Almost the entire population has been infected by worms, according to WHO studies. Many people are unaware of the presence of helminths and protozoa and attribute the illness to colds or poisoning. But sometimes a person can see an entire worm or part of it in the stool. It is best to get tested regularly for foreign bodies in the body.
The main types of worms
Worms of various types can live in the human body, affecting not only the stomach but also other internal organs.
Depending on the habitat, they are divided into several main categories:
- Geohelminths - larvae live in feces, human infection occurs through the mouth, flies can be carriers.
- biohelminths - the body of fish or animals is selected as an intermediate host, in the form of larvae enter the human body, where they begin to grow actively.
- contact helminths - a small species, transmitted by contact through common objects.
The greatest damage can be caused by 3 types of pests - holes, strips and roundworms. Worms are divided according to their environment into intestinal and extraintestinal forms. Intestinal helminths have a complex structure, multiplying mainly outside the human body - round worms, pin worms, tapeworms. They live only in the large and small intestine, they feed on the mucous membranes of the organ.
The simplest organisms - giardia, cryptosporidium - can also settle in the intestines. Despite the primitive structure, it is difficult to get rid of them - they multiply very quickly, they quickly become immune to drugs. In the context of infection, various infectious diseases develop.
The extraintestinal forms can move throughout the body with the help of blood circulation. Most often, these helminths affect the cells of the liver, pancreas, spleen. Less often - the brain, respiratory and visual organs, lymph nodes, soft tissues. It is difficult to diagnose this form of infection, as it is not always possible to detect these worms in a person's stool.
Cestodes and tremors enter the body with poorly fried meat and fish, dirty water. The rest of the parasites can be infected if the hygiene rules are not followed.
In 80% of infections helminthiasis occurs due to dirty hands and poorly washed foods of plant origin.
What does a human worm look like? These are parasites in the form of worms, mainly light in color. Their length ranges from a few millimeters to 2-3 meters.
round worms
Most often, roundworms appear in children.
Main types:
- round worm - they have a spindle-shaped structure, the length of the females reaches 40 cm, they leave the body together with the feces.
- pinworms - small grayish-white worms, their length does not exceed 10 mm, adults and eggs can be found in the feces.
- hookworms - externally similar parasites, length - not more than 15 mm, have sharp teeth.
- Vlasoglav - a worm about 5 cm long, completely white.
More:
- Enterobiasis - infection by contact parasites with pin worms. Helminthiasis refers to epidemiological diseases - when a person becomes infected, everyone who comes in contact with them becomes infected quickly. Worms enter the body through the mouth. Enterobiosis is accompanied by intense itching in the anus, which often leads to re-infection.
- Trichuria is a whip infection. It lives in the initial part of the small intestine, feeding on mucosal tissues and blood. With great accumulation, severe diarrhea begins, prolapse of the rectum is possible.
- Hookworms affect the duodenum. The larvae enter through the skin upon contact with the ground and are transported by the bloodstream to all internal organs and lungs. A person begins to have a severe cough, along with sputum, the larvae penetrate the organs of the digestive system. After defeating the blood vessels, the worm injects a special enzyme into it, which prevents the blood from clotting.
- Round worms can move freely in the body, a person swallows pest eggs along with dirty vegetables, raw water. Flies can be egg carriers.
Symptoms of helminthiasis
The main risk of helminth infestations is the long-term absence of signs of infection. And when the symptoms appear, they are similar to other common diseases. A person starts taking pills for cough, fever, intestinal disorders or constipation on their own, but self-medication does not give positive results.
Externally, the parasite infection can manifest itself in the form of acne, seborrhea, cracked heels, seizures in the corners of the mouth, nipples. In women, it can cause the release of leukorrhea, inflammation of the ovaries occurs, menstruation becomes painful and irregular. With prolonged infection, fibroids, fibroids and mastopathy appear. In men, helminths lead to impotence, prostatitis, prostate adenoma. Worms cause the formation of sand and stones in the kidneys and bladder.
Symptoms of invasion in humans:
- frequent colds, respiratory diseases.
- chronic inflammation of the respiratory organs and sinuses.
- constipation, diarrhea, flatulence.
- joint and muscle pain;
- sharp fluctuations in weight.
- manifestation of anemia.
Granulomas are a clear sign of infection. In these tumors, damaged eggs accumulate, forming on the walls of the intestines, lungs, liver and uterus. In the context of continuous parasite poisoning, oncological diseases develop. Severe poisoning leads to allergic reactions, urticaria, eczema. A person's mental state also changes - aggression is replaced by apathy, chronic fatigue occurs and insomnia worries.
The main symptom is worms in the stool. They can be seen visually or detected using special analysis.
Children and parasites
Worms in children are diagnosed more often than in adults. The child puts dirty hands, toys in his mouth, loves to come in contact with animals, plays in the sand and earth. According to statistics, every third child who goes to kindergarten has helminths. Worms, roundworms, Giardia and Toxocara are common in children.
Giardia are small parasites that affect even newborns. When infected, severe diarrhea begins, there is a high temperature, abdominal pain. Many parents attribute the signs to the onset of intestinal infection, the treatment does not give the desired result, helminthiasis goes into the chronic stage.
Toxocara lives in the body of cats and dogs, comes out with feces. A child becomes infected when they play in the sand or on the ground after contact with stray animals. These worms look like white threads of different thicknesses and lengths. A large photograph depicting the parasite can be used as a visual aid when communicating with a child about the need to wash their hands thoroughly.
The consequence of the infection is increased aggression, constant whims, apathy. The child begins to get tired quickly, the quality of sleep deteriorates. The main symptom that allows you to know reliably about the infection is itching in the anus, the presence of parasites in the stool.
Grinding your teeth at night is not a sign of a parasitic infection in a child.
Worm infestations are dangerous for a child - they develop chronic diseases, the immune system is disturbed, there are problems with appetite and weight. When a child becomes infected with whipworm, he begins to develop developmental delay, severe anemia.
Medical care
Since there can be more than 200 different helminths in the human body, there is no single treatment. Modern types of diagnostics help to accurately identify the worms present in the body, which allows you to prescribe adequate treatment. Most often, parasites of various types are found in humans.
Drugs affect only adults, they are powerless against larvae and eggs. Therefore, for complete release, it is necessary to undergo various courses of antiparasitic treatment.
Worms on the body can cause many serious diseases - chronic diseases of the digestive and respiratory organs, nervous disorders, glaucoma, tumors of different origins. It is easy to avoid helminth infection - wash your hands often, use antibacterial agents on the street, heat-treat meat and fish, do not drink raw water, add boiling water to all vegetables and fruits without exception.