You’ve got a whole lot of breathing to do today, tomorrow, and every other day from there on out for as long as you stay alive. Your lungs and airway are what makes that possible, and it’s super important that your lungs stay healthy and function the way they need to. Respiratory problems can be really debilitating for people and that makes sense if it means you can’t breathe easily. That is going to be the case for anyone with asthma, but a parasite infection in the lungs can do more permanent damage if it’s not seen too right away. 

Unfortunately, it’s easy to get these types of infection but you might be surprised to learn that these types of infections usually aren’t the result of inhaling the bacteria into your lungs. That’s not the primary way you can get a parasitic infection in lungs. Instead, it’s ingesting the bacteria orally and having them move into the lungs and start an infection there. This will be the case with a common parasite called paragonimiasis. Eating undercooked shellfish is the way most people are exposed to it.  

This will apply for ascariasis too, which is the name of another parasite that can result in lung infections when people get them from dirt, soil, or eating unwashed vegetables. Children often get this roundworm parasite infection in lungs when they put their hands in their mouth while playing outdoors, and this is even more true in regions with warmer climates and hot temperatures at times of the year. The last one of the parasites that can cause lung infections is Bilharzia, which is also called schistosomiasis or snail fever.  

Worse Water

People who have lung problems because of a Bilharzia infection will be exposed to the parasite via unclean water. This is something that usually occurs in impoverished regions of the world where the sanitary nature of water sources isn’t something that people can be guaranteed of. But that’s as far as we’ll go with the causes of a parasitic infection in the lungs, and we’ll now spend the rest of this blog entry talking about symptoms for people who might suspect it’s time to see a doctor.  What people may be experiencing if they have parasitic infection underway in their lungs will be different based on the type of parasite at work. 

Paragonimiasis: 

• Diarrhea  

• Stomach pain  

• Fever  

• Dry cough  

• Chest pain  

• Fatigue  

• Pink or red phlegm from lungs  

Ascariasis (ringworm in lung): 

• Persistent cough  

• Wheezing  

• Shortness of breath  

• Coughing up worms  

Bilharzia: 

• Body ache  

• Headache  

• Rash  

• Breathing difficulties  

• Fever  

As we mentioned earlier it’s important to start treatment for parasite infection in lungs as soon as possible so that there’s no permanent damage to the lungs. To that end a doctor will usually be quick to prescribe something like Biltricide (Praziquantel) or Triclabendazole, which are powerful parasiticide medications that will work fast to eliminate the parasites and put an end to the infection.