Roundworms, or nematodes - the most diverse type of helminths, numbering several tens of thousands of species. Some of them do not harm humans, but there are also predatory nematodes in humans that are dangerous to their he alth, as they cause some very dangerous diseases: ascariasis, strongyloidiasis, etc.
Description and lifecycle
The most characteristic feature of their appearance is their round section and elongated spindle-shaped body, due to which they easily adapt to the environment and successfully penetrate into the tissues of the human body, reaching the blood vessels or a suitable organ, most often the intestines.
Some structural features of nematodes:
- these helminths are dioecious, and the female is usually larger than the male;
- have a developed nervous and digestive system;
- the reproductive system is also well developed.
The life cycle of such worms consists of 1-3 stages of larvae, maturing into a sexually mature individual. a threat toof human he alth are both larvae and adult helminths. Their eggs end up on the ground along with the feces of a sick person, then enter the intermediate animal organism or immediately find a host in the human body, penetrating through soil or dirt. Once in a favorable human environment, the worms gradually develop to adulthood, migrating with the bloodstream throughout the body. They can settle in any human organ, even in the brain, but more often they penetrate into the lungs, and then through saliva into the digestive organs.
The most common types of human nematodes are pinworms, roundworms and whipworms.
Routes of infection with nematodes
Up to 45 species of these worms can settle in the human body at the same time, sometimes causing severe diseases, which are called nematodes.
Infection with nematodes in humans can occur in several ways:
- eating unwashed fruits or vegetables;
- on contact with insects such as mosquitoes;
- through the skin.
In most cases, people can protect themselves from these worms by maintaining personal hygiene and regular preventive treatment with medications or herbs.
Depending on which nematodes settled in humans, the symptoms and treatment may vary.
Ascarids
Ascaris is a round worm that is quite large: females reach 40 cm, males - 20 cm. This type of worm lives and develops only in the bodyperson. Adult females, while in the body of an infected person, secrete eggs that enter the soil with feces. The parasite matures in 2-3 weeks only in favorable conditions: with high humidity, the presence of oxygen and temperatures up to 25 ºС, being in the ground.
Then getting into the human body through unwashed products, the eggs migrate through the internal organs, gradually maturing into a larva. Therefore, the answer to the question "Which nematode larvae migrate through the human body?" there will be ascaris. It is such a larva that, once in the intestine, pierces its wall and penetrates into a vein, through it into the lungs. At this stage, the patient begins to cough, due to which the helminth is thrown into the throat and enters the intestine through the gastrointestinal tract, already becoming a mature worm, ready for reproduction. In this state, roundworm is located there for the next year.
The number of such nematodes in a sick person can be several hundred, as they multiply rapidly.
Pinworms
Pinworm - a small white worm ranging in size from 5 mm (males) to 10 (females), which is the causative agent of enterobiasis, a common disease in children. An adult worm usually lives in the small intestine, from where it crawls out at night through the anus to lay eggs (up to 15 thousand pieces), then dies. This process is usually manifested by itching in the anus, which is why children often scratch this place in their sleep.
Eggs ripen very quickly, in almost a few hours. Getting with the help of children's hands on clothes or bedding, they furtherre-enter the child's mouth and back into the intestines. The life cycle of a pinworm is about 58 days, and then it dies.
Due to constant itching, infected children sleep poorly, become nervous, and their he alth deteriorates. When pinworms enter the appendix, it may become inflamed.
Human whiplash
This kind of human parasitic nematode is the cause of the disease trichocephalosis, it lives in the lower and upper intestines, it occurs only in humans. Further development is carried out through feces: getting outside, whipworm eggs develop within 3 weeks, and then penetrate through unwashed vegetables and fruits, drinking water into the human intestine.
The parasite feeds exclusively on blood, digging into the intestinal wall, it causes inflammation and pain in the abdomen. Seizures are also likely, as a result of feeding the whipworm with blood, the patient develops anemia, dysbacteriosis, and possibly inflammation of the appendix.
Symptoms of helminth infection
Common to all types of nematode infestation in humans are the following symptoms:
- feeling of general weakness, chronic fatigue;
- recurrent headaches;
- sleep disorders;
- nervous excitement, mood swings.
There are also specific signs that indicate some kind of helminth and infection with it:
- itching in the anus, especially in children, is a sign of pinworms;
- nausea and urge to vomit, occurring paroxysmal, is a sign of helminth penetration into the intestines;
- rash after taking protein foods, toxic-allergic reactions - when worms migrate through the human body;
- cough (sometimes with blood) appears when ascaris enters the lungs, sometimes accompanied by bronchitis, pneumonia and other diseases;
- muscle pain;
- disturbances in the digestive system: pain, diarrhea or constipation, the presence of mucus or blood in the feces;
- decrease in the body's defenses, reduced immunity.
In addition to damage to the lungs and digestive organs, damage to the liver, lungs, gallbladder, eyes and many other organs is possible.
Infection of humans with nematodes from animals
Many pets, including cats and dogs, can become carriers of worms. Pet owners are often interested in whether nematodes are transmitted from cats to humans and which ones. Let's take a closer look at this issue.
Various types of worms can settle in the cat's body: roundworms, toxacaris, etc., which, after entering the human body, can cause damage to various vital organs and provoke a deterioration in the general condition of the owner of the cat or dog.
How can a person avoid infection with worms from their pets? The usual washing of hands will not help here, because animals, even without leaving the house, can become infected with nematodes, having received their eggs with the shoes of a person who comes into the house. Then they walk around the apartment, jump on the sofas, caress their owner, go totoilet in a special tray - and everywhere they can spread the eggs of worms, that is, nematodes in cats are transmitted to humans, regardless of their hygiene precautions.
The only correct solution in such a situation is to carry out regular prophylaxis for both the pet and the owner, and always at the same time. Taking medicine for a cat and a person must be carried out on the same day, and then repeated after 12-14 days in order to destroy not only adult parasites, but also young ones that have hatched from eggs these days.
Diagnosis and treatment of nematodosis
At the slightest suspicion of the presence of helminths, you should consult a doctor and do the necessary tests:
- analysis for the presence of eggs and larvae of nematodes in human feces;
- blood test can show changes in white blood cells and eosinophils;
- if a non-intestinal form is suspected, x-rays or MRI studies are performed;
- there is also an immunological way to test for the presence of antibodies to a particular parasite.
Treatment is carried out with the help of anthelmintic drugs, which should be prescribed by the attending physician after making an accurate diagnosis and determining the type of nematodes. The calculation of the dose of the drug is based on the patient's body weight.
Popular helminth medicines
Most commonly used nematode tablets for humans:
- "Nemozol" (analogue - "Vormil") - anthelmintic drug in the form of a suspension or tablets taken orally once a day, with meals. Active substance -albendazole, which has some contraindications for taking: diseases of the retina, pregnancy, individual intolerance to the components. Possible adverse reactions: indigestion, increased blood pressure, allergic rash. The action of the drug is based on the inhibition of metabolic processes in parasites and their complete destruction.
- "Decaris" not only kills helminths (roundworms), but also has a positive effect on the patient's immunity. When taking the medicine, the nematodes are paralyzed and die right in the intestines. Contraindications: pregnancy and breastfeeding, children under 3 years of age, diseases of the bone marrow. Side effects: headache, dizziness, possible allergic reaction, nausea.
- "Pyrantel" affects the transmission of impulses of worms (pinworms, roundworms, nematodes), causing paralysis. Its advantage is maximum safety: it is prescribed for both pregnant women and young children. The only contraindication for patients with liver disease.
Most deworming medications need to be repeated after 2 weeks to destroy those individuals that have turned from eggs and larvae into adult worms during this time.
Folk treatments
Many people refrain from taking chemicals, preferring the old folk methods. There are plants that have an anthelmintic effect, which are quite capable of helping a person get rid of nematodes that have settled in the body. These include:
- wormwood;
- tansy flowers;
- pumpkin seeds;
- garlic, etc.
Wormwood is a herb that, in the form of powder, infusions and decoctions, is successfully used to expel helminths. Wormwood infusion must be drunk three times a day before meals, and enemas with wormwood are also done at the same time. Garlic enemas are also often used for pest control.
Prevention measures against nematode infestation
Given the ways in which nematodes enter the human body, the following preventive measures should be followed:
- compliance with the rules of personal hygiene: wash more often, use individual toiletries;
- Wash your hands thoroughly every time you return home with soap or other disinfectants, after going to the toilet and before every meal;
- all grown or purchased vegetables, fruits and berries must be washed;
- use only clean water for drinking, you can not swim in unknown water bodies in summer;
- when visiting the forest or on a picnic it is better to wear shoes;
- after a tourist trip, especially to southern tropical countries, it is better to get tested for worms.
All of the listed folk and medicinal methods will help get rid of nematodes in humans in order to avoid the serious he alth consequences that these worms may well deliver to a person.
