I'm so glad it's March! It may not look like it out there right now, but Spring really is just around the corner! For me spring is the time for cleaning and growing; I love to get out in the garden, getting my hands in the dirt. My kids have always loved to find bugs and worms as the early signs of spring.

Now I don't mind bugs when they are outside, but what if those creepy crawlies were inside you? It's more common than most people realize. It's estimated that 60% of adults in North America have parasites, up to 80% in children. Its especially common in children during the diaper stage.

How do you get parasite?

It's not just a developing country problem. It's becoming increasingly common in North America as most doctors are not trained to recognize the symptoms. Parasites are just not often top of mind for most physicians. The symptoms can often mimic other conditions and diseases: roundworm infection can be misdiagnosed as a peptic ulcer, amoebic colitis is often misdiagnosed as ulcerative colitis, chronic fatigue and yeast infection can really be chronic giargiasis, while diabetes and hypoglycemia can be a case of tapeworm infection. 1- Interestingly, IBS is the only functional bowel disorder where a protozoal infection has been found in almost half of diagnosed cases.

Humans become a host by one of 4 pathways:

infected food or water sources (roundworm, amoeba, giardia)
by vector- mosquito (filaria, malaris), flea (tapeworm), housefly (amebic cysts), sandfly (leishmaniasis), family pets (worms)
sexual contact (trichomonas, giardia, amoeba)
through nose and skin through contact with others who are infected, through soil, personal care items, etc (pinworm eggs, toxoplasma gondii, hookworms, schistosomes, strongyloides)

Risk factors include:

international travel, air travel
digestive problems since experiencing traveler's diarrhea or food poisoning
contamination of municipal and rural water supplies
increasing use of daycare centres
poor diet, sugar rich diet- parasites feed on sugars
household pets
eating out, fast food, any restaurant
use of antibiotics and immuno-suppressive drugs
sexual contact

Signs and symptoms of parasites:

digestive problems: gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea that come and go but never really clear; irritable bowel syndrome
joint and muscle aches and pains, arthritis type pains
anemia or other unexplained nutritional deficiencies
food sensitivities (especially yeast), environmental intolerances, immune dysfunction
skin conditions
depression, ADHD, nervousness
sleep disturbances
teeth grinding
difficulty losing or gaining weight no matter what you do
chronic fatigue
hypoglycemia

Symptoms In Children:

dark circles under eyes
hyperactivity
failure to thrive
grinding or clenching teeth
constantly picking nose, chewing fingernails or scratching bum
bed wetting
anal itching
restlessness at night
hair pulling, picking at skin, nails, etc
reoccurring headaches
unusually sensitive to lights, with excessive blinking, squinting

Symptoms In Infants:

severe intermittent colic
head banging
chronic crying
chronic diaper rash around anus

Parasites create damage to the hosts body in 5 ways:

Parasites destroy the cells in the body faster than cells can be regenerated, resulting in ulceration or anemia
Parasites produce toxic substances that are harmful to the body, often resulting in pain and inflammation
The presence of parasites irritates the tissues of the body inducing an inflammatory reaction, and auto immune response, leading to exhaustion.
Some parasites enter through the skin causing dermatitis, others damage the lining of the intestines
Parasites can cause obstructions of the intestines, pancreas and other organ

Diagnosis:

Stool samples, repeated and random or purged are the most common ways to diagnose parasites. These can test for cysts, trophozoites, ova, eggs or worm segments. However most tests are inaccurate and misleading. Due to the life cycle of the parasite the cyst, egg or segment excretion rate can vary from day to day. Parasites that reside in the blood or tissues will not be found in a stool sample. Parasites may not be found in the stool as they live in the gastrointestinal lining and adhere to the intestinal mucousa. They only appear in the stool once dying off or extremely active (around the full moon) and trying to leave the body. Unfortunately very few medical centres are set up for a full panel of parasite testing.

I often find that during homeopathic treatment, there may suddenly be signs of parasites in the stool. This is homeopathy working, causing the parasite to die off and leave the body. The homeopathic medicines help the body eliminate anything foreign, even if that is not what we were working on specifically at the time. Many remedies have dual purposes and can be anti-parasitic while working on other issues.

What you can do now:

Parasites feed on sugar, eat a low sugar diet to starve off any parasites in the body.
Eat plenty of spices like garlic, onion, ginger, cayenne, chilies, cumin, black pepper, mint, cinnamon, fennel
Eat food rich in vitamin a such as carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, greens- vitamin a increases resistance to parasitic tissue penetration
Eat a high fiber, alkaline diet and drink plenty of water
Eat enough properly cooked protein- the amino acids in protein strengthens tissues and enhances the immune system
Have a healthy digestive system, healthy stomach acid, healthy intestinal flora, daily bowel movements
Always wash your hands before eating and after using the bathroom. Keep your fingernails short and scrub underneath them. Always practice good hygiene.
Keep your kitchen and food prep areas clean. Clean all produce thoroughly. Thoroughly cook your meat.
Use homeopathic medicines to support the body and build the immune system, these will help flush parasites out.
Do a proper parasite cleanse at least once per year.

Some people think it may be easier to pick up a prescription from the pharmacist, in my practice I have seen a great deal of digestive problems resulting from the medication, and the parasite usually still needs to be treated multiple times. It is often much gentler, healing and better for the body to take the homeopathic, herbal and gemmotherapy route.

My parasite protocol consists of several parts:

Strengthen the body, liver support and increase fibre to make sure bowels are moving well (1 week to 3 months depending on the person's health and current diet)
Draw parasites out of the intestinal wall and into the digestive tract (1 week)
Flush the parasites out (2 weeks)
Repeat as needed (usually 6-12 weeks)
Heal inflammation, boost the immune system, repair intestinal lining, re-establish proper gut flora, support liver detoxification and proper digestion

If one family member is infected, the whole family should be treated, eating together and sharing a bathroom increases your chance of infection.

Eating a healthy diet and practicing proper hygiene will prevent re-infestation. However a parasite cleanse should be done at least once a year for best results.

Removing yeast and parasites is a difficult job for your body. During this process, it is highly important that you support your body as much as possible with regular exercise, good diet, adequate sleep, and limiting exposure to toxins.

Its important to rotate herbs and supplements that you use in your treatment as parasites are extremely adaptable, that is why it's so difficult to get rid of them.

Herxheimer’s Reaction

"The removal of parasites can be uncomfortable at times. This reaction, named after the German dermatologist who discovered it, is basically the discomfort caused by the die off of yeast and parasites and the body’s attempt to remove them. The faster you attempt to treat symptoms and the more potent remedies you take, the higher your chance of experiencing this reaction.

You may even find that you “catch a cold” a week or so after starting to treat your yeast and parasite symptoms. This is actually a mild Herxheimer reaction, and backing down supplements and drinking more water should help it pass quickly". 2

Herbs are wonderful aids to draw out parasites. Please exercise caution and only use with professional guidance. Many herbs should not be used in pregnancy, in children and in chronic disease. Here's a great list of herbs.

I hope you have found this information helpful. My goal is to share information to educate and empower people to take control of their own health. Please contact Lisa for more information. I would love to help you experience Better Health Naturally!

The information provided here is for educational purposes only. For treatment please seek a qualified health care provider.