The most common helminths are worms in humans. These parasites in the human body lead to many complications, including: disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, physical damage to internal organs, helminthiasis.
Helminthiasis is not a disease but a group of diseases caused by parasites that live inside a person. All helminths are divided into 3 main types:
- Nematodes (belong to the order Nematodes), prominent representatives - nematodes, pinworms, whipworms;
- Tapeworms or tapeworms (a group of flatworms) are represented by tapeworms, bovine tapeworms;
- Flukes or trematodes (a detachment from flatworms) are represented by the liver fluke.
Since helminths leave the host during the breeding season to maintain the species, when moving to a different vector or environment they are also subdivided according to the mode of transmission:
- Mechanical transmission requires a long journey, while the development of worms in the carrier's body does not occur. This includes most arthropods (crustaceans, arachnids, and centipedes), which are often carried on the legs of common flies.
- An intermediate host is a special type of transmission in which one of the developmental stages takes place in the host organism. In the case of the ox tapeworm, for example, cattle act as the vector (intermediate host) and humans as the final vector.
Helminths differ according to the transmission route:
- active (contact);
- passive (eating).
Contact worms can enter the human body through the mucous membranes and skin (schistosomes, hookworms). Food products are more common, they develop in a person after eating unwashed food, in contact with sick people or in the event of non-compliance with personal hygiene rules.
In total, there are more than 250 species of lower worms that parasitize people in the world. Since the symptoms of the presence of worms in humans have different manifestations, therefore, at the slightest suspicion, you should consult a specialist and undergo an examination.
The life cycle of worms, their reproduction and development
An example of the development of helminths is the classic scheme of the life cycle of nematodes. Parasite eggs are extremely resistant to external influences and can remain in the soil for up to six months.
The development of the larva itself takes from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on the environmental conditions: temperature, humidity, availability of oxygen. A mature egg with food enters the stomach, where the gastric juice attacks the eggshell, releasing the larva.
The nematode then enters the bloodstream through the intestinal wall and begins to move through the vascular system until it enters the alveoli of the lungs. The nematode larva is aerobic, only here it becomes active and develops further.
It feeds on blood and grows up to 3-4 mm long. After the nematode reaches primary maturity 4-5 days after invasion, it begins to move into the bronchi.
Its movement causes a cough in a person, as a result of which the larva, along with mucus, enters the oral cavity and back to the intestines. Here the last stage of the formation of the larva in an adult takes place.
The life cycle of an adult nematode lasts about a year and lays up to 250, 000 eggs during this time. Human health, and sometimes life, directly depends on the presence of worms in the body and their number, so it is important to start treatment as soon as possible.
Ascariasis is accompanied by intoxication, and intestinal obstruction will be a complication, which in some cases will require urgent surgical intervention.
Helminth reproduction occurs in two ways, dividing helminths into biohelminths and geohelminths. Normally, parasite eggs get into the external environment - this is where they mature. The egg must then enter the host, where it fully develops (geohelminths) or undergoes the stage of transformation into a larva (biohelminths).
In biohelminths, the development process is more complex, the stages of development in the adult individual and reaching maturity are separate from the stage of larval emergence. This means that the egg first gets into the intermediate carrier from the outside, where the larva hatches.
Therefore, he must enter the final host's body to attain the adult form. Sometimes biohelminths switch up to 4 intermediate carriers before reaching the final host.
symptoms
How to determine the presence of worms? Polymorphic symptoms and the absence of pain in the early stages of the disease complicate the diagnosis.
Often the causes of the appearance of worms in humans are associated with the consumption of stale or contaminated food, and the parasites themselves live directly in the digestive tract, so the signs of their presence in the human body in most cases relate to the work of the intestines:
- liquid stool (unstable;
- pain and swelling;
- allergic rashes;
- Flatulence;
- nausea;
- he vomited
- lack or excessive appetite;
- at night - disturbances in sleep, throwing up, grinding teeth, salivating;
- itching in the anus;
- the presence of mucus or blood in the stool.
These symptoms appear after infection and last for a short time (about 7 days). In case of re-invasion, they are repeated after 2-3 weeks.
In the absence of treatment or due to the occurrence of an acute or chronic form of the disease, some symptoms do not go away, the consequences of a long stay of parasites in the body are added:
- Poisoning occurs almost simultaneously with infection, but is not as noticeable in the early stages. The more worms in the human body, the more the symptoms of poisoning increase, from morning sickness to vomiting and abdominal pain.
- Congestion in the lungs (infiltrates), bronchospasm, pneumonia. The main culprits are parasites that develop in the alveoli of the lungs and damage them, causing inflammation.
- Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis). Infectious disease, the result of the vital activity of helminths and subsequent poisoning.
- Meningoencephalitis is a dangerous inflammation of the brain and its membranes caused by bacteria and protozoa.
Different pathogens have their own manifestations and consequences, but most of the symptoms are common to all helminths.
diagnosis
The diagnosis is made in the laboratory. Only in this case, in the presence of worm eggs and their signs in the blood or feces, helminthiasis can be reliably diagnosed. However, analyzing feces is not always enough: some types of parasites do not manifest themselves in it.
A special method for detecting worms is a serological blood test for antibodies. To diagnose helminthiasis are used:
- Gall Studies;
- macroscopy (to detect Ascaris and pinworms);
- Biopsy of muscle tissue when examining for trichinosis;
- X-ray and ultrasound.
Trichinosis is a parasitic disease in which the larvae of the pathogen spread throughout the carrier's body, causing major damage to the organs and central nervous system, after which they settle in muscle tissue.
Parasites in the muscles of a person gradually form a capsule of infiltrates around them, and the symptoms of their presence in the body decrease, but by this time the owner's health has already been seriously damaged.
One of the main symptoms can be considered eosinophilia, in which the number of eosinophils in the patient's blood increases dramatically. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that respond to the presence of tiny foreign objects in the circulatory system.
In places where parasite larvae accumulate, internal swelling and spots on the skin quickly appear - traces of infiltration. They also remain in sputum and lung fluid.
Because the symptoms of helminthiasis are extensive and largely overlap with signs of other diseases, self-diagnosis cannot be entirely reliable.
There are cases where people noticed dark threads in the stool after eating bananas, which they mistook for worms. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to pass all tests for the presence and type of parasites.
treatment of worm diseases
When treating parasitic diseases, it is necessary to follow a few general rules:
- Thorough disinfection of the patient's linen and the room in which it is located. Keep contacts to a minimum, the plates should be separated.
- Strict alcohol-free diet. It is recommended to use an infusion of carrot juice and birch sprouts.
- Personal hygiene, frequent washing of hands and laundry, cleaning of premises.
- Monitoring the course of treatment and its effectiveness.
Modern methods of treatment exclude the use of a separate drug, since this does not guarantee full coverage of all types of helminths. Most often, the doctor first prescribes a drug that weakens the parasites.
If it is not possible to consult a doctor, folk remedies are used. A good anthelmintic effect is exerted by:
- an enema with garlic infusion, taking garlic on an empty stomach;
- Infusion of tansy on an empty stomach 4 times a day before meals;
- Tincture of wormwood on alcohol, take 20 mg 3 times a day.
Worms in humans in our time are diagnosed and treated in a short time. If you do not start the disease and start treatment in a timely manner, this will help to avoid complications and re-invasion.
The greatest danger of parasitic diseases is for children: mental development is delayed, complications appear in the form of chronic diseases and inflammatory processes.
It is extremely important to timely explain to the child the need to wash their hands and observe the rules of personal hygiene. At the same time, adults must comply with other preventive measures.
Prevention of worm diseases
In addition to personal hygiene, there are a number of factors that affect the elimination of the cause of the appearance of worms:
- Wash vegetables and fruits in hot water;
- keep the house clean, regularly carry out wet cleaning;
- a balanced diet that provides the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins of all groups;
- Monitoring the condition of pets, annual visits to the veterinarian;
- adequate heat treatment of fish and meat;
- control insects living in the house;
- to refrain from bathing and resting on pastures.
Compliance with preventive measures and timely access to a doctor in case of infection will help to avoid complications. Proper dosage of medicines prescribed by a specialist doctor will quickly get rid of parasites, and folk remedies can be used in conjunction with prescribed medicines.