A medical expert has explained exactly how parasites can enter the body after horrifying scans of an infected woman went viral.
Tingting (a pseudonym) from Yubeng Village, Deqin County, China, complained of headaches as well as pain in her thighs and eyes back in 2016.
Medical experts suggested she undergo an MRI and CT scan to understand the extent of her problems.
Doctors were ultimately left horrified by the results.
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She was diagnosed with cysticercosis, an infection caused when someone swallows tapeworm eggs.
The tiny parasites infected Tingting's back muscles, abdomen, eyes, and, harrowingly, her brain.
It later prevailed she had been eating raw pork for 10 years.
What are the symptoms of parasites in the body?
Professor Meng Qiang, chief physician of the Department of Neurology at the Provincial First Hospital, said: "The patient had bulging eyes, retinal haemorrhage, multiple infections throughout the body, and epileptic seizures.
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"Parasitic worms have the greatest impact on the brain and affect the central nervous system.
"The most common one is epilepsy, and it may also cause intellectual impairment. Some patients may also experience limb paralysis, language dysfunction, sensory impairment, etc."
What causes parasites in the body?
While having a worm living in your brain may sound ridiculous, it is actually more common than you think.
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These parasites enter the body due to the eggs of pork tapeworms (the most common type). In most cases, someone eats food contaminated with the eggs. Nice.
Dr. David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at the Boston University School of Public Health, says the eggs hatch and 'sort of migrate through the body, ending up in muscles or in the brain'.
'Some people’s brains almost look like Swiss cheese'
The doctor went on to explain the immune system attacks the parasites, forming cysts around them.
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Hamer added: "It can form multiple cysts. Some people’s brains almost look like Swiss cheese with lots of holes and there can be a fair amount of inflammation.
"And after many years, the parasite in there dies and the cyst will degenerate and become calcified. And at that point there’s no need for treatment."
Such symptoms can lead to irritation of the brain, which in turn can lead to seizures.
In Tingting's case, it's unclear what happened to her after the disease was discovered by doctors.
How can you prevent parasites entering the body?
Luckily, there are easy ways to prevent cysticercosis.
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The CDC states you should wash your hands after using the toilet and changing diapers while also doing the same before handling food.
On top of that, you want to drink bottled water or water that has been boiled for at least one minute in countries where tap water is unsafe to drink.
Topics: Health
Callum Jones