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, leading to a weakening of immunity, damage to internal organs, disruption of their functions and exhaustion. Diagnostic methods include analysis of feces for the presence of worm eggs, blood culture and analysis of sputum using a microscope. To assess the damage caused by worms to internal organs, ultrasound, MRI and X-ray examination are used. Therapy is selected depending on the type of parasite.
A disease caused by parasites: helminthiasis
Helminthiasis is an infection caused by worms. It is very common, present in most countries, but the vast majority of cases are recorded in regions with hot climates and high humidity.
The risk of contracting the disease exists at any age, but those most affected are children between five and fifteen years old. During this period, the immune system is still developing, and the acidity of gastric juice is lower than that of adults, so the destruction of parasites is not as effective. Various organs are affected by worms, and their main habitat is the intestine.
The parasites' penetration routes are the mucous membranes and the skin. The entry of larvae or eggs into the body can occur together with the food consumed. Mature eggs in the gastrointestinal tract receive optimal conditions for development, as a result larvae emerge from them, which penetrate through the mucosa of the intestinal tract into the blood and then can freely pass through all organs with blood flow.
The liver, kidneys, gallbladder, heart, bronchi and lungs suffer the most damage. When the body tries to get rid of worms by coughing and coughing up sputum, they can remain in the saliva and, if swallowed, end up in the intestine. There their further development takes place and after 75 days a mature individual appears.
The average time from the moment it enters the body until the formation of a full-fledged worm varies from 60 to 90 days. This time coincides with the initial intestinal phase of the disease. At an advanced stage, adult individuals actively develop and reproduce throughout the body. Their place of residence is the intestine, where eggs are laid, which leave it during defecation.
Causes of worms
The easiest way for 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 shared household items, clothing, dishes, etc.
At risk are people who ignore the simplest hygiene rules: they do not wash their hands, they do not disinfect vegetables, they carry out poor heat treatment of meat and fish.
A note!
Parasite eggs can be carried on the paws and fur of pets when they return from a walk down the street. Therefore, you should take good care of your pets, regularly take them for examinations to the vet and do not 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 ground; they do not need a living organism to develop.
- Biohelminths– at least two organisms are necessary for their development and reproduction.
- Contact helminths.They can pass from 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 more often.
- Tapeworms.These include bovine and porcine tapeworms, echinococcus.
- Trematodes (flukes).This group includes liver flukes and cat flukes. They become the cause of fascioliasis and clonorchiasis.
- Spiny heads:Giant acanthocephalus causes acanthocephalosis.
According to the site of parasitism, worms are divided into intestinal and extraintestinal. The second group includes those species that carry out 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. In addition, the age of a person and the initial state of all systems, organs and the immune system 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 features of poisoning and allergic manifestations:
- weakness;
- chills;
- fever;
- skin rashes, often itchy;
- cough without phlegm;
- shortness of breath;
- stomach ache;
- swelling.
Bruxism – teeth grinding – can also indicate the presence of parasitic worms in the body. Most often it manifests itself in a dream. Irritation of 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 functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested in malfunctions of the system.
Those infected with parasites experience:
- lower abdominal pain;
- decreased appetite;
- nausea;
- frequent belching;
- the appearance of food allergies that had not been observed before;
- weight loss;
- unstable stools: constipation alternates with diarrhea.
If the worms are localized in the liver and gallbladder, cysts form in these organs and concomitant diseases appear: obstructive jaundice and hepatitis. Roundworms cause bronchitis, heart failure, myocarditis (the heart lining of the muscle tissue becomes inflamed).
When the central nervous system is damaged by helminths, a person becomes irritated, attention and performance deteriorate, and sleep is disrupted.
Helminthiasis affects the immune system: the body becomes more susceptible to diseases, fungal skin diseases and tooth decay are more common, and allergic manifestations become more severe.
Complications of helminthiasis
If helminthiasis is not treated in a timely manner, this 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, skin rashes and begin bronchial asthma.
For their nutrition and development, helminths take nutrients and vitamins from the human body. This is especially dangerous for a child, as it increases the risk of developmental delays. 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 vaccination protection.
With a large number of parasites, the formation of dysbacteriosis, partial or complete blockage of the intestinal lumen and blockage of the bile ducts is possible. This can cause inflammation of the appendix and gallbladder.
Worm diagnosis
If alarming signs appear, an examination by several specialists is necessary, including a gastroenterologist, an infectious disease specialist and others. On palpation you will feel an enlargement of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. A standard blood test will help confirm the presence of worms: if they are present, the number of leukocytes and eosinophils will increase and erythrocyte sedimentation will increase.
A correct diagnosis can be made three months after the infection, when the larvae have become adults.
For this purpose laboratory methods will be useful:
- scraping from the anus to check for pinworm eggs;
- stool analysis for the presence of helminth eggs;
- coprogram (detailed analysis of feces to evaluate 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 condition of internal organs, instrumental diagnostic methods are used, which include:
- X-ray examination of the lungs;
- Ultrasound of the liver;
- CT scan 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, because egg laying of 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. Establishing an accurate diagnosis is complicated even by extensive clinical manifestations, so therapy can be prescribed only on the basis of the presence of indirect signs.
Methods of treatment for helminthiasis
When treating helminthiasis, anthelmintic drugs are usually prescribed. The type of medication and duration of treatment depend on the symptoms present and the type of parasite. Antinematodal, anticestodal and extended-spectrum drugs are often prescribed.
Symptoms associated with disorders of the respiratory system are alleviated with the use of glucocorticosteroids, antihistamines and antispasmodics. To normalize the condition of the intestine and its microflora, prebiotics are prescribed. To normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract - enzymatic agents. Various cystic-type growths are surgically removed.
After 14 days and another month (when therapy is completed), tests repeated three times are necessary to check the presence of parasite eggs in the feces. Immunocompromised or at-risk patients should be periodically screened for worms.
Reference
When a disease is detected in one or more family members, treatment is necessary for all those with indirect signs.
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 the rules of a healthy lifestyle to have a strong immune system.
- Carry out mandatory heat treatment of meat and fish, wash fruits and vegetables.
- Eliminate unpurified water from consumption: give preference to boiled, bottled or purified through filters.
- At least once every two weeks, clean the house with water.
The use of anthelmintic drugs as a preventive measure is required twice a year, in spring and autumn, when the immune system is weakened. Pets also need to take special anti-worm medications.