Parasites in the eyes are a rather terrible phenomenon that threatens human life. This is a complication that occurs if the underlying disease is not cured in time. In practice, the problem affects both eyes at once. And if it has come, then you should contact a specialist as soon as possible.
How do parasites appear in human eyes?
A parasite cannot appear right in the eyes. He immigrates there from another part of the body. After all, it is the eyeball that is the safest habitat for it. Eye contact is a very lengthy process. That is why other human organs begin to be affected beforehand.
Parasites living in the eyes cause the following types of diseases:
- River blindness.
- Toxocariasis.
- Telyazios.
- Cysticercosis.
- Ophthalmomyiasis.
- Bailisaskariasis.
- Opistorhoz.
- Acanthameba keratitis.
Often parasites in the eyes appear due to wearing contact lenses. Therefore, before putting them on, you should carefully observe the rules of hygiene and wash your hands with antibacterial soap.
Types of parasites
Today they allocate a hugenumber of eye parasites that a person can get:
- Trypanosomacruzi causes Chagas disease.
- The amoeba Acanthamoeba is the causative agent of Acanthamoeba keratitis.
- Loaloa leads to loiasis.
- Dirofilariarepens and Dirofilariaimmitis are worms that cause dirofilariasis.
- Toxoplasmagondii causes toxoplasmosis.
- Baylisascarisprocyonis is believed to be the causative agent of baylisascariasis.
- Echinococcosis appears due to worms such as Alveococcusmultilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus.
- Taenia solium, or rather their larvae, cause cysticercosis.
- Onchocercavolvulus causes river blindness.
- The causative agents of ophthalmomyiasis are several types of parasites. Among them: Cochliomyiahominivorax, H. Bovis, Oestrusovis, Dermatobiahominis and others.
- Toxocariasis is caused by worms such as Toxocara cati, Toxocara canis.
- Ascaris lumbricoides cause ascariasis.
Ophthalmomyiasis
Myiases are a variety of parasitic diseases caused by fly larvae. These insects become carriers of parasites, including eye worms, which can infect humans. Such a disease can lead to glaucoma, retinal detachment. In a neglected form, cases of removal of the affected eye are not uncommon.
Disease prevention - avoiding any contact with flies (even common domestic species), as well as their larvae. But if these wound upparasites in the eyes, symptoms may include:
- eating soft tissue to the bone (ulcers, wounds on the body);
- reddish filamentous thickening in the places where the parasite moves.
Loaoz
For residents of Russia and the CIS countries, loiasis is a rather exotic and rare disease. It is more common in Africa. The causative agent of the disease is a helminth. If parasites appear in the eyes of a person, the symptoms will be:
- eye discomfort;
- if the helminth is present in the anterior chamber of the eye, then a person can see it as if in a mirror image.
Due to the risk of eye inflammation, you should see a doctor at the first sign.
Bailisascariasis
Ascaris of raccoons causes a disease such as baylisascariasis. The larvae enter the human organs through the circulatory system. They also get into the eyes. The result is inflammation of the optic nerve, which can lead to blindness. In addition, a person develops an allergic reaction, which leads to anaphylactic shock.
You can contract the disease through contact with raccoons. Ascaris eggs can be found on their fur. At the same time, they survive both in the heat and in the cold. The only prevention option is no contact with these animals.
Kantameba keratitis
Those people who wear contact lenses are prone to such a disease as catnameb keratitis. The infection process looks like this:
- man washes his contact lenses with running waterwater;
- parasites settle on them;
- The next time you wear contact lenses, microorganisms get into your eyes.
Disease affliction manifests as follows:
- heat appears;
- severe muscle pain;
- gets dizzy;
- suddenly throwing up attacks that bring no relief.
A good prognosis for an infected person is possible if you see a doctor in time. Diagnostic measures will be carried out, after which the specialist will prescribe drug therapy. If there is no treatment, then there is a chance of earning blindness in both eyes.
River Blindness
In Russia and the CIS, onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is rare. According to statistics, this is 10 cases per 100,000 population. In African countries, such a disease is common everywhere.
The parasites that cause this problem are black flies. They live near water bodies and breed near rivers. When a fly lands on a person, it brings parasites under the skin. And if a fly bite fell on a place that is in close proximity to the eyes, then the likelihood of parasite migration into the eyeball increases dramatically.
River blindness is well and quickly cured with medication. However, if you do not see a doctor, there is a chance:
- appearance of inflammation of the retina;
- circulatory disorders in the eyes;
- getblindness.
In the most advanced cases, it is necessary to completely remove the affected eyeball.
Opisthorchiasis
From the liver, helminths such as opisthorchis, which are common in humans, can migrate into the eyes. In some cases, with a complication of the disease, irreversible loss of vision is possible. As a rule, both eyes are affected at once. Symptoms of the problem is damage to the vessels of the eye. This can lead to bleeding.
With opisthorchiasis of the eyes, a five-day therapy is prescribed using a medicine such as Chloxicol. In parallel, choleretic drugs are prescribed.
Echinococcal lesion
Echinococcus is a parasite that is localized in the intestines. If it enters the bloodstream, it can enter:
- bones;
- muscles;
- light;
- liver;
- eyes.
Due to the ingress of the parasite into one area or another, a cyst appears, which increases in size over time. In this case, the human eye is “pushed out” outward, bulging appears. The patient blinks with difficulty, the mucosa begins to dry out, the eyelids become thin, and edema occurs on them. The patient himself constantly feels a foreign body.
Parasite in human eyes: treatment
Parasites in the eyes (the photo confirms this) is a terrible phenomenon. That is why, if discomfort occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor in order to identify the problem in time. When parasites appear in the eyes, treatment is the only option to get rid of them. Often therapy iselimination of symptoms. That is why experts prescribe the following groups of drugs:
- Anthelmintic.
- Antihistamines.
- Sulfanilamide.
- Detoxification.
When choosing a specific medication for a patient, the doctor is guided by two principles:
- Reveals what kind of worms got into a person's eye.
- Studies the characteristics of the body of his patient.
After the therapeutic course has come to an end, studies have shown the absence of parasites, and the patient's eyes look absolutely he althy, you can return to a full life. If there are associated symptoms or problems, they must be eliminated. So, recommended:
- Rinse eyes thoroughly for a week.
- Use "Tobramycin" - an antibiotic that should be instilled into the eyes 1-2 drops a day. You can use any other similar drug.
- Instead of drops, there is an opportunity to buy an ointment in a pharmacy, which is prescribed for helminthiasis.
It is impossible to treat yourself if parasites appear in the eyes! Otherwise, there is a chance of getting complications that will either be irreversible or require close and long-term therapy under the supervision of a specialist.
If the worms are inside the eyeball, then you will have to resort to surgical intervention. To prevent this, each person must carefully monitor their eyes, observeall the rules of hygiene and pay attention to the slightest changes in their condition. This will help to avoid surgery and subsequent long-term rehabilitation.
All helminthic infestations develop very quickly. Therefore, only a surgical operation in some cases can save a person from blindness or even death. Today in medicine, several surgical methods are used to remove parasites from the human eye:
- Vitrectomy is a surgical intervention during which the vitreous body is partially or completely removed.
- Photocoagulation - treatment using a pulsed light source.
The doctor will help determine the method of effective treatment. He will also prescribe the correct therapy after surgery, and will also monitor the rehabilitation process of his patient.
Prevention measures
Parasites in the eyes are a rare phenomenon, but there is no certainty that it will not occur. To avoid such an ailment in life, you should carefully follow the simple rules:
- Observe general and personal hygiene.
- If you have the slightest concern, you should immediately consult a doctor. This is the only way to help yourself maintain your eyesight and he alth.
- Continuously eradicate insects that could be potential carriers of these nasty problems.
- You can apply special ointments that do not allow parasite larvae to enter the body.
Then the parasites in the eyes will not start. A person will live a full lifelife.
