Parasitologists have their own definition of summer - the season of helminths.During the summer, various types of parasites feel great and actively reproduce.
You can meet them everywhere - in a country park, on a picnic, and when communicating with our smaller brothers and sisters.How to avoid this meeting and what to do if it happens?
Worms or helminths are parasites that affect humans, animals, and even plants.Previously, it was generally accepted that helminth infections were a lot of irresponsible people, but today it is known that this is not so.No one is safe from helminth infections.And according to expert estimates, worms affect 70 to 95% of the world's population.
Signs of helminthiasis
Often there are situations when it is not easy to guess about such a neighborhood.Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body are non-specific.For some they will cause intestinal disorders, for others - asthenia, and for others they will not feel anything at all.Experts warn that worms can live in the human body for years and go undetected.However, a lot depends not only on your individual characteristics, but also on the type of parasite itself.
People at risk for helminth infections include people with weakened immune systems and children under 3 years of age.The acidity of the gastric juices of healthy adults is often fatal to worms.Parasites live in any sandbox, and if the baby likes to put his fingers in his mouth, this can end sadly.
Pediatrician Maxim Pereverzentsev claims that for every square meter of the sandbox there are at least fifty worm eggs.In addition, small children often play with pets, which carry parasite eggs on their fur or in their saliva.
Enterobiasis
The most common child parasite is pinworm, which causes enterobiasis.It is not difficult to suspect their presence.At night, pinworms lay eggs in the anal area, causing severe itching in humans.Other symptoms include decreased appetite and restless sleep.Enterobiasis must be treated, and only a doctor can help with this.Little known fact: if a child is infected with worms, the vaccination given to him will not be effective.
Here are some other symptoms that may indicate the presence of worms in the human body: abdominal pain, skin rash, allergic reactions, increased salivation, constipation or diarrhea, nausea.
Of the three hundred types of worms known in the world, the two most common in our country are pinworms and roundworms, which are intestinal parasites.According to laboratory diagnostician Vasily Yurasov, at least half of the population of our country has either one or the other.
Ascariasis
For example, it is quite easy to get infected with roundworms at the dacha - there are a lot of them in our garden beds.They enter the body through poorly washed vegetables and leafy greens.The life expectancy of roundworms is measured at two years, and, as Yurasov said, in theory, ascariasis can disappear by itself (to continue to exist, the worm must be in the soil).However, during these two years, these worms can ruin your life, because they not only affect the gastrointestinal tract, but also the respiratory system.Often, ascariasis manifests itself as skin dermatitis, muscle pain, stool disorders and dry cough, which worsens at night.If there are many roundworms, it can cause the development of pancreatitis, inflammation of the appendix, cholecystitis, intestinal obstruction, and liver abscess.
Toxoporosis
Toxoporosis is spread through domestic animals, which causes damage to the liver and mucous membranes of the eyes.Poorly fried kebabs or insufficiently smoked or salted fish (usually carp and carp) transmit tapeworms and liverworms.
If we talk about the diagnosis of helminths, then everything is not so simple here.Each of us has been tested for egg worms at least once in our life (for example, to get a certificate for a swimming pool), but detecting them in research materials is quite difficult.For example, roundworms release eggs every few days.Therefore, to understand the real situation, said laboratory diagnostician Vasily Yurasov, such tests should be taken at least three days in a row.
Diagnosis and treatment of helminthiasis
In addition, if there is a serious suspicion about the presence of worms in the body, the doctor may prescribe an additional test - a stool test for worms.Based on the results of this analysis, experts will be able to understand the presence of helminths in the body based on some indirect signs.Another important aid in determining helminthic infestation is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent blood test, which allows you to determine antibodies to various types of parasites.To complete the picture, the doctor may prescribe the patient a routine biochemical blood test.For example, if it turns out that a person has exceeded the normative value of eosinophils, the most likely reason lies in the presence of something else in his body.
Parasites should be treated only under the strict supervision of a specialist.You should contact a therapist or parasitologist.As for prevention, it is quite simple.Wash your hands as often as possible, rinse vegetables from your garden beds thoroughly, fry your meat and fish well, and don't let your pets eat too much.Good folk remedies for prevention include pumpkin seeds, ginger and tansy.