{"id":9777,"date":"2019-08-11T12:27:01","date_gmt":"2019-08-11T12:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=9777"},"modified":"2021-04-25T16:57:07","modified_gmt":"2021-04-25T16:57:07","slug":"14-common-signs-of-schistosomiasis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-common-signs-of-schistosomiasis\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Common Signs of Schistosomiasis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Schistosomiasis is a rare disease in the US. There are under 20,000 cases each year in America. This disease is mostly seen in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease is caused when parasitic worms infect freshwater. Infected people continue to swim, wade, and bathe in the water because they have no other means to get water. The freshwater is contaminated with feces and urine from animals. When the water gets onto the skin, it travels to the bloodstream and in a few months, a person will experience the symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Americans go to tropical and subtropical regions, they need to be careful by not swimming in the water. When they come back to the US, they may have to be quarantined until the disease goes away. The good thing about the infection is it will go away in one to two days if it\u2019s caught early enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are eight common signs of Schistosomiasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Bloody diarrhea or blood in stools is a common sign of Schistosomiasis. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A person may not really look at their bowel movement. They should look at the toilet paper to see if any blood is on it. The blood may be heavy and needs to be checked by a doctor. Some people may think it\u2019s because their bowel movement is difficult to come out, but a lot of times there is something else wrong with the person. You should seek medical attention right away if it doesn\u2019t go away. You don\u2019t want to let your bowel movement stay bloody. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a reason why it\u2019s happening. Think about if you\u2019ve been to any tropical or subtropical country and swim or wade in the water. If so, that is how you got the infection<\/a>. The blood in your stools will go away eventually with the right medication prescribed by your doctor.
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2. Headache is another sign that you have Schistosomiasis. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you have an infection, it will get into your bloodstream <\/a>and make you ill. You\u2019ll need to lie down because whenever you stand up, your headache will get worse. Tylenol may help a little bit, but the headache will come back. The headache may become intense if no treatment is given. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An American in a tropical or subtropical area needs to get medical treatment as soon as possible. On the other hand, people who live in the area may not seek treatment and just rest until they can\u2019t take the pain anymore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They could end up dying, especially if the person has a weak immune system. Sometimes with a headache, it can cause vomiting, depending on how intense it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the headache may not appear until two months later, as soon as the headache is felt, you need to seek medical attention.
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3. The rash will develop with Schistosomiasis. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The rash <\/a>has developed because your skin got into contact with the infected water. The rash can appear anywhere on the body. It may become itchy as well. Do not scratch the area if it\u2019s itchy. It\u2019ll just make the rash even bigger and can become more infected. Hydrocortisone and Benadryl will not help because it\u2019s an infection. Infections need antibiotics to get it to clear up. Once you notice that Benadryl and hydrocortisone cream isn\u2019t working, go to the doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor will examine the rash and have blood drawn. The results will show that you have Schistosomiasis because you went to a foreign country and got into the water. Even if you just place your feet into the freshwater, you can still become contaminated because your feet are still skin. Since you placed your feet into the water, the rash may appear on your feet.
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4. Fever is a sign you have contracted Schistosomiasis. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When a fever <\/a>appears, you may think that you are able to catch a cold or the flu. Your fever becomes extremely high. It is a good idea to check your temperature often because you may need to go to the hospital to treat you. The hospital will make you stay until your fever goes down. Since Schistosomiasis can go away in a couple of days, you won\u2019t be in the hospital for long. Once the disease goes away, you may want to stay away from subtropical and tropical areas. If you do visit them again, you\u2019ll need to stay away from the infected water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people who live in the region have no choice, but to deal with any signs that they may have. They may die when they are unable to treat the fever. Home remedies won\u2019t cure Schistosomiasis.
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5. Abdominal pain is another sign to look out for when you have Schistosomiasis. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you have Schistosomiasis<\/a>, it gets into the bloodstream and can affect your other organs. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to get treatment as soon as you have this sign. The abdominal pain is felt in your liver and spleen. The abdominal pain should be a sign that something is going wrong in your body. For a woman, you may think she\u2019s having the time of the month cramps, but if the cramps last for a week or two, there is definitely something wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the liver and spleen become affected, if you wait too long, they may stop functioning and could possibly die. Hospitalization may be your only course of action, especially since your liver and spleen are causing you problems. The pain may become intense that you have no choice, but to go to the emergency room.
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6. Coughing is a sign that Schistosomiasis is in your body. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The coughing <\/a>will persist for a long time. You may decide to get over-the-counter cold medicine to relieve the cough, but it won\u2019t help. When you cough too much, it can chest pain. The chest pain could lead to a heart attack. It is best to go to your primary care doctor to get the cough dealt with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By waiting too long, your primary care doctor may not be able to help you. You\u2019ll need to seek treatment in the emergency room. A complete physical examination needs to be given so that the doctor will know why the person is having a persistent cough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes with a cough, it can cause the person to want to vomit. The doctor will treat both problems. when you go back to your doctor for a follow-up Schistosomiasis should be clear along with the cough.
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7. Body aches are a sign that Schistosomiasis is affecting your body. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The infection is in your bloodstream <\/a>and your body starts aching. It may seem like you\u2019re catching a normal cold or if you have been exercising heavily, it\u2019s from that. The body aches from both situations won\u2019t last long. When it comes to heavy exercising, it usually lasts no more than two days. The body ache will cause a problem when standing and sitting down. You\u2019ll need assistance from someone to help you. You\u2019ll need to skip work for a while until you heal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if you are an office worker, you have to sit and stand often. It\u2019ll take you longer to complete a simple task, such as going to the file cabinet. You can rub topical analgesic cream on your body, but it won\u2019t work. The infection is in your blood and the body ache will only go away with prescription medication. 
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8. Malaise is another sign that is common with Schistosomiasis. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Malaise <\/a>is feeling discomfort. It\u2019ll cause you to not be interested in your normal activities, eating too much, and fatigue.\u00a0 It may seem like you are depressed and may seek help from a psychiatrist. You\u2019ll continue to feel discomfort because you have Schistosomiasis. You may start to gain weight since you\u2019re not being active and eating a lot. You may start to feel ill after eating a lot of food. You shouldn\u2019t have this issue when eating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going to your doctor first is the best thing to do. A pharmacist may suggest supplements, but it will make you sicker. The wrong medicine is going into your body. Only a doctor can find out what is wrong with you since he or she has to examine you. Once the infection heals, you will start to feel better and go back to doing the things you love to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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