(NaturalNews) Parasites are a part of life. They cause serious health issues that, in some cases, become fatal. No one is exempt from these vile creatures. Every one, even you, has at least one type of parasite. Let's review the most common types of parasites that are literally eating humans from the inside out.

Hungry hungry hookworm

An estimated 740 million people are infected globally. Hookworms are the leading cause of maternal and child morbidity in some developing countries. They also infect cats and dogs. Aptly named for their hooked mouths, hookworms latch on by biting into the intestinal wall. Once they've latched on they suck blood ravenously. This blood loss means anemia for the unsuspecting host. Hookworms can lay approximately 30,000 eggs per day and each worm generally lives 1 to 5 years.

Roundworm Giants

This is the largest in size and one of the most common parasitic worms in humans. Giant roundworms can grow just over 19 inches long and can lay 200,000 eggs per day. More than 2 billion people are infected with this parasite they cause an estimated 20,000 deaths annually. Infection typically occurs from poor hygiene habits, consuming food tainted with fecal matter, and by infected pets. Once inside, they're difficult to remove because of a lipid coating that protects them from acids, alkalis, and chemicals.

Giant Roundworm infection signs and symptoms

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Weight gain
• Weight loss
• Worms in vomit or stool

Complications
Giant roundworms are living organisms that feed and defecate inside the host. They can chew their way through body tissue and their stool is toxic to the body. They also eat your nutrients which leads to deficiencies and malnutrition for the host. Due to their size, they can completely block the intestines or other vital organs which can be fatal.

Complication include:

• Intestinal inflammation
• Gall bladder inflammation
• Pancreatic inflammation
• Appendicitis
• Cardiomyopathy
• Encephalopathy
• Peritonitis
• Kidney Disease
• Abnormal skin growths
• Blindness

Titillating tapeworm

To be accurate, this parasite doesn't literally eat you; it does however, feed off of you. Tapeworms are the longest parasites in the world. On average, the parasites are around 14 feet long. The longest tapeworm ever recorded was 37 feet long; it was pulled out of Sally May Wallace through her mouth in 1991. Apart from being ridiculously long, this worm can live in it's host for decades and typically goes unnoticed.

Tapeworms have a "crown" of tiny hooks on top of their head, which they use to attach themselves to your insides. They feed off of your nutrients by absorbing them through their skin. Pork, beef and fish are the primary sources of infection. Eating raw fish, beef, or pork that is undercooked can lead to tapeworm infection. Even meat and fish that are properly cooked can be a possible cause of infection if the chef has poor sanitation and reinfects your food.

Tapeworm infection signs and symptoms

• Constant hunger (especially for sweets and junk food)
• Abdominal cramping and/or pain
• Loss of appetite
• Malnutrition
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Diarrhea

Can they really cause death?

Though parasites most often go unnoticed, they can cause death. Some parasites, such as the tapeworm, can move out of the intestine and cause growths in local tissue where it settles such as in the brain, heart, or eye. In the brain, they can cause seizures and extensive damage to the nervous system.

Click here to read about natural remedies for parasites by the author, Jeanette Padilla.

Sources for this article include:

www.newscientist.com

www.scientificamerican.com

www.stanford.edu

www.nlm.nih.gov

About the author:
Jeanette Padilla is an experienced herbalist, writer, and co-creator of Sunshine Natural Healing. Read more of her work at Sunshine Natural Healing, or follow her on Facebook