Man encounters many parasites throughout his life. The most unpleasant and dangerous are helminths. This type of parasite is able to settle in many internal organs, contributing to the development of serious diseases. The most dangerous disease is dirofilariasis. Heartworms develop very quickly. If the disease is not diagnosed in time, then a fatal outcome is possible.
What is this disease
Heartworms are the most dangerous to humans. However, derofilariasis is extremely rare. As a host, helminths usually choose a pet. In this case, the worms settle in the heart muscle and parasitize there. This disease is most common in the southern part of Russia, as well as in Asian countries.
The danger of the disease lies in the fact that it is not possible to identify it at the initial stage. In this case, only one parasite can be in the patient's body. The activity of one worm does not greatly affect the functioning of the immune system. It is quite difficult to notice any deviations in this case.
Description of parasites
Heartworms are a type of worm called dirofilaria repens. Relatethese parasites to invisible nematodes. Their larvae are very small in size - 320 microns. The back of their body is pointed, while the front is blunt.
As for adults, they can reach 30 centimeters in length. The structure of females differs from the structure of males. They have a mouth, oviducts, ovaries, uterus, intestines, and esophagus. Males have spicules and papillae.
Causes of disease
How does a heartworm enter the body? The causes of this disease have long been established. Most often, these parasites affect domestic animals and primarily cats and dogs. Mosquitoes are also carriers. These insects are capable of carrying larvae.
Parasites can enter the human body through an insect bite. Carriers include horseflies, lice, ticks and fleas. Usually, heartworms enter the human body by accident. It is for this reason that dirofilariasis is a rare disease.
At risk are those people who:
- Fishing and hunting.
- Perform agricultural activities, as well as summer residents and gardeners.
- Work in fishing or forestry.
This list should also include those who live near stagnant reservoirs and lakes. Anyone can be affected by this disease. This is regardless of gender or age category.
Main symptoms
How long can heartworms liveof people? Symptoms of this disease can be completely different. It is proved that it is the female that parasitizes. Six months after infection, the parasite reaches its maximum size. The pest lives inside the heart for about 2 years, and then dies and begins to gradually collapse. Around the parasite, as a rule, a capsule is formed, created from connective tissues.
As for the main symptoms, they should include:
- Pain in the chest area.
- High heart rate.
- Nausea.
- Nervousness.
- Irritable.
- Headache.
- Feverish condition.
It is not uncommon for the presence of a parasite in the heart to cause tachycardia. If a person has similar symptoms, then he should immediately seek the advice of specialists.
For a long time, heartworms in people may not appear. This largely depends on the person's immune system, as well as the number of parasites inside the heart.
Diagnosis
To determine the disease, the doctor must prescribe a set of studies. First of all, laboratory diagnostics should be carried out, which includes:
- Echography of the heart.
- Testing for a certain type of parasites.
- ECG.
- Ultrasound.
- Magnetic resonance and computed tomography.
After a thorough examination, specialists should prescribe adequate treatment. The presence of worms in the heart is well determined through an x-ray. As far as blood tests are concerned,it can be used to determine the presence of parasites in only 70% of all cases.
Treatment of disease
After detecting parasites in the heart, specialists must determine the extent of the disease. Only then will the method of therapy be chosen. Usually studies show that there is only one worm. It is for this reason that there is no toxic effect. In such situations, the treatment of dirophyriasis is carried out without the use of antiparasitic drugs.
In most cases, this disease requires surgical intervention. A similar method is to remove nodes. Before the operation, the patient is prescribed a drug that ensures the success of the surgical intervention. If this is not done, then the parasites can move to another organ. After taking such a drug, the worm will not go anywhere, as its muscle tissue will be completely paralyzed.
Additional Therapy
Before administering an anti-parasite drug, doctors may prescribe additional therapy. If a person has a heartworm, then specialists can prescribe:
- A sedative that lowers the heart rate.
- Antihistamine.
- Drugs that have an anti-inflammatory effect. Most often, these are steroid drugs.
- Glucocorticosteroids.
With dirofilariasis, you can use not only pharmaceutical sedatives, but also herbal preparations that are not capable of causing complications. It is worth considering that the patient refuses the operationcannot, because after a while his condition may deteriorate greatly.
