Based on statistics, it has been proven that more than one billion people are infected with helminths, which are popularly called worms. However, this indicator is conditional, because it is established based on the number of people who ask for help from specialists who establish a diagnosis of helminth infestation.
In life, everyone encounters worms at least once in their life (regardless of age and gender), but many are unaware of their infection and continue to transmit worms to others. In the early stages of infection, they do not cause discomfort, but in the case of massive attacks they can cause toxic poisoning and even death. Therefore, you should know what worms are, what they look like in the body and how to cope with acquired diseases.
Doctors have studied many "uninvited guests" in the body of animals and people that burden the immune system and are able to make holes in blood vessels by gnawing at them. This causes serious consequences in the form of erosion and other diseases, so helminthic attacks must be treated first.
Types of worms
Among the various types of helminths, the greatest harm can be caused by 3 classes of worms to the body: worms, roundworms and tapeworms. Let's see what this worm looks like in humans.
Ringworm
The class of roundworms is commonly called nematodes. This is one of the most common types of worms that infect the human body. However, in addition to parasitic nematodes, there are also free-living nematodes, so they are not found in the human body.
In the photo you can see the body of the nematode, which is characterized by a round shape, and that is why they have been added to the class of roundworms. They have a thin and elongated body, and the ends are pointed on both sides.
During examination, the following worms of this class are most often found in the human body: whipworms, roundworms, trichina (Trichinella) and pinworms. Types of worms in humans can be seen in the photo.
Male ringwormhave a shorter body length than females. Females can grow up to 40 centimeters. Roundworms are localized in the intestines, poisoning the body with toxic substances. When there is a large accumulation of parasites in this cavity, they can close the intestinal lumen and prevent patency. If you refuse treatment, the invasion can lead to death, because unnecessary substances in the body will no longer be eliminated, and toxic poisoning will reach its limit.
pinwormsThey bark smaller in size compared to roundworms. Their body length does not exceed 1 cm. These representatives actively breed, because they live in the small intestine and rectum, they have access to the anus, and crawling out of it, the female lays the larvae in the intrafemoral part, anus, between the buttocks. At a time, an individual pinworm can lay up to 15, 000 eggs, causing skin irritation. Then the infected person begins to scratch the irritant, contributing to the spread of helminths to others. Most often, pinworms are found in children, therefore, in preschool institutions and schools, institutions with many people, examination for worm eggs is required.
whipwormis an equally dangerous parasite, because the female of this helminth lays 3, 000-4, 000 eggs per day. When the worm has reached sexual maturity, it has a thread-like anterior end, forming 2/3 of the body length, and a thick grayish-pink posterior end, with transverse stripes. The average length of the helminth is 3-5 cm. The tail of female and male representatives is different: in women it is characterized by a bend, and in men it is spiral.
The danger of whipworm infection is that these worms penetrate into the mucous membrane and inner layer. Can affect smooth muscle and consume tissue fluid.
Trichinais a dangerous parasite that lives in the muscles and walls of the human intestine. Visually, the worm looks like a long, twisted thread, reaching a diameter of 4. 5 mm and 1. 6 mm. The vital activity of such helminths can lead to the death of the carrier if therapeutic measures are not taken in time.
Flukes
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Many people are interested in the appearance of parasites in the human body (photo) fluke class. In medical practice, they are called trematodes, but the most interesting thing is that they do not suck anything from the body, but feed on mucus, blood and what passes through the area affected by worms. Trematodes can grow up to 1. 5 meters in length, and are located not only in the intestine, but also in other organs (even in the conjunctival sac).
However, worms of the worm class are able to attach to the intestinal wall, and thus prevent accidental excretion along with the feces. The parasite has a functioning digestive tract and reproductive system, but minimal respiratory and circulatory systems.
tape worm
tape worm- class of flatworms, which are divided into tapeworms and tapeworms. These individuals rarely enter the human body directly. Most often, infection with them occurs because a person eats fish infected with this parasite, but in animals it occurs only in the larval stage, and reaches maturity in individuals with backbones.
This class of parasites has a special anatomical structure of the body, so the head of the worm works only to attach to the intestinal wall, and this worm receives nutrition using the whole body. The food of their host serves as food for tapeworms, but the helminth is not digested by gastric juice, because it releases a substance called antikinase.
Despite the similarity of these worms, when making a diagnosis it is important to differentiate them in order to establish the correct treatment method.
Tapeworms have 2 suckers on their heads, allowing them to attach securely to the intestinal wall, unlike representatives - tapeworms, which have 4 clinging teeth. The length of the tapeworm's body can reach 18 meters, and occupy the entire length of the small intestine.
How can you get infected with this worm?
The spread of helminths begins with phase 1, characterized by the entry of helminth eggs into the human body. Then they hatch, become larvae (phase 2), and move throughout the body until they settle in an organ or system, but most often they remain in the intestine. In phase 3, the worm is no longer able to migrate throughout the body, but it is quite capable of multiplying and infecting a healthy population.
Despite the different types of worms and their characteristics, attacks can be combined. This indicates the possibility of simultaneous residence in the digestive tract or organs of different types of worms, without interfering with each other.
Worm infection can occur in 3 ways:
- From person to person.
- Through the ground.
- When following a raw food diet and eating foods that are not processed well, especially vegetables and fruits, herbs.
Signs of infection
Signs of helminth infection can be very different, but first of all you should start from the stage of infection:
- Acute. Lasts no more than 20 days. In this case, a widespread allergic reaction of unknown origin is observed. This is due to the immune system's response to the stimulus. Allergies cause skin rashes, and clinical blood tests show higher-than-normal levels of eosinophils.
- Acquired. The disease at this stage can develop for 2-3 years. In this case, the symptoms depend on the organ where the parasite lives, their number, and how much they have damaged the tissue wall or body system. In severe conditions, they cause inflammation, and rapidly growing species can be fatal.
It is very important to know what parasites of any kind look like, because sometimes dead adults can be passed along with feces, then based on the description of their appearance, you can speed up the diagnosis and quickly choose a treatment method.
Timely detection of helminths plays an important role in human life, because not all parasites can exist practically without harm in the body. It is recommended that the whole family be examined by a doctor at least 1-2 times a year, wash your hands before eating, eat only well-processed food and use folk anthelmintics for prevention: clove powder or wormwood, walnut bark tincture.