Many people do not understand why, when applying for a job, they are asked to take a "worm egg" test. Even more often, patients admitted with severe symptoms (vomiting, pain in the abdomen, heart or lungs, constipation, allergies or headaches) are surprised by the diagnosis of helminthic infestation. It turns out that parasites are far from safe for humans and the symptoms above are just the beginning. Let's get to know them better?
Parasites are everywhere: outside and inside.
The word "parasite" comes from the Greek parasites, meaning parasite. These organisms live and multiply in the host's organs and tissues, causing serious illness and even death. This infection is called invasion. Parasites are divided into several groups, depending on their structure and "habitat", and all of them are very dangerous.
Ectoparasites
This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or in the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies and transmit dangerous infections.
- Head, body, and pubic lice use their mouthparts to pierce the host's skin and drink blood. Infection with them is called pediculosis. Insects transmit dangerous diseases: typhus and relapsing fever.
- The demodex mite (mite) is the causative agent of a disease called demodicosis. The length of the parasite is 0. 48 mm, so it is not visible to the naked eye. The mite lives in human hair follicles and causes inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to the eyebrows and eyelashes also causes eye infections.
- The scabies mite causes, as its name suggests, scabies. The female parasite, 0. 25 to 0. 38 mm long, gnaws through the epidermis (layers of skin) to lay eggs. Scabies forms in the thickness of the skin. Parasitism causes itching, rash, and allergic reactions. Affected: armpits, groin area, abdomen, interdigital spaces. The disease spreads quickly because the female lays 3 to 4 eggs each day, from which the larvae hatch after 2 to 3 days.
endoparasites
Internal parasites live in the host's organs (intestines, kidneys, liver) and in the blood, causing infection (invasion). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Every year, between 15 and 16 million people die because of it.
Endoparasites include worms (worms) and protozoa. In recent years, the number of infestations has increased. Hidden forms of parasitism predominate; In 80% of cases, the owner does not know that unwanted "guests" have settled in his body. Deaths from parasitic diseases have also become more frequent. The development of tourism with visits to exotic countries has caused infection by tropical parasites, which in the conditions of our country are difficult to identify and destroy.
Helminths
The most common of these parasites are:
- Nematodes are nematodes up to 40 cm long that live in the small intestine. The female lays up to 200 thousand eggs a day. Worms weaken the body, cause anemia and digestive disorders. By forming a ball, the worms block the intestinal lumen and cause obstruction. Sometimes huge tangled balls of intestinal worms are removed from a person during surgery.
- Tapeworms (broad tapeworms) are tapeworms that, once they enter the human body, do not show symptoms for a long time. The helminth, when growing, causes swelling, anemia, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal obstruction. People become infected with tapeworm by eating poorly processed fish.
- Porcine and bovine tapeworms enter the body by eating undercooked meat that contains cysts (larvae) of the worm. The parasites multiply rapidly and populate the host's body. The case of a person who was parasitized by 104 pork tapeworms, whose total length was 128 meters, is described. Sometimes tapeworm larvae begin to "walk" throughout the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
- Pinworms are small worms that live in the intestines. They are not as harmless as they seem. The infection causes allergic reactions; helminths crawl into the appendix and cause inflammation.
- Nematodes are a group of roundworms that parasitize the intestinal tract. The worms cause irritation of the intestinal wall and obstruction of the bile ducts. 45 species of nematodes inhabit the human body. The most common are intestinal eel and whipworm.
Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract and cause extraintestinal helminthiasis (trematodes, echinococci, pork tapeworm cysts). They cause damage to the nervous system, brain and internal organs. Patients have fever, swelling, and blood in the urine. Dirofilariasis, in which parasites are found in the heart, is dangerous. The parasite causes pain similar to the manifestation of ischemic heart disease.
Protozoa
In recent years, protozoan parasites have become widespread and affect various organs and tissues:
- Giardia is an organism that affects the small intestine and causes peristalsis disorders. The disease is usually asymptomatic.
- Trichomonas and chlamydia are protozoa that cause inflammation of the genitourinary system.
- Blastocysts are intestinal parasites that irritate mucous membranes and reduce immunity.
- Dysenteric amoebas are protozoa that cause a long-term form of ulcerative colitis. A person experiences abdominal pain, loose stools, and fever. The disease is dangerous due to intestinal perforation.
How to get infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and unwashed hands
Do not think that parasites live only in people who do not take care of themselves and lead an antisocial lifestyle. Anyone can become infected, because they are not immune to communication with sick people and "parasite carriers. "Uninvited "guests" enter the body with food, pet water, dirty hands and insect bites.
Infection is favored by people who buy homemade lard, raw meat and dried and smoked fish in unauthorized markets. You can become infected in a dining room or cafeteria if sanitary conditions are not maintained there. Undercooked meat and fish dishes are dangerous.
Parasites have also benefited from the passion for Japanese cuisine, where thermally unprocessed fish is added to dishes. Not all sushi bar chefs follow proper sanitary practices. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.
How to suspect a parasitic infection
In the presence of external parasites (lice, scabies mites, demodex), itchy skin occurs that worsens at night. Areas of irritation, redness, blisters and pustules appear on the skin. Sometimes allergies occur and the temperature may rise.
When infected with helminths, the clinical picture varies, but in all cases there are digestion problems (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increased appetite, some people's taste preferences change: a person craves fat, salt, etc. This is how the body tries to replenish the loss of vitamins and microelements caused by worm parasitism.
Helminth infections are accompanied by swelling of the abdomen, pain in its various parts, itching around the anus, sometimes, during bowel movements, the worms fall out of the anus or come out with feces. In case of severe infestation, vomiting occurs with the release of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen increase in size and pain occurs in the right or left hypochondrium.
In helminthiases, neurological manifestations caused by poisoning with waste products of parasitic creatures are common: insomnia, irritability, constant fatigue, bruxism (grinding teeth while sleeping).
Parasites weaken the body, weaken the immune system and cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (pinworms, whipworms, echinococci).
How to identify dangerous parasites
It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents on your own, especially since they may exist in a complex and removing some will only leave room for others. Each clinic has a parasitologist, he is the one who treats infestations. If there is no such specialist, you can make an appointment with a therapist.
The doctor will prescribe a series of tests:
- Blood for clinical analysis. With helminthiasis, an acceleration of ESR, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in the number of eosinophils are observed.
- Biochemical blood test for ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, thymol test, amylase. An increase in these indicators is typical for nematode infection.
- Analysis of bile, mucus, sputum, muscle tissue.
Worm infestations are often disguised as other diseases. People undergo operations during which the pancreas or liver is found to be eaten away. It is not always possible to cure a patient with an advanced form, so one should not expect a miracle: it is necessary to conduct the same test in a timely manner to detect "worm eggs". To make a diagnosis, an endoscopy of the intestines and stomach is prescribed.
Diseases caused by parasitic protozoa are difficult to detect. The infection progresses latently and destroys the body until the patient presents serious organic changes.
Helminthiasis treatment
To cure a patient, he is freed from parasites and their metabolic products. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, selected taking into account the type of parasite and the patient's condition. This should be done by a doctor, since all anti-worm pills contain dangerous substances.
To expel large worms, the patient is prescribed a siphon enema. At the same time, make sure that the head of the helminth does not remain in the body, otherwise the parasite will grow again. To prevent reinfection, anthelmintic treatment is carried out in several cycles.
After expelling the worms, infusions of solutions, restoratives and vitamins are prescribed. Restore the functions of organs affected by parasites.
Pediculosis is treated with the help of special sprays and mercury ointments. If pubic lice are detected, the hair in the groin area is shaved.
Sulfur ointments, benzyl benzonate and various other medications are used to treat scabies. Demodicosis is treated with complex external agents, including mercury, tar, zinc and sulfur.
Prevention of parasitic infestations.
To avoid "catching" exo- and endoparasites, it is necessary:
- wash your hands, vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating;
- remove dirt under the nails;
- do not use other people's combs, shoes or household items;
- do not walk barefoot on the ground in public places and wear a cap when swimming in the pool;
- do not buy food in "spontaneous" markets or eat in questionable catering establishments;
- boil or fry meat or fish;
- monitor the health status of pets through timely deworming;
- when traveling, use insect repellent;
- Having arrived from an exotic country, undergo a full examination and take tests.
Parasites quickly infect people, so when they are detected, people living with the patient are monitored and, if necessary, they are also treated.
In a modern clinic you can get tested for the presence of worms and consult a general practitioner for a quick cure from parasites.