Helminths are symptoms. Analysis for helminths. Helminths in children - symptoms

From the age of six months, the kid begins to actively explore the world around him, in the course are the organs of smell, hearing, vision, taste sensitivity. During this period the child shows a heightened interest in everything that meets on his way. This time is the most dangerous for his health, the risk of infection with worms increases.

And the older the child, the greater the likelihood of infection, as he begins to move a lot and communicate with peers. According to WHO, babies under the age of three are most susceptible to this pathology. What is so dangerous helminths? Symptoms and causes of their occurrence is so easy to determine?

Parasitic Worms: Characteristics and Varieties

Types of worms that cause harm to humans, a lot, more than two hundred, but some of them are extremely rare, only in certain areas. In the CIS and Russia, for the most part, parasitize round worms, or nematodes. The most common diseases caused by worms include hymenolepiasis (causative agent - dwarf tseleen) and enterobiosis (causative agent - pinworm).

Transmission in most cases occurs from home to a healthy child during the use of common objects (toys, linens, dishes). Also the kid can catch, being in one premise with the patient and inhaling a dust. But an enterobiosis (pinworm), a person can "reward" himself through dirty hands or unwashed products.

Certain groups of worms parasitize in different organs. Cestodes (dwarf, bovine, pork chain) and nematodes (ascarids, hookworms, strongyloids) live in the large intestine. Trematodes are located in the biliary tract and liver. Larvae of pork chain with blood flow settle in blood vessels, fatty tissue, brain and eye chamber.

In childhood, trematodes (flukes) and band helminths are usually diagnosed. Symptoms in the acute phase (2-3 weeks) are due to an allergic reaction. A few months later, in the absence of proper treatment, the chronic stage of the disease begins.

Clinical manifestations depend on the number and location of pathogens, as well as on the characteristics of their nutrition. Worms that are in the organs and tissues of the body, squeeze and injure them, causing intoxication. In addition, parasites completely absorb all the nutrients coming from the blood, thereby disrupting their absorption into the intestinal tract and causing disorders such as hypovitaminosis and anemia.

Even in the chronic phase, helminths continue their harmful effect on humans. Symptoms in adults practically do not differ from the manifestations of the disease in children. The immune system weakens, as a result of which the resistance to pathogens of bacterial, viral and fungal infections decreases. And some types of worms are able to form malignant tumors in places of localization.

Intestinal nematodes in children

More than 90% of helminthic diseases are caused by nematodes. This group includes ascarids - round with pointed ends of parasites up to 15 cm long. They are white and translucent color, they live in the small intestine, making a constant movement.

It is quite difficult to find them in feces. To diagnose the disease it is necessary several times to hand over feces to helminths. Without the implementation of therapeutic measures, the duration of their life can be up to 2 years.

Pinworms

These are small (up to 1 cm) curved worms of whitish shade. They live mainly in the thick and small intestines. Often they can be observed in the feces of a child. And at night they crawl to the surface of the skin to lay their larvae. In girls, worms often enter the genitals, causing infection and severe irritation of the mucous membranes.

This disease is called enterobiosis. It can last up to 3 years, if not take therapeutic action. Although the life of pinworms is short, but due to the enormous number of larvae laid, their numbers are quickly restored.

How do the helminths get into the body?

In children, the symptoms in the presence of individual small specimens are erased, but if large intestines live in the intestine, then the clinical picture is quite satisfied. Ascariasis with massive invasion is complicated by mechanical jaundice, pancreatitis and intestinal obstruction. Enterobiosis is characterized by severe perianal itching, especially during sleep. The transmission path is airborne.

Eggs of parasites penetrate the environment together with the stool of sick animals and humans. Microscopic sizes of larvae are very resistant to external influences, so they can remain viable for a long period of time in soil, food, skin or clothing. Getting into the oral cavity of the baby, they are partially destroyed by the acidic environment of the stomach. Penetrating into the intestine, immediately activated and begin to multiply.

Particularly susceptible to worms babies and babies to six years of age. In children, the protective barrier of the digestive tract is still poorly developed. Based on this, parents should carefully monitor the hygiene of their child, so that dangerous helminths do not penetrate into his body. Symptoms are fatigue, weakness, lack of appetite and pallor of the skin.

Main manifestations

Often at a doctor's appointment, the mother reports that in the feces of the baby she found small worms or fixed pinworms. In this situation, the doctor should immediately assign an analysis to helminths and scrapings in order to accurately diagnose the disease and conduct treatment. Indirect manifestations of the baby, too, often warn parents of helminthic invasion. These include: frequent nausea, excessive salivation, abnormal enhancement or loss of appetite, stool disorders for no apparent reason (diarrhea, constipation), dizziness. Also, circles under the eyes, pallor, headache, cramping pain in the navel, fatigue - all this indicates infection. Often parasites lead to allergic reactions, and then the child has dermatitis, rashes, diathesis.

Other signs of helminths

In girls, all this is accompanied by inflammatory processes of the external genitalia. Children have unconscious nervous excitability, whims, gnashing of teeth, a bad dream, accompanied by cries and hysterics. Constant itching in the anal area gives the baby discomfort.

Symptoms of helminth infection sometimes include terminal hematuria (droplets of blood at the end of urination), frequent desires and pain. There may be bloating, colic, stool with blood. Cysticercosis, alveococcosis and echinococcosis often do not make themselves felt for a long time, but after a while a person has a suppuration or rupture of cysts in which the parasites are located, which leads to peritonitis, anaphylactic shock and other serious consequences.

Helminths in children (symptoms in one-third of babies are similar) are often characterized by the described phenomena. Some of them have no complaints. Worms slowly poison the child's body. Advice to parents: every year you have a scheduled examination to prevent the disease in case of infection at an early stage.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of feces is difficult, it is due to the fact that ascarids or pinworm eggs appear there not every day. For the reliability of the results, the analysis for helminths should be given for three consecutive days. Detecting parasites is also helped by a common blood test.

Our circulatory system reacts acutely to helminthiases. This is manifested by the following indicators: increased direct bilirubin, the number of eosinophils, alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT, timol test. In addition, the diagnosis is based on serological methods (ELISA, RNGA, RIF).

Be sure to assign a biochemical blood test for helminths. Samples of urine, sputum, bile, perianal and rectal mucus and feces are also examined. Enterobiosis is determined by the detection of larvae in the material, which is taken from the perianal folds with the help of an adhesive tape, tampon or spatula.

Parasites that live in the duodenum, bile ducts, pancreas and liver can be recognized in bile and duodenal contents. To clarify their habitats, additional methods are used: computed tomography, endoscopy with endobiopsy, ultrasound.

If the children you see similar manifestations (signs of irritation of the perineum, chronic intoxication), do not waste time and immediately go to the medical center. Sometimes a similar clinical picture is manifested in other pathological conditions. Only after a complete examination, the doctor will prescribe effective therapy.

Methods of treatment

Modern pharmaceuticals offer a mass of medicinal synthetic drugs that help fight this disease. Highly effective agents quickly destroy helminths in humans. Symptoms will disappear after a full course of therapy. Depending on the variety of parasites, medicines are prescribed. To drugs of a narrow spectrum can be attributed three groups of drugs: anti-cystic, antitremodal and antinematode.

Antinematode preparations

Destructive effects on roundworms such drugs: "Levamisol", "Mebendazole", "Karbendatsim", "Pirantel". Tablets from helminths cause paralysis of the worms and contribute to their rapid elimination.

Anti-cestosis drugs

These include the medicines "Praziquantel" and "Nichlosamide." These drugs paralyze the flat parasites.

Antitrematodoznye funds

Medications Perchlorethilen and Chloksin are prescribed against flukes. These drugs have a toxic effect on the metabolism of worms and are well absorbed when taken.

If your child is diagnosed with this diagnosis, the treatment should be given to the rest of the family to avoid re-infection. In addition, it is necessary to make a spring cleaning with chlorine-containing substances and thoroughly iron the linen so that all helminths are exterminated. Symptoms of helminthic invasion do not immediately manifest, so be careful and prudent.

Preventive measures

The basis for the prevention of infection with all types of worms is the formation from early childhood of a healthy lifestyle (daily hygiene, thorough washing of vegetables, fruits). Accustom the child after the street immediately wash your hands with antibacterial soap, use only your towel, washcloth. Do not allow your child to contact street animals that are most likely infected with worms.

Do often in the house wet cleaning, do not allow the baby to play with shoes. Wash all toys in soapy water. On a walk, carefully watch that the child does not put various things in his mouth. Never eat dirty foods and raw meat. Drink only pre-filtered and boiled water, as it can be a carrier of parasites.

Observance of elementary rules will protect your baby from infection. Prevention of helminthiosis is also carried out by applying the drugs twice a year - in the fall and in the spring. For these purposes, the medicines "Albendazole" or "Pirantel" are used. The scheme is indicated in the instructions, usually children over two years are given 10 ml of suspension once a day for three days.

Nutrition during the period of illness

If you could not avoid getting infected, the main thing is not to despair and follow all the doctor's recommendations. Dairy and sweet foods should be excluded from the diet. More offer the child fresh juices, fruits and vegetables. Daily iron bedding. With proper treatment, the disease recedes.

Traditional medicine can also help to destroy worms in humans (the symptoms are described above). For example, it has long been known that worms can not stand the aroma of garlic, wormwood, tansy, onion and pumpkin. From the available components, you can prepare yourself a drug and apply it along with traditional means for greater efficiency.

Well helps onion infusion. The onion is cut into small slices and poured with a glass of warm water. Insists such a decoction all night, and in the morning drinks before breakfast. Eat on an empty stomach a handful of pumpkin seeds and sing a light laxative - this is an excellent remedy against parasites.