Worms are parasitic worms whose vital activity takes place in the human body. Its result is helminthiasis. This is an acute disease of a chronic nature that leads to weakened immunity, damage to internal organs, disruption of their functions and exhaustion. Diagnostic methods include faecal analysis for the presence of worm eggs, blood culture and sputum analysis using a microscope. To assess damage to internal organs caused by worms, ultrasound, MRI and X-ray examination are used. The 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 is found in most countries, but the vast 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 that 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. They affect different organs with their worms, and their main habitat is the intestines.
Ways of parasite penetration are mucous membranes and skin. Entry of larvae or eggs into the body can occur together with consumed food. Ripe eggs in the gastrointestinal tract receive optimal conditions for development, which is why larvae emerge from them that penetrate through the mucosa of the intestinal tract into the blood, and then can freely pass through all organs through the bloodstream.
The liver, kidneys, gall bladder, heart, bronchi and lungs suffer the greatest damage. When the body tries to get rid of the worms by coughing and coughing up sputum, they can get trapped 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 ranges from 60 to 90 days. This time coincides with the early intestinal phase of the disease. In the late stage, adults actively develop and reproduce throughout the body. Their place of residence is the intestines, where eggs are laid, which leave it during defecation.
Causes of worms
The easiest way for the parasite 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 shared household items, clothing, dishes, etc.
People who ignore the simplest hygiene rules are at risk: they don't wash their hands, they don't disinfect vegetables, and they carry out poor heat treatment of animal meat and fish.
Note!
Parasite eggs can be carried on the paws and fur of pets when they return from a street walk. Therefore, you should take care of your pets, take them to the vet regularly 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 - they live in the soil, they do not need a living organism to develop.Biohelminths - their development and reproduction require at least two organisms.Contact helminths. Through contact and everyday life, they can move from the owner to the new object (between people).
Scientists have identified about four hundred causative agents 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). Liver flukes and cat flukes belong to this group. They become the causative agents of fascioliasis and clonorchiasis.spinyheads: Giant acanthocephalan causes acanthocephalosis.
According to the place of parasitism, 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 helminthosis
The symptoms are very extensive and vary depending on the affected organ, the type of parasite and their number. Also, a person's age 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 the characteristics of poisoning and allergic manifestations:
- weakness;
- chills;
- fever;
- skin rash, often itching;
- cough without mucus;
- difficulty breathing;
- stomach pain;
- flatulence.
Bruxism - teeth grinding - can also indicate the presence of parasitic worms in the body. It is most often manifested in a dream. Irritation in the anus and infection of the external genitalia may occur.
In the chronic phase, symptoms associated with the organs as a whole are observed. Particularly striking manifestations are disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, which are manifested in systemic malfunctions.
Those infected with parasites experience:
- lower abdominal pain;
- decreased appetite;
- nausea;
- frequent belching;
- appearance of food allergies that were not noticed before;
- weight loss;
- unstable stool - constipation alternates with diarrhea.
If the worms are localized in the liver and gallbladder, then cysts form in these organs, and concomitant diseases appear - obstructive jaundice and hepatitis. Roundworms lead to bronchitis, heart failure, myocarditis (the lining of the heart's muscle tissue becomes inflamed).
When helminths damage the central nervous system, a person becomes irritable, attention and performance deteriorate, and sleep is disturbed.
Helminthosis affects the immune system - the body becomes more susceptible to diseases, fungal skin diseases and caries are more common, and allergic manifestations become more severe.
Complications of helminthiasis
If helminthiasis is not treated on time, 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 monitored by their secretion. High concentrations lead to intoxication, allergic reactions, rashes and bronchial asthma.
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!
Helminthic infection negatively affects the effectiveness of vaccine protection.
With a large number of parasites, it is possible to create dysbacteriosis, partial or complete blockage of the intestinal lumen, blockage of the bile ducts. This can cause inflammation of the appendix and gallbladder.
Diagnosis of worms
If alarming signs appear, an examination by several specialists is required, including a gastroenterologist, an infectious disease specialist, and others. An enlarged liver, spleen and lymph nodes will be felt by palpation. 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.
The correct diagnosis can be made after three months from the moment of infection, when the larvae become adults.
Laboratory methods will be useful for:
- scraping from the anus to check for pinworm eggs;
- analysis of feces for the presence of helminth eggs;
- coprogram (detailed stool analysis to assess the quality of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract).
The biomaterial can be urine, feces, sputum, a piece of skin or the contents of the duodenum.
In order to determine the state of the internal organs, instrumental diagnostic methods are used, which include:
- x-ray examination of the lungs;
- Liver ultrasound;
- CT scan of internal organs;
- colonoscopy (intestinal probing using a camera);
- gastroscopy and esophagoscopy (examination of the gastrointestinal tract with 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 in the first 60 days, after which they disappear from the bloodstream, accumulating in the intestinal wall. Making an accurate diagnosis is also difficult due to extensive clinical manifestations, so therapy can only be prescribed 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 drug and the duration of treatment are determined by the present symptoms and depending on the type of parasite. Antinematode, anticestode and extended-spectrum drugs are often prescribed.
Symptoms associated with disorders of the respiratory system are alleviated by the use 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 agents. Various cyst-type growths are surgically removed.
After 14 days and another month (when the therapy is finished), three times repeated tests are needed for the presence of parasite eggs in the stool. Immunocompromised patients or those at risk should undergo periodic examination for worms.
Reference
When the disease is detected in one or more family members, treatment is necessary for all who show indirect signs.
Preventive measures against earthworms
To prevent the appearance of worms in the body, you must follow simple measures.
- Be sure to wash your hands after eating, using the toilet, being outside or playing with pets.
- Follow the rules of a healthy lifestyle to have a strong immune system.
- Carry out the obligatory heat treatment of meat and fish, wash vegetables and fruits.
- Eliminate raw water from consumption - give preference to boiled, bottled or filtered water.
- At least once every two weeks, wet clean the house.
The use of anthelmintic drugs as preventive measures is necessary twice a year - in spring and autumn, when the immune system is weakened. Pets must also take special anti-worm medication.