Cysticercosis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

The pork tapeworm is a parasite which is the mainand nausea, confusing feelings when the situation is
cause of Cysticercosis. The scientific name of thevery much clear, headaches, laziness and seizure.
tape worm is Taenia solium. This is a type of diseaseSeizure is the most prominent among all the
which affects the main nervous system but there aresymptoms and is also seen in almost 65 to 70 percent
many patients who have not experienced anyof the patients.
symptoms. This situation where the person does notVery often Cysticercosis is diagnosed with the help of
show any symptoms is known as asymptomatic. Thisa CT scan or MRI scan of the brain. There are rarely
particular tapeworm is an endemic species which isany other prominent symptoms which can give an
very prominent in parts of Latin America, Africa andindication. A scan of the brain is done as the nervous
Asia. Due to increased foreign visitors to the country,system is impacted.
the United States has experienced more and more ofThe treatment used for Cysticercosis greatly depends
the Cysticercosis diseases and has thus made itsupon the body part which is affected by the cysts.
medical checkups very tough.The count of cysts and the impact of them are also
The cause of the Cysticercosis is quiet interesting. Thetaken into consideration. The treatment process is
dissemination of the pork tapeworm is the main reasoncustom made for each patient and it may include
behind it. When the eggs of the pork tapeworm isanthelmintic medicines, anticonvulsant medications and
being ingested by the human, it later hatches in thein worse cases a surgery is required. Asymptomatic
stomach and commutes to different parts of the body.patients who do not show a sign of Cysticercosis
It usually stays or even penetrates deeper into thehave no necessity to be treated. However, there are
intestines. As it commutes, it also enters the bloodarguments which want to know of the treatment is
stream of the body and thus the blood is infected. Thenecessary or no.
infected blood leads to the formation of cysts. TheOnce the medications are used, the effect of them is
location of cysts depends upon the part where theevaluated on the basis of a case. The patient may
pork worm has travelled. The number of cysts alsoneed more than a single course of medicine to
varies to a large extent having an impact on thedeactivate and remove the cysts from the body.
intensity of the disease.Surgery is required when the cysts have accumulated
Often there is no symptom of the Cysticercosis. Thisin the nervous system and the affect is very harsh.
is however, only in the initial stages. The symptoms areEven the eye impact must be treated by surgical
seen months or even years after the pork worm isremoval of the cysts as no medicine can work on this
actually ingested. Mainly, the central nervous system issensitive area.
affected. The other symptoms include fatigue, vomiting