Amoebiasis – Know The Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Amoebiasis

Amoebiasis is a disease caused by amoeba namely Entamoeba histolytica. This is a free living commensal organism which affects the colon of the human large intestine. It is manifested by inflammation and severe pain of the intestine. Amoebiasis is a common ailment in areas of poor sanitation and unhygienic living conditions. This is a contagious ailment, which spreads through contaminated food and water.
Transmission is mainly through fecal-oral route or anal-oral route. Infection is spread through ingestion of the cyst of the parasite found in faeces. Dirty hands too contribute to spread of infection.

Amoebiasis can be diagnosed by –

• A routine and cultural stool examination, which shows the presence of cysts.

• A blood test which shows an increase in WBC and ESR.

Individuals with weakened immune systems due to chronic diseases, malnutrition and old age are more prone to suffer from amoebiasis.

Symptoms –

Some common symptoms are:

• Severe abdominal pain and cramps.

• Loss of appetite and feeling of nausea.

• Extreme tiredness and weight loss.

• Flatulence and gut regurgitation.

• Pain during bowel movements, bloody stools often leading to dehydration.

Treatment

Though the common prevalent treatment is by treatment with antibiotics, herbal home remedies can be practiced, which offers considerable relief. They are –

• Consumption of black tea without sugar or milk.

• Intake of a few teaspoons of papaya seeds every week.

• Mix equal quantities of drumstick juice and sesame oil and heat till the extra water evaporates. Then cool the mixture and store in a clean container. Drink 2-3 tablespoon of the mixture every day for three weeks.

• Make a paste of few guava leaves with required amount of water and consume twice or thrice a day.

Prevention

Lastly, it is rightly said “prevention is better than cure”. Spread of amoebiasis can be prevented by –

• Maintain proper personal hygiene by washing hands thoroughly with disinfectants and lukewarm water.

• Use clean bathrooms and toilets.

• Drinking water must be boiled or treated with iodine tablets.

• Avoid sharing towels or face washes.

• Raw vegetables should be thoroughly washed before consumption.

• Avoid eating uncovered street foods.

It is extremely important to understand your health care needs and work accordingly without procrastination.

Understand the symptoms and help yourself recover from this disease. Also, don’t forget to share the information with your near and dear ones. It might prove to be a great help to them.

Adopt a hygienic living and prevent such diseases to occur in the future.