Worms in humans cause the development of diseases collectively called helminthiasis. Worms are parasitic worms that can be found in almost all organs of our body: intestines, muscles, lungs, liver, heart and even eyes.
If a person has worms, symptoms do not always appear, if they do, they are disguised as other diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, etc. Sometimes these symptoms are so vague that it can be very problematic to determine the cause. certain problems, especially when it comes to children.
Today, there are many parasites known to infect the human body. In total there are about 150 types of helminthiasis. All worms, according to the shape and structure of their bodies, are divided into two large groups: roundworms or nematodes, and flatworms.
Children are most often infected with worms, and the most common forms of helminthiasis (diseases caused by parasitic worms) are ascariasis and enterobiasis. The most dangerous worms that can live in the human body are echinococcus and alveococcus. For each group of parasites, special means have been developed, treatments that will remove worms from the body of adults or children.
Types of worms in humans
There are more than two hundred species of worms that infect humans. Most of them are not found in the middle zone, so about sixty species are common in our country. Parasites are divided into contact parasites (worms are transmitted from one person to another), geohelminthiasis (larvae live in the soil, and invasion occurs when soil particles enter with food) and biohelminthiasis (parasites enter the human body through the meat of infected animals. orfish).
Let's name some of the most common groups of worms in humans:
- Annelids - pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, trichinella;
- Tapeworms - various types of tapeworms, echinococci, tapeworms;
- Flatworms - all kinds of flukes, flukes.
Let's take a closer look at each type of worm that can live in an adult's body.
- Roundworms are large, reddish-yellow roundworms, reaching a length of up to 40 cm in adulthood.
- Whipworms are roundworms 30-50 mm long, which got their name because of their body shape: the front part is long and narrow, like hair, and the back part is short and wide.
- Wide tapeworm is a large tapeworm that reaches a length of about 10 meters can be found individually more than 20 meters;
- Hookworm is a combined name for two types of worms: duodenal hookworm, and necator, a 10-15 mm long roundworm.
- Trichinella is a small round worm 2-5 mm long that causes a serious disease - trichinosis.
- Liver fluke (cat fluke) is a flatworm from the class of flukes 7-20 mm long. The disease caused by this parasite is called opisthorchiasis.
- Pig and cattle tapeworms are similar in structure tapeworms up to 6 meters long.
- Echinococcus parasitizes the human body not in an adult form, but in the form of an intermediate form - Finland. Echinococcus itself is a 3-5 mm long tapeworm
- Alveococcus is a worm similar to echinococcus, with a similar structure and development mechanism.
Symptoms and signs of worm infestation depend on the type of parasite, its location in the body, and its stage of development.
Helminths in the human body
Worms are scientifically called helminths. Helminths means any worm that parasitizes the body of humans, animals and plants. Therefore, helminths are not a specific type of parasite, but a whole group of different worms, three of which are the most common.
In modern society, helminths are still widespread. Often, helminthic attacks occur in children, hunters, fishermen and their families, as well as rural residents.
Helminths are a large group of parasitic worms that live off animals and plants, feeding and multiplying inside the host's body. Humans are no exception. In our country alone there are more than 70 species of parasites. According to statistics, every third inhabitant of the Earth is infected with parasitic worms. It is assumed that there is not a single adult who does not have a single worm residing in his body throughout his life.
Helminths. No matter how carefully parents monitor the cleanliness of their children's hands, it is almost impossible to protect them from pinworms. Children exploring the outside world arouse special interest. They want to touch everything with their hands and feel it. People who eat fish, meat of wild animals and birds, and homemade milk are at risk of contracting trichinosis and diphyllobothriasis.
Modern medical data shows that many diseases occur as a result of helminthic attacks. For example, the relationship between oncology and long-term infection with parasites has been clinically proven. Signs of the presence of worms in humans are often misinterpreted by doctors and patients. They began to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that did not exist.
How can you get infected?
The causes of human worm infection are very diverse, the route of infection directly depends on the type of worm and its life cycle, it can:
- eat dirty vegetables;
- failure to comply with hygiene rules when preparing food;
- poor heat treatment of some food products, especially animal meat and fish;
- communication with pets - cats, dogs, some types of mice;
- failure to observe hygiene rules before eating, after visiting the bathroom, when returning from a walk;
- swimming in polluted bodies of water.
During their life, worms produce toxic substances that are absorbed into the blood and spread throughout the body, causing harm to the most important organs and systems.
General symptoms and signs of helminthic infestation in children
Common symptoms of helminthiasis include:
- appetite worsens or increases;
- nausea, possibly vomiting;
- excessive salivation;
- stool disorders;
- the appearance of pain in the lower abdomen;
- dizziness, headache;
- allergic reactions;
- increased frequency of flu;
- irritability, depression;
- sleep disorders;
- impairment of mental and physical activity;
- dry cough.
Symptoms of worms in humans
Sometimes worms can parasitize the body of adults for a long time without noticeable symptoms, in some cases, they become the cause of the development of various chronic diseases, causing dangerous complications and even death.
With the onset of the acute period of helminthiasis, worms begin to eat intensively in the intestines of the sick person, causing various signs of digestive system disorders: dysbacteriosis, abdominal pain, diarrhea.
Let's see what signs of helminths can be observed? Let's list the most common common symptoms of worms in humans.
- Gastrointestinal dysfunction - diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain;
- Pain in the joints and muscles - parasites can move throughout the human body to settle in the most suitable place for their life, for example, in the fluid of the joints and muscles. When this happens, the person experiences a painful sensation;
- Disorders of the nervous system and general lethargy - manifests itself in the form of fatigue, irritability, sleep disorders and memory problems;
- Allergic reactions and skin manifestations - the appearance of pimples, black spots and other rashes - are also signs of the presence of worms in humans;
- Decrease immunity and, as a result, the development of infectious diseases;
- Sudden loss of weight;
- Anemia - some worms suck blood from the intestinal wall like leeches;
- Teeth grinding during sleep and sleep disturbances;
- Itching in the anus, especially at night. At this time, the female is actively laying eggs, thereby causing itching in the anus;
- Enlarged lymph nodes, low-grade body temperature;
- Inflammation of the respiratory tract - cough, fever, sputum production, runny nose - this is how the presence of worms can manifest.
The specific first signs will directly depend on the pathogen and the location of the worm in the human body. For example, large worms, worms and tapeworms like to make parasites on the liver, this can cause degeneration of liver cells, blocked bile ducts, blood clots and cirrhosis. Roundworms and pinworms live in the intestines, so they will be excreted with the feces. To find out how to remove this worm from a person, you should see a doctor, he will prescribe the appropriate medicine.
Symptoms of worm infection may appear at different times from the moment of worm infection. So, the first symptoms of ascariasis appear after 2-3 days. With most other helminthic attacks, disease symptoms appear after 2-3 weeks.
Often, the main signs of worm infection in adults are represented by allergic manifestations in the form of itching and rash, swelling, weakness, muscle pain, headache, fever, muscle and joint pain, an increase in the number of eosinophils in the body. blood, etc.
As a parasite, worms feed on the body of their host. At the same time, they absorb a large amount of protein and carbohydrates, mineral elements, vitamins and other nutrients. Helminthiases can be acute and chronic. The first lasts 2-3 weeks and often manifests as an allergy, while the chronic stage can last for months, years and even decades.
What organs can be affected by worms?
There are two types of invasion: cavitary and tissue. Depending on the species, the habitat is also divided:
- Cavity worms settle in the small and large intestines. In particular, the first part of the small intestine is affected by tapeworms, hookworms, and roundworms. The lower part of the small intestine is the habitat of tapeworms and dwarf worms. The large intestine is most often the habitat of whipworms.
- Tissue helminths affect organs of any type: liver, brain, lymph nodes, bile ducts.
Important! It is impossible to determine the signs of the presence of worms in patients in the early stages of the development of an attack. As long as the number of worms is small, toxic poisoning by waste materials is within normal limits, the body itself faces invasion. The appearance of characteristic or acute symptoms indicates a significant increase in the number of helminthic attacks: the maturation of individuals and their dynamic development.
Complications of worms
A number of helminths can cause serious disturbances in the patient's condition. The following are the most common complications:
- B12 deficiency anemia, iron deficiency anemia - leads to disruption of oxygen supply to tissues, requiring long-term recovery. Manifested by pale skin, dry mouth, weakness, disturbances in various body functions;
- Intestinal obstruction occurs when the parasite blocks the lumen with its body. Surgical treatment is required. Symptoms - abdominal pain, lack of stool, vomiting;
- Intestinal bleeding - if the worm attaches to the intestinal wall, it can damage its blood vessels. Symptoms: abdominal pain, weakness, blood in the stool, vomiting. Requires surgical treatment;
- Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis develop with a long course of opisthorchiasis. Changes cannot be undone. Symptoms: sleep and wakefulness disorders, accumulation of fluid in the body cavity, loss of liver function;
- Abscess of the affected organ is purulent inflammation. Symptoms are pain, high fever, weakness. The situation is deteriorating rapidly. Examination is needed to detect the cause of inflammation and surgical treatment.
Analysis of feces and scraping of worm eggs
Worms are primarily intestinal parasites. It is through the intestine that their eggs are released. Therefore, to diagnose them, feces are taken for analysis. You can buy a special container for collecting feces at the pharmacy, although you can also use a matchbox or jar.
So, to take the analysis, you need a container to collect the material and a spatula. If a person sees fragments of worms or whole helminths, then he also needs to be sent to the laboratory.
There is no need to bring feces to the laboratory immediately after collection. It must be sent for inspection within 24 hours. Until then, the collected biomaterial should be kept in the refrigerator. An exception is stool collection for giardiasis testing. It must be served warm, as parasite cysts are destroyed when cooled. When the stool is sent to the laboratory, the container should be wrapped in a warm cloth.
To diagnose enterobiasis, a scraping is taken from the perianal fold, because female pinworms lay their eggs in this area. Before the test, you should not wash your face for about 12 hours or visit the toilet. Therefore, the optimal time to do the analysis is in the morning.
Scraping is done using a cotton swab, which is placed in a clean container and sent to the laboratory. You can also use adhesive tape, which is peeled off the glass, stuck to the anal area for a while, then pulled off and returned with the sticky side to the glass.
Biological material sent to the laboratory is studied using a microscope. If a person is infected, the lab technician will look at worm eggs, larvae or segments. Each parasite lays eggs that are unique to its species. Therefore, by studying the structure of the egg, you can determine which worms are parasites in the human body.
If there are worms in the stool, then they usually look like white bands of varying lengths. Worms can remain mobile. The type of worm can be determined in the laboratory.
However, it is not always possible to detect worms using stool analysis. For example, the analysis will be uninformative if the human body is only parasitized by male roundworms that cannot secrete eggs.
Blood test for worms
To identify worms in the blood, immunological tests are used to determine antibodies to the main types of helminths. The reliability and accuracy of ELISA is equal to 95%. It can be used to detect extraintestinal forms of helminthiases.
Decoding ELISA results in a simplified form:
- Helminths parasitize the body if immunoglobulin class M (lgM) is elevated in the blood.
- Worms are either present in the human body before, or helminthic attacks become chronic and cause the human immune system to weaken. This conclusion can be made if the level of immunoglobulin IgG is increased, but lgM is not detected in the blood.
In both cases, a deeper diagnosis and specific treatment will be required.
How are parasites infected and developed?
Each parasite has specific life cycle characteristics. Depending on the mechanism of infection, all helminthiases are divided into three main groups:
- contact helminthiases;
- geohelminthiases;
- biohelminthiases.
Contact helminthiases
The development of parasites included in the group of contact helminth infections occurs entirely in the child's body. Worm eggs enter the digestive system, migrate to the intestines and after some time turn into adults. Sexually mature helminths form eggs, which are released with feces into the external environment. The development cycle repeats itself again.
Contact helminthiases including pinworm infections. The spread of this worm occurs through the fecal-oral mechanism. If the child does not wash his hands after using the toilet, then microscopic worm eggs remain on his fingers. Other children can become infected through contaminated household items and food touched by sick people. In the spread of pinworms, non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene is very important. Therefore, this helminthiasis is more common in childhood.
In addition to infecting others, a sick child can infect himself again. Pinworms that crawl out of the anus lay eggs on the skin in the anal area. This process causes severe itching of the skin, so children often start scratching the sore spot. If they do not wash their hands after this, then a new part of the egg penetrates the intestine. The population of parasites increases, which leads to a deterioration in the condition of children.
Geohelminthiasis
The group of geohelminthiasis is represented by roundworms. For this parasite to develop, it is necessary for the feces of sick children to enter the soil. The released eggs begin to actively develop and quickly reach the invasive stage, where they can penetrate the human body.
Infection of children usually occurs through the consumption of unwashed vegetables and fruits that have come into contact with the soil. Ascaris larvae remain on them, which penetrate the child's intestine and cause unpleasant symptoms of helminthiasis.
Biohelminthiasis
For the development of worms belonging to the group of biohelminths, the presence of an intermediate host is necessary - a living organism in which the worm larvae will develop. This can be cattle (cows, pigs), as well as fish. Therefore, children can become infected with worms by consuming food from unverified sources. Inadequate heat treatment of meat or fish contributes to infection. Through food you can become infected with echinococcus, cattle and pig tapeworms, and cat worms.
Treatment of worms in humans
The basis for the treatment of worms in humans is an adult-specific anthelmintic drug prescribed the best time-tested tablets.
The choice of drugs for treatment depends on the presence of certain worms in the human body. In the acute period of the disease, the doctor may prescribe anti-allergic drugs to the patient, such as Suprastin or Claritin.
Only based on tests and diagnosis, doctors prescribe treatment for worms in a person, because antihelminthic drugs are quite toxic. If, during the analysis, worms are detected again, then the expert determines how to remove the worms, suggesting a new treatment regimen based on the use of other anti-worm tablets that will cope with the task better.
Treatment
Anthelmintic therapy
The basis for the treatment of parasitic diseases is anthelmintic drugs. They must be usedstrictly as prescribed by the doctor, because when choosing a drug it is necessary to take into account several important factors:
- forms of helminthiasis;
- phase of disease development;
- pathogens;
- concomitant diseases of children;
- characteristics of the situation.
Only a doctor can correctly assess these indicators and choose the optimal drug. Self-medication for helminthiasis in children is unacceptable. Incorrectly chosen therapy is often not only ineffective, but also accompanied by severe side effects.
How to take a stool test for helminths and their eggs?
When choosing a therapy, the doctor must take into account the causative agent of the disease. You can not rely on universal drugs, because most drugs act only on certain circle of helminths. If the wrong medicine is used, the clinical picture of the disease in children does not disappear, the disease continues to develop, which can lead to serious complications.
If there are several children in the family, doctors often recommend anthelmintic therapy for all family members at once. This will prevent repeated cases of helminth infection after treatment.
Symptomatic therapy
In addition to anthelmintic therapy, the child is also prescribed symptomatic treatment aimed at eliminating the clinical manifestations of the disease. If a severe allergic reaction occurs, antihistamines are used - Suprastin, Tavegil, Claritin.
If the baby has severe manifestations of intoxication, he is prescribed antipyretics and painkillers. To relieve acute symptoms, a lot of fluids are prescribed or infusion therapy is performed. If there is a risk of developing vasculitis and myocarditis, glucocorticoids (for example, Prednisolone) are prescribed.
How to treat worms with folk remedies
Traditional treatment methods include medicinal plants that have anthelmintic and laxative effects. Although the effectiveness of these drugs has not been scientifically tested, many of them have been used since ancient times to treat intestinal worms in humans at home.
- The best folk remedy is pumpkin seeds for worms. Take and peel the pumpkin seeds (80-100g), trying not to damage the green skin. Grind them, add 2 spoons of honey and 100 grams of water, mix. This medicine must be taken strictly in the morning, on an empty stomach. One boat feeds every hour for 3 hours. After that you need to take a laxative, and after 1-2 hours give an enema.
- pomegranate. Pomegranate skin contains punicin, which is highly toxic to worms. A decoction of bark in fresh water should be taken three times a day by adults and children suffering from parasites.
- Onion soup (pour 200 ml of boiling water over 1 onion, leave for 2 days, eat before eating for 4 days)
For prevention, to avoid helminthic attacks, it is necessary to wash hands with soap after returning from the road, heat meat and fish, do not drink raw water and do not swim in contaminated bodies of water.
Prevention
The main prevention of helminthiasis in children is compliance with the rules of personal hygiene.
Therefore, we can name the precautions to prevent helminthic attacks:
- applying personal hygiene skills to children (washing hands after visiting the toilet, touching animals, walking outside, before eating);
- against bad habits (the child should be forbidden to suck fingers, bite nails, or put foreign objects in his mouth);
- mosquito, fly and insect control;
- high quality meat and fish processing;
- high quality water disinfection;
- deworming domestic dogs and cats;
- avoid contact with stray animals;
- thorough washing of vegetables and greens, berries and fruits;
- change underwear and bed linen frequently (once a day);
- ironing underwear and bed linen with a hot iron;
- perform hygiene procedures in the anal area twice a day to prevent enterobiasis;
- wearing underwear with elastic bands at night;
- comprehensive wet cleaning of the premises.
Once inside the body, helminths in children interfere with the normal functioning of various organs and systems. And if adults have a strong immune system that constantly fights "uninvited guests, " then this is not the case in children: his body is still weak and vulnerable. Therefore, it is important to teach children to observe personal hygiene standards as early as possible to prevent helminthic infections, and if symptoms appear, immediately contact a specialist for subsequent anthelmintic treatment.