ve seen higher rates of Cryptosporidiumin some patients with chronic illnesses such as Lyme disease. While the reasons for this aren’t entirely clear, we hypothesize that people with tickborne illnesses are frequently immunosuppressed, and this might put them at higher risk for intestinal parasiteinfections, as well as other gut infections and imbalances. Since it’s known that Cryptosporidiumis more likely to cause chronic illness in people who are immunocompromised, this hypothesis is well-supported.⁶

Blastocystis

Blastocystisis one of the most common intestinal parasitesin the US. Since it doesn’t cause obvious symptoms for everyone, it was originally thought to be non-pathogenic and harmless. We’ve since learned that Blastocystiscan cause both acute and chronic illness.⁷

There is a known link between Blastocystisand irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It’s also strongly connected to chronic fatigue and joint pain. In 1989, one study found that a very high number of people who tested positive for Blastocystishave also been diagnosed with IBS.⁸Chalking their symptoms up to IBS of unknown etiology, Blastocystiswas dismissed as a coincidental finding, supporting the impression that it was harmless. Subsequent studies have examined Blastocystisin the absence of other known illnesses, and evidence supports that this parasite is actually capable of causing IBS itself.⁸

Numerous strains exist, and researchers are still sorting out which ones are most likely to make people sick. But one thing is for sure — not all strains of Blastocystisare the harmless hitchhikers they were once thought to be.

Many providers still adhere to the old school of thought that treatment is unnecessary.⁹ At CCFM, we follow the most up-to-date research. That’s why we test for Blastocystisand usually treat it when it’s detected, especially if people are having gut issues, fatigue, or joint pain.

Giardia lamblia

Like Cryptosporidium, Giardialambliais also chlorine-resistant and it loves water. This parasite lives in the small intestineand causes an illness known as Giardiaduodenalisor Giardiaintestinalis. Symptoms of giardiasisinclude fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps. Severe infections can cause dehydration and malnutrition.¹⁰

Giardiahas some of the most debilitating long-term effects when compared to other parasites. A study published in 2014 found that almost 40% of patients who had Giardiaexperience residual IBS and chronic fatigue syndrome for up to six years after initial infection.¹¹Giardia-related bowel inflammation can be severe, disrupting the gut lining and causing increased intestinalpermeability (also known as “leaky gut”) for years after.¹² Giardiacan also persist and cause long-term problems, such as eye disease and arthritis. Untreated Giardiahas been found to cause sudden-onset lactose intolerance.¹³

Iodamoeba bütschlii and Entamoeba histolytica

I. bütschlii and E. histolyticaare both amoebas.¹⁴ The elderly and immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to infection by amoebas. Outbreaks usually happen in nursing homes and other community living facilities.

Infection of E. histolytica is called amoebiasis.¹⁴ Early symptoms of amoebiasis include abdominal cramping and diarrhea. If left untreated, these parasites can travel to the liver and form painful abscesses. They also travel to the brain, lungs, and spleen.¹⁵

Iodamoeba bütschlii is an amoeba common in pigs and humans. Much like Blastocystis, it was also previously thought to be non-pathogenic, but there have been challenges to that thought in recent years.¹⁶ One study published in Oxfords’ Molecular Biology and Evolution journal reported that high concentrations of Iodamoebahave been linked to episodes of diarrhea and abdominal pain.¹⁷This same study found that Ioadamoebais an incredibly diverse organism, meaning that different strains may pose a higher risk of causing illness than others.

Considering the unpredictability of Ioadamoeba, we believe the benefit of treating it outweighs the risk of leaving it unchecked.

Toxoplasma Gondii

Toxoplasma Gondiicauses a disease known as toxoplasmosis. It’s estimated that up to one third of people living in the US have been infected at some point in their lives.¹⁸

T. Gondii is most often transmitted through contaminated drinking water and undercooked meat. Since cats can host the parasite, transmission is possible if hands aren’t washed thoroughly after cleaning their litter boxes.

Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, sore throat, and muscle aches. T. Gondii can cause inflammation of the brain that results in headaches, vision changes, and even seizures. It can also collect in the lungs and cause a fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Not everyone who gets infected with T. Gondii becomes ill, but it’s very dangerous for those with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women should be especially cautious, as unborn children are susceptible to birth defects, including hydrocephalus and microcephaly, as a result of toxoplasmosis infection while in utero.¹⁹

How to Treat Intestinal Parasites

Different parasites require different treatment methods, so obtaining an accurate diagnosis is critical. Testing involves checking the fecesfor cystsor larvae. Blood testscan also detect certain parasites and x-raysmay be helpful for helminths.

At CCFM, we perform intensive testing for gastrointestinalhealth. This is frequently a mainstay of our diagnosis and treatments. Since testing for different types of parasiteson stool samplesis highly variable and requires expertise, sometimes tests can miss an infection. Therefore, our providers treat based on a combination of detailed history, symptoms, and test data. Based on all of this data, your clinician will recommend the best individualized treatments and medications for the infection.

Diet is also key when it comes to treating and preventing parasites. A healthy intestinalmicrobiome is critical for good health, whether you’ve had exposure to parasites or not. Eating certain foods and avoiding others can help your body prevent and fight intestinal parasites, and restore your gut immune system.

Foods with probioticsand Vitamin C support a healthy microbiome and make you less susceptible to infection. Garlic, beetroot, pumpkin seeds, carrots, and papaya seeds all have anti-parasiticqualities.

If you think you’ve been exposed to parasites, avoid dairy, processed foods, and alcohol. Simple carbs and foods high in sugar give fuel to parasites, so limit them as much as possible.

Don’t Ignore Your Symptoms

In a culture that’s hyper-focused on alleviating symptoms rather than finding the root issue, there’s a concerning gap in the treatment chain.

It’s easy to take a pill and make a symptom go away temporarily. Few stop to ask why the problem happened in the first place. It’s a question that deserves an answer. If left untreated, intestinal parasitescan cause lasting damage and chronic illness. If you’re struggling with a chronic disease that has evaded proper diagnosis and treatment, make sure parasites are considered as a possible trigger.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of a parasite infection, click here to book your initial consultation with us.

At CCFM, we see symptoms as clues, not something that should be covered up or ignored. We’re dedicated to uncovering the root cause of your illness and helping you become your healthiest self. Wellness is a journey, but it’s always within reach.

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