According to medical statistics, helminthic diseases (invasions) are widespread in the world today, as well as pathologies resulting from the presence of parasitic worms in the human body. Sometimes the prevalence of helminthiases is very high. For example, pinworms are often found in children, hunters suffer from trichinosis, and dysphylobothriasis is found in fish lovers. Against the background of helminthic invasion, a variety of diseases often occur, which, it would seem, have no connection with parasites. However, this fact has been proven to date thanks to numerous studies. Moreover, the theory that claims that there is a connection between parasitic diseases and oncology is especially relevant.
How to find out if a person has worms? Symptoms indicating the presence of intruders in the body are sometimes disguised as a variety of diseases, for example, the gastrointestinal tract and liver, andalso the gallbladder, etc. That is why a person is often treated for years for a certain pathology, not even suspecting the true cause of his ailment. After going through just one or even several courses of taking anthelmintic drugs, he fully recovers. That is why it is so important to know the symptoms of the presence of worms in humans, which will be discussed in this article.
A little about worms
Helminths are a large detachment of parasitic worms that live off plants and living organisms. They feed and reproduce inside their donor. Man is no exception. It can also become a donor for parasitic worms, of which there are more than seventy species in Russia alone. According to statistics, every third inhabitant of our planet is infected with helminthic invasion. There is an opinion that it is impossible to find such an adult who has not been infected with worms at least once during his life.
Especially often parasitic worms are observed in children. No matter how carefully parents make sure that their child's hands are perfectly clean, it is impossible to protect him from getting worms into the body. After all, kids are engaged in the study of the world around them and show genuine interest in almost everything. They strive to feel everything with their hands, and also be sure to taste it.
Risk of contracting worms and those people who eat the meat of wild birds and animals, fish and homemade milk. They often get sickdiphyllobothriasis and trichinosis.
Routes of infection
What are the reasons for the development of helminthiasis? How do parasitic worms enter the human body?
Four methods of infection identified:
- Biohelminthiases. Often, parasites are found in poorly thermally processed meat or fish, or in their raw form. In this case, a person can become infected by eating lard and barbecue, dried fish, sushi, etc.
- Geohelminthiases. Parasite eggs in water or soil are also able to enter the body. Invasions also occur during human contact with animals, for example, with regular cleaning of dog and cat feces. A person can also become ill with helminthiasis by eating foods on which flies have laid their eggs.
- Contact. Some worms, such as pinworms, can spread from person to person.
Some parasites enter the living organism after being bitten by insects. The main route of infection by parasites is oral-fecal. In other words, a person, without noticing it, swallows their eggs when he drinks water or eats food.
Signs of helminthiasis
There are certain symptoms of the presence of worms in a person, which everyone should know. If certain signs of the disease appear, you must immediately deal with its elimination.
How to understand if a person has worms? The most striking sign of infection with parasites is excessive weight loss. In addition, such patients become pale skin. Just describedhow anemia manifests itself.
Symptoms of the presence of worms in a person are also displayed on his appearance. Such people look haggard due to increased levels of fatigue.
Helminths that affect the intestines lead to itching in the anus. However, parasites can also settle in other organs, such as the liver and lungs, the bladder, and sometimes the leg or arm.
The above symptoms of the presence of worms in humans are only the first general signs of the disease. Their development occurs during a massive infection of the body and allows you to determine that not everything is in order with he alth.
There are other signs of the presence of worms in humans. Symptoms of this type of helminthiasis are considered more specific. They are similar to manifestations of other pathologies. The patient in this case is trying for a long time to cure certain ailments. However, the passage of therapeutic courses does not bring relief.
What are the symptoms of the presence of worms in the body of an adult?
Digestive disorders
Indicate the presence of worms in the human body symptoms in the form of persistent diarrhea or constipation, recurrent nausea and vomiting, flatulence, pain in the stomach, as well as discomfort near the navel and in the region of the right hypochondrium. Similar symptoms occur if the parasites have settled in the intestines.
Such symptoms of the presence of worms in the body of an adult and a child can be mild or severe, periodic orlengthy. The presence of this or that indicator directly depends on the scale of infection.
Some of the helminth species are capable of producing hormone-like substances. It is under their influence that constant diarrhea begins. And if the worms are large species (an example is a tapeworm), then, growing large, they begin to block the intestines. These parasites provoke constipation.
How to find out if a person has worms, because the above signs do not appear at the same time? In this case, it is important to monitor your he alth. After all, well-being does not necessarily have to be bad all the time. Some days a person will seem to be completely he althy.
Nervous system and helminthiasis
Symptoms of the presence of worms in an adult and in a child are manifested due to the fact that parasites that have settled in the body emit a lot of toxic substances. This happens regardless of where they live. Moreover, the more massive the infection, the brighter the signs of intoxication of the body, which will certainly adversely affect the state of the nervous system.
How to determine if a person has worms? This will be indicated by symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and headaches. These signs are sometimes mistaken for a migraine, which they try to eliminate by taking painkillers.
Sometimes parasitic infestation is manifested by a rise in temperature and pain in the joints. In addition, helminths that have settled in the body provoke a deficiency of nutrients and vitamins. All this is depressingnervous system and leads to chronic fatigue syndrome. The patient in this case complains of drowsiness and feeling overwhelmed.
Children are constantly nervous and naughty when infected with parasites. They also have disturbed sleep, which is why babies scream and cry at night. Children attending school become inattentive. They are more likely to get tired and have poor academic performance.
Skin manifestations
There are other signs of the presence of worms in humans. Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body can manifest themselves through the deterioration of the skin. As mentioned above, worms release toxins, thereby infecting the body. Such a factor has a negative impact on the general condition of a person and can provoke the occurrence of a wide variety of reactions on the skin. A person develops rashes, which are the result of the release of histamine from mast cells, as well as the accumulation of the liquid part of the blood in the tissue, due to which the surface of the epidermis rises somewhat. The same phenomenon leads to the fact that allergic reactions begin to occur. In most cases, they manifest as itching, pimples, red spots, hives, dry cough, allergic-type rhinitis, and bronchial asthma.
Symptoms of the presence of worms in an adult - cracked heels. Sometimes, when infected, nails begin to exfoliate, hair becomes brittle.
Decreased immunity
While in the human body, worms actively feed, releasing toxic products. Their negative impactalong with a decrease in the amount of minerals and vitamins, leads to a weakening of the patient's immunity. The result of this is a deterioration in the general condition. Chronic diseases occur, and inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx, such as stomatitis and sinusitis, are increasingly developing.
Women and girls infected with helminthiasis suffer from vulvovaginitis and bacterial vaginosis. There is evidence that prolonged infection with pinworms can cause inflammation of the appendages. That is why it is so important to detect the presence of uninvited guests in the body in time.
The presence of worms in a person who has settled in the liver can be recognized by a constant bad taste and bad breath coming from the mouth.
Parasites and pregnancy
How to recognize the presence of worms in the body of a woman preparing to become a mother? The very first sign of the presence of parasites during pregnancy is indigestion. In addition, there is weight loss, which is simply unacceptable for women who are expecting a baby. Symptoms indicating the presence of worms are malaise and general weakness, irritability and dizziness. Of course, according to such signs, it is rather difficult to unambiguously speak about the presence of parasites in the body. However, if itching around the anus is added to them, or if a woman notices worms in the feces, then such facts should be the reason for her immediate medical attention.
Test for worm infestation
Does a person eat worms? A test to determine the likelihood of infection will help to understand this.
To check for helminthic infestation, you will need to carefully read the questions below and count the number of positive answers given to them:
- Are you constantly or intermittently itchy in your anus?
- Do you have skin rashes?
- Do you often get headaches, do you get dizzy?
- Do you get nausea, vomiting and nausea?
- Do you often experience flatulence, bloating, diarrhea and constipation?
- Is sleep disturbed, are there screams during a night's rest, does insomnia torment?
- Do feet swell and why?
- Does an allergic reaction occur in the form of cough, rhinitis, as well as bronchial asthma or hives?
- Are the lymph nodes enlarged?
- Do self-limiting abdominal pain occur?
- Does it taste bitter?
- Are there any complaints of constant fatigue and fatigue?
- Do you work in a childcare facility or do you have preschool children in your family?
- Are there sudden, causeless increases in body temperature?
- Do mucous membranes and skin turn yellow?
- Does work involve animals or are there animals in the house?
- Do joint and muscle pain occur without exercise?
- Do you snore or grind your teeth while you sleep?
- Do you eat sushi, veined lard, dried fish and bloody meat?
- Did you lose weight as your appetite increased or decreased?
- Do you often eatberries, herbs, raw vegetables and fruits without scalding them with boiling water before eating?
How to recognize the presence of worms in the human body? With seven positive answers, the risk of infection by the human body is present. At fifteen - the probability of helminthiasis is very high. Then you should consult a parasitologist or an infectious disease specialist.
Signs of helminthiasis depending on the type of parasites
- Pinworms. It is possible to determine this type of helminth if there are basic signs of the presence of parasites in the body, as well as by the appearance of itching in the anus, the intensity of which increases at night. If the number of pinworms is small, then an unpleasant sensation in the anus region occurs for only a few days. Later it passes, appearing again after a few weeks. In the case of a strong invasion, itching is felt almost constantly.
- Ascarids. Signs of the presence of these parasites in the body directly depend on their phase of development. When the ascaris larvae migrate to the lungs, heart and other organs, the patient has subfebrile temperature, weakness, and cough with sputum, and sometimes blood and pus. When an X-ray of the lungs is carried out at this time, it will be possible to notice volatile infiltrates that disappear over time. With ascariasis, allergic reactions develop. Blood tests show too many eosinophils. Strong invasion causes the development of pneumonia and bronchitis. The patient has asthma attacks. When infected, patients often suffer from coughing. They also have a sore throat. In the second phasedevelopment of parasites is a violation of digestion. Ascaris produce substances that neutralize trypsin and pepsin, which are human digestive enzymes. As a result, proteins cease to be digested, due to which the patient begins to lose weight greatly. Sometimes ascariasis causes complications. They manifest as appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice and pancreatitis.
- Trichocephalosis, diphyllobothriasis, schistosomiasis, hookworm. With such lesions of the body, anemia and beriberi begin to develop. This is provoked by the toxins of these types of parasites, leading to a deterioration in the state of the intestinal microflora and the development of dysbacteriosis.
- Clonorchiasis, fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis. These diseases are caused by liver parasites. A negative consequence of their activity is icteric syndrome. The patient has an increase in organs such as the spleen and liver. Pathologies of the digestive tract, neurological disorders, cholecystocholangitis and pancreatitis develop.
- Trichinosis. With such a lesion, swelling of the face and eyelids most often occurs, fever occurs and muscle pain appears.
- Strongyloides. A similar pathology is caused by the presence of roundworms in the body. At the same time, its symptoms are very diverse. The patient shows signs of allergy and dyspepsia, the function of the biliary tract is disturbed, etc.
- Urinary schistosomiasis. This type of helminthiasis is caused by flatworms. It manifests itself in the form of diuretic disorders. At the end of the urination process in a patientblood is released. All this can lead to pathologies of the seminal vesicles and prostate in men, as well as to vaginal bleeding and genital lesions in women. It is not uncommon for these patients to have fibrosis in the bladder.
- Cestodose. This disease is caused by the presence of tapeworms. This species includes echinococcus, sheep's brain, bovine tapeworm, etc. Obvious signs of the disease are weakness, sudden weight loss, as well as malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract.
Parasite in the eyes
A similar phenomenon can be observed, as a rule, among residents of countries with a hot and humid climate.
Roundworm, bovine tapeworm and opisthorchis prefer to "settle" in the eyes. They enter the organ of vision from the intestines or from the external environment. If they are found, an urgent consultation with a doctor is necessary.
Diagnosis
What to do in cases where there are symptoms or signs of the presence of worms in a person? Diagnosis prescribed by a doctor, as a rule, is a study of feces. Sometimes, with a strong invasion, a person can recognize this disease himself. Indeed, at night, parasites sometimes come out of the anus themselves and remain on the bed in the form of a ball. In this case, they must be taken to the laboratory, where the species will be recognized.
If there is an indirect suspicion, you will need to take a stool test. It determines the presence or absence of eggs of parasites or the sexually mature individuals themselves, which have settled in the intestine.
To identify pinworms with existing symptoms and signs of the presence of worms inhuman diagnosis is carried out in the form of scrapings for enterobiasis. Carrying out CT and MRI allows you to detect parasites that have already spread throughout the body along with the bloodstream. X-ray data will reveal foci of worms in the lungs. Sometimes doctors prescribe an ultrasound performed on the abdominal organs. Such a study will allow you to detect large individuals. Worms outside the intestines will be detected by immunodiagnostics. But a blood test for the presence of worms in humans is only an indirect test. It will indicate an increased number of eosinophils, which occurs with prolonged parasitism of intruders in the body.
Drug therapy
When diagnosing a disease based on the symptoms and signs of the presence of worms in a person, treatment for parasites should be started immediately. All anthelmintic drugs are able to eliminate such types of worms as trematodes, as well as cestodes and nematodes. There are medications that have a detrimental effect on protozoa. A wide range of drugs have also been developed. They are recommended by doctors in cases where worms are detected, and their appearance cannot be established.
One of the most common helminth remedies is the drug "Decaris". It can be used by children from the age of three, as well as by adults. This drug is quite toxic. In this regard, in addition to helminths, it also affects the patient's body. That is why only a doctor should prescribe it to the patient. This drug is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women.
Albendazole is a universal remedy for parasites of all classes. The course of its reception is from 1 to 3 days.
The most famous anthelmintic drug is Vermox. It is very toxic to the body, and therefore it is not worth taking it only for the purpose of prevention. The drug is used as a single dose of 100 mg. After two weeks, the reception should be repeated.
Besides this, there are also folk remedies. So, eating pumpkin seeds will help get rid of parasites. Another fairly effective remedy is the herb tansy. Judging by the reviews, garlic, ginger, etc. are perfectly expelling worms.
The improvement in the general condition of a person will testify to the success of the fight against uninvited guests.
