Today, more than 400 types of parasites are known that can comfortably exist in the human body. However, the vast majority of them choose the intestinal tract as their place of residence, and not other organs and tissues. Do worms live in the stomach? Such a "home" parasites rarely choose. Basically, helminths settle here if it is affected by diseases that cause a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice. The second important fact is that parasites can get into this organ only by accident. If your stomach is he althy, functioning normally, then not a single helminth can live in an environment that forms hydrochloric acid. It will simply dissolve his outer shells.
Worms living in the stomach
We have established that the gastric region is an abnormal habitat for parasites that infect the human body. Can there be worms in the stomach? They can only get there by chance - the helminths are still looking for a comfortable place to live.
Small parasites (such as pinworms, ascaris, etc.) die even in a slightly acidic environment, so being here is deadly for them. Only large worms remain in the stomach. They areable to survive in its environment for a relatively long time. In particular, these are the following helminths:
- Pork tapeworm. Refers to tapeworms. The final host of the parasite is man. The length of an adult (sexually mature) individual can reach 3 meters. The main habitat of the worm is the intestinal tract.
- Beef tapeworm. Like the previous one, it refers to tapeworms. Humans will also be the final host of the parasite. The helminth is widespread in Eastern Europe, the Philippines, Africa and Latin America. Its adult representatives choose the human small intestine as their place of residence. The size of a mature individual is amazing - from 4 to 10 meters!
- Ascaris human. It's already a round worm. Its length does not exceed 40 cm. It enters the stomach, as well as tapeworms, accidentally - when the patient coughs up sputum from the lungs and swallows this mass back (through the esophagus into the stomach).
- Toksokara feline or canine. Helminth, as the name implies, is not at all typical for humans. It can accidentally enter the stomach after contact with a sick animal - if you kissed, stroked a cat or dog. The length of his body usually cannot be more than 12 cm.
- Vlasoglav. The parasite belongs to roundworms. Its usual habitat is the human large intestine. The main nutrition is tissue fluid and blood. Sizes - 3-5 cm.
It should be noted that only small (children's) tapeworms (pork and bovine) can exist in the stomach. Sexually mature representatives simply do not fit inGerman The rest of the worms in the stomach can be of completely different ages. If the patient's gastric juice contains even a small amount of hydrochloric acid, this is already an unfavorable condition for the helminth. At any opportunity, he will try to change his place of residence.
How can you get infected?
Worms in a person's stomach can be in one of the following ways:
- Primary ingestion. So in the human stomach can be eggs and larvae of helminths. Their important feature is a hard outer shell. It is she who allows you to survive the negative effects of hydrochloric acid without consequences and "travel" further - into the intestines that are comfortable for living. There the parasite develops and lives.
- Secondary ingestion. This is the entry into the stomach of sputum from the bronchi, lungs, which contains either eggs or vegetative forms of small helminths. By the way, the respiratory system is a popular habitat for intermediate forms of parasites.
- Hematogenous way. How do worms in the stomach appear in this way? The parasite enters through the blood stream. After leaving the blood vessel, it clings to the wall of the organ and remains in it. This way of movement is most characteristic of helminths "armed" with auxiliary hooks.
- Movement of vegetative forms. As a rule, this is a consequence of improper therapy of helminthiasis. As a result of exposure to drugs, the worm does not die, but starts moving, trying to get to a less aggressive habitat. The method is typical for movementlarge worms - in particular, bovine and pork tapeworm.
The passage of cysts and larvae through the stomach in most cases is painless for the patient. Discomfort can only be caused by the "journey" of adult forms - there is pain, bloating and other symptoms.
Signs of helminths in the stomach
When worms settled in it, does your stomach hurt? Even experienced specialists cannot give an unambiguous answer to the question - it is too individual indicator, depending on many factors.
Here are the main symptoms of stomach worms:
- In the epigastric area, the patient will feel heaviness or other discomfort.
- A person has signs of intoxication of the body.
- Violation of the usual bowel habits, characteristics of feces.
- Meteorism.
- Anemia.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Chronic feeling of fatigue.
- Nervousness.
- Exacerbation of chronic gastrointestinal diseases - gastritis, stomach ulcers, etc.
You see that there are no specific symptoms on the basis of which it can be argued that the worms in the stomach. Therefore, external manifestations are not enough for the attending physician to establish this fact. Specialists in this case resort to endoscopic examination.
Diagnostic Methods
Whether there are worms with stomach pain, only a comprehensive diagnosis will help to establish. Her methods in this case include the following:
- Biochemical and generalanalysis of the patient's blood samples.
- Research on the "antigen-antibody" complex.
- Endoscopic examination.
I would like to dwell on the last diagnostic method. Endoscopy is the introduction of a special thin probe into the patient's stomach through the esophagus, at the end of which there is a video camera. This research method helps to determine a lot:
- Visual detection of large helminths by a specialist.
- Detection of traces of waste products settled in the stomach, parasites.
- Evaluation of the general condition of the stomach.
- The basis for determining this or that treatment - from stopping bleeding to extracting the established parasite.
Contraindications for endoscopy
As you noticed, the endoscopic method is associated with the mechanical penetration of the probe into the patient's stomach. And such manipulation may be contraindicated for the patient in some cases:
- Hypertension.
- Angina.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Esophageal ulcer.
- Hemophilia.
- Spasm of the esophagus.
- Aortic aneurysm.
- Varicose veins passing through the esophagus, stomach, etc.
If the patient has contraindications to gastroscopy, then this manipulation is replaced by ultrasound and radiography. But these methods will be inferior in their informativeness and functionality to endoscopy.
Treatment methods
Therapy in this casewill be aimed at the destruction of parasites settled in the stomach, as well as the restoration of the organ and the entire body of the patient, affected by their vital activity.
Treatment consists of three areas:
- Drug therapy.
- Traditional medicine.
- The patient takes dietary supplements - dietary supplements.
We will consider each of the methods in detail. However, such methods of conservative treatment are used only for cases where there is a small parasite in the stomach. When it is an individual of large size (the same bull tapeworm), then the patient is assigned only an operative (surgical) intervention.
Drug therapy
All medical treatment of helminthic invasion will be divided into two directions:
- Mebendazole group. These are drugs such as Vormil, Albendazole, Vermox. They are distinguished by greater toxicity compared to the second group. Hence, many experts believe that the use of such drugs to get rid of worms in the stomach is unreasonable.
- Levamisole group. It includes the following funds - "Dekaris", "Pirantel", "Helmintoks". Less toxicity to the human body, but at the same time a good antihistamine effect.
Drugs are usually prescribed at the rate of 10 mg/kg of human body weight. The patient takes the remedy in the morning, after a light breakfast.
Traditional medicine
Since the worms in the stomach are considered one of the easiest formshelminthic invasion, then many believe that in this case you can get by with simple folk remedies. However, we advise you not to ignore the recommendations of a professional doctor when applying this method of treatment.
What can be used from this category:
- Onion or garlic. It is enough to periodically eat this product for its negative effect on the worms that have settled in the stomach. Garlic or onion is eaten either alone or combined with raw pumpkin seeds or milk for the best effect.
- Herbal decoction of three components - crushed tansy flowers, which are mixed with wormwood and cloves. But be careful - the method is not recommended for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
- Walnuts and birch leaf decoction. Gentle products that are just right for pregnant women and young children.
Reception of dietary supplements
A universal remedy that combines the effect of the two previous ones - the effectiveness of the first and the safety, environmental friendliness of the second. The basis of dietary supplements is herbal remedies that have an antihistamine effect. These are mint, ginger, cloves, birch leaf, wormwood, tansy, etc.
The most effective dietary supplements of this group include "Troychatka", "Intoxic", "Baktefort" and so on.
Prevention
Prophylactic measures against worms in the stomach are the same as for counteracting any other helminthiasis. First of all, it is the observance of the rules of personalhygiene:
- Washing hands before eating, after going outside and using the restroom.
- Mandatory washing of fresh vegetables and fruits, greens under running water.
- Heat treatment of meat, fish, eggs before consumption.
Worms in the stomach are quite rare. Endoscopic diagnostics helps to identify it. Treatment, prevention do not differ from the fight against other helminthic invasion.
