Throughout life, a person is exposed to the risk of infection by various parasites. The most common are helminths (worms in humans). These parasites in the human body lead to many complications, including: disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, physical damage to internal organs and 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 of roundworms), prominent representatives - roundworms, pinworms, whipworms;
- tapeworms, or cestodes (an order of flatworms), are represented by tapeworms, bovine tapeworms;
- flukes, or trematodes (order flatworms), are represented by the liver fluke.
As helminths leave the host's body during the reproduction period to preserve the species, transferring to another host or the environment, they are also divided according to the type of transfer:
- Mechanical transfer involves movement over long distances, while no worms develop in the carrier's body. These include most arthropods (crustaceans, arachnids and millipedes), often carried on the legs of common flies.
- An intermediate host is a specific mode of transmission in which one of the developmental stages occurs in the body of the vector. For example, for bovine tapeworm, the carrier (intermediate host) is cattle and humans are the final carrier.
Helminths also differ in their mode of transmission:
- active (contact);
- passive (food).
Contact helminths are able to enter the human body through mucous membranes and skin (schistosomes, hookworms). Foodborne diseases are more common, they develop in a person after eating unwashed food, during contact with sick people or due to non-compliance with personal hygiene rules.
In total, there are more than 250 species of lower worms that parasitize humans in the world. Since the symptoms of the presence of worms in humans have different manifestations, at the slightest suspicion you should contact a specialist and get tested.
Life cycle of worms, their reproduction and development
An example of helminth development is the classic roundworm life cycle diagram. The parasite eggs are extremely resistant to adverse 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 environmental conditions: temperature, humidity, oxygen availability. A mature egg enters the stomach with food, where gastric juice eats away at the eggshell, releasing the larva.
After that, the roundworm enters the bloodstream through the intestinal wall and begins to move through the entire blood vessel system until it enters the lung alveoli. The roundworm larva is aerobic, only here it becomes active and continues to develop. Feeding on blood, it grows up to 3-4 mm in length. Having reached primary maturity 4-5 days after invasion, the roundworm begins to move towards the bronchi. Its movement causes a person to cough, as a result of which the larva, together with mucus, enters the oral cavity and again into the intestine. Here the final stage of formation of the larva into an adult takes place.
The life cycle of an adult roundworm lasts about a year, during which time it lays up to 250, 000 eggs. Human health, and sometimes even life, directly depends on the presence of worms in the body and their quantity, therefore it is important to start treatment as early as possible. Ascariasis is accompanied by intoxication, and intestinal obstruction will be a complication, requiring in some cases urgent surgical intervention.
Helminth reproduction occurs in 2 ways, on the basis of which worms are divided into biohelminths and geohelminths. Normally, the parasite eggs end up in the external environment, where they mature. Then, the egg must enter the host, where it develops completely (geohelminths) or goes through the transformation phase into larvae (biohelminths).
For biohelminths, the development process is more complex; the stages of development to maturity and maturity are separate from the larval emergence stage. That is, from the external environment the egg first enters an intermediate conveyor, where the larva hatches. It then needs to be ingested by its final host to reach its adult form. Sometimes biohelminths molt up to 4 intermediate carriers before reaching the final host.
Symptoms
How to determine the presence of worms? Polymorphic symptoms and the absence of painful sensations in the early stages of the disease make diagnosis difficult. Often, the reasons for the appearance of worms in humans are associated with the consumption of spoiled or contaminated food, and the parasites themselves live directly in the gastrointestinal tract, therefore, signs of their presence in the human body in most cases are related to the functioning of the intestines:
- loose (unstable) stools;
- pain and swelling;
- allergic skin rashes;
- flatulence;
- nausea;
- to vomit;
- lack or excess of appetite;
- at night - sleep disturbances, agitation, teeth grinding, salivation;
- 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 reinfestation, they are repeated after 2 to 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 disappear, and to these are added the consequences of the long stay of the parasites in the body:
- Intoxication appears almost simultaneously with the infection, but in the initial stages it is not so noticeable. The greater the number of worms in the human body, the stronger the symptoms of poisoning - from morning sickness to vomiting and abdominal pain.
- Congestion in the lungs (infiltrates), bronchial spasms, pneumonia. The main culprits are parasites that develop in the alveoli of the lungs and damage them, which causes inflammatory processes.
- Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis). Infectious disease, the result of the vital activity of helminths and subsequent intoxication.
- 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 symptoms are common to all helminths.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made under laboratory conditions. Only in this case, in the presence of worm eggs and their signs in the blood or feces, helminthiasis can be reliably diagnosed. However, analysis of feces is not always sufficient - some types of parasites do not manifest themselves in it. A special method for determining the presence of worms is a serological blood test to detect antibodies. To diagnose helminthiasis, the following are used:
- biliary studies;
- macroscopy (to identify roundworms and pinworms);
- muscle tissue biopsy to check for trichinosis;
- X-ray and ultrasound.
Trichinosis is a parasitic disease in which the pathogen's larvae spread throughout the host's body, causing much destruction to the organs and central nervous system, after which they settle in the muscle tissue. Parasites in human muscles gradually create a capsule of infiltrates around themselves, and the symptoms of their presence in the body are reduced, but by this time serious damage has already been caused to the host's health.
One of the main symptoms can be considered eosinophilia, in which the number of eosinophils in the patient's blood increases sharply. Eosinophils are a subtype of leukocytes that respond to the presence of the smallest foreign objects in the circulatory system. In places where parasite larvae accumulate, internal swellings and spots on the skin quickly appear - traces of infiltration. They also remain in sputum and lung fluid.
Since the symptoms of helminthic diseases are extensive and largely overlap with the signs of other diseases, self-diagnosis cannot be completely reliable. There are cases where, after eating a banana, people notice dark threads in their stool, which were mistaken for worms. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to carry out all tests to determine the presence and type of parasites.
Helminthiasis treatment
When treating parasitic diseases, several general rules must be followed:
- Complete disinfection of the patient's clothes and the room in which they are located. Reduce contact to a minimum, separate dishes.
- Strict diet, excluding alcohol. It is recommended to drink carrot juice and infusion of birch buds.
- Maintain personal hygiene, frequently wash your hands and wash clothes, clean your accommodation.
- Monitor treatment progress and effectiveness.
Modern treatment methods exclude the use of a separate drug, as this does not guarantee complete coverage of all types of helminths. Most often, the doctor prescribes an early-acting medication that weakens the parasites. After 3 days, depending on the patient's age and the severity of the infection, anthelmintic medications are prescribed. Pregnant women or people with contraindications to medication are prescribed a non-toxic medication from the tetrahydropyrimidine group.
If it is not possible to consult a doctor, use folk remedies. The following have a good anthelmintic effect:
- garlic infusion enema, taking garlic on an empty stomach;
- tansy infusion on an empty stomach 4 times a day before meals;
- tincture of wormwood in alcohol, taken 3 times a day, 20 mg.
Nowadays, helminthic infections are diagnosed and treated in a short time. If you do not neglect the disease and start treatment on time, this will help avoid complications and re-invasion. Parasitic diseases pose the greatest danger to children: there is a delay in mental development, complications arise in the form of chronic diseases and inflammatory processes. It is extremely important to promptly explain to your child the need to wash their hands and follow the rules of personal hygiene. Adults are also required to follow other preventive measures.
Prevention of helminthiasis
In addition to personal hygiene, there are a number of factors that influence the elimination of the cause of worms:
- wash vegetables and fruits in hot water;
- keep the house clean, regular wet cleaning;
- a balanced diet that provides the body with sufficient amounts of vitamins from all groups;
- monitoring the condition of pets, annual visits to the veterinarian;
- adequate heat treatment of fish and meat;
- fight against insects living in the house;
- refrain from swimming and resting in areas where livestock graze.
Compliance with preventive measures and timely consultation with a doctor in case of infection will help avoid complications. The correct dosage of medications prescribed by a specialist doctor will quickly eliminate parasites, and folk remedies can be used in combination with prescription medications.