Parasitic lesions are a fairly common problem. Pathological worms and other organisms often penetrate the tissues of humans and animals. In most cases, they parasitize in the intestines, but often spread to other organ systems. And sometimes, when examining patients, worms are found in the eyes.
Of course, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the causes and various symptoms of parasitic diseases, because the sooner they are diagnosed, the easier and faster the therapy will be. So in what cases is tissue damage possible and is it possible to see worms in the eyes of a person with the naked eye? How do parasites enter the body and is it possible to protect yourself from such infections? The answers to these questions are important for many patients with this problem.
Worms in the eyes: photo and brief information
As you know, there are a huge number of varieties of parasites. Most of them, after entering the human body, settle in the intestines. However, these organisms reproduce very quickly, which means that the eggsand larvae often migrate to other organs, in particular, the liver, lungs, skin epithelial tissues. Sometimes, when examining a patient, worms are found under the eyes - they live in the skin layers, since there are many small capillaries, thanks to which the parasites receive a sufficient amount of nutrients.
Immediately it should be said that it is impossible to see a worm (or other parasite) with the naked eye - as a rule, they can be seen after surgical removal.
Clinic of the disease and some additional information
Many patients are interested in the question of what kind of worms in the eyes of a person can live, because there are hundreds of varieties of these parasites. There are many species that can spread beyond the digestive tract, but a few can be identified. In particular, in medical practice, invasion of the tissues around the eyes with tapeworms, echinococcus, opisthorchis, roundworms is often recorded.
It is worth saying that the skin in the area of the visual organs is not the most "favorite" habitat for parasites. Nevertheless, there are enough blood vessels and, accordingly, the necessary nutrients. Worm eggs can enter directly into the eye tissues from the external environment (this is observed, for example, in fishermen, since it is fish that are the intermediate or final hosts of parasites). On the other hand, the larvae can be carried along with the blood stream. It is also worth saying that pets can be the source of infection - yes, worms in the eyes of a dog are also sometimes diagnosed. According tostudies, most larvae are not able to complete the full course of development in the periocular tissues and die. Those that manage to survive provoke a long-term chronic illness.
Worms in the eyes: symptoms and signs
Of course, the first thing to do is deal with the symptoms. Symptoms of the disease directly depend on the degree of invasion and the stage of development of the larvae. As a rule, already a few days after the invasion, itching and burning in the eyes appear. However, these symptoms quickly disappear without arousing any suspicion and the patient.
After a few weeks, you can notice changes in the work of the whole organism. Patients often complain of chills and general weakness, and examination may reveal enlarged lymph nodes.
Getting into the area of the organs of vision, the worm begins to multiply and feed, thereby affecting the mucous membrane. There are also small hemorrhages - red eyes are considered one of the symptoms. Worms in the tissues provoke an allergic reaction, which is accompanied by swelling, pain, increased sensitivity to light.
Small scales often form along the edge of the eyelid, which, if left untreated, suppurate - ulcers form in their place, which can become a gateway for a bacterial and fungal infection. Patients with such parasitic infestations suffer from persistent conjunctivitis. The skin around the eyes also swells and often turns red. If you have these symptoms, you should see a specialist as soon as possible.
Cysticercosis and itsFeatures
This disease develops against the background of the penetration of pork tapeworm into the body. This is a small flat helminth, the body length of which rarely exceeds 2-3 mm. The larva of the parasite, as a rule, enters the body due to unwashed hands or eating dirty fruits and vegetables. Under the influence of gastric juice, the shell of the larva is destroyed, releasing thousands of eggs, which, together with the blood stream, are carried throughout the body.
Despite the fact that most of the eggs are fixed in the nervous system, some of them penetrate the muscles and eyes. Such helminths live in the vitreous tissue of the eye. Symptoms, by the way, are very characteristic. Patients suffer from conjunctivitis, uveitis and retinitis. If left untreated, serious complications are possible, up to eyeball atrophy.
Eye damage due to opisthorchiasis
Opisthorchiasis is a disease that is associated with the ingestion of a liver fluke. This is a small nematode, the head and abdomen of which are equipped with special suction cups. Intermediate hosts of the parasite are mollusks and fish, after which the larvae can enter the body of humans and large animals.
Flukes affect the vascular membrane of the eye, which is accompanied by uveitis, chorioretinitis, keratitis. Often, against the background of invasion, inflammation of the optic nerve develops, which is very dangerous.
Ophthalmomyiasis: characteristics of the disease
This disease is associated with invasion of the eye tissue by fly larvae. It is worth saying that the larvae rarely develop in tissues.a person, therefore, as a rule, they die rather quickly. However, the development of insect larvae can cause serious consequences and affect vision.
When an egg is introduced into the tissue (usually on the eyelids), a bulge is formed that resembles a boil. The skin in this place swells and turns red, and as the disease develops, a hard nodule forms inside. Symptoms include allergic reactions and conjunctivitis. If human tissues are fully developed, then patients can feel the movement of the larvae under the skin, and sometimes even observe it in the mirror.
Echinococcosis: how the disease progresses
Echinococcus is a small parasite that lives in the human intestine. Nevertheless, in some cases, its eggs are carried with the bloodstream throughout the body, often reaching the eye tissues. Here echinococcus forms a kind of cyst around itself, inside which the main stages of development of this organism take place.
Symptoms depend on the area in which the parasite has settled. Sometimes the appearance of a tumor can be noticed on the tissues of the eyelid - patients complain of discomfort when blinking and the inability to completely close their eyelids. As a result, dryness of the mucous membrane of the eye is observed, which leads not only to discomfort, but also to inflammation and secondary infection. Sometimes the cyst grows and presses on the eyeball.
Filarial eye disease
Dinofilariasis is a rather rare disease for our region. It affects residents of tropical regions. It's believed thatFilaria larva gets under the skin during a mosquito bite. Then it begins to migrate - in a day the microorganism under the skin overcomes from 10 to 15 cm.
In the early stages, the symptoms are not too pronounced. Some people report mild itching, while others report a small "pimple" and foreign body sensation. Sometimes the parasite stops in the tissues of the eyes. Signs of infection appear, as a rule, if the larva dies - suppuration and inflammation begin in the subcutaneous or eye tissues. If the parasite has managed to penetrate deep into the eyeball, then there is a risk of completely losing the eye.
Diagnosis of the disease: what examinations should be done?
Of course, in this case, a thorough diagnosis is necessary. Based on the patient's complaints, the doctor may assume the presence of helminthic invasion, but a complete examination is necessary in order to make a final diagnosis and determine the type of parasite.
After a physical examination and history taking, the doctor recommends that the patient take samples of feces and blood for analysis (if a person has worms in the eyes, there is a high probability that they live in other organ systems, in particular, the digestive tract). Dermatological examinations of the skin are carried out in those places where the parasites presumably live. Sometimes microscopic examination of skin tissue samples reveals larvae.
Modern treatments
After carefullythe diagnosis, the doctor can draw up an effective treatment regimen, since everything here depends on the type of pathogen, the condition of the patient's body, the presence of complications and other diseases.
If a person has worms in the eyes, then it is necessary to take anthelmintic drugs. Such drugs give almost instant results - the parasites begin to die. On the other hand, these drugs are often poorly tolerated by the body, so the possibility of adverse reactions should be accepted.
Quite often, a patient has an allergy, the appearance of which is associated both with the vital activity of parasites and with the use of powerful drugs. Therefore, the doctor must include antihistamines in the treatment regimen. With intense allergic reactions, it may also be advisable to take hormonal drugs.
The treatment regimen is supplemented with antibacterial drugs that negatively affect the vital activity of worms, while simultaneously destroying pathogenic bacteria (often their activity increases against the background of parasitic invasion).
In the most severe cases, surgery is indicated. The purpose of the operation is to remove parasites, cleanse tissues from purulent masses and restore normal lymph flow. The procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia.
Preventive measures: how to avoid invasion?
Worms in the eyes, as well as in any other part of the body, is an unpleasant phenomenon. Of course, with proper treatment, the outcome of the disease is favorable. Temit is no less much easier to avoid infection than to undergo long and difficult therapy afterwards. Experts recommend following simple rules:
- Of course, the main means of prevention is personal hygiene. This is especially true for babies who do not always wash their hands before eating, rub their eyes with dirty hands, contact with toys, etc. Worms in the eyes of children, according to statistics, are diagnosed quite often.
- Since parasites enter the human body with food, you should not forget that vegetables and fruits must be thoroughly washed before eating, and meat and fish are products that require appropriate heat treatment.
- Pets are often carriers or intermediate hosts of parasitic organisms, and sometimes human infection can occur through contact, for example, with a cat or dog. Therefore, it is important to keep pets clean and periodically give them prophylactic anthelmintics.
- If a patient is diagnosed with a helminthic disease, then anthelmintic drugs should be taken not only for him, but for all people living with him in the house (for prevention).
