The symptoms of worms in humans cannot always be noticed in time. Worm infestation often presents symptoms similar to other illnesses, such as allergies or indigestion. Helminths parasitize in different parts of the human body. An infected person can treat liver failure, chronic colds or dermatoses without knowing the true cause of their poor health.
what are helminths
Worms in humans are parasitic worms that can vary in size. They can enter the human body through the mouth, nasal passages, eyes, urethra or anus. Most often, parasites live in the intestines, attached to its walls using suction cups, tentacles or peculiar teeth. Parasites can live in the tissues of the lungs and brain, on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, in the muscles, liver and gallbladder.
Worms feed on substances that enter the blood from the intestines, red blood cells and tissue juices.
Classification of helminthiasis: types of worms in humans.
Different types of helminths can parasitize the human body. Medical helminthology divides them into groups taking into account the specifics of the body shape:
- Round (nematodes)- have a holistic shape in the form of a lemon, thread, barrel or spindle. The head and tail of nematodes are slightly pointed. The oral apparatus is characterized by having three layers. Parasites move freely in soil, fresh water and sea water. The human body contains pinworms (which cause enterobiasis), roundworms, hookworms and trichinella, which are considered intestinal parasites. Guinea worms: These roundworms spread through subcutaneous tissue.
- Ribbon (cestodes). This includes the following types of parasites: bovine, porcine, dwarf tapeworm, broad tapeworm. Its body resembles a finely segmented ribbon, the length of which can reach 10 meters or more. The front part of parasitic worms is equipped with suction cups and hooks with which they attach themselves to the intestinal walls. Echinococci have a complex attachment system: 4 suction cups surrounded by two rows of hooks.
- Trematodes (trematodes)— this type of worm is characterized by specific habitats in the body: the gallbladder, bile ducts. Representatives of the trematode class are the Siberian trematode (4-13 mm), fasciola (length 3-7 cm).
The vital activity of helminths interferes with the normal functioning of the human body. Parasites poison the blood with toxins, causing the person to experience dizziness, itchy skin, cough, and poor sleep at night.
How do you get infected with helminths?
Everyone should know why worms appear in humans and where they live in the body:
- Nematodes and dwarf tapeworms enter the body through dirty hands, eating unwashed vegetables, and drinking dirty water. Habitat: intestines.
- Trichinella, bovine and porcine tapeworm: infection occurs when eating poorly thermally processed meat (beef, pork). Location: intestine.
- Opisthorchis, broad tapeworm (class of trematodes or tapeworms). A person can become infected by eating raw, undersalted, or undercooked fish. In fish, parasite larvae live in the fat layer and muscles. In humans, they are deposited in the liver and gallbladder.
- Echinococci, Siberian fluke, and fluke are transmitted by contact with an infected dog; less commonly, cats are the source of infection. Helminths can parasitize the human liver, lungs, kidneys, and heart. They develop within echinococcal cysts.
What do worms look like in human feces?
A person may see dead worms in the stool 3-4 days after taking anthelmintic tablets. The length of these parasites living in the human body can reach 40 cm, their edges are sharp, and their body is white.
Pinworms usually leave the body alive a few hours after consuming milk with garlic, too salty or spicy foods. Small white worms (up to 12 mm long) with sharp edges are clearly visible in the feces and around the anus.
Large flatworms or tapeworms are almost impossible to see completely (length 3 to 10 m). After baiting, the worms leave the body in rotten fragments.
Signs of the presence of worms in humans.
In case of helminth infestation, the symptoms in adults and children often resemble the manifestations of other diseases. This is due to the location (respiratory tract, liver, gallbladder) and the life process of the worms.
During the acute period
The acute stage is believed to be asymptomatic. But in most cases, the first signs of worms are mild and the person ignores the parasitic disease. Less commonly, in an infected person, signs of helminthiasis in the body occur with fever, nausea and vomiting. The person feels weak and loses appetite.
In the chronic phase
The symptoms of chronic helminthiasis depend on the type of worms, their number and their habitat.
Intestinal helminthiases
Symptoms of worms in an adult in the intestine:
- impaired digestion;
- pressive pain in the navel area;
- intestinal dysfunction;
- lack of appetite;
- weightloss;
- pale skin;
- bruises under the eyes;
- anal itching.
Against the background of gastrointestinal diseases, intestinal obstruction may develop. The pathological condition is manifested by paroxysmal pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting with the presence of fecal odor.
Extraintestinal helminthiases
The main signs of helminth infection of the liver, gallstones and lungs:
- constant fatigue;
- nervous attack;
- paroxysmal pain in the epigastric region;
- decreased performance;
- greasy, smelly stools (steatorrhea);
- hives, itchy skin;
- chest pain;
- chronic dry cough;
- change in skin color.
Extraintestinal parasites (giardia, opisthorchis, fasciola) can cause not only headaches or skin diseases, but also depression. A pathological condition usually occurs if the symptoms of a skin allergy do not go away for a long time (itching, dry skin, rash) or reappear after treatment.
How to detect worms: diagnosis of helminthic infestations
To diagnose helminths, feces are collected from the eggs of the worm. But the analysis does not always show a positive result in the presence of parasites. First of all, not all types of worms are determined in this way. Secondly, the time of sending feces for analysis may not coincide with the time of reproduction of the parasite. The test for worm eggs is repeated after 2 or 3 days. If the result in the presence of symptoms is negative, the following examination methods may be prescribed:
- Blood test- a high level of eosinophilic leukocytes and low hemoglobin indicate a worm infection.
- duodenal probe- helps to identify opisthorchiasis, giardiasis and other extraintestinal worms in humans by examining duodenal secretions.
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and other parts of the human body.— the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder, its ducts, pancreas, muscles, brain and lungs are examined for the presence of pathological changes characteristic of the life of worms (seals, cysts, ganglia, obstructions ).
- chest x-ray- performed if lung parasites are suspected (intestinal worms, echinococci, tapeworm larvae are detected).
- computed tomography- to detect worms in the human brain, eyes and lungs.
- Capsule endoscopy— to identify tape parasites.
- ELISA— detects antibodies in the blood against most known parasites.
To assess the severity of damage to the body caused by worms, an immunological study is prescribed. Helps identify weaknesses in the human immune system. After this, complex therapy for the pathological condition is prescribed.
How to get rid of worms quickly and effectively
It is best to learn how to remove helminths from the human body by consulting a parasitologist. Treating worms without a doctor's advice can lead to poisoning and liver dysfunction.
Diet and hygiene characteristics.
The treatment of helminthiasis in adults and children must be accompanied by a diet that helps to quickly eliminate worms and cleanse the body of toxins. It is necessary to exclude from the menu products that contribute to the vital activity of parasites or intoxication of the body:
- meat, lard;
- all kinds of sweets;
- fresh milk;
- Baked goods;
- wheat porridge, pasta;
- coffee, alcohol.
The daily diet should include a salad of fresh carrots, fermented milk products with probiotics, eggs, freshly prepared vegetable juices, dishes from potatoes, vegetables and mushrooms. The duration of the diet during worm treatment is determined by the doctor.
Hygiene procedures for helminth infestation include frequent and thorough handwashing with soap. The procedure should be done before eating, after going to the bathroom and upon returning from the street. Bed linen is changed 2 or 3 times throughout the week. Be sure to iron after washing. After bathing, take a clean towel each time.
Medicines
Treatment of worms in adults and children is carried out with the following medications:
- A broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug of the benzimidazole type, effective against nematodes and trematodes. Contraindicated in children under 2 years of age, prescribed with caution to pregnant and lactating women. The dosage and frequency of taking the medication depend on the type of worms. For intestinal worms and mixed infestations, 1 tablet is prescribed. 2 times a day for three days. Enterobiasis is treated for three days in a row, taking 1 tablet per day. The course is repeated after 21 days. Echinococci in an adult are eliminated by increasing the dose of the drug: the first 3 days - 500 mg in the morning and evening, the next three days - 500 mg three times a day until complete recovery from the parasites. The duration of treatment for echinococcosis is determined by the doctor (4 to 6 weeks).
- Broad-spectrum anthelmintic medication from the pyrazinisoquinolines group. Contraindicated for children under 4 years of age and pregnant women (1st trimester). Effective for muscle/tissue worms. Urogenital (worms live in the blood vessels near the bladder), intestinal and abdominal schistosomiasis are treated with a single dose of the drug (40 mg/10 kg). In severe forms of parasitic vascular pathology, the tablets are taken 3 times a day (every 6 hours) at a rate of 20-25 mg/10 kg.
- Broad-spectrum medication from the benzimidazole group. Not prescribed for children under 2 years of age, pregnant or lactating women. Adults are prescribed 400 mg/day once, children at 60 mg/10 kg for intestinal helminthiasis. For parasites in the brain, adults are prescribed 800 mg/day, children - 15 mg/kg, the course of treatment is 8-30 days.
Anthelmintic medications are toxic. They are not prescribed to people with liver failure, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
Traditional methods
How to cure worms with home remedies:
- Grind the flax seeds (1 tablespoon). Pour the powder into 0. 5 liters of cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil, simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Drink 100 ml in the morning and evening on an empty stomach for 10 days in a row. The recipe helps against almost all parasites that can live in the human body: pinworms, tapeworms and Giardia.
- Grind 300 g of dried, but not fried, pumpkin seeds. Add enough warm boiled water to the powder to make a paste. Add a large spoonful of honey. Eat the entire mixture on an empty stomach. After 4 hours, take a laxative. The recipe is effective for intestinal worms in humans.
Pumpkin seeds are an allergenic product, so itchy skin may occur during worm treatment. An anti-allergy tablet will help to cope with it.
What parasites can only be removed surgically?
Surgical treatment of helminthiasis requires the following conditions:
- Obstruction of the intestinal tract: a pathological condition is caused by roundworms, tapeworms, trematodes and other worms.
- Perforation of the intestinal wall: the bovine tapeworm makes a hole and exits into the human abdominal cavity.
- Parasitic cholecystitis with subsequent necrosis of the pancreas is obstruction of the bile duct by a ribbon parasite.
Most often, surgery is used for echinococcosis. Parasitic cysts in an infected person in the lungs, kidneys, liver and spleen are removed by laparotomy or laparoscopy.
How dangerous is helminthic infestation for the body?
If left untreated, the pathology acquires a chronic form. The most dangerous thing that can happen in the body during a severe form of the disease is the destruction of tissues of internal organs, suffocation and the appearance of blindness.
How to protect yourself from infection
Prevention of helminthic infestation in the body requires a person:
- Carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene.
- Treat parasites in pets promptly.
- Heat the fish for 60 minutes and the meat for 2-3 hours.
In people with strong immunity, worm eggs are neutralized, so the immune system must be constantly strengthened. To do this, it is enough to lead a healthy lifestyle and periodically take vitamin and mineral complexes.