Parasites in the Gut: 7 Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

Author's Bio: Katie Bailey, MS, RD, LD, FNC

Could your health struggles be caused by something hiding in your gut?

Something that most people never even test for. I'm talking about parasites. These hidden invaders are far more common than most people realize, and the symptoms often look like other conditions, which is why they are often missed. They can drain your energy, disrupt your digestion, and lead to chronic health issues if left unchecked.

What Are Parasites and Where Do They Come From?

So let's start with the basics. Parasites are organisms that live off of a host, so in this case, you in order to survive, they can come from contaminated food and water, undercooked meat, poor hygiene, as well as traveling and even pets.

Common Gut Parasites

Now, there are many different types of parasites, but the common gut parasites that we see are things like Giardia. That's the most common one that I see on a stool test. But we also see Cryptosporidium, Blastocystis hominis, hookworms, and pinworms.

How Parasites Impact Your Health

Now, some parasites can cause obvious acute infections, but many others can go undetected for months or years. They are a hidden stressor that can quietly damage your gut, hijack your nutrients, and stress out your immune system.

Think of parasites like an unwanted house. Gas that comes in, eats your food, makes the mess, and leaves you footing the bill so they can compete with our nutrients. So leaving you with nutrient deficiencies, they can disrupt the gut microbiome, leaving you with imbalances between your good and your bad bacteria. They can damage the gut lining, increasing inflammation and contributing to leaky gut, and they can also release toxins that are going to stress out your liver and your immune system. So when left unchecked, these parasites can create a cascade of health issues far beyond just digestion.

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Seven Symptoms of Parasites to Watch For

Now let's break down the seven symptoms. That might be a sign that a parasites may be affecting your health.

Unexplained Digestive Issues

The first one is unexplained digestive issues. So gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation or alternating between the two are classic red flags. Parasites can directly irritate the gut lining and they can disrupt normal digestion. Some parasites like Giardia can actually inflame the small intestines while others just attach to the colon lining. These symptoms often get dismissed as IBS, but parasites can be a common cause.

Next, I'll explain six more symptoms, but first, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a gut health dietitian at Oswald Digestive Clinic, where we help individuals improve and resolve their bothersome gut issues. If you're interested in learning more about gut health, I'll link our free guide Five Ways to Improve Your Gut Health here.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Alright, so the second symptom I want to discuss is nutrient deficiencies, especially anemia. So parasites steal your nutrients in order to survive and thrive. Some consume iron and can lead to things like anemia while others interfere with the absorption of other nutrients over time. You might start to notice you have brittle nails, low energy, hair loss, poor wound healing despite eating well. That's why unexplained nutrient deficiencies can be a key clue.

Fatigue and Brain Fog

Next is unexplained fatigue or brain fog. So parasites don't just affect the gut. They can release toxic byproducts that circulate in your system. This burdens your liver and your immune system leaving you feeling exhausted. Brain fog, poor focus and mood swings are common because these toxins can affect your nervous system.

Persistent Skin Issues

Symptom number four is persistent skin issues. The gut and the skin are closely connected. When parasites disrupt the gut barrier and microbiome, inflammatory compounds can then leak into the bloodstream and trigger skin reactions. So this can show up as eczema, rashes, hives, acne, and even chronic itching that has no obvious cause.

Sleep Disturbances

Next is sleep disturbances, especially around the full moon. So parasites are often more active at night. This is the time of night when our liver is most active, detoxifying the body, and if parasites are releasing toxins, it can make your body restless more anxious, and even trigger vivid dreams. What's more interesting is that these nighttime awakenings tend to worsen around the full moon, and that's because melatonin, which is your nighttime or sleep hormone, tends to dip during the full moon while serotonin levels rise and parasites actually use serotonin in order to move around and reproduce, which makes them more active.

Teeth Grinding or Jaw Tension

Symptom six is teeth grinding or jaw tension at night. So this one surprises a lot of people grinding your teeth and your sleep can actually be the nervous system's response to parasites. It's thought to be your body's way of releasing tension and irritation in response to their presence.

Rectal Itching

The last symptom for today is rectal itching, particularly at night. This is a classic sign of certain parasites like pinworms at night, female worms will migrate to lay eggs around the anus causing intense itching and discomfort. While this is often seen in children, it can happen in adults as well. The itching happens because of not only the worms themselves, but the inflammatory response that your body creates. So if you've ever noticed persistent itching with no clear explanation, especially if it's worse in the evening or overnight, parasites should be on your radar.

What To Do If You Suspect Parasites

So what can you do? If you suspect parasites? The first thing you can do is to get tested. So we do have functional stool testing that can help you determine any hidden parasites, bacteria, or yeast that is in your system. Now, we'll say sometimes it's a little tricky to catch parasites. So a three day stool sample is going to be the most accurate, but once again, you may not catch it. Doesn't mean you don't have it, but you may not catch it in your sample.

Supporting Your Gut Terrain

The next thing is to support the terrain. So parasites thrive when the gut is weak. So really working on strengthening the gut, lining the gut barrier, your digestion with things like nutrient rich diet, digestive enzymes if needed, and removing highly processed and inflammatory foods.

Using Antimicrobials and Herbal Support

You can also use targeted antimicrobials. We often use herbals like wormwood or black walnut to help to rebalance the gut of parasites. Now, with this, I would say it's best to work with a practitioner that has experience with parasites.

Rebuilding and Repairing the Gut

Now lastly, you want to rebuild and repair. So after clearing the parasites, it's critical to restore the gut microbiome through probiotics, prebiotics, and healing nutrients like zinc and L glutamine and collagen to help rebuild that gut lighting. Now remember, parasites are not just about killing the bug, but it's also about creating an environment where the parasites cannot survive.

Final Thoughts

To wrap up for today, parasites are one of the most overlooked root causes in gut health. They don't always cause obvious symptoms, but when you step back and connect the dots, digestive issues, nutrient deficiencies, sleep issues, a clear picture can start to form.

The good news is that with the right approach, parasites can be addressed, and when they are, people often feel drastically better in regards to their energy, digestion, and overall health.

So are parasites at the root of your health struggles. If any of these seven symptoms sound familiar, it may be time to take a deeper look.

That's it for today. If you like this video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more nutrition videos. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you're interested in working with our clinic, you can click the link here to schedule an appointment. We do take insurance. You can find more information about that on our website.

Thank you for watching. I'll see you next time. Bye.

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