Toxoplasmosis

General description of the disease

This is a parasitic disease that affects animals and humans, which is caused by toxoplasma.

A person can become infected with these parasites from more than 180 species of animals (both domestic and wild). The most dangerous and common are cases of infection from cats.

Invasion methods

Basically, a person becomes infected with toxoplasmosis during the consumption of poorly cooked, semi-cooked food. Namely, poorly cooked, fried, stewed meat (pork, venison, lamb are especially dangerous).

The parasite can also enter the body through the mouth if you eat with dirty hands or touch your mouth (after agricultural work on the ground, after cleaning up the cats), if you touch your mouth after cutting raw meat.

In rare cases, toxoplasmosis can be contracted after a blood transfusion.

If a pregnant woman is infected, then there is a high probability that her fetus will also get sick.

Toxoplasmosis is also transmitted through normal interaction with sick pets.

Types and symptoms of toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis can be worn congenital and acquired nature.

Congenital type toxoplasmosis the child in the womb is sick. If toxoplasmosis develops in the first part of pregnancy, the fetus dies. This is due to defeats and vices, in which it is simply impossible to live. If the fetus is infected with toxoplasmosis in the second part of pregnancy, then the child survives, but at birth, severe damage to the brain tissue, spleen, liver is revealed, and serious visual impairments are observed.

In an acute course, the child has clearly expressed signs of encephalitis and meningitis. Such consequences of toxoplasmosis threaten with serious problems in the form of seizures of epilepsy, seizures, tremors of the extremities, paresis of the muscles of the eyes and facial muscles, myoclonus and nystagmus may develop, and there are cases of spinal cord injury.

Congenital toxoplasmosis will give out 3 main signs: hydrocephalus (the child has a very large head, thin cranial bones, fontanelles are tense and microphthalmia is present as a concomitant disease), chorioretinitis (the inflammatory process takes place in the choroid in its posterior part, while the patient may have cataracts, atrophy of the nerves of vision, uveitis and iritis), calcifications – the third sign of congenital toxoplasmosis (in calcifications, sizes vary from 1-3 centimeters in diameter and are located in the cerebral cortex). Such children are very lagging behind in development compared to ordinary children. Also, they have a disturbed psycho-emotional background (hallucinations occur, frequent depression, overexcitation are observed). In addition, the spleen and liver are affected.

The course of acquired toxoplasmosis can take several forms – acute, latent (latent) and chronic.

  1. 1 If the immunity of an infected person is low, then there is acute toxoplasmosis… With a normal amount of defenses in the body, a person does not have any signs of illness for a long amount of time (until the parasites multiply in the intestines and hit the nerve endings).The primary signs of acute toxoplasmosis are fever, chills, fever, joint and muscle pain, enlarged lymph nodes. Symptoms are very similar to typhoid fever. After a short amount of time, a rash appears on the patient’s body (it is macupapular in nature). The rash is absent on the soles, palms and scalp. In addition to these general symptoms, hepatitis, myocarditis, nephritis, pneumonia and meningoencephalitis are connected to toxoplasmosis (it is he who most often appears). Meningoencephalitis manifests itself in disorders of coordination of movements, in lesions of the brain and spinal cord, due to which paresis of the limbs occurs, problems with memory and reading arise.
  2. 2 After these symptoms have subsided, toxoplasmosis enters the stage chronic course.In the chronic course, remissions occur from time to time and the disease acquires all the same signs of acute toxoplasmosis. During a period of calm, the patient is irritable for any slightest reason, is constantly in nervous tension, explosive. At the same time, often, concomitant signs of the disease are the presence of lymphadenopathy, constipation, bloating, vomiting, pain and discomfort in the abdomen. Seals and calcifications, which can be felt in the thickness of the muscles, are considered the main sign of obsolete toxoplasmosis. An important symptom is the presence of various disorders (in women, these disorders can be given by a knocked-down menstrual cycle, in men – sexual impotence, in both sexes – these are disorders in the functioning of the endocrine gland and malfunctions of the adrenal glands). In addition, patients suffer from eyes (almost all have uveitis, chorioretinitis, retinitis), there is a predisposition to eosinophilia, there are problems with blood in the form of lymphocytosis, neutropenia and leukopenia.
  3. 3 Acquired toxoplasmosis most often flows into latent form… This type of toxoplasmosis can be determined only with the help of special medical examinations (computed tomography plays an important role in the diagnosis). With a long course of toxoplasmosis in a latent form, the heart, myocardium, and lungs are mainly affected. And so, outwardly there are no special signs of the disease. Toxoplasmosis was often identified by complications.

Acquired toxoplasmosis is most affected by people with HIV and AIDS, since they are immunodeficient. This disease becomes fatal for them. Many drug addicts die from toxoplasmosis.

Useful foods for toxoplasmosis

To get rid of toxoplasmosis, you need to eat right. To do this, you need to eat as much fresh vegetables, fruits, berries as possible. Add more herbs and spices to the dishes. There are garlic, horseradish, onion, spinach, basil, sorrel, dill, parsley, lettuce. They will help drive out the parasites. An antiparasitic diet should be followed.

Parasites do not like bitter, tart and spicy foods. Therefore, you should eat radishes, radishes, sweet potatoes, add ginger root, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, hops-suneli to your food.

Also, it is necessary to eat iodine-containing foods: iodized salt, seaweed, tuna, herring, cod fish and its liver, squid, oysters, shrimp, flounder, sea bass, mussels, grapes, persimmons, oranges, pineapples, feijoa, eggplant, asparagus, cereals. Here you should not overdo it, because if there is an excess of iodine in the body, then the situation may worsen and, against the background of toxoplasmosis, problems with the thyroid gland, which already suffers from this disease, will begin.

All vegetables, herbs, fruits must be thoroughly washed and doused with boiling water. Any food must be properly cooked. Was completely cooked, fried, or stewed.

In addition, hands should be thoroughly washed with soap and water after any preparation or cleaning of meat. In no case should you try raw meat or minced meat. Raw milk (homemade) must be boiled. If a family drinks water from a pump, a well or a well, then before using it, it is imperative to boil the water (at least a minute must pass after boiling).

Food should be non-greasy and easily digestible. It should not burden the stomach. This is due to constant problems with the gastrointestinal tract (after all, Toxoplasma develops and multiplies in the intestines). You need to eat fractionally.

It is best that the diet consisted of viscous cereals, vegetable broths and fermented milk products (special emphasis should be placed on them, because they even out the microflora of the stomach, promote the liver and spleen).

To increase immunity, it is necessary to add sea buckthorn, viburnum, currants, rose hips, strawberries, hawthorn, chokeberry, pepper, citrus to the diet.

Seeds from pumpkin, watermelon, melon juice, apricot pits help well against parasites.

Traditional medicine for toxoplasmosis

Traditional medicine should be used as an adjunct to traditional medicine. These funds can be used by children and women in position. In addition, they will help strengthen the body’s immune system and will help not only in the treatment of toxoplasmosis, but are also suitable for its prevention.

  • Peel a few cloves of garlic, chop finely, pour in a glass of milk, put on fire and boil for 15 minutes. This amount of milk with garlic must be drunk per day, divided into several receptions. Drink slowly and in small sips. You need to take such a drink for 10 days.
  • You need to take 100 grams of pharmacy chamomile and tansy, 50 grams each of buckwheat and bitter wormwood roots and add 120 grams of buckthorn (bark is required). All plants must be dried and crushed and mixed thoroughly. Every evening you need to prepare an infusion: a glass of hot water is taken for a tablespoon of the collection and steamed in a thermos all night. In the morning, drink the infusion an hour before breakfast. Take until the mixture of these plants is completely finished.
  • Take a three-leafed watch (30 grams), tansy (20 grams), centaury (10 grams), pour a liter of hot water, cover and leave to infuse for a day. It is imperative to observe the dosage and take the infusion in this order and quantity: half an hour before breakfast, drink 100 milliliters, before lunch (30 minutes) drink 300 milliliters and before dinner, consume half a glass of infusion.
  • Take not roasted pumpkin seeds, peel, grind into powder. Drink a glass of boiled or pasteurized milk along with a teaspoon of pumpkin powder on an empty stomach every day.
  • An infusion from young branches of bird cherry is considered a good way to get rid of toxoplasmosis. For its preparation, young twigs are cut off, crushed, 150 grams of such twigs are taken and poured with 3 liters of cold filtered water (you can also take non-carbonated mineral water). Cook for 20 minutes after boiling (be sure to take an enamel pan). After the twigs are boiled, leave the infusion for 3 hours, drain. Drink a quarter of a glass before meals for a month.
  • It is also useful to take alcoholic tinctures from propolis, calamus, aspen, elecampane, calendula, eucalyptus. A teaspoon of this tincture should be diluted in half a glass of water. Pregnant women should not take these tinctures.

After the completed course, you need to take a blood test, it will show whether you have gotten rid of Toxoplasma to the end or not. If necessary, an additional examination can be assigned.

Prevention of toxoplasmosis

To protect yourself and children from toxoplasmosis, you need to adhere to all hygienic measures, wash your hands thoroughly after working on the ground, sand, with raw meat, after cleaning the excrement of pets. Conduct prophylactic parasitic treatment in pets, get rid of cockroaches, goose bumps, flies (they can also carry parasite larvae). Pregnant women should have periodic cytological tests to prevent congenital toxoplasmosis. At the time of carrying a child, it is better to exclude contact with animals (especially cats).

Dangerous and harmful products with toxoplasmosis

  • raw and semi-raw meat dishes;
  • fatty, smoked food;
  • not washed vegetables, berries, fruits;
  • store canned food and sausages;
  • margarine, spreads, pastry cream;
  • sweet soda, alcohol;
  • starchy foods;
  • fast food and convenience foods;
  • a lot of sweets.

These products complicate the work of the digestive system, create a beneficial environment for the reproduction of Toxoplasma.

Attention!

The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!

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