Worms in the human body: signs and sources of infection

Helminthes (worms) in the human body - a problem that almost everyone faced. The main reason for the appearance of such parasites is unwashed hands. Some species do not pose a particular danger and are quite easy to treat. But there are worms that lead to death for the patient.

Worms-parasites

Helminths are parasitic worms, living at the expense of the human or animal body and causing serious diseases. They affect the vital organs - the lungs, the liver, the heart. Can penetrate into the ears, eyes and even the brain!

The most terrible are tapeworms in the human body, which, not having their own digestive system, maintain their existence at the expense of the carrier, sucking blood and all useful substances out of it.

Children are most susceptible to helminth infection. All because they do not follow the rules of hygiene properly . And the main way of infection, as you know, are dirty hands and household items.

The first symptoms, which speak of the development of helminths, may appear within three to four days after infection, and sometimes in a year and a half (filarias). The most common worms in the human body are pinworms, affecting the thick and the blind. The second "by popularity" - round worms. They cause serious diseases and inflammations.

If there are suspicions of worms, you need to see a doctor immediately for qualified help. Treatment is mostly quick and effective.

Kinds of worms in the human body

Helminthiasis - infection with worms - can be caused by one of 150 species of parasites (all scientists have investigated 12 thousand species of worms!).

The most common ones are:

1. Pinworms. Small worms are gray-white, which live and reproduce in the gastrointestinal tract. The main harm caused by this species is a harmful effect on the intestinal microflora. As a result, there are such phenomena as enterobiasis, inflammation of the genitourinary system, nervous disorders, mental and physical growth retardation. Ways of getting worms - unwashed hands, dirty foods, pets.
2. Ascaris. The worm is in the human body, which can reach up to 40 cm in length. This type of worms is able to migrate from the intestine to the lungs, while traumatizing the tissues and causing hemorrhages in them. Symptoms of helminthiosis caused by this species are often confused with diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Ascarids disrupt the intestinal microflora, suck out useful substances. They are capable of causing allergic reactions, sometimes even asthma and choking. The parasites get to people through unwashed products and hands.
3. Glossy. A worm in the human body, which ranks third in its prevalence. They get through food. Cause disease - trichocephalosis, which is accompanied by pain in the abdomen, lack of appetite, diarrhea, anemia. Often the symptoms of the disease are confused with appendicitis.
4. Wide ribbon. One of the most dangerous species, which reaches 10 meters (and sometimes more!) In length. The path of infection is freshwater fish. The worm lives entirely at the expense of the host, "sucking out all the juices from it." Absolutely any organ. Symptoms - nausea, vomiting, headache, sometimes hallucinations (when the worm gets to the brain). Similar species - pig and bovine tapeworm - the largest worms in the human body.
5. Hookworms. They get through the skin together with the infected soil. Affects the lungs and intestines. They feed on the blood of the carrier. Symptoms of infection resemble those of respiratory diseases. Pain in the abdomen and abnormalities of the esophagus are also observed.
6. Trichinella. Infection occurs through meat food (especially dangerous meat of wild animals). Worms affect the muscle tissue - the face, limbs, respiratory organs, heart. Symptoms - very high temperature (two weeks after infection), intestinal distress, abdominal pain, itching, rashes on the skin. With a huge number of larvae, a lethal outcome is possible.
7. Liver trematode. Penetrates into the body together with the infected fish. It affects the intestine and gallbladder. Symptoms - pain and cramps in the abdomen, fever, "aches" in the body and joints, nausea, allergic reactions. The chronic form of such helminthiasis can cause hepatitis. The most terrible complication is cirrhosis of the liver and cancer. Even if you are cured of the liver flukes, the "traces" of the parasite remain in the form of inflammations on the liver.
8. Echinococcus. Representative of tapeworms. It reaches a length of 4-5 meters. Parasitizes on cats, more often on dogs and wolves. Getting to the person, worms affect first the intestines, and then along with the blood are carried throughout the body. Most often settle in the lungs and liver. Externally, the lesions resemble cysts that grow and are mistaken for malignant formations. The complications that the worm causes are a rupture of the cysts and a sharp intoxication of the body with its contents.

Often people underestimate the full risk of infection with worms. Therefore, do not take timely measures. It should be remembered that some parasites-worms in the human body lead to fatal outcomes.

Causes of the appearance of worms

The main causes of helminth infection are two - unwashed hands and improperly processed food. All types of worms enter the body through:

• Contaminated soil.
• Water supply (drinking water).
• Vegetables, fruits, berries.
• Raw meat and fish, eggs, milk.
• Carriers can be pets - cats and dogs, as well as flies that carry eggs of parasites.

The best prevention of helminthiosis is compliance with personal hygiene rules.

Signs of worms in the human body

The fact that a person has become infected with one or another type of worm can be indicated by the following symptoms:

1. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain, abdominal cramps.
2. Lack of appetite, weight loss.
3. Elevated body temperature, sometimes reaching 39-40 degrees.
4. Rashes and redness on the skin.
5. For individual types of worms - dry prolonged cough, liver disease (depends on which organ is affected by worms). Worms living in the human body, can cause a variety of reactions of bodies to the "invasion".
6. The appearance of circles under the eyes.
7. Unpleasant odor from the mouth.
8. Itching in the anus, especially at night.
9. Grinding his teeth in a dream, snoring, restless sleep.
10. Lymphadenitis is an inflammation of the lymph nodes, which is accompanied by a build-up of pus.
11. Edemas.
12. Fatigue, general weakness, irritability.

Most often some symptoms are either absent or perceived for some other disease. Therefore, the visit to the doctor is delayed. Accordingly, the risk of complications increases.

Worm Diagnosis

There are several types of diagnostics that help determine helminths in the human body. All of them are based on the patient's symptoms, which helps to determine the ways of infection by parasites.

1. Micro- and macro-analysis of stool. Use when detecting all kinds of worms.
2. A blood test for the presence of larvae.
3. Ultrasound diagnostics.
4. Radiography.
5. Biopsy of muscle tissue.
6. Endoscopic studies that involve the use of special instruments - endoscopes. One such species is fibrogastroduodenoscopy. This is a study of the organs of the esophagus with the help of a special probe.

If suspicion of the usual pinworm will be enough analysis of stool. More complex types of helminths require more complicated diagnostics.

Treatment of helminthiases

If worms appear in the human body, treatment should be started immediately to avoid complications. For this, first of all, you should contact a specialist who will perform the diagnosis and determine the tactics of therapy.

Treatment of worms includes:

1. Reception of drug preparations of a wide or narrow spectrum of action. The medicine is used once or according to the scheme. These drugs include medicines "Piperazin", "Pirantel", "Mebendazol", "Albendazole", "Levamisol", "Medamin" and others.
2. The intake of probiotics, since all kinds of worms mainly disrupt the intestinal microflora.
3. Use of antiallergic drugs.
4. Compliance with diet. Limitation of sweet foods.
5. Strict hygiene (food processing, disinfection of bed and underwear, household items).
6. Control of helminths after a certain time. It is an obligatory measure for determining the remains of larvae.

When worms are found in the human body, preventive measures need to be taken by all family members. Prophylaxis means a single dose of medication.

Folk methods

People's methods of treating helminths are effective and effective if they are able to apply them correctly.

Helminthiasis is not only a disease that causes discomfort to a person, it is a disease that can cause very complicated health problems. Therefore, treatment for the disease should begin immediately.

Folk recipes:

1. Everyone knows from childhood the method of preventing worms - garlic and onions. These two vegetables create an aggressive environment in the intestines, which the helminths really do not like.
2. Decoctions of herbs (chamomile, fennel).
3. Adding therapeutic oils to food (bergamot, tea tree, lavender).
4. Tincture from onions. Cut one onion into several pieces and pour until the morning with water. Morning to drink on an empty stomach. The course of treatment is a week.
5. Horseradish with garlic (one to one) pour half a glass of alcohol. Infuse ten days, strain and drink one tablespoon three times daily before meals.
6. Garlic with milk. Eat the largest amount of garlic and drink everything with milk. In two hours or to make an enema, or drink a laxative.
7. Carrot juice. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach.
8. Eat pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pomegranate, mint.

Prevention of worms

Like any disease, helminthiasis is best prevented. The best prevention of worms is clean hands and clean products.

Also follows:

1. Refuse from unprocessed drinking water, milk. Such products must necessarily be treated with high temperatures (boiling).
2. Observe the rules for the thermal processing of food.
3. Abandon the use of meat "with blood", as well as raw minced meat.
4. Vegetables and fruits before eating should be given with boiling water.
5. Refuse to purchase products in spontaneous markets.
6. If there are pets, they should be examined by a veterinarian.
7. In the spring and autumn, regardless of whether there are worms in the body, you need to prevent drugs.
8. People from the risk group (employees of kindergartens, schools, zoos, veterinary clinics) should periodically test for helminths.

Complications of helminthiases

Worms living in the human body not only cause discomfort to their host, but can also cause serious complications:

1. Moving along the human body, parasites damage organs and tissues, disrupt their normal functioning. Thus, various inflammations can occur, including cancer.
2. There is a sharp intoxication of the body with the products of helminth disintegration. As a result, there are frequent allergies, asthma, suffocation.
3. The ascarid worm causes the most complicated diseases of the upper respiratory tract (pneumonia, bronchitis).
4. Parasites attack the human urogenital system, provoking cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis and other diseases.
5. A dangerous phenomenon that occurs as a result of infection with worms - peritonitis - inflammation of the abdominal cavity.
6. Frequent internal bleeding, anemia, complete exhaustion of the body.

If we talk about all the complications that can occur as a result of infection with helminths, then the person clearly underestimates "these little animals"! Never ignore the symptoms of infection!

How to recognize worms in young children?

Diagnosing helminths in children is sometimes more difficult than in adults. Very few people know that worms can hit a child's body for up to a year. Therefore, they do not pay enough attention to symptoms.

If the child has the following symptoms of ailments, you should consult a specialist. Probably, the kid suffers a helminthiasis.

1. Sharply decreased appetite, weight loss is observed.
2. There was an increased interest in sweets. All "yummies" like not only people, but also parasites.
3. The child is tormented by morning sickness, sometimes vomiting.
4. The stomach is constantly hurting for no apparent reason.
5. The baby squeaks with his teeth in a dream, snores.
6. Prolonged dry cough.

This is what concerns the main symptoms. Worms in the human body, especially small ones, can cause a variety of reactions, which often parents are confused with other diseases. Whatever it was, the child in any case should be shown to the therapist.

The main type of diagnostics of helminths in children is the study of stool. The variety of anthelmintic drugs allows you to choose a medicine for treatment for any "taste" and age. But the best prevention is clean hands, disinfection in the house and proper handling of the products.

Worms during pregnancy

Helminths, though dangerous "creatures", but very quickly give in to treatment. Unfortunately, this does not apply to pregnant women. Infection with worms during pregnancy can cause severe complications in the development of the fetus, during childbirth, as well as many other troubles.

Virtually all drugs that are used to treat worms are contraindicated in pregnancy, as they can harm a baby. Therefore, it is forbidden to engage in self-medication. The only correct way is to visit a doctor and get qualified help.

An effective method for pregnant women in the fight against worms are folk methods - carrot juice in the morning, garlic and onions, pumpkin seeds. You also need to eat more foods that contain fiber, and yogurt with probiotics.

Conclusion

Worms in the human body - a serious problem that should not be ignored. Some types of parasites can grow up to 20 meters, exhausting and sucking all the forces of people, leading the latter to death.

Timely diagnosis of worms allows you to make treatment quickly and efficiently. And the best prevention is to observe the rules of personal hygiene.