Throughout life, a person is at risk of infection with various parasites. The most common are helminths (worms in humans). These parasites in the human body lead to many complications, among which: disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, physical damage to internal organs and helminthiasis. Helminthiasis is not a single disease, but a group of diseases provoked by parasites living inside a person. All helminths are divided into 3 main types:
- nematodes (belong to the order of roundworms), prominent representatives - roundworms, pinworms, whipworms;
- tapeworms, or cestodes (order of flatworms), are represented by tapeworms, beef tapeworms;
- flukes, or trematodes (order of flatworms), are represented by the liver fluke.
Since helminths leave the body of the host during the reproduction period to maintain the species, passing to another host or in the environment, they are also divided according to the type of transfer:
- Mechanical transmission involves movement over long distances until worms develop in the host's body. These include most arthropods (crustaceans, arachnids, and millipedes), often carried on the legs of common flies.
- An intermediate host is a specific mode of transmission in which one of the developmental stages takes place in the body of the vector. For example, for the bovine tapeworm, the carrier (intermediate host) is cattle, and man is the final carrier.
Helminths also differ in their mode of transmission:
- active (contact);
- passive (food).
Contact helminths can penetrate the human body through mucous membranes and skin (schistosomes, hookworms). Foodborne diseases are more common, they develop in a person after eating unwashed food, in contact with sick people or not following the rules of personal hygiene.
In total, there are more than 250 species of lower worms in the world that parasitize humans. Since the symptoms of the presence of worms in humans have different manifestations, at the slightest suspicion you should contact a specialist and get yourself examined.
The life cycle of worms, their reproduction and development
An example of the development of helminths is the classic diagram of the life cycle of the roundworm. The eggs of the parasite are extremely resistant to external adverse influences and can remain in the ground for up to six months. The development of the larva itself takes from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on the environmental conditions: temperature, humidity, availability of oxygen. The mature egg enters the stomach with food, where gastric juice eats away at the egg shell, releasing the larva.
The roundworm then enters the bloodstream through the intestinal wall and begins to move through the entire system of blood vessels until it enters the alveoli of the lungs. The roundworm larva is aerobic, only here it becomes active and continues to develop. Feeding on blood, it grows to 3-4 mm in length. Having reached primary maturity 4-5 days after invasion, the roundworm begins to move towards the bronchi. Its movement causes a person to cough, as a result of which the larva, together with mucus, enters the oral cavity and again into the intestines. Here occurs the last stage of the formation of the larva into an adult.
The life cycle of an adult roundworm lasts about a year, during which time it lays up to 250, 000 eggs. Human health, and sometimes 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 a complication will be intestinal obstruction, in some cases requiring urgent surgical intervention.
Reproduction of helminths occurs in 2 ways, based on which worms are divided into biohelminths and geohelminths. Usually, the eggs of the parasites fall into the external environment, where they mature. The egg must then enter the host, where it either fully develops (geohelminths) or undergoes the larval stage of transformation (biohelminths).
In biohelminths, the development process is more complex, the stages of adult development and reaching maturity are separated from the stage of larval emergence. That is, from the external environment, the egg first falls into an intermediate carrier, where the larva hatches. It must then be ingested by its final host to reach its adult form. Sometimes biohelminths change up to 4 intermediate hosts before reaching their final host.
Symptoms
How to determine the presence of worms? Polymorphic symptoms and the absence of painful sensations in the first stages of the disease complicate the diagnosis. Often, the causes of the appearance of worms in humans are related to the consumption of outdated or contaminated food, and the parasites themselves live directly in the gastrointestinal tract, so the signs of their presence in the human body are in most cases related to the functioning of the intestines:
- loose (unstable) stools;
- abdominal pain and swelling;
- allergic skin rashes;
- flatulence;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- lack or excess of appetite;
- at night - sleep disorders, tossing, grinding teeth, salivation;
- 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, they are repeated after 2-3 weeks. In the absence of treatment or due to the appearance of an acute or chronic form of the disease, some symptoms do not disappear, and to them are added the consequences of a long stay of parasites in the body:
- Intoxication occurs 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 - from morning sickness to vomiting and abdominal pain.
- Congestion in the lungs (infiltrates), bronchial spasms, pneumonia. The main culprits are parasites that develop in the alveoli of the lungs and damage them, which provokes inflammatory processes.
- Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis). An infectious disease 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 symptoms are common to all helminths.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made in laboratory conditions. Only in this case, in the presence of worm eggs and their signs in the blood or feces, helminthiasis can be confidently diagnosed. 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 is used:
- bile studies;
- macroscopy (to identify roundworms and pinworms);
- biopsy of muscle tissue to check for trichinellosis;
- X-ray and ultrasound.
Trichinellosis is a parasitic disease in which the larvae of the pathogen spread throughout the host's body, causing much destruction to the organs and the central nervous system, after which they settle in the muscle tissue. Parasites in human muscles gradually create a capsule of infiltrates around themselves and the symptoms of their presence in the body decrease, but by this time serious damage has already been done to the health of the host.
One of the main symptoms can be considered eosinophilia, in which the number of eosinophils in the patient's blood increases sharply. Eosinophils are a subtype of leukocytes that react to the presence of the smallest foreign bodies in the circulatory system. In places where parasite larvae accumulate, internal swelling and spots on the skin quickly appear - traces of infiltration. They also remain in sputum and lung fluid.
Since the symptoms of helminthic diseases are extensive and largely overlap with signs of other diseases, self-diagnosis cannot be completely reliable. There are cases when after eating bananas, people notice dark threads in their stool, which are mistaken for worms. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to pass all tests to determine the presence and type of parasites.
Treatment of helminthiasis
When treating parasitic diseases, several general rules must be observed:
- Complete disinfection of the patient's underwear and the room in which he is located. Reduce contacts to a minimum, separate plates.
- A strict diet that excludes alcohol. It is recommended to drink carrot juice and birch bud infusion.
- Maintain personal hygiene, frequent hand washing and laundry, cleaning living quarters.
- Monitoring the course of treatment and its effectiveness.
Modern methods of treatment exclude the use of a separate drug, as this does not guarantee full coverage of all types of helminths. Most often, the doctor prescribes an initially effective drug that weakens the parasites. 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 drug contraindications are prescribed a non-toxic drug from the tetrahydropyrimidine group.
If it is not possible to visit a doctor, then use folk remedies. A good anthelmintic effect has:
- garlic infusion enema, taking garlic on an empty stomach;
- infusion of tansy on an empty stomach 4 times a day before meals;
- tincture of wormwood 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 the disease and start treatment in time, it 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 extremely important to promptly explain to your child the need to wash hands and observe the rules of personal hygiene. Adults are also required to observe other preventive measures.
Prevention of helminthiasis
In addition to personal hygiene, there are a number of factors that affect the elimination of the causative agent of worms:
- washing 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 from all groups;
- monitoring the condition of pets, annual visits to a veterinarian;
- proper heat treatment of fish and meat;
- combating insects living in the house;
- refraining from swimming and resting in areas where livestock graze.
Observance of preventive measures and timely consultation with a doctor in case of infection will help to avoid complications. The correct dosage of drugs prescribed by a medical professional will quickly get rid of parasites, and folk remedies can be used in combination with prescribed drugs.