When a cough occurs due to parasites, almost all people think of viral or infectious diseases that affect various parts of the respiratory tract. But there are parasites that cause a cough with the same symptoms. Laboratory tests and organ examination methods performed by a therapist or infectious disease specialist will help to understand the conditions.
Types of parasites that cause cough
Main types of parasitic infections:
- Giardia?
- stings;
- archer?
- round worms.
Most often, the infection is located in the lower digestive tract, but in the absence of treatment it spreads to other organs and systems, including parts of the respiratory system.
Routes through which parasites can migrate:
- with blood flow through the vessels (some worms are small in size, so they penetrate through the endothelial wall into the bloodstream).
- fecal-oral method (after defecation, people forget to wash their hands, so when they eat food, bacteria penetrate the oral cavity).
- through food or water.
Many people do not know that parasites and cough are compatible concepts. Pathogens can penetrate anywhere in the body, causing symptoms of inflammation.
Flukes
The structure of the pathogen resembles a coffee bean. On its body there are small spines. At the bottom there are suction cups with which it moves and is fed. All individuals are hermaphrodite, meaning they can reproduce independently. But there are also options for cross-fertilization.
The main stages of the life cycle pass:
- snail pond;
- caterpillar;
- metacercariae.
The helminth does not need more than 2 days to go through all the stages, causing the infection to begin. This is due to the fact that the membrane of the respiratory tract is a favorable environment for the development of flocs.
When the parasite enters the body, symptoms are not immediately detected. Initially, the microorganisms multiply and spread throughout the tissues.
Giardia
Giardia is a parasite that most commonly causes coughs in children. In adults, pathology also occurs, but rarely.
Giardia are single-celled microorganisms that have flagella necessary for movement through tissues. Reproduction is by division. within 1 day after infection, their number increases several times.
If the pathogen is outside the body, its body is covered with a membrane that helps it survive in the environment. With its help, there can be up to 12 hours on various objects. If it is fed dairy, then the survival time is extended to 3 months.
The main route of entry into the human body is oral. The main vectors are animals and birds. Giardia disease is often found in schools and kindergartens. Microorganisms settle in all household items, but for a short time.
Roundworms and how they affect the respiratory system
The parasite enters the host's body through the fecal-oral route through contaminated products - this can be food or water. The larva is located in the digestive system and is not affected by gastric fluid and other adverse factors. Then eggs with processes appear from it, which adhere to the intestinal mucosa.
Small worms make holes in the mucous membranes, penetrating through the vascular endothelium into the blood. Through this they spread to the heart, the alveoli of the lungs and the bronchi. In the respiratory tract they pass developmental stages over a period of 3 weeks.
Cause of cough:
- alveolar tissue damage.
- strong sensitizing effect, the immune system is activated, sending many lymphocytes to the site of inflammation with the formation of an infiltrate.
- bronchial obstruction, areas of infiltration and accumulation of helminths lead to obstruction of various parts of the bronchi.
- During a cough, helminths spread from the bronchi to the pharynx, ending up back in the digestive tract.
This is how a chronic disease is formed. Larvae constantly penetrate the respiratory and digestive tract, forming repeated infection.
Toxocara and their effects on the human body
Toxocara is the pathogen that causes the disease toxocariasis. The disease affects humans and animals. Children who go to school get sick more often. The epidemiological peak is observed in the summer.
The worm has a life cycle of egg, larva and adult. Parasites enter the human body through food, contaminated water, spreading in the intestines. When they migrate into the circulatory system, they move to various organs, including the lungs. They lay eggs in the tissues, from which repeated helminthic infestations are formed.
Eggs and larvae enter the environment through animal faeces and from there they can even spread in water. The parasite is stable in the environment and survives in the soil. Therefore, it remains contagious for years.
The main danger of the pathogen is the possibility of penetration through the placenta from a pregnant woman to the fetus. The infection is also transmitted through breast milk.
Enterobiasis
Enterobiasis develops as a result of helminths entering the body. The disease occurs only in humans due to the entry of worm larvae into the esophagus. Children are more often susceptible to the disease due to a weak immune system.
Nematodes, which are round worms, penetrate the child's body. The maximum length of the parasite is 1 cm. In the body, they spread throughout the intestine, laying eggs in the anus. After that, the adults die. Parasites get into the child's underwear, as well as under the fingernails when they scratch the anus. A repeated cycle of infection occurs through contaminated hands.
Symptoms:
- anal itching, worse at night;
- redness and inflammation of the anus.
- in complicated cases, eczema and dermatitis appear in the anus.
- Sleep disorder;
- bruxism (teeth grinding);
- urinary incontinence;
- cutting pain in abdomen like contractions.
- loss of appetite;
- periodic changes in stool (diarrhea, constipation);
- nausea, vomiting, weight loss;
- in severe cases - developmental disorders.
- emotional instability, increased fatigue and loss of concentration.
When a pathogen moves into the respiratory tract,the condition is complicated by symptoms:
- cough, asthma attacks;
- asthma;
- frequent viral diseases due to suppression of the immune system;
The parasite spreads not only to the digestive tract and the pulmonary system. It can penetrate the genitourinary tract. Therefore, girls are often diagnosed with vulva and vulvovaginitis.
Licensing
The causative agent is a worm from the trematode group. It penetrates through the digestive system into the pulmonary system and liver, causing clinical symptoms.
The pathogen is not immediately transferred to a person. The first host is shellfish and the second is fish. Only after that can it migrate to mammals. Larvae enter bodies of fresh water and become infected through it.
Symptoms:
- increase in body temperature;
- malaise in the form of weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, abdominal pain.
- poisoning of the body, which manifests itself as pain in the muscles and joints.
- hepatosplenomegaly;
- dyspeptic disorders;
- bronchial asthma with severe cough and asthma attacks.
- toxic-allergic brain and heart damage.
- inflammation of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, pancreas.
- pneumonia, pleurisy.
Lack of treatment leads to death.
Fertilization
The causative factors are staggering. It is a pulmonary knee, which is located mainly in the respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, trachea). It goes through a complicated growth cycle. It does not immediately reach man; it first develops in the organs of animals. The transmission mechanism is fecal-oral. The eggs fall to the ground with feces and then pass into the water.
Symptoms (no symptoms for the first 3 weeks):
- inflammation of the esophagus and liver.
- stomach ache;
- skin rash and itching.
- tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia?
- increase in body temperature to critical values.
- choking, coughing, hemoptysis.
- increased heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia.
- if the pathogen is in the central nervous system, then it is accompanied by meningitis and encephalitis.
A few months after the pathogen enters the human body, the symptoms subside. A chronic disease is formed that can develop for many years with exacerbations.
Complications with the respiratory system due to parasitic infestations
If the cough and infection are not treated, the condition gradually worsens and complications develop:
- bleeding of the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tract.
- in the lungs, tissue necrosis, empyema, cyst, abscess are possible, which can only be accompanied by a dry cough.
- if the pathogen moves to the upper parts of the respiratory tract and completely blocks them, then suffocation and death occur.
- penetration into the central nervous system accompanied by paralysis, intracerebral hemorrhage, epilepsy.
- Intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, cholangitis and hepatitis form in the gastrointestinal tract.
Necessary diagnostics
The therapist or infectious disease specialist determinesWhich diagnostic methods are sufficient for the diagnosis:
- general clinical analysis of urine and blood, blood biochemistry.
- bacteriological and PCR analysis of sputum.
- scraping from the anus followed by microscopy.
- extended co-program;
- X-rays of light.
- Abdominal ultrasound.
An increased number of immune cells is detected in the blood. X-rays of the lungs may show lumps that could be mistaken for tuberculosis or cancer. Analysis of sputum and anal scrapings reveals helminths.
Treatment and prevention measures
The main method of treatment is antiparasitic drugs, which are taken in several stages.
Use symptomatic treatment using the following agents:
- antihistamines;
- antipyretics;
- painkillers;
- corticosteroids;
- bronchodilators.
After the first completion of taking anthelmintic drugs, the course is repeated. This is because some eggs and larvae could survive turning back into worms.
If parasites cause a cough, it is not recommended to use syrups to suppress it - it can cause suffocation. For prevention, you should wash your hands, vegetables and fruits often.
Clinical picture
Most often the patient is worried about:
- stomach ache;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, change in stools);
- itching in the anus;
- increased body temperature;
- signs of respiratory infection with a dry or wet cough.
- rash, itching of the skin.
Parasites that cause cough in children and adults show an atypical pattern in the formation of the disease. It can easily be confused with appendicitis, intestinal infection, bronchitis, pneumonia.
What doctors say about parasites
Doctors advise to be especially careful in summer. At this time, pests are actively developing, penetrating the soil and water. Therefore, it is recommended not to drink liquids from water bodies and to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
Experts tell us which parasites cause the cough: roundworms, lampreys, scabies. All of these cause a symptom in the form of coughing when they enter the respiratory tract.