Worms are parasitic worms whose vital activity takes place in the human body. The result is helminthiasis. It is an acute disease of a chronic nature, which leads to weakening of immunity, damage to internal organs, disruption of their functions and exhaustion. Diagnostic methods include fecal analysis for the presence of worm eggs, blood culture and sputum analysis using a microscope. To evaluate the damage caused by worms to the internal organs, ultrasound, MRI and X-ray examination are used. Therapy is chosen depending on the type of parasite.
A disease caused by parasites - helminthiasis
Helminthiasis is an infection caused by worms. It is very common - it occurs in most countries, but the majority of cases are recorded in regions with a warm climate and high humidity.
The risk of the disease exists at any age, but children between the ages of five and fifteen are most often 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 as effective. Various organs are affected by worms, and their main habitat is the intestine.
The ways of penetration of the parasites are the mucous membranes and the skin. The entry of larvae or eggs into the body can occur along with the food consumed. Mature eggs in the gastrointestinal tract receive optimal conditions for development, as a result of which larvae appear from them, which penetrate through the mucosa of the intestinal tract into the blood and can then freely pass through all organs with the bloodstream.
The liver, kidneys, gall bladder, heart, bronchi and lungs receive the greatest damage. When the body tries to get rid of the worms by coughing and expectorating, they can remain in the saliva and, if swallowed, end up back in the intestines. Their further development takes place there, and after 75 days a mature individual appears.
The average time from the moment of entering 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. In the late stage, adult individuals actively develop and reproduce throughout the body. Their place of residence is the intestines, where eggs are deposited, which leave it during defecation.
Causes of the appearance of worms
The easiest way for the parasites to enter is through food and water containing eggs, or through contact with soil contaminated with feces. Worms can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person through common household items, clothing, dishes, etc.
At risk are people who ignore the simplest rules of hygiene: they do not wash their hands, do not disinfect vegetables and perform poor heat treatment of animal meat and fish.
For the record!
Parasite eggs can be carried on the paws and fur of pets when they return from a walk on the street. That's why you need to take care of your pets, take them regularly for check-ups with a veterinarian and don't forget to use anthelmintic drugs.
Types of worms
Depending on the environmental conditions in which helminths exist, it is customary to distinguish three groups.
Helminths – live in the soil, they do not need a living organism to develop.Biohelminths – at least two organisms are needed for their development and reproduction.Contact helminths. They can move 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 occur most often.Cestodes. These include beef and pork tapeworms, echinococcus.Trematodes (flukes). This group includes liver flukes and cat flukes. They cause fascioliasis and clonorchiasis.Bodoglavi: The giant acanthocephalan provokes acanthocephalosis.
According to the place of parasitization, worms are divided into intestinal and extraintestinal. The second group includes those species that perform their vital functions in other organs, such as the liver or kidneys.
Symptoms of helminthiasis
The symptoms are very extensive and vary depending on the affected organ, the type of parasites and their number. Also, the age of the person and the initial state of all systems and organs and immunity have a great influence. The acute phase of the disease lasts from 14 to 60 days, and the chronic phase can last more than a year.
The acute stage is characterized by signs of poisoning and allergic manifestations:
- weakness;
- chills;
- fever;
- skin rashes, often itchy;
- cough without sputum;
- difficulty breathing;
- stomach pains;
- bloating.
Bruxism - teeth grinding - can also indicate the presence of parasitic worms in the body. It most often manifests itself in sleep. Irritation in the anus and infection of the external genitalia may occur.
In the chronic stage, symptoms related to the organs as a whole are observed. Particularly vivid manifestations are disorders in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, expressed in systemic malfunctions.
Those infected with parasites experience:
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- decreased appetite;
- nausea;
- frequent belching;
- the appearance of food allergies that were not observed before;
- weight loss;
- unstable stool - constipation alternates with diarrhea.
If the worms are localized in the liver and gall bladder, then cysts form in these organs and accompanying diseases appear - obstructive jaundice and hepatitis. Ascaris lead to bronchitis, heart failure, myocarditis (the heart lining of muscle tissue becomes inflamed).
When the central nervous system is damaged by helminths, a person becomes irritable, attention and work capacity deteriorate, sleep is disturbed.
Helminthiasis affects the immune system - the body becomes more susceptible to diseases, fungal diseases of the skin and caries become more frequent, allergic manifestations intensify.
Complications of helminthiasis
If helminthiasis is not treated in a timely manner, it can lead to serious damage to internal organs, disruption of their normal functioning and deterioration of the general well-being of a person.
The vital activity of the larvae is accompanied by their secretions. High concentrations lead to intoxication, allergic reactions, rashes and 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 absorb blood. Weakened immunity due to helminthiasis leads to frequent colds and other diseases.
important!
Helminth infection negatively affects the effectiveness of vaccine protection.
With a large number of parasites, the formation of dysbacteriosis, partial or complete blockage of the intestinal lumen, blockage of the bile ducts is possible. This can cause inflammation of the appendix and gallbladder.
Diagnosis of worms
If alarming signs appear, an examination by several specialists is necessary, including a gastroenterologist, an infectious disease specialist, etc. On palpation, an increase in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes is felt. A standard blood test will help confirm the presence of worms - if they are present, the number of leukocytes and eosinophils will increase and the sedimentation of erythrocytes will increase.
A correct diagnosis can be made after three months from the time of infection, when the larvae have become adults.
Laboratory methods will be useful for this:
- scraping from the anus to check for pinworm eggs;
- fecal analysis for the presence of helminth eggs;
- co-program (detailed analysis of feces to assess the quality of functioning of the gastrointestinal tract).
The biomaterial can be urine, feces, sputum, a piece of skin, or the contents of the duodenum.
To determine the state of the internal organs, instrumental diagnostic methods are used, which include:
- X-ray examination of the lungs;
- Ultrasound of the liver;
- computed tomography of internal organs;
- colonoscopy (intestinal probing using a camera);
- gastroscopy and esophagoscopy (examination of the gastrointestinal tract using an endoscope).
It can be very difficult to accurately determine the presence of worms, as egg laying by these parasites is irregular. They can only be found in adulthood. Blood antibodies are produced only during the first 60 days, after which they disappear from the bloodstream, accumulating in the intestinal wall. Establishing an accurate diagnosis is also complicated by extensive clinical manifestations, so therapy can be prescribed only based on the presence of indirect signs.
Methods of treatment of helminthiasis
In the treatment of helminthiasis, anthelmintic drugs are usually prescribed. The type of medicine and the duration of treatment are determined by the symptoms present and depending on the type of parasite. Anti-nematode, anti-cestod and extended-spectrum drugs are often prescribed.
Symptoms related to disorders of the respiratory system are alleviated with the help of glucocorticosteroids, antihistamines and antispasmodics. To normalize the condition of the intestine and its microflora, prebiotics are prescribed. To normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract - enzymatic means. Various cyst-type formations are surgically removed.
After 14 days and another month (at the end of the therapy), a three-fold re-examination for the presence of parasite eggs in the feces is necessary. Patients who are immunocompromised or at risk should undergo periodic screening for worms.
reference
When a disease is established in one or more family members, treatment is required for anyone who exhibits indirect signs.
Preventive measures against worms
To prevent the appearance of worms in the body, you should follow simple measures.
- Remember to wash your hands after eating, going to the bathroom, going outside, or playing with pets.
- Follow the rules of a healthy lifestyle to have a strong immune system.
- Carry out mandatory heat treatment of meat and fish, wash vegetables and fruits.
- Exclude from consumption raw water - prefer boiled, bottled or purified through filters.
- At least once every two weeks, wet cleaning the house.
The use of anthelmintic drugs as preventive measures is required twice a year - in spring and autumn, when the immune system is weakened. Pets also need to take special anti-worm medication.