Helminthiases are a common problem among certain categories of the population. In children, as a rule, pinworms parasitize, in people who often eat fish, diphyllobothriasis is diagnosed, and trichinosis is common among hunters.
The fact that human worms cause the development of many diseases that apparently have nothing to do with helminthiasis is now confirmed by a wide variety of studies. In particular, there is a theory that helminthic diseases are associated with the development of oncological processes.
Also, you need to keep in mind that if there are helminths in the body, this does not mean that the patient will have symptoms of such an infection. Signs of its presence can be disguised as other ailments of the liver, gallbladder, and gastrointestinal tract. As a result, a person can use different means for a long time and not detect the infection. And after selecting the correct scheme of anthelmintic treatment for the patient, the disease can be cured. Therefore, asking yourself questions: "What should I do if I have helminths, how to check for parasites and whether I will infect my loved ones? ", You should not be afraid to contact the doctor and get all the answers, and also find out what do if you are dewormed.
For answers to questions about what are worms, how dangerous are these parasites, and how not to get infected with different types of parasites, read the article below. We will also talk about what the signs of worm infection are, both general and specific.
How can you get helminths?
Helminth eggs can enter the human body in different ways. There are four main forms of infection:
Biohelminthiasis. Worms can be found in raw or poorly thermally processed meat, as well as fish. You can get infected by consuming lard, barbecue, dried fish, sushi, etc.
Geohelminthiasis. Ripe eggs of helminths that are in the soil and in the water enter the body. In this environment they are found, and since human feces, as well as animal feces, get there. In addition, infestations occur when a person comes into contact with animals, for example by constantly shedding dog or cat feces, as well as when food is contaminated with fly eggs.
Contact. The most common worms, pinworms, are spread from person to person. In this case, the risk of contracting this disease is the highest.
Various parasites can enter the body when insects bite a person.
Trying to find an answer to the question of what causes worms and how they are transmitted, it should be noted that the main way of infection with parasites is oral-fecal. That is, a person simply swallows the eggs of worms when eating, drinking water. In rarer cases, the worms in a person are found after the bites of insects that have been infected.
Infection with worms through the soil.
After contact with earth, sand, etc. , you should not only wash your hands very well, but also clean your nails. It is better for children to cut their nails very short. All vegetables growing in the ground should be washed very carefully and, if possible, scalded with boiling water.
animals and flies
Wikipedia shows that worm eggs can appear in the house and on pets - cats, dogs walking down the street. There is a high risk of infection if children play with these animals. Therefore, you must take action immediately if you suspect that worms have started in cats. Symptoms and treatment of infection in animals can be obtained from a veterinarian or watch the corresponding video on the network. In this way, any type of worm can appear in the body. Therefore, the answer to the question whether they are transmitted from a dog to a person and whether it is possible to get infected from a dog is unequivocal: yes, it is possible.
Another carrier of helminths are flies. They may initially land on feces, livestock waste, and later fly off and land on food. As a result, they spread helminth eggs, and people develop helminthic diseases after infection.
How are worms spread from person to person?
How can you get pinworms? Are these parasites transmitted from person to person? The answer to this question is simple: if a female roundworm gets out of the intestines along the rectum in the baby's potato at night, she can lay a huge number of eggs near the anus - up to 5000 pieces. As a result, severe itching occurs, the baby itches, and the eggs fall into her hands. Also, from the hands of the baby, the eggs fall on clothes, bedding and other objects that the child touches. It is clear how the worms are further transmitted: other children and adults are infected with eggs, after which small white pinworms multiply in the body. That is why it is very important to wash your hands before eating, after coming home from public places.
infection through water
Many parasite eggs are found in open water bodies, as well as in well water. That is why people who use that water must use a special bactericidal filter. It is also very important to boil the water that people drink and eat dishes prepared with it. It is very dangerous to swallow water from reservoirs.
It must be taken into account, speaking of what a helminthic invasion is, that this is a disease that mainly affects children, since they are very susceptible to helminth infections. The thing is that in children the protective barriers are not yet as developed as in an adult, their heartburn is lower.
Also, signs of the presence of worms in a child appear very often due to the fact that young children, in the process of taking over the world, try everything that is at hand. Therefore, symptoms of helminthic invasion in children are very often noted by parents, in particular, itching in the anus, poor appetite, coughing in children during infection, etc. But still it is impossible to accustom the baby to strictly follow the rules of hygiene. in the first years of her life. Therefore, at this time, the risk of infection is high for all members of the family.
Speaking about the egg worm - what it is and how to treat this disease, it should be remembered that worms do not multiply in the human body. Worms in the human body die over a certain period of time. For example, pinworms live for several weeks, roundworms - about a year. The eggs that the adult parasites lay in the body are likely to come out of the intestines, either when the baby's stool or poop comes out, or enter the skin near the anus, as with pinworms. When the eggs are outside the human body, they mature in the external environment, after which they enter the human body again and again parasitize on it.
Since the reproduction of worms does not occur in the body, large numbers of helminths are observed only if re-infection occurs, if the eggs enter the body through the mouth again.
Therefore, if reinfection does not occur, pinworms living in the body die in about 4 weeks. And if you follow all preventive measures very carefully, then you can get rid of the presence of worms without treatment. However, in the case of children, the observance of all these rules is a very difficult task.
signs of helminths
When infected with parasites, certain early symptoms of worms appear in humans. About what symptoms appear with worms if you have an infection, you can learn in detail from a specialist. But some signs of worms in humans can be seen on their own.
So, the most striking sign that a parasite infection has occurred is the presence of a strong weight loss. Also, the patient's skin becomes pale - this is how anemia manifests itself. In appearance, signs of the presence of helminthic invasion are also shown: a person seems exhausted, his level of fatigue may increase.
Helminths cause itchy anus if the intestines are infected. However, they can also parasitize in other organs: in the lungs, liver, bladder and even in the arm or leg, etc.
However, all the symptoms of parasites in the human body listed above are only the first general signs of infection that develop when the body is massively damaged by worms and make it possible to recognize that something is wrong with health. There are other more specific symptoms of helminthic invasion in adults. The patient may perceive them as a manifestation of other diseases. At the same time, he can treat such diseases for a long time, of course, without success. This lasts until the exact cause of such symptoms is determined - helminthiasis. More details about it can be found in the corresponding videos on the network.
What are the symptoms of worms in an adult and a child can occur?
digestive disorders
If the parasites are localized in the intestines, and not in other organs, the main signs in an adult and in a child are a violation of the digestive function. Constant diarrhea or constipation can disturb a person, which is periodically manifested by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, pain in the right hypochondrium, near the navel, intestinal disorders. If intestinal parasites are coiled, flatulence often worries.
All of these signs can be both strong and weak, both long-term and periodic. It all depends on the severity of the infection. There are types of helminths that produce hormone-like substances, under the influence of which permanent diarrhea develops. If the large worms grow (like a tapeworm), they block the intestines and cause constipation.
Malaise, nervous system disorders
The worms live and secrete very large amounts of toxic substances, regardless of whether the parasites live in a person's blood, liver, or lungs. The more massive the infection, the more pronounced the signs of intoxication of the body, which negatively affects the nervous system.
As a result, headache, dizziness and nausea develop. Some people confuse such signs with the development of a migraine, and drink painkillers as a result.
Sometimes, when infected with parasites, the temperature rises, pains in the joints are annoying. In addition, helminthic lesions cause a deficiency of vitamins and nutrients in the body. This phenomenon, as well as the depression of the nervous system, give rise to the manifestation of chronic fatigue syndrome. The patient feels tired, he is worried about drowsiness, a feeling of weakness in the body. If we are talking about a boy, he is mischievous, constantly nervous. Young children have sleep disorders, cry or scream at night. School-age children, due to inattention and tiredness, may study poorly.
Allergies and skin manifestations
Signs of helminths Worms cause deterioration of the skin. The toxins with which the worms infect the body negatively affect its general condition and can provoke the manifestation of various skin reactions. Rashes appear as a result of the release of histamine from mast cells and the accumulation of the liquid part of the blood in the tissue with the elevation of the epidermis.
These very reasons lead to the development of allergic reactions. In particular, itching, red spots, acne, hives, as well as dry cough, allergic rhinitis, manifestations of bronchial asthma may appear. Also, when infected, the nails can exfoliate, brittle hair is noticeable, and cracks appear on the heels.
Impaired immunity and infectious diseases.
Since the worms feed on the body, they secrete toxic waste products. The toxic effect, a decrease in vitamins and minerals in the body leads to the fact that the immunity of the infected person is significantly impaired. As a result, the state of health in chronic diseases also worsens, inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx begin to be disturbed - sinusitis, stomatitis. In women and girls, vulvovaginitis and bacterial vaginosis are possible. There is evidence that with prolonged infection with pinworms, the development of inflammation of the appendages is possible. In this case, it is very important to detect their presence in time. Parasites in the liver also cause bad breath, a persistent bad taste.
There is also an opinion that worms in a person provoke the appearance of snoring and grinding of teeth at night. However, this relationship has not yet been proven.
Where do parasites live in the human body?
The types of parasites in the human body are determined depending on where exactly they live in the body. How to determine the presence and how to remove parasites from the body depends on their type.
translucent
These worms mainly inhabit the intestines, living in its various departments. Hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and other tapeworms are found in the small intestine. In the small intestine lives the pygmy tapeworm, pinworms, in the large intestine - whipworm. In total, there are about a hundred types of cavity parasites. Photos and images can be found online.
cloth
This type of worms in humans do not live in the intestines, but in organs and tissues. There are varieties that live in the brain (cysticercosis), liver (echinococcosis), lungs (paragonimiasis), muscles, lymphatic vessels (filariasis), and other helminths.
What are the worms in a person yet? You can find out from a specialist.
The roundworm is a species that belongs to both luminal and tissue parasites, since in the first phase of their development they can travel through the blood and infect any organ. How to get rid of roundworms, will be told by the doctor who prescribes the treatment regimen for infection with such parasites.
What worms look like in humans can be found by looking at the image of the corresponding type of parasite. Special literature shows what the eggs of worms look like.
Signs of infection depending on the type.
How the worms manifest themselves and how dangerous they are depends on the type of parasites, where exactly they live in the body, and also on the intensity of the infection. Signs of invasion in humans can be detected after a few days. For example, if intestinal worms appear, health deteriorates after 2-3 days. When infected with other types of helminths, the first signs are noticed in the patient after 2-3 weeks. The incubation period for filariasis is 6 to 18 months.
Intestinal worms are dangerous from the point of view that if there is only one individual in the intestine, it is impossible to understand that a person is infected, since there are no signs. Certain symptoms may be bothersome only if the worms are long (roundworms, tapeworms, etc. ) or if a massive infection has occurred. Almost all helminthiases are accompanied by headache, fatigue, dizziness, irritability.
What are worms, what are they called and what do they look like?
Pinworms (enterobiasis) - you can determine the presence of this type of helminths by the manifestation of the main signs, as well as the manifestation of itching in the anus, which becomes more intense at night. If there is only a small number of pinworms on the body, the itching may occur for several days, then pass and return after a few weeks. With a strong invasion, itching can be felt constantly.
Ascaris - what are the signs of ascariasis, depends on the phase of development of these parasites. In the phase when the larvae migrate to the heart, lungs and other organs, there is weakness, subfebrile temperature, cough, in which sputum is expelled, sometimes with pus and blood. If an X-ray of the lungs is taken at this time, volatile infiltrates are noticeable in it, which then disappear. Allergic reactions develop, a blood test shows a large percentage of eosinophils. If the invasion is strong, the development of bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma attacks is likely. People are often interested in whether there can be a cough when they are infected. In fact, it is possible. You may also feel a sore throat. The signs of the second phase are associated with digestive disorders. Roundworms produce substances that neutralize pepsin and trypsin, the human digestive enzymes. As a result, the proteins are not digested, and the patient loses a lot of weight. With ascariasis, complications are sometimes manifested: pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, intestinal obstruction, appendicitis.
Hookworm, schistosomiasis, diphyllobothriasis, trichuriasis - with such lesions, anemia and beriberi develop. After all, the toxins that are secreted by helminths of these varieties significantly worsen the intestinal microflora, provoking the development of dysbacteriosis.
Opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, and clonorchiasis are liver parasites. The consequences of the invasion are icteric syndrome, enlargement of the liver, spleen, pancreatitis, cholecystocholangitis, neurological disorders, pathologies of the digestive system.
Trichinosis - with such an injury, the most common symptoms are muscle pain, swelling of the eyelids, swelling of the face, fever.
Strongyloidiasis - causes intestinal worms, the symptoms are very diverse. There may be signs of dyspepsia, allergies, bile duct dysfunction, etc.
Genitourinary schistosomiasis: caused by flatworms, manifested by diuretic disorders. At the end of urination, blood is found in the urine. In men, it can lead to pathological lesions of the prostate, pathology of the seminal vesicles. In women it causes consequences in the form of vaginal bleeding, genital lesions. Fibrosis may appear in the bladder.
Cestodosis: caused by tapeworms. These are bovine tapeworm, sheep brain, echinococcus, broad tapeworm, etc. Signs of the disease are severe weight loss, weakness, and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to determine the presence of worms in a person?
If it comes to certain symptoms that indicate infection, a person is naturally concerned about whether he has helminths. Of course, it is possible to say for sure whether or not there is an infection only after visiting a doctor and taking all the necessary tests. But there are other ways that are suitable for those who are interested in how to find out that you have worms. To do this, you need to carefully monitor the state of health and pay attention to the changes that occur in the body. After all, the presence of some pronounced symptoms answers the question of how to understand that you have worms.
Prevention of infection with worms.
In order to prevent infection, you need to clearly understand what are the causes of the invasion, what is helminthiasis, what are worms. It is important to take all preventive measures, which significantly reduces the probability of infection.
- It is necessary to wash fruits and vegetables well, pour boiling water over them.
- It is important to fight flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes, track where they come from, destroy them.
- Cooking meat and fish should be at least 40-60 minutes.
- You must use only your own hygiene items: a towel, a comb (so that lice are not transmitted), etc.
- It is important to teach the baby before eating, as well as after each contact with animals, to go immediately and wash your hands with soap and water.
- If there are animals, large and small, in the house, you need to constantly give them funds for the prevention of worms. To find out which ones you should contact your veterinarian.
- It is important for younger children to play only with clean toys, and a pacifier or soother that falls out should be washed immediately.
- Children should be weaned from bad habits: sucking their fingers, biting their nails, putting various things in their mouths.
- The baby must have clean and short nails.
- To prevent reinfection with pinworms, the baby needs to wear tight-fitting underwear at night, which prevents the spread of parasites and eggs in bed.
- It is important to iron baby clothes after washing.
- In the morning, you need to change the panties and thoroughly wash the child.