Several years ago, I saw a news clip about a woman who was told she had a brain tumor. The video clip is still available to view on YouTube (www.youtube.com "Brain Worm"). Rosemary Alvarez complained of flu like symptoms and felt tired. She also started to experience numbness. She was evaluated by a few doctors and had CAT scans which were normal. But symptoms worsened and she was once more evaluated, this time with an MRI scan and was told she had a brain tumor. However, when the neurosurgeon was removing the tumor, he showed it wasn't a tumor at all but a worm that had migrated to Rosemary's brain stem. The surgeon said this happens when food such as pork is undercooked or if someone infected does not properly wash their hands after using the bathroom and then handles food and spreads the parasite. He stated that he had 5 such cases of "brain worms" in a few months time frame. Other surgeons stated they had seen a rise in this issue also.

The incidence of having a parasite infection, which may be an underlying cause for your health issues, is much higher than most people think. Some statistics state over 50% of the population is infected, where other statistics rate it much higher into the 90% range. When most people think of parasites, they envision intestinal worms such as hookworms, tapeworms or roundworms. But there are many other types of parasites, and various ways of coming in contact with them.

Wikipedia lists over 70 types of parasites, the body part affected, source of transmission, and prevalence. There are tests available for most of the organisms, but it is also known that testing can yield some false-negative results. Medscape.com states the most commonly used testing methods for parasites are getting a fecal (stool) sample, examination by a gastroenterologist via endoscopy or colonoscopy, blood tests, or X-ray/MRI/CAT scans. Medscape also states that when using blood tests to detect parasites, "Some, but not all parasitic infections can be detected by testing your blood. Blood tests look for a specific parasite infection, however there is no blood test that will look for all parasitic infections".

Parasite infections can come from food. Think of a time where you have eaten something and had a bad reaction either with nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, and feeling generally unwell for a bit afterwards. Maybe when you have travelled, you got ill from the water supply. But in addition to the most known exposures to parasites, you may not know you can get parasite infections from your pets, from the soil if walking around barefoot outside, and from insect bites like ticks (think Lyme's Disease), flea bites, sand flea bites, or mosquito bites. There are also some parasites transmitted via sexual contact, head to head contact (lice), and skin to skin contact (scabies). So you see there are many pathways to come in contact with parasites that you may not have known about or ever considered. And since testing can sometimes yield false-negative results or if no specific definitive testing is available, how do you find out if some health issues are parasite related?

First, let's list the most common symptoms of parasites. Statistics show that constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating, and even irritable bowel syndrome can have parasites as a root cause. However, many don't know that muscle aches, joint pains, anemia, allergies, and even skin conditions are sometimes caused by parasites. Immune dysfunction, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, teeth grinding, and nervousness may also have underlying parasites as a culprit. And you many not know this but some tumors, other than of the brain, are actually a result of parasite infection. Some tumors of the colon or rectal wall, lungs, liver, and other organs are due to encased parasite larvae or eggs.

If you have a tumor or other parasite infestation that require sophisticated treatments such as surgery or medications , by all means , work with your medical team to get the best treatment for you. But what about those of you that have parasites that are undiagnosed and therefore untreated. The list of common symptoms does not encompass all the complaints suffered by those with parasites, for there are many.

By listening to a client's health history and complaints, reviewing blood studies to look for patterns indicative of parasites, and reviewing a Symptom Survey form they complete, I determine if a Parasite Detoxification would be beneficial for my client. I use a very specific and effective program for elimination. The detoxification is adjusted to each individual and does not impede activities of daily living or interfere with the ability to work. After the detoxification is completed, my clients report a substantial improvement in overall health, energy, vitality, mood, digestion and cognitive function.

Do you have a history of any food borne illness, water borne illness with or without travel to a foreign country, or have a history of having pets either currently or in the past? Have you been bitten by any type of insect mentioned in this article and wonder if you may have health compromise due to parasites? Do you have low energy, itchy ears/nose/anus, memory lapses, bloating and gas, brain fog, back /shoulder/thigh pains, rapid heartbeat, eating without satisfying hunger, numbness in hands, burning in the pit of your stomach without relief from antacids, drooling or grinding teeth during sleep, or any of the other complaints previously mentioned? If you are not getting relief from medications or not able to get an accurate diagnosis, consider parasites as a cause. Allow me to assist you in finding answers and relief by contacting me for a consultation.