Helminthiases are parasitic diseases in which various types of worms belonging to the lower group live and multiply in the body. Parasites cannot exist in the external environment, because they need certain conditions and food. Being in the human body, worms feed on blood, as well as any nutritional and energy resources, as a result of which the body is depleted over time, and its protective functions are reduced. In addition, worms secrete waste products that accumulate directly in soft tissues, which eventually leads to intoxication.
At the same time, worms can appear not only in children, but also in adults. As statistics show, every year helminthiases are increasingly diagnosed in a large number of patients, so every person who cares about his he alth should know how to find out if there are worms. Let's take a closer look at this issue and find out how you can still detect parasites in yourself in order to start timely treatment.
Generalinfo
Before we talk about how to find out if there are worms in the body, let's first find out how dangerous helminthiases are. About 240 species of lower worms are known to modern medicine, but no more than 50 are found in our country. Statistics show that in developed countries with good social and environmental conditions, about 10 percent of the population suffer from worms. In Africa, where the standard of living is very low, this figure reaches 80 percent.
The greatest danger to he alth and life is not the parasites themselves, but the various diseases they can lead to.
The most common and dangerous among them are the following:
- biohelminthiasis is a disease characterized by the presence of a worm in the body of an animal and the ingress of the parasite into the human body with its meat;
- geohelminthiasis - the penetration of an adult worm into the human body from the external environment;
- contagious helminthiasis is an acute pathological condition in which mature individuals are excreted from the human body.
If left untreated, diseases can flow into an acute stage, which creates a threat to the he alth and life of the patient, and there may also be a possibility of death. Therefore, the question of how to find out if there are worms is very relevant.
Signs of parasites in an adult
Let's take a closer look at this. So, how to find out if there are worms without analysis? Existsmany symptoms that can help you with this.
The most common among them are:
- itching in the anus, which becomes simply unbearable at night;
- isolation of parasites from the patient's anus;
- visual detection of subcutaneous and tissue pinworms;
- muscle pain;
- migraine;
- fever;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes, which may be accompanied by the formation of pus;
- decrease in performance.
In the later stages, when the patient develops helminthiases, the following clinical manifestations are added to the general symptoms:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- heartburn;
- burp;
- abdominal discomfort;
- heaviness in the right side.
If you do not know how you can find out if there are worms, then just listen to your body. As mentioned earlier, parasites cause intoxication, so the patient develops various allergic reactions.
Symptomatics in children
We talked about the clinical manifestations of parasites in adults, but how do you know if a child has worms? By and large, the symptoms are practically the same, but babies react to worms more clearly. The skin of children is more delicate than that of adults, so they may experience irritation of the urethra, which leads to fluid incontinence during sleep. In addition, there is an increasedanxiety, decreased mental activity, tearfulness. Very often, during a medical examination, doctors find laid eggs of worms in the folds in the anus. However, this only occurs when the baby does not adhere to the basic rules of personal hygiene.
How to determine the type of parasite by clinical manifestations?
So what do you need to know about this? We have already discussed how to determine if a person has worms. But is it possible to somehow independently identify the type of worms that parasitize in the body? The answer is yes! Clinical manifestations will help you with this. The thing is that each type of helminth behaves differently. Therefore, having an idea about the peculiarities of their habits, you can determine what specifically started inside you.
Enterobiosis is accompanied by a very strong itching in the anus, which in the evening and at night becomes simply unbearable. There are no noticeable manifestations. With echinococcus, the patient experiences pulling pains of moderate intensity in the right side of the abdominal cavity. If a person has opisthorchis in the body, then he experiences discomfort in the abdomen, and he also has severe jaundice. With trichinosis, edematous processes occur throughout the body, which are especially pronounced on the eyelids and face.
The most dangerous are such types of helminthic pathologies as hookworm and ascariasis. Their parasitism is accompanied by a large number of side effects. Patients very often observed hematological syndrome, anemia,intestinal obstruction, hemorrhagic colitis.
So, now you know how to find out if an adult and a child have worms. But for an accurate diagnosis, an examination by a specialized specialist is necessary. Therefore, if you suspect worms, it is best to go to the hospital and undergo the necessary examinations.
What tests are ordered if parasites are suspected?
Modern medicine involves only two methods of examination that can detect worms in the human body. For this, feces or blood are taken for research. Also, doctors can, at their discretion, prescribe to patients both hardware and instrumental methods. In most cases, this need arises when medical treatment is ineffective, and the patient requires surgery.
Fecal analysis
If you are interested in the answer to the question of how to find out if there are worms, then the most common and reliable method of examination is fecal analysis. It does not require any preliminary preparation of the patient, however, some doctors recommend not to perform any treatment near the anal area. Fecal collection can be carried out at any time of the day immediately after a bowel movement. Feces are placed in a special container with a sealed lid. The material is best suited for analysis within the first hour after collection. If this is not possible, then it is placed in a refrigerator for storage, but in this casereliable results can only be obtained within the first five hours.
Test readings may be false if less than four months have passed since the parasite entered the body. In addition, the life cycle of worms must also be taken into account. The thing is that they do not lay eggs continuously. Therefore, if the material was taken for research during a calm period, then it may show a false negative result.
Blood test
What is it? Many people are interested in the question of whether they recognize worms by blood. Enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) is widely used in medical practice. The advantage of this study is that it allows you to detect not only parasites that live in feces, but also worms in soft tissues. But here it is important to take into account the fact that the most reliable results are obtained within the first three months after infection. It is during this period that worm larvae can be detected in the blood.
Macrohelminthoscopy diagnostics
What is her speci alty? Answering the question of how to find out if a person has worms, it is worth mentioning such a variety of diagnostics as macrohelminthoscopy studies. They are aimed at detecting worms that have infested fluids and soft tissues. This analysis is prescribed when doctors fail to detect helminth eggs in the feces, but the clinical picture indicates the presence of worms. At the same time, doctors do not even need to use a microscope,because everything is visible to the naked eye.
Microhelminthoscopy diagnostics
The Kato swab is very effective in detecting worms in the human body. For its implementation, only 10-15 milligrams of feces is enough. However, to obtain accurate results, it is worth taking the material in the morning, and the patient is not recommended to wash himself before going to the doctor.
Feces are kept warm for about 30 minutes. This is necessary so that the feces become a little lighter, and the eggs of the worms can be clearly seen in it. This method allows you to identify most of the most common types of helminthiases in humans.
Online parasite test
Specialists who deal with the problems of worms have created a special test that allows you to determine the likelihood of having worms in the body, based on risk factors. Its essence lies in the fact that a person needs to answer a number of questions, and if two points are received for each of them, then with a high degree of probability it can be assumed that parasites have appeared in his body. At 25 points, it is recommended to go to the hospital for a full examination.
What to do if you are found to have parasites?
So, we looked at how to find out if there are worms. But what if the tests confirmed the presence of worms?
To get rid of them, follow these tips:
- check with the doctor for the accuracy of the diagnosis;
- consultwith a specialist for treatment;
- stick to the therapy program strictly;
- follow the basic rules of personal hygiene.
Worms are not as scary as many people think. Modern drugs are highly effective and allow you to defeat parasites in just one pill. The main thing is to consult a doctor in time and start treatment in a timely manner. Only in this way can you avoid many negative consequences.
