Numerous studies in modern medicine show that helminths in humans are the cause of many diseases. The penetration of parasites into the body does not make itself felt immediately, and the symptoms are often disguised as other diseases. Many people have been treated for years for diseases of the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, looking for the causes of the development of allergic diseases. But they don't even think about checking the body for the presence of helminth invasion.
Infection methods
There are about 250 types of helminths in nature. In addition, each parasite causes a certain ailment with characteristic symptoms. The problem is widespread in both children and adults.
There are several reasons for defeat:
- Contact method: Some types of parasites, including pinworms, are spread from person to person by shaking hands.
- Nutrition: eating raw or semi-raw meat, poor quality fish infected with helminths causes them to enter the body.
- Through soil and water: If the land and water are infected with helminths, they are excreted in the feces of people or animals with helminthiasis.
- Contact with animals infected with helminthic infestation.
- Transfer of worm eggs by insects to food.
- Insect bites can carry some types of parasites to the body.
Doctors note that the main mechanism of spread is considered oral-fecal. In other words, human helminths are affected by ingesting contaminated food and water.
Also often the reason for the spread is poor basic hygiene. After being outdoors, and especially after working with dirt, you should wash your hands well.
Children are especially susceptible to helminthic invasion. Walking down the street, contact with pets leads to a rapid spread of the problem. Pinworm infection is very simple. Since the female roundworm can leave the intestines at night to lay eggs near the anus, causing severe itching in the child. Children unintentionally scratch this place and this leads to contamination of hands and feet, clothing and bedding. Contact with children's belongings, furniture, which the baby could handle with unwashed hands, doorknobs and plumbing fixtures, is the cause of infection for everyone who lives in the apartment.
How to identify the problem?
Helminths in humans can cause different symptoms, therefore a different treatment is prescribed.
But there are also typical signs that are more often found in people infected with parasites:
- noticeable weight loss;
- anemia;
- severe itching in the anus;
- lack of appetite;
- constant fatigue.
For these symptoms, most people immediately begin to suspect a worm infection.
But often helminths in humans cause other symptoms, more reminiscent of signs of other diseases.
- Gastrointestinal tract problems: recurring nausea, diarrhea or vomiting, flatulence and abdominal pain can speak not of stomach problems, but of worm infection. This is usually the case if the parasites are found in the intestines. Symptoms can be severe or mild. But in any case, they bring great discomfort to a person.
- General malaise and negative effects on the nervous system. This condition is caused by toxins that are capable of releasing parasites in the human body. Gradual intoxication leads to frequent headaches, dizziness, mild nausea. With a strong infection, there is the possibility of fever and joint pain. Due to worms in the human body, the amount of vitamins and nutrients is drastically reduced. As a result, this leads to drowsiness, constant fatigue, and nervousness. Children are especially susceptible: they become moody and irritable, sleep restlessly at night, lose attention.
- Allergic skin reactions: The waste products of parasites desensitize the body and therefore proteins that are similar to them when ingested are perceived as allergens. Therefore, several options for allergies: skin rashes, hives, constant itching. Among the symptoms of helminths, even allergic rhinitis and cough are noted.
- Poor immunity, which leads to the frequent manifestation of infectious diseases. The problem arises against the background of a decrease in the amount of vitamins and nutrients in the body.
According to popular belief, the presence of worms in the body can be determined even by snoring or gnashing of teeth during sleep. These determination methods still exist, but medicine claims that they are only assumptions. Snoring and gnashing of teeth can be due to many other reasons.
Where do parasites live?
Human helminths can inhabit the body in different places.
Depending on this, there are:
- Cavitary: colonizes the small and large intestines. There are about a hundred species of these worms.
- Tissue: occupies tissues and organs. They can be found in the liver, muscles, lungs, brain, lymphatic vessels.
Some types of worms, such as roundworms, are both cavity and tissue. In the form of larvae, they can infect organs, and worms infect the intestines.
Helminth Diagnosis
To determine helminthiasis, modern medicine uses several methods:
- examine a person's stool for an ovarian leaf;
- make a scraping in the anus;
- scraping from the vagina in girls;
- immunological antibody tests.
Also, the doctor may send blood and urine tests, bile and sputum tests. In case of severe infection, ultrasound, biopsy, computed tomography are used. These research methods help determine the location of parasite colonies in the human body.
How to get rid of helminthiasis?
In the arsenal of doctors today, there are many drugs that can quickly and successfully cope with the problem of damage to the human body by parasites. But it is important to make the correct diagnosis to find the optimal drug. Only then will the treatment be successful.
Depending on the type of parasites, they are prescribed:
- Mebendazole-based drugs are the best option for infection with enterobiasis, whipworm.
- Diethylcarbamazine medications are recommended for the treatment of filariasis.
- Doctors often prescribe levamisole tablets to patients when the body is infected with whipworm, ascariasis, toxoplasmosis.
- Albendazole preparations: have been shown to be effective in cysticercosis and echinococcosis.
- Tablets with praziquantel - will help to cope with cestodosis, schistosomiasis, trimodosis.
Very often, it is possible to cope with helminthiasis by prescribing pills. But in case of reinfection or exacerbations, doctors recommend more serious treatment, which includes injections of ascorbic acid, vitamin B6 or calcium gluconate, as well as drugs for high blood pressure and means to relieve fever.
Prevention measures
It is very easy to get infected with worms. And it takes a long time to get rid of parasites. In order not to undergo numerous studies and not to poison the organism with lots of drugs to eliminate helminths, it is better to prevent the appearance of a problem.
Also, prevention is not difficult:
- Observe the basic rules of personal hygiene: wash your hands after walking, use individual hygiene items.
- Handle meat and fish correctly.
- Wash vegetables and fruits well before eating.
- Pet owners should treat their pet for worms several times a year. Animals also require timely vaccination.
- With frequent trips to nature, contact with the ground does not hurt once a year to carry out pharmacological prophylaxis of parasites.
- Children are advised to take drug prophylaxis twice a year.
Literally each of us was a carrier of worms at least once in our lives. In fact, not a single person is insured against infection, regardless of their status and title. This problem does not lead to death, but it does cause great discomfort. Therefore, the earlier the parasites are detected, the faster the patient will undergo competent treatment and forget about the unpleasant problem.