A condition in which a person has parasites in their lungs requires immediate treatment. It is very dangerous, although rare. If a person has helminths in the lung tissue, it should be treated immediately. Otherwise, the quality of life will rapidly decline. The saddest outcome is disability, further disability or death.
How do parasites get into the lungs? What symptoms indicate this? Is it possible to take them out? This and many other things will be discussed now.
Routes of infection
How are parasites found in the lungs and bronchi? First, they enter the human body with water and food or through household items. It is also possible to become infected by contact with animals. As a rule, roundworms, echinococci, tapeworm larvae and toxoplasma are found in the human body.
Here's what causes worm infestation:
- Ignoring the rules of personal hygiene.
- Close contact with animals and sick people.
- Consumption of unboiled water and contaminated food.
Toxoplasmosis is usually transmitted to an embryo from an already ill mother. But in this case, the lungs are very rarely affected.
Also, the pathogen can be transmitted during organ transplantation or blood transfusion. It is worth mentioning that children suffer from helminthiasis more often than adults. This is due to non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene.
How do parasites get into the lungs?
What happens after worms enter the body? They bypass the digestive tract and end up in the intestines. From there, the parasites enter the general circulation. Then, together with the blood, they are transported to the lung tissue.
Once inside, the worms begin to multiply actively. Parasites develop in the lungs, which results in the onset of the adhesive process and the further formation of scar tissue. Everything leads to the fact that the shape of the lungs changes.
The worst thing is that it can last for years. The disease often goes unnoticed for many years. And ignoring it, of course, is reflected in the complexity of treatment.
Symptoms
Having discussed how parasites end up in the lungs, it is worth talking about the signs by which you can find out about their presence in the body.
Worms rarely show their activity immediately after entering the bloodstream. It often takes a year from the time of infection before the onset of symptoms. Parasites in the lungsfor a long time to develop and multiply, and signs of their presence will appear after the weakening of immunity. By the way, a variety of factors contribute to this - colds, stress, infectious diseases, etc.
But be that as it may, if there are parasites in the lungs, the symptoms will appear in a moment. This is what a person faces:
- Dizziness.
- General weakness.
- Failure.
- Weakened appetite.
- Fever for no reason.
- Shortness of breath, choking, heavy breathing.
- Headaches and migraines.
- Gagging and frequent nausea.
- Pain in the chest and heart, tingling.
It is necessary to make a reservation that all of the above are not only signs of parasites in the lungs. Often these symptoms indicate the presence of other diseases. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor in any case.
Progression of disease
The development of parasites in the lungs at one moment ceases to be asymptomatic. A person begins to be disturbed by shortness of breath, cough, chest pains, as well as dry and wet rales of various localization.
Worms don't just progress and multiply - they also grow. This eventually results in rupture of blood vessels. Appropriate red impurities appear in the sputum.
If there is a rupture of large vessels, then pulmonary bleeding appears. There are signs of respiratory failure, mucous membranes and skin become cyanotic.
Because of the parasites livingin the lungs, allergic reactions also appear - bronchospasm, urticaria, itching. And if the shell of Finn echinococcus breaks, then anaphylactic shock can happen at all.
Also, with prolonged progression, purulent discharge begins to appear. A cyst begins to grow in the lungs. If it becomes large enough, it can even damage the pleura, bronchi, and then even the abdominal cavity, thereby disrupting the bile ducts.
When a cyst begins to rot, it is simply impossible not to notice. The temperature rises, a strong inflammation arises in the body. And on palpation, the doctor can even detect a seal that resembles a tumor. The person himself complains of discomfort felt when pressing on the chest.
Consequences
As you can already understand, parasites developing in human lungs can cause a variety of diseases that will affect both the functional activity of the respiratory system and other internal systems.
Ascarids, migrating into the bronchi, can cause mechanical damage to tissues. They can also accumulate in the lumen of the trachea. This can lead to a disorder of the respiratory function, which is fraught with the development of an asphyxia. In the most severe cases, death from suffocation is possible.
Worms also excrete toxic waste products into tissues, which also has its consequences. Bronchial asthma, allergies develop, the central nervous system is often affected. And progressive worms create all the necessary conditions for a person to re-appearinfected. If this happens, the consequences will be deplorable - pneumonia, abscess, mediastinitis of the lung tissue.
Diagnosis
If any of the above symptoms appear, it is very important to go to the doctor. At least see a therapist first. Timely detection of the disease is the key to a quick cure.
The history of a person is of great importance in the diagnosis of helminthiases. The risk group includes people who are related to any of the following:
- Staying in a region with poor environmental conditions.
- Working in a medical facility.
- Contact with animals.
- Once past teniasis.
The presence of parasites in the respiratory organs can be detected by X-ray or CT. The following procedures are also assigned:
- Complete blood count.
- Sputum sputum testing for the detection of worm eggs in them.
- A blood test for antibodies to toxins secreted by helminths.
To assess how badly the helminths hit the lungs, a study of the function of external respiration is carried out. In the blood, an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is detected, as well as the level of eosinophils. This is the name of leukocytes responsible for protecting the human body from multicellular parasitic creatures.
It is still sometimes possible to diagnose severe leukocytosis, in which young forms of cells enter the bloodstream. But this is in those cases when suppuration of the Finns occurs.
Principles of Therapy
Much has been said above about the symptoms of parasites in human lungs and the process of diagnosis. Now we should talk about how this condition is treated.
What kind of drugs the doctor will prescribe depends on the type of pathogen. The doctor should choose medicines based on the results of the diagnosis - self-medication is fraught with consequences.
The medicine that can destroy one type of pathogen will be completely powerless in the fight against another. Taking a useless drug, a person will only make things worse for himself.
Drug List
Toxoplasmosis will help to cope with the combination of "Pyrimethamine" and sulfonamides. They can also prescribe "Sulfadimezin", "Chloridine" and "Aminoquinol". If the chronic stay of parasites in the lungs is diagnosed, the treatment will definitely be supplemented with specific therapy with toxoplasmin, which helps to strengthen the immune system.
Sulfanilamide is taken to eliminate ascariasis. Effective drugs such as "Biltricid", "Vermox", "Nemozol" and "Pirantel", however, they have increased toxicity. Therefore, doctors prescribe them only in especially severe cases - when the benefit is more likely than the possible harm.
Even in the process of eliminating parasites present in human lungs and treating helminthiasis, immunostimulants, vitamins and agents that purify the blood of toxins released by these creatures must be used.
Surgery
Much has already been said above about indicating the presence of parasites in the lungssymptoms and treatment for this condition. There is one more method of therapy that has not been considered. And it's about surgery.
Surgical intervention is often the only way to correct the situation. Because due to the thick shell of the Finns, parasites (in particular Echinococcus) are insensitive to anthelmintic drugs.
There are different methods to remove worms from lung tissue:
- Removal of the parasite along with the capsule.
- Hutting out the worm from the shell without violating its integrity.
- Removal of the worm by opening the capsule and then aspirating its contents.
After performing the operation, doctors will be sure that there is no longer a single parasite left in the lungs of a person.
Treatment, however, is sometimes difficult. If a patient is diagnosed with an extensive inflammatory process or a secondary disease is detected, a resection is prescribed. Part of the lung can be removed, or the whole thing. After surgery, a person is prescribed serious anthelmintic therapy. During its implementation, it is necessary to keep the state of the bone marrow, kidneys and liver under control.
Folk remedies
Some people decide to resort to using them. Folk remedies, according to many, not only help get rid of parasites, but also significantly strengthen the immune system.
Ginger is highly recommended. It increases the body's defenses and helps to cope with the symptoms of lung diseases. They can be seasoneddishes or add to tea.
Cilantro and coriander are also spices that can help fight parasites. You just need to dry their seeds, and then crush them well. Take 1 gram after meals.
Wormwood is also known for its healing properties. It has a disinfecting, disinfecting and regenerating effect. It is recommended to do inhalation with it. You just need to make a porridge from fresh wormwood sprouts, and then inhale the outgoing vapors.
They also say that natural pumpkin seed oil helps a lot. It should be drunk before meals, 40 drops each.
However, in no case should you take any folk remedy if you have allergies or other contraindications.
Prevention
The first sign of recovery is an improvement in appearance and overall condition. But, nevertheless, after removing the worms from the body, it is necessary to undergo a whole course of restorative procedures. They are prescribed by a doctor.
You also need to take control of your diet, and be sure to keep the body clean. Hygiene is very important, you need to remember this. It is important to pay special attention to the processing of food consumed, and always filter the water. Mandatory and timely treatment of diseases.
Following these simple guidelines, it will be very difficult for a person to become infected with parasites again.
