The recent news about a man from the US aged 42 who visited his doctor after noticing an elevated, red line forming on the side of his foot has shocked the public. In the beginning, the doctor suspected that this is another case of varicose veins and if we analyze the developments we will know why.
In case you didn’t know, varicose veins emerge in situations where valves that manage blood flow’s direction inside the veins lose their power. In situations like this, blood build-up and veins become swollen. It is quite easy to identify swollen veins because they are clearly visible under the skin. What is typical for swollen veins is that they remain in the same spot and they move slightly, but in rare cases.
But, in the case of the aforementioned 42-year-old man, the varicose vein was constantly moving. As a matter of fact, the vein was growing on a daily basis and moved for about one inch a day. Physicians had to perform another test. They were a little bit confused when they realized that the man had a specific kind of hookworm that dwells in the skin.
This worm is known as cutaneous larva migrans and attacks the body when individuals get in touch with animal feces. This man was walking barefoot on a Nigerian beach and it is very likely that he got infected there.
Fortunately, the doctors were able to eliminate the worm without any problems and the patient didn’t experience any side effects or other complications. The team of doctors pointed out that even though the worm was trying to penetrate through the skin, it didn’t make it and the treatment was simple and efficient.
If you check our website, you will notice that we have already shared a few articles about worm infestations. These animals can enter our bodies if we touch things infested with them or through the food we consume. Even though most people believe that worm infestations are typical for underdeveloped countries, the truth is that they are present in developed regions of the world too.
The Centers for Disease Control has reported that at least several million Americans are dealing with parasitic infections and many of them are not aware of this problem. In order to find out whether there is a parasite in the body or not, doctors need blood tests and/or stool samples. Through these tests, they can also identify the type of parasite too.
Some of the most frequent parasitic infections in the United States include:
- Toxocara or common roundworms
- Cysticercosis of taenia solium tapeworm
- Chagas disease or trypanosome cruzi parasite.
Even though the majority of parasites bring a lot of health issues in humans, some studies claim that certain parasites are beneficial for our health.
Via David Wolfe
