Worm infestations in children – one of the most common and do not underestimate the danger of the disease. Helminths in children induce not only the insufficient supply of nutrients to the body, but also cause allergic reactions, chronic intoxication, lowered immunity, disease, and damage to the organs of the digestive tract. Symptoms of parasitosis develops right away, for a long time the disease may be asymptomatic or with unexpressed clinical picture and defined only in laboratory analyses.
The incidence and types of de-worming
It is widely known that helminthiasis, infection with worms – it is a disease more related to the people from the social strata it is the lower middle, living in unsanitary conditions, often contact with infected animals or soil. However, according to statistics, only in european countries helminths are detected during the examination for each third patient.
In nature, there are more than 300 species of deworming, more than 70 species common in Russia, others may penetrate into the body of a man while traveling to exotic countries. For all kinds of worms-parasites, able to exist in the human body, create three groups:
- hookworm, related to the round helminths, some of the most commonly occurring parasites in toddlers (pinworm, whipworm, Trichinella, roundworm);
- tape (flat) worms, related to the cestode (various kinds of tapeworm, the tapeworm, and Echinococcus);
- parasites-luck or flukes, becomes a cause of opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, chistosos, paragonimoz, etc.
In most cases helminths, parasitic and multiplies in the department of colon, but eggs and larvae may spread with the flow of blood to the various organs of the body. Most often, they are affected by the surrounding organs of the digestive system: the liver, the gallbladder, but the parasites can settle muscle tissue, lungs, brain.
Helminthiasis: the ways of infection
Ways of infection with worms depends on the characteristics of their development cycle. For some groups, worming man is the main "boss", in the body, which live and multiply, for the other is a mediator. In some cases parasites can be the ripening of eggs in the soil or in other conditions. But the basic rule of protection against infections is hygiene, a condition which in children is carried out not always.
Children's age – the period when it is stable immunity is not yet formed, which significantly increases the likelihood of infection parasitosis. A desire to try all the flavor, more contact with the soil, sand, and all the items that increase the likelihood of penetration of eggs worming into the body of the child.
The most common helminths – pinworms and ascaris – are carried on unwashed hands, may remain on the articles of daily use (the handles on the door), go inside the body with the food (poorly washed berries, herbs, vegetables). Also there is a probability the dissemination of deworming in contact with an infected person or animal, or of the existence in close proximity with them.
Pinworms – one of deworming, provoking reinvasion of: itching, which cause the female pinworms in the process of delaying the eggs outside the anus, forcing the patient to touch, to rub, to scratch the irritated surface and distribute the eggs of the parasites on the bottom and bed linen, clothes, objects, surfaces. With repeated ingestion of the eggs remain on the hands or in bed, is happening reinvasion, self-infection of the patient. Primary infection of children, and most often occurs in children's institutions, on the stock exchanges, in places of a mass congestion of toddlers.
What factors increase the risk of contracting helminths?
- Non-compliance with hand hygiene: skip washing your hands after returning from the street of the guests, from the bathroom, before each meal.
- The nail-biting, sucking fingers, holding in the mouth a variety of objects (pencils, pens, toys, etc.).
- Availability allowed, who will visit the streets: even in the early anthelmintic therapy dogs and cats can spread the eggs of the worm, disseminated from the street to the extremities of the wave.
- Non-compliance with rules for processing of vegetables, fruits, berries, green vegetation before consumption.
- The low level of hygiene in the house: the wearing of outdoor shoes, early washing floors, etc.
Worms in children: different symptoms and treatment of helminths
Many species of parasites for a long time is not conducive to formation of obvious clinical pictures eliminare: the aim of parasite – exist so as not to be noticed by the host-carrier. So bright, the symptoms of helminthiasis can be called only in cases where the assault plural (originally or because of the long latent period) and/or in the child, decreased immunity, there are concomitant diseases, in the background, which is helminthiasis manifests itself more pronounced. Own situation – infestation of exotic species of parasites, which cause a strong reaction of the organism.
Common signs of helminths in children:
- increased appetite without weight gain;
- increased secretion of saliva;
- manifestations of intestinal dyspepsia, flatulence, unstable stool, nausea, painful sensations in the region of the stomach, the right hypochondrium, intestinal cramps;
- dizziness, headache, increased fatigue;
- propensity to allergic reactions, which have been observed previously, or it is more acute manifestations of allergy;
- sensitivity, irritability, sleep disorders, attention, memory are connected with the intoxication products of life worming;
- capillary, hair loss, a bundle of nails in the development of beriberi and iron deficiency;
- frequent inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx (sinusitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, etc.), genital organs, and especially in girls due to the anatomical proximity of the vagina and the rectum.
During long helminthiasyx in children is lagging behind from the age norm in the growth, weight, development, activity disorder and diseases of the organs of the digestive tract, signs expressed intoxication, anemia, allergies, frequent respiratory diseases, bacterial and viral etiology, neurological deviations.
The first symptoms usually appear after 2 to 4 weeks after the fall of the eggs of worms in the body. They vary depending on the number of parasites, the levels of protective forces, and the health of the child, and also for the individual types of deworming. So, pinworms cause night itching in the anal area, which contributes to sleep disturbances. At toxocarosis characteristic symptoms are cough without symptoms of the disease of the respiratory tract, fever, a condition is likely to occur shortness of breath and allergic reactions.
The widespread belief that bruxism, grinding teeth in his sleep – a sign of the presence of worms in the body have been refuted by scientists-doctors. The phenomenon of bruxism is associated with the function of the nervous system of the person. Although helminths, especially pinworms, can disrupt sleep and contribute to neuroticism baby, teeth grinding is not a confirmation of wormtion invasion. Treatment of this phenomenon dealing with neurologists and doctors.
During long helminthiasyx for all people develops the clinical picture of the intoxication of the organism.
Diagnosis of helminths
In most cases helminthiasis in children are diagnosed through yearly preventive surveys the feces on eggs a worm. However, the surest way: in the presence of symptomatology and negative analysis it must be remembered that not all types of deworming can be determined in such a way. Those species that lay their eggs, also can avoid detection in laboratory studies, because this breeding may not coincide with the time of analysis. They are also known the cases, when in the body there are one or more same-sex individuals are not capable of reproduction, but which harm throughout the entire life cycle.
When the negative analyses of faeces it is recommended to conduct re-stock in 2-3 weeks. In the list of prevention research include analysis for the presence of the ova of the worm and scraping on enterobiasis. The local availability of de-worming can also be based on the results of the analysis of blood: the highest level of eosinophils in the combination is reduced to a large extent, absorbed mainly by hemoglobin in most cases means the presence of parasites in the body.
To refine the diagnosis can be used in biological studies of mucus, bile, urine, coprogram fecal masses.
To refine the diagnosis in suspected Echinococcus investigating authorities of the peritoneum ultrasound and/or x-ray method. Opisthorchiasis is diagnosed by analysis of gut contents and duodenal surveys.
Clarify the type of parasite and caused by them is harmful to the body help the immunological studies. After an accurate diagnosis is the selected method of treatment.
Drug methods of treatment of helminths in children
Therapy in the helminthiasyx is based on two things: how to get rid of parasites and detoxification of the organism, reduction or compensation of the damage caused by existing worms.
To reduce the výraznýSTI signs of intoxication are vitamin preparations (In, With), iron, vitamin-mineral complexes, glucose solution, a course of infusions gemodeza and so p. In some cases, it is shown the use of diuretics, antihistamines. When damage to the heart muscle, tissue of the liver may be used hormonal means.
As supportive therapy is prescribed chelators, the output of GIT waste products of parasites, enzyme preparations, contributing to the improvement of the process of digestion and the functioning of the organs, and so sp
In all helminthiasyx highly recommends the use of drugs of a wide action in children. Drugs that cause the death of the parasites, the effect on the human body, therefore it is the choice of the drug and its dosage must be approached with caution.
Home and folk methods, how to get rid of worms, it is strictly not recommended due to insufficient data base and the possibility to accurately measure the dose and the likely effect on the child's organism.
Principles of therapy in the helminthiasyx
In most cases, the therapy of helminthiasis in one member of the family, the treatment must be carried out on all who live on this territory adults and children. This is true not only for the high-contagious askaridoza, but also to other kinds of helminths. Medicines for every member of the family also picks up the doctor, depending on the age and health.
If in the house there are pets, them, without exception, spend an anthelmintic treatment regardless of the time after the prevention.
In the room, the whereabouts of the sick child, it is necessary to do daily sanitary cleaning, suitable for the time of treatment to give away all the carpets, soft toys, bedspreads. Bed and wearable underwear, personal towels changed as often as possible (panties – twice a day), after washing all the linens need to be carefully ironed.
It is necessary to monitor compliance with the rules of hygiene: wash your hands after each visit to the locker room, returning from the street, only use a personal towel, briefly cut the nails. Without compliance with the rules of therapy may prove ineffective due to the constant presence of the source of the surrounded by a patient.
Prevention of infection with worms
To measures of prevention in the first place include the rules of personal hygiene. Most often the eggs of the worm moved into the oral cavity with the hands, and washing your hands helps prevent the most cases of the disease.
Other preventive measures include:
- careful (not less than 2-3 minutes under running water) washing fruits, vegetables, leafy green before a meal, if expected to be consumed in its raw state;
- prolonged heat treatment of river fish (40-60 minutes) before taking food;
- timely preventive anthelmintic therapy in domestic animals;
- overall cleanliness in the house, in accordance with sanitary and health regulations.