Worms are parasitic worms whose life activity takes place in the human body. Its result is helminthosis. This is an acute disease of a chronic nature that causes weakening of immunity, damage to internal organs, disruption of their functions and exhaustion. Diagnostic methods include stool analysis for the presence of worm eggs, blood culture, and sputum analysis using a microscope. Ultrasound, MRI and X-rays are used to assess the damage caused by worms to the internal organs. Therapy is selected depending on the type of parasite.
A disease caused by parasites - helminthosis
Helminthiasis is an infection caused by worms. It is very common - found in most countries, but the vast majority of cases are recorded in regions with warm climates and high humidity.
The risk of the disease exists at any age, but children between the ages of five and fifteen are most affected. During this period, the immune system is still developing and the acidity of gastric juice is lower than in adults, so the destruction of parasites is not so effective. Various organs are affected by worms, and their main habitat is the intestines.
The routes of entry of parasites are mucous membranes and skin. Entry of larvae or eggs into the body can occur along with consumed food. In the gastrointestinal tract, mature eggs get optimal conditions for development, as a result of which larvae emerge from them, which penetrate the blood through the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract, and then can freely pass through all organs with the bloodstream.
The liver, kidneys, gall bladder, heart, bronchi and lungs are most affected. As the body tries to get rid of the worms by coughing and phlegm, they can remain in the saliva and be swallowed back into the intestines. There, their further development takes place, and after 75 days, an adult individual appears.
The average time from the moment it enters the body to the formation of a full-fledged worm varies from 60 to 90 days. This time coincides with the early intestinal stage of the disease. Late-stage adults actively develop and reproduce throughout the body. Their habitat is the intestines, where the eggs are laid, leaving it during defecation.
Causes of worms
The easiest way for parasites to enter is through contact with food and water containing eggs or soil contaminated with feces. Worms spread from an infected person to a healthy person through shared household items, clothes, dishes, etc.
People who ignore the simplest rules of hygiene are at risk: they wash their hands, do not disinfect vegetables, poorly perform heat treatment of animal meat and fish.
On a note!
Parasite eggs can be carried on the paws and fur of pets when returning from a street walk. Therefore, you should take care of your pets, take them to the vet regularly and remember to use anthelmintic drugs.
Types of worms
Depending on the environmental conditions in which helminths exist, it is customary to distinguish three groups.
Helminths - they live in the soil, they do not need a living organism to develop.Biohelminths - they need at least two organisms for their development and reproduction.Contact helminths. They can pass from the owner to a new object (between people) through contact and everyday life.
Scientists have identified about four hundred pathogens of helminthiasis, but only the following species can live in the human body:
Nematodes. These include roundworms and pinworms. They happen most often.Cestodes. These include bovine and pork tapeworms, echinococcus.Trematodes (flukes). This group includes liver and cats. They cause fascioliasis and clonorchiasis.Spinyheads: Giant acanthocephalan provokes acanthocephalosis.
According to the place of parasitism, worms are divided into intestinal and extraintestinal. The second group includes species that perform their vital functions in other organs, for example, the liver or kidneys.
Symptoms of helminthiasis
Symptoms are very broad and vary depending on the organ affected, the type of parasites and their number. Also, a person's age, the initial state of all systems and organs, and immunity have a great impact. The acute phase of the disease can last from 14 to 60 days, and the chronic phase can last more than a year.
The acute stage is characterized by the characteristics of poisoning and allergic manifestations:
- weakness;
- trembling;
- temperature;
- skin rash, often itching;
- cough without sputum;
- shortness of breath;
- stomach pain;
- swelling.
Bruxism - teeth grinding can also indicate the presence of parasitic worms in the body. It often manifests itself in a dream. Irritation of the anus and infection of the external genitalia may occur.
In the chronic stage, symptoms related to organs as a whole are observed. Especially surprising manifestations are disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested in system disorders.
People infected with parasites:
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- decreased appetite;
- nausea;
- frequent belching;
- the appearance of a previously unobserved food allergy;
- lose weight;
- unstable stool - constipation alternates with diarrhea.
If worms are localized in the liver and gallbladder, cysts form in these organs and accompanying diseases appear - obstructive jaundice and hepatitis. Roundworms lead to bronchitis, heart failure, myocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart muscle tissue).
When the central nervous system is damaged by helminths, a person becomes irritable, attention and performance deteriorate, and sleep is disturbed.
Helminths affect the immune system - the body becomes more susceptible to diseases, fungal skin diseases and caries are more common, allergic manifestations are more severe.
Complications of helminthiasis
If helminthosis is not treated in time, it can cause serious damage to internal organs, disrupt their normal functioning and worsen the general well-being of a person.
The vital activity of larvae is accompanied by their secretions. High concentrations cause intoxication, allergic reactions, rashes, bronchial asthma begin.
For their nutrition and development, helminths take nutrients and vitamins from the human body. This is especially dangerous for the child, as the risk of developmental delay increases. If the infection occurs with hookworms and whipworms, then there is a high probability of developing anemia - these types of worms suck blood. Weakened immunity due to helminthiasis often causes colds and other diseases.
It is important!
Helminthic infection negatively affects the effectiveness of vaccine protection.
With a large number of parasites, it is possible to develop dysbacteriosis, partial or complete blockage of the intestinal lumen, and blockage of the bile ducts. This can lead to inflammation of the appendix and gallbladder.
Diagnosis of worms
If alarming symptoms appear, an examination by several specialists is required, including a gastroenterologist, an infectious disease specialist and others. During palpation, an enlarged liver, spleen and lymph nodes will be felt. A standard blood test will help confirm the presence of worms - if they are present, the number of leukocytes and eosinophils will increase, the sedimentation of erythrocytes will increase.
When the larvae mature, a correct diagnosis can be made three months after the moment of infection.
Laboratory methods will be useful for this:
- scraping from the anus to check for pinworm eggs;
- stool analysis for the presence of helminth eggs;
- coprogram (a detailed analysis of feces to assess the quality of work of the gastrointestinal tract).
The biomaterial can be urine, feces, sputum, a piece of skin, or the contents of the duodenum.
Instrumental diagnostic methods are used to determine the condition of internal organs, which include:
- x-ray examination of the lungs;
- ultrasound of the liver;
- CT examination of internal organs;
- colonoscopy (examination of the intestines using a camera);
- gastroscopy and esophagoscopy (examination of the gastrointestinal tract using an endoscope).
The presence of worms can be very difficult to determine precisely because these parasites lay eggs irregularly. They can be found only in adulthood. Blood antibodies are produced only in the first 60 days, after which they accumulate in the intestinal wall and disappear from the bloodstream. Making an accurate diagnosis is also difficult with a wide range of clinical manifestations, so therapy can be prescribed only based on the presence of indirect symptoms.
Methods of treatment of helminthiasis
During the treatment of helminthosis, anthelmintic drugs are usually prescribed. The type of drug and the duration of treatment are determined by the existing symptoms and depending on the type of parasite. Antinematodal, anticestodal and broad-spectrum drugs are often prescribed.
Symptoms associated with disorders of the respiratory system are eliminated with the use of glucocorticosteroids, antihistamines and antispasmodics. Prebiotics are prescribed to normalize the condition of the intestines and its microflora. To normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract - enzyme agents. Different types of cystic growths are surgically removed.
After 14 days and another month (when the therapy ends), repeated tests are required three times for the presence of parasite eggs in the feces. Patients who are immunocompromised or at risk should undergo periodic worming examinations.
Reference
When one or more family members are diagnosed with the disease, treatment is required for anyone showing indirect symptoms.
Preventive measures against worms
To prevent the appearance of worms in the body, you need to follow simple measures.
- Be sure to wash your hands after eating, going to the bathroom, being outside, or playing with pets.
- Follow healthy lifestyle rules to have strong immunity.
- Carry out forced heat treatment of meat and fish, wash vegetables and fruits.
- Exclude raw water from consumption - prefer boiled, bottled or filtered water.
- Damp clean the house at least once every two weeks.
As preventive measures, the use of anthelmintic drugs is required twice a year - in spring and autumn, when the immune system is weakened. Pets should also receive special anti-worm medication.