Helminthiasis- This is a worm infection. It is recorded in children and adults mainly in hot and humid countries. The risk group is boys and girls aged 5 to 15 years, which is due to knowledge of the outside world, low immune reactivity and insufficiently low stomach pH. Target organs: liver, kidneys, lungs. The main habitat is the gastrointestinal tract.
Parasites penetrate through damaged mucous membranes and skin or through contaminated water and food. In the digestive system, young individuals enter the bloodstream through the destroyed wall.
Initially, the helminth descends into the intestines, grows for 40-80 days and gradually turns into an adult, which at a late stage of development lays eggs that leave the body with feces.
Causes of the disease
A person becomes infected after consuming contaminated food and water or through contact with dirty soil. An individual is transmitted to another person through common objects: plates, toothbrushes, towels, forks, spoons, toys.
Provoking factors are non-compliance with hygiene rules, improper food preparation (cooking meat and fish at low temperatures) and compliance with a raw food diet.
The eggs are brought by pets that go out for walks regularly.
types of worms
Parasites are divided into classes that differ in the way they exist in the environment:
- Contact. Transmitted between people.
- Geohelminthiasis. For its development an intermediate host is not needed, the habitat is the soil.
- Biohelminthiasis. At least two organisms are needed for life.
Science knows more than 350 species of parasites. The following are dangerous:
- Nematodes (intestinal worms) are responsible for the development of ascariasis and necatoriasis.
- Spinyheads (acanthocephalans) – disease: acanthocephalosis.
- Trematodes (trematodes) - cause opisthorchiasis and fascioliasis.
- Cestodes (tapeworms) – tapeworm, echinococcus.
Helminths settle in the intestines, lungs and gallbladder.
Clinical picture
Symptoms are determined by the type of worm, the affected organ, the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the patient, and immunity.
Flow options:
- Sharp.Duration – 2-8 weeks.Intoxication syndrome and allergies prevail: weakness, loss of strength, nausea, vomiting, fever, skin rashes, lymphadenopathy, feeling of shortness of breath, bloating and abdominal pain. The pathognomonic symptom is bruxism (teeth grinding). It appears mainly at night. Local changes are possible: redness and irritation of the perianal area.
- Chronic.Duration – several years.The patient is worried about stool discomfort, pain in the lower abdomen, sour or bitter belching, dyspepsia, and intolerance to certain foods. Damage to the liver and gallbladder causes jaundice (change in skin color) and hepatitis. Nematodes cause bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and inflammation of the heart muscle. Penetration into the central nervous system is accompanied by emotional lability, irritability, difficulty remembering new information and insomnia.
Helminthiasis reduces immune reactivity, favoring the accumulation of secondary bacterial flora, cavities, severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) and exacerbation of concomitant pathologies.
Complications
The waste products of the parasites cause local symptoms (itching, hives), pneumonia, cardiac and bronchial asthma. The worms feed on human macronutrients, which causes psychomotor and mental retardation in the child's development. Whipworms use red blood cells and hemoglobin, forming anemia. With massive infection, patients develop appendicitis, dysbiosis, frequent obstruction of the bile ducts and intestinal obstruction.
Diagnosis
At the first symptoms, it is advisable to consult a specialist or specialized therapist.
Palpation determines the enlargement of the spleen, liver and regional lymph nodes. In the blood count, the number of eosinophils increases and the ESR increases.
To verify the diagnosis and control treatment, the following is done:
- scraping of the perianal area;
- examination of biological material (vomitus, urine, sputum, feces);
- coprogram;
- allergy tests.
The severity and extent of pathological changes are detected by chest x-ray, ultrasound, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, gastro- and colonoscopy.
The diagnosis of helminthiasis is difficult due to the irregular release of eggs, the disappearance of antibodies 2-3 months after infection and the diversity of the clinical picture.
Treatment
Patient management tactics are determined by the doctor after the consultation.
Drug therapy involves selecting an anthelmintic medication based on the symptoms and type of worm.
Bronchopulmonary manifestations are treated with steroids, expectorants, antihistamines and antispasmodics. Normal intestinal microflora is restored with probiotics and digestion is improved with enzymes. Surgery is performed to remove the cyst.
After 3 to 4 weeks, a stool control test is performed three times.
Prevention
The following recommendations help prevent helminth infestation:
- Wash your hands after using the bathroom and returning from a walk, and before eating.
- Rejection of bad habits.
- Rinse greens, vegetables, apples and oranges under the tap.
- Proper processing of products.
- Drink boiled water.
- Active lifestyle.
Pharmacological prophylaxis (for adults, children, pets) with nonspecific anthelmintics is indicated twice a year.