Throughout life, a person is exposed to the risk of infection by various parasites. The most common are helminths (worms in humans). These parasites in the human body lead to many complications, among which are: disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, physical damage to internal organs, and helminthiases. Helminthiasis is not one disease, but a group of diseases provoked by parasites living inside a person. All helminths are divided into 3 main types:
- nematodes (belonging to the order of roundworms), prominent representatives - roundworms, pinworms, whipworms;
- tapeworms, or cestodes (order of flatworms), represented by tapeworms, cattle tapeworms;
- flukes, or trematodes (an order of flatworms), are represented by the liver fluke.
Since helminths leave the body of the host during the reproductive period to preserve the species, are transferred to another host or to the environment, they are also divided according to the type of transfer:
- Mechanical transmission involves movement over long distances, while no development of the worm occurs in the body of the carrier. These include most arthropods (crustaceans, arachnids and millipedes), often carried on the legs of common flies.
- An intermediate host is a specialized mode of transmission in which one of the developmental stages occurs within the vector body. For example, for bovine tapeworm, the carrier (intermediate host) is cattle, and humans are the final carriers.
Helminths also differ in their mode of transmission:
- active (contact);
- passive (food).
Contact helminths can enter the human body through mucous membranes and skin (schistosomes, hookworms). Foodborne illnesses are more common; it develops in a person after eating unwashed food, during contact with a sick person, or failure to observe the rules of personal hygiene.
In total, there are more than 250 species of earthworms that are parasitic to humans in the world. Since the symptoms of the presence of worms in humans have different manifestations, at the slightest suspicion you should contact a specialist and undergo a test.
The life cycle of worms, reproduction and development
An example of the development of helminths is the classic diagram of the life cycle of a roundworm. Parasitic eggs are very resistant to adverse external influences and can remain in the soil for up to six months. The development of the larva itself requires from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on the environmental conditions: temperature, humidity, availability of oxygen. Ripe eggs enter the stomach with food, where the gastric juice eats the eggshell, releasing the larvae.
After this, the roundworm enters the bloodstream through the intestinal wall and begins to move throughout the blood vessel system until it enters the pulmonary alveoli. Roundworm larvae are aerobic, only here they become active and continue to grow. Feeding on blood, it grows to 3-4 mm in length. Having reached primary maturity 4-5 days after invasion, roundworms begin to move towards the bronchi. Its movement causes a cough in a person, as a result of which the larvae, together with mucus, enter the oral cavity and again into the intestine. Here the final stages of larval development into adults occur.
The life cycle of an adult roundworm lasts about a year, during which it lays up to 250, 000 eggs. Human health, and sometimes even life, directly depends on the presence of worms in the body and their quantity, which is why it is important to start treatment as early as possible. Ascariasis is accompanied by intoxication, and complications will be intestinal obstruction, in some cases requiring immediate surgical intervention.
Reproduction of helminths occurs in 2 ways, based on which worms are divided into biohelminths and geohelminths. Usually, the parasite eggs end up in the external environment, where they mature. Then the eggs must enter the host, where they either fully develop (geohelminths) or go through the stage of transformation into larvae (biohelminths).
For biohelminths, the development process is more complex; the stage of development into an adult and reaching maturity is separated from the stage of larval emergence. That is, from the external environment the egg first enters the intermediate carrier, where the larvae hatch. It then has to be swallowed by its final host to reach its adult form. Sometimes biohelminths change up to 4 intermediate carriers before reaching their final host.
symptoms
How to determine the presence of worms? Polymorphic symptoms and the absence of painful sensations in the first stage of the disease complicate the diagnosis. Often the reasons for the appearance of worms in humans are associated with the consumption of stale or contaminated food, and the parasites themselves live directly in the gastrointestinal tract, so the signs of their presence in the human body in most cases are related to intestinal function:
- loose stools (unstable);
- abdominal pain and bloating;
- allergic skin rash;
- bloated stomach;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- lack or excess of appetite;
- at night - sleep disturbances, tossing, grinding teeth, drooling;
- itching in the anus;
- the presence of mucus or blood in the stool.
These symptoms appear after infection and last for a short time (about 7 days). In case of re-infection, it is repeated after 2-3 weeks. In the absence of treatment or due to the occurrence of an acute or chronic form of this disease, some symptoms do not disappear, and the consequences of a long stay of parasites in the body are added to them:
- Poisoning appears almost simultaneously with infection, but in the early stages it is not so noticeable. The greater the number of worms in the human body, the stronger the symptoms of poisoning increase - from morning sickness to vomiting and abdominal pain.
- Congestion in the lungs (infiltrate), bronchial spasms, pneumonia. The main cause is parasites that develop in the alveoli of the lungs and damage them, which causes an inflammatory process.
- Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis). Infectious diseases, resulting from the vital activity of helminths and subsequent intoxication.
- Meningoencephalitis is a dangerous inflammation of the brain and its membranes caused by bacteria and protozoa.
Different pathogens have their own manifestations and consequences, but most of the symptoms are common to all helminths.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is made in laboratory conditions. Only in this case, with the presence of worm eggs and their signs in the blood or feces, helminthiasis can be diagnosed with confidence. However, stool analysis is not always sufficient - some types of parasites do not show up in it. A special method for determining the presence of worms is a serological blood test for antibodies. For the diagnosis of helminthiasis, the following are used:
- bile studies;
- macroscopy (to identify roundworms and pinworms);
- biopsy of muscle tissue to check for trichinosis;
- X-rays and ultrasounds.
Trichinosis is a parasitic disease in which the pathogenic larvae spread throughout the host's body, causing a lot of destruction in organs and the central nervous system, after which they settle in muscle tissue. Parasites in human muscles gradually make an infiltration capsule around them, and the symptoms of their presence in the body decrease, but by this time serious damage to the host's health has already occurred.
One of the main symptoms can be considered eosinophilia, where the number of eosinophils in the patient's blood increases sharply. Eosinophils are a subtype of leukocytes that respond to the presence of even the smallest foreign objects in the circulatory system. In places where parasite larvae accumulate, internal swelling and spots on the skin quickly appear - the effect of infiltration. They also remain in sputum and lung fluid.
Since the symptoms of helminthic diseases are widespread and largely overlap with the signs of other diseases, self-diagnosis is not completely reliable. There are cases when, after eating bananas, people see dark threads in their feces, which are mistaken for worms. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to undergo all tests to determine the presence and type of parasites.
Treatment of helminthiasis
When treating parasitic diseases, some general rules should be followed:
- Thorough disinfection of the patient's linen and the room where he is. Reduce contact to a minimum, separate dishes.
- A strict diet does not include alcohol. It is recommended to drink carrot juice and birch bud infusion.
- Maintain personal hygiene, frequently wash hands and wash clothes, clean living quarters.
- Monitor treatment progress and effectiveness.
Modern treatment methods do not include the use of separate drugs, as this does not guarantee complete coverage of all types of helminths. Often, doctors prescribe early-acting drugs that weaken the parasite. After 3 days, depending on the age of the patient and the severity of the infection, anthelmintic drugs are prescribed. Pregnant women or people with contraindications to drugs are prescribed non-toxic drugs from the tetrahydropyrimidine group.
If it is not possible to see a doctor, then use folk remedies. The following have good anthelmintic effects:
- garlic infusion enema, taking garlic on an empty stomach;
- tansy infusion on an empty stomach 4 times a day before meals;
- wormwood tincture in alcohol, taken 3 times a day, 20 mg.
Nowadays, helminth infections are diagnosed and treated in a short time. If you do not ignore this disease and start treatment on time, this will help to avoid complications and re-invasion. Parasitic diseases pose the greatest danger to children: there is a delay in mental development, complications arise in the form of chronic diseases, and inflammatory processes. It is very important to immediately explain to your child the need to wash hands and follow the rules of personal hygiene. Adults are also required to follow other preventive measures.
Prevention of helminthiases
In addition to personal hygiene, there are several factors that affect the elimination of the cause of worms:
- wash vegetables and fruits in hot water;
- keeping the house clean, regular wet cleaning;
- a balanced diet that provides the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins for all groups;
- monitor the condition of pets, annual visits to the vet;
- proper heat treatment of fish and meat;
- against insects that live in the house;
- refrain from swimming and rest in areas where cattle graze.
Compliance with preventive measures and timely consultation with a doctor in case of infection will help avoid complications. The correct dose of medicine prescribed by a medical specialist will quickly get rid of parasites, and folk remedies can be used in combination with prescribed medicines.