Worm eggs are microscopic in size. Invisible to the eye, they can be everywhere - in the soil, on the handrails of transport, door handles, in a children's sandbox, on the fur of our pet.
How to prevent infection with worms or, if it has occurred, how to avoid dangerous complications?
Symptoms of helminths in humans
No one can consider himself immune from infection with worms. Even with the strictest observance of hygiene rules. To minimize the risk of infection, you need to be as informed as possible about the symptoms of helminths in humans, the prevention and treatment of helminthic infestations.
The most common helminths:
Roundworm.Parasites belong to the class of nematodes, round worms in cross section. The length of the female reaches 350 mm, the males are much smaller. Roundworms are dangerous both in the intestinal and migratory stages.
Intestinal localization of parasites in complicated forms can lead to blockage of the intestine, exit of adult roundworms into the respiratory tract with the risk of asphyxia, blockage of the bile ducts and other complications. The migratory stage threatens the penetration of larvae into the lungs and other organs with the occurrence of serious pathologies.
Infection with ascariasis occurs by parasite eggs that leave the patient's intestines with feces and mature in the soil to the invasive stage.
- Diphyllobotrium latum.This is a class of cestodes, one of the representatives of which is a wide tapeworm. Their feature is that they have 3 owners. The main organism in which worms develop to a sexually mature individual is a person and some animals (cats, dogs, pigs, etc. ). Intermediate hosts for diphyllobotrium latum are freshwater crustaceans. Intermediate additional - fish (perch, pike, burbot). Wide tapeworm is infected by eating undercooked fish infested with parasite larvae - plerocercoids.
Pinworms.These are nematodes, like roundworms, but much smaller in size. The female has a length of up to 10 mm, the male - up to 5 mm. Enterobiasis is one of the most common helminthiases. Children are especially susceptible to them.
The most characteristic manifestation of enterobiasis is itching in the anus. It is explained by the exit of females into the perianal zone for laying eggs. In the folds of the skin, the embryos mature to the invasive stage in 5-6 hours. Getting them on the hands when scratching and then swallowing leads to re-infection.
Ways of infection
Methods of infection with worms are determined by the invasive form of the parasite and the ways of their penetration into the host organism.
Most parasitic worms have two infective forms - eggs (in some cestodes they are called oncospheres), and larvae. The latter are sometimes called Finns or Cysticerci. Eggs are microscopic in size, usually several tens of micrometers. The larvae can reach a size of several to tens of millimeters.
Most often, worms are infected by the oral route - through the mouth.But some types of parasites can be invaded through the skin or with insect bites. When eggs are swallowed, the embryos contained in them shed their shells, penetrate the intestinal wall into the bloodstream and are carried by the blood throughout the body. Depending on the type of parasite, they can settle in the liver, lungs, heart, pancreas, kidneys, brain, eyes.
When infected with larvae, intestinal localization of the parasite most often occurs. Due to their considerable size, the larvae cannot penetrate the vessels and migrate along with the blood. They remain in the intestine, attach to its wall and grow to a sexually mature state, after which they begin to multiply.
Worm eggs usually leave the gastrointestinal tract with feces. In some cases, for example, with cestodosis, the evacuation of eggs from the intestinal tract can be carried out by fragments of worms - proglottids. They get out of the intestines on their own through the anus.
The main types of helminthic lesions
The effectiveness of the treatment of helminths in humans depends on how accurately the clinical picture and the nature of the lesion inflicted by parasites on the body are determined. And they, in turn, depend on the stage of invasion - intestinal or migratory.
Intestinal stage of invasion.During the intestinal stage, the main damage is done to the patient's digestive system, in particular, to the gastrointestinal tract. Worms injure the intestinal mucosa with their suckers. This leads to inflammatory processes and disruption of the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract.
In addition to the fact that some of the nutrients are absorbed by the worms, the absorption function of the intestines is also impaired.Due to the release of anti-enzymes by parasites, the digestive capacity of the gastrointestinal tract is reduced. All this leads to a deficiency in the patient's body of nutrients, vitamins and trace elements.
In addition to antienzymes, worms secrete other metabolites that act as toxins on the host organism. Added to this is the decay of the bodies of dead worms. As a result, the patient's body is subjected to severe intoxication.
Some types of parasitic worms are able to penetrate from the gastrointestinal tract into adjacent organs and tissues - the biliary tract, gallbladder, liver parenchyma and other systems. Adult roundworms, for example, at high intensity of infection are able to penetrate the respiratory tract of the host. With a large number of parasites, mechanical blockage of the intestine is possible. This can be observed both with roundworms and tapeworms.
When parasitic worms enter the liver parenchyma, abscesses may develop, requiring surgical intervention.Perforation of the intestine with the penetration of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract into the abdominal cavity and the development of peritonitis is not excluded. Due to the damaging effect of adult worms, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, and cholangitis may develop.
migratory phase.Due to the possibility of penetration of larval embryos into almost any organ, the migratory stage of invasion can exceed the intestinal phase in terms of severity of consequences.
Larvae that develop from eggs in organs and tissues form inflammations and infiltrates. If this happens in the lungs, the invasion manifests itself as bronchitis, pneumonia, asthmatic syndrome.
If the eggs of parasites penetrate the brain (as do, for example, oncospheres of cestodes), single or multiple blistered Finns are formed in its tissues. Their size can reach the size of a tennis ball. Due to the proximity of cysts to the brain tissues, their surgical removal is associated with a high risk of rupture of the purulent bladder and the development of a secondary infection.
Intoxication of the patient's body with metabolites of living worms and toxins from the decay of their dead bodies leads to allergic reactions. Their result is fever, skin manifestations, headaches and dizziness.
Symptoms
Symptoms of helminth infection depend on many factors. There are manifestations characteristic of a certain type of invasion, but there are few of them.Most parasitic worms present with symptoms similar to other diseases.This makes it difficult to make a diagnosis. These common symptoms include the following:
- Total deterioration of the state, physical and mental weakness.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Disorder of the stool, constipation and diarrhea.
- Discomfort, heaviness, abdominal pain of various localization.
- Change in appetite up or down.
- Weight loss with no explanation. Including against the background of an increase in the amount of food consumed.
- Itching in the perianal region, sensation as if something were moving there.
- Allergic manifestations in the form of skin rashes.
- Cough.
- Difficulty breathing, asthmatic syndrome.
- Bruxism. Teeth grinding in sleep is typical for children with itching in the anus.
- Increased excitability, irritability, insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression.
- Headache.
- Elevated temperature, most often subfebrile. But sometimes it rises to high values.
- Dizziness.
In the initial stage of the invasion, symptoms may be absent altogether or be so slight that they are not given much importance. In the future, with an increase in the intensity of the disease, the symptoms become more pronounced.
Symptoms of helminths in human blood may vary depending on which organ the migrating embryos have settled.If the place of their localization turned out to be the lungs, the patient may have a fever, breathing problems may occur.Usually in these cases, infection is accompanied by a cough - unproductive or with sputum, which may be orange in color. The latter suggests that the larvae damaged small blood vessels in the lungs.
Symptoms of helminths are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, heaviness and pain in the abdomen, profuse salivation, impaired stool, and weight loss.
Attention.In severe hepatic invasion, abscesses may develop with a breakthrough of purulent contents into the abdominal cavity. This development of the disease threatens the life of the patient.
Treatment with drugs
Treatment of invasions depends on many factors. The main ones are the type of parasitic worms, the place of their localization, the stage of the disease (migratory or intestinal), the intensity of infection, the condition of the patient. But in any case, the treatment should be preceded by the diagnosis of the disease.
The most common diagnostic test for infections caused by parasitic worms is a stool test. If it is not enough to make a diagnosis, a general, biochemical and / or enzyme immunoassay is performed.Hardware diagnostics can also be used - ultrasound, radiography, MRI, etc.Having a complete picture of the disease, the doctor prescribes antihelminthic drugs.
Important.Treatment with drugs with a potent active substance may cause side effects. This limits the use of drugs for some categories of patients. In particular, for pregnant and lactating women, children under a certain age, patients with certain viral and infectious diseases.
To combat nematodes localized in the intestine, and to destroy extra-intestinal nematodes, different drugs are prescribed.
Important.Often two courses of treatment are carried out with a break between them of 2-3 weeks. This is because most antiviral drugs only kill adults. Their larvae and eggs remain intact. After the incubation period, a new generation of worms may appear from them, the destruction of which will require a second course.
The use of folk remedies
Treatment with folk remedies takes more time than drug therapy. But this relative disadvantage is compensated by the softness of herbal remedies and the absence of side effects.
There are many herbs that have an anthelmintic effect - nettle, tansy, celandine, wormwood, horsetail and many others.Antiparasitic plants contain components that are toxic to cestodes, nematodes and trematodes and usually have a bitter taste.
Many antihelminthic herbs are also endowed with antiseptic and antibacterial action. Their effectiveness depends on the correct preparation and administration of dosage forms. Here are some of the most popular herbal remedies and products. But you need to understand that this is only a tiny part of what actually exists.
Pumpkin seeds
It would not be an exaggeration to say that pumpkin seeds are the most popular anthelmintic medicine. They contain cucurbitin, which is very effective against nematodes and cestodes. Pumpkin seeds can be used not only for treatment, but also for prevention.
Most of all cucurbitin is contained in the film, which is located between the core and the shell.Therefore, seeds are best consumed unpeeled. For treatment, you need to eat 300 g of seeds at a time. For prevention, 100 g for adults and 70 g for children are enough. Pumpkin seeds can be used to prepare enema solutions that are effective against worms that reside in the large intestine.
Garlic
Garlic is a universal medicine that is not inferior in effectiveness to pumpkin seeds. It contains phytoncides and essential oils, which have a depressing effect on parasitic creatures of all kinds. Garlic is highly active against nematodes, in particular, ascaris.
Soda
Parasitic worms do not tolerate alkaline conditions well, so baking soda is an effective medicine against them. It can be taken orally, but the greatest effect of sodium bicarbonate is obtained by preparing an enema solution from it. It should be used when localizing nematodes or cestodes in the large intestine.
Honey
Honey does not need to be advertised as a medicinal product, but not everyone knows that it is effective as an anthelmintic as well. To take it for this purpose, you need half a teaspoon 9 times a day.During treatment throughout the day you need to refuse food.
The next day, only fresh vegetables are allowed. Since honey has no contraindications and side effects, it can be used to treat young children. It is recommended to give them a glass of water sweetened with a teaspoon of honey.
carrot juice
Even official medicine, which is sometimes very strict about folk remedies, admits that carrot juice has an antihelminthic effect. The amount of juice taken at a time is not limited by any requirements, everything should be within reason.
Castor oil
Many types of nematodes and cestodes are localized in the intestine. Some laxatives work well against them, in particular, the familiar castor oil. For adults, this recipe is suitable. 80 ml of cognac are mixed with castor oil and drunk in one gulp before going to bed.
The procedure is done for 3 days. Children at 1-2 am are given some sweet drink (compote, juice, tea) and after half an hour - 15-30 g of castor oil.
Conclusion
If parasitic worms do not manifest themselves clearly (for example, in the form of whole individuals or their fragments in the feces), it is almost impossible to determine the presence of invasion on your own. Therefore, at the first appearance of symptoms that may indicate infection, you should not hesitate to contact an infectious disease specialist.
In his arsenal there are tools that allow you to establish an invasion with one hundred percent probability. Delay in contacting a clinic or self-treatment based on self-diagnosis can end sadly, even death.