In the current polluted and unhealthy environment, viruses and parasites are prevalent. Amoebiasis is a condition that occurs when Entamoeba histolytica or E. histolytica attacks your intestines. As the intestines are connected with your abdomen, this condition has the potential of causing severe health damage.
Are you concerned with the symptoms and treatment of this condition? Then, read till the end of this article to learn about amoebiasis.
Parasites are beings that survive in other living organisms or hosts. They usually feed on the host but do not contribute to the wellbeing of the latter. For example, if you have amoebiasis, your gut (intestine) becomes infected. Entamoeba is a group of single-celled parasites that infect both humans and animals. While there are about six species of this parasite, only E. histolytica causes disease in humans.
Thus, if you wonder what amoebiasis is, it refers to intestinal (bowel) illness because of microscopic parasites. Usually, it spreads through human faeces. It is common in tropical countries, where sanitation facilities tend to be underdeveloped. People who have travelled to such locations are more prone to get infected with amoebiasis.
Now that you know the meaning of amoebiasis, you might be wondering about its types. According to health researchers, the following two types of amoebiasis are commonly seen in patients.
According to the researchers of Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 10%-20% of people suffering from amoebiasis become sick from it. Usually, there are no symptoms initially. However, an infected person might pass on the disease by defecating new cysts in the environment. Therefore, they usually do this after 1-4 weeks of ingesting the cysts when symptoms occur. As a result, you might commonly see this condition's following symptoms.
As discussed already, amoebiasis is caused by a parasite called E histolytica. It might enter your large intestine (colon) and invade the colon wall, causing colitis, acute dysentery, or long-term (chronic) diarrhoea. The infection can also spread through your bloodstream, in some cases reaching significant organs like the lungs, brain and liver. In most cases, the parasite spreads in the following conditions.
Apart from this, the following risk factors can also contribute to some of the significant causes of amoebiasis.
Amoebiasis is a common condition in tropical countries. Apart from the Indian subcontinent, this condition is common in parts of Central and South America, Mexico, and Africa. Apart from this, the risks of developing amoebiasis are higher in the following conditions.
When you face the symptoms mentioned above and visit your physician for treatment, you will undergo the diagnosis of amoebiasis. In most cases, doctors do this with the help of the following methods.
The treatment for amoebiasis depends on the presence of E. histolytica. If the tests diagnose its presence, you will receive treatment irrespective of the symptoms. However, if these tests diagnose only E. dispar, treatment is not mandatory since it is non-pathogenic. The following treatment procedures are standard in healthcare centres.
Doctors commonly use antibiotics to treat amoebic colitis, including Metronidazole and Tinidazole. In addition, other medicines such as diloxanide furoate help get rid of any parasites in your gut. It is also effective in treating amoebic liver abscesses.
If your colon or peritoneal tissues have perforations, surgery might be mandatory. However, this is rare, only when the condition is severe.
By now, you must have had a clear notion about the definition of amoebiasis, its causes and symptoms. Now, you must be wondering about the prevention of amoebiasis. First, you need to know that sanitation is the primary requirement to avoid this condition. If you follow the below-mentioned rules, you can prevent getting amoebiasis.
As you can understand from this article, amoebiasis appears as a simple condition but can have some serious complications and consequences if left untreated. The leading cause comes from a parasite E. histolytica, which attacks your colon and causes some severe symptoms related to your digestive system. Therefore, it is advisable to maintain a hygiene standard and a healthy diet to avoid this condition.
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