05/25/2025
🌍 How Do We Get Parasites? Parasites can sneak into our lives through everyday activities: eating undercooked meat or contaminated food/water (think Giardia or tapeworms), poor hygiene (like not washing hands, leading to pinworms), or insect bites (malaria from mosquitoes). Walking barefoot on infected soil or swimming in freshwater with parasites like Schistosoma can also do it. Even cuddling with pets or traveling to areas with poor sanitation can put you at risk. Stay vigilant—simple habits like cooking food thoroughly and washing hands can keep these critters at bay! 🧼🍳
🤢 Physical Symptoms to Watch For Common parasites in Western society, like pinworms, Giardia, or lice, bring noticeable physical signs. Expect itchy skin (scabies or lice), diarrhea, bloating, or stomach cramps (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), or flu-like aches and swollen lymph nodes (Toxoplasma). Pinworms might keep you up with nighttime a**l itching, while Cryptosporidium can cause watery diarrhea. These symptoms vary, but if they persist, you NEED testing and treatment to kick those parasites out! 🩺
🧠 Mental Symptoms—Yes, They Happen! Some parasites can mess with your mind, too. Toxoplasma may trigger anxiety, depression, or brain fog, especially in chronic cases. Giardia and Cryptosporidium can cause fatigue and irritability from nutrient loss or dehydration. In rare cases (like neurocysticercosis from pork tapeworms), confusion, memory issues, ADHD or even hallucinations can occur. If you’re feeling off mentally alongside physical symptoms, don’t ignore it—talk to us and get checked and treated! 💡
