Helminthiasis is a common problem in certain categories of the population. In children, as a rule, pinworms parasitize, in people who often eat fish, diphyllobothriasis is diagnosed, and trichinosis is common among hunters.
The fact that human worms provoke the development of many diseases that, it seems, have nothing to do with helminthiasis, is currently confirmed by a wide variety of studies. In particular, there is a theory that helminthic diseases are associated with the development of oncological processes.
Also, you need to know that if there are helminths in the body, this does not mean that the patient will have symptoms of such an infection. Signs of their presence can be disguised as other ailments of the liver, gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract. As a result, a person can use different means for a long time and not detect the infection. And after the correct deworming treatment regimen has been selected for the patient, the disease can be cured. Therefore, asking yourself questions: "What should I do if I have helminths, how to check for parasites and will I infect relatives? ", You should not be afraid to contact the doctor and dget all the answers, and also find out what to do if you're dewormed.
For answers to questions about what worms are, how dangerous these parasites are, and how to avoid getting infected with different types of parasites, read the article below. We will also talk about the signs of worm infection, both general and specific.
How can you catch helminths?
Helminth eggs can enter the human body in different ways. There are four main modes of infection:
Biohelminthiasis. Worms can be found in raw or poorly heat-treated meat, as well as in fish. You can get infected by consuming lard, barbecue, dried fish, sushi, etc.
Geohelminthiasis. Eggs of mature helminths that are in the soil and in water enter the body. In this environment they find themselves, and since human feces, as well as animal feces, get there. In addition, infestations occur when a person comes into contact with animals, for example by constantly disposing of cat or dog feces, as well as when food is contaminated with fly eggs.
Contact. The most common worms, pinworms, are transmitted from person to person. In this case, the risk of contracting this disease is the highest.
A number of parasites can enter the body when insects bite a person.
Trying to find an answer to the question of what causes worms and how they are transmitted, it should be taken into account that the main route of infection with parasites is oral-fecal. That is, a person simply swallows worm eggs when eating food, drinking water. In more rare cases, worms in a person are found after the bites of insects that have become infected.
Worm infection through the soil
After contact with dirt, sand, etc. , you should not only wash your hands well, but also clean your nails. It is best for children to cut their nails very short. All vegetables growing in the ground should be washed very carefully and, if possible, scalded in boiling water.
Animals and flies
Wikipedia shows that worm eggs can appear in the house and in pets - cats, dogs walking on the street. There is a high risk of infection if children play with such animals. Therefore, you should act immediately if you suspect worms have started in cats. Symptoms and treatment of infection in animals can be obtained from a veterinarian or watch the corresponding video on the network. This way, any kind of worms can appear in the body. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether they are transmitted from a dog to a person and whether it is possible to be infected by a dog is unambiguous: yes, it is possible.
Flies are another vector of helminths. They may first land on feces, livestock waste, then fly and land on food. As a result, they spread helminth eggs and people develop helminthic diseases after infection.
How are worms transmitted from person to person?
How can you catch pinworms, and are these parasites passed from person to person? The answer to this question is simple: if a female pinworm crawls out of the intestines along the rectum into the baby's pope at night, she can lay a large number of eggs near the anus - up to 5000 pieces. As a result, severe itching occurs, the baby itches, and the eggs fall on his hands. Also, from the hands of the baby, the eggs fall on clothes, bedding and other things that the child touches. It is clear that the worms are transmitted further: other children and adults are infected with eggs, after which small white pinworms multiply in the body. This is why it is very important to wash your hands before eating, after returning from public places.
Water infection
Many parasite eggs are found in open bodies of water, as well as in well water. That is why people who use such water should use a special bactericidal filter. It is also very important to boil the water that people drink and eat dishes prepared from it. It is very dangerous to swallow the water from the tanks.
It should be taken into account, speaking of what a helminthic invasion is, that this is a disease that mainly affects children, since they are very susceptible to helminthiasis. The fact is that in children the protective barriers are not yet developed to the same degree as in adults, their gastric acidity is lower.
Also, signs of the presence of worms in a child very often appear due to the fact that small children, in the process of mastering the world, taste everything that comes to hand. Therefore, parents very often notice the symptoms of helminthic invasion in children, including itching of the anus, lack of appetite, cough in children during infection, etc. But it is still impossible to accustom the baby to strictly follow the rules of hygiene. in the first years of his life. Therefore, at present, the risk of infection is high for all family members.
Speaking of egg worm - what is it and how to treat this disease, we should not forget that worms do not multiply in the human body. Worms in the human body die over a certain period of time. For example, pinworms live for several weeks, roundworms - about a year. The eggs that adult parasites lay in the body are sure to leave the intestines - either when feces or baby poo come out, or on the skin near the anus, as happens with pinworms. When the eggs are outside the human body, they mature in the external environment, after which they enter the human body again and again to parasitize there.
Since the reproduction of worms does not occur in the body, a large number of helminths is observed only with reinfection, if the eggs again enter the body through the mouth.
Therefore, if reinfection does not occur, the pinworms living in the body die after about 4 weeks. And if you follow all preventive measures very carefully, you can get rid of the presence of worms without treatment. However, in the case of children, compliance with all these rules is a very difficult task.
Signs of helminths
When infected with parasites, some early symptoms of worms in humans appear. About the symptoms of worms that appear if you have an infection, you can find out in detail from a specialist. But some signs of worms in humans can be seen on their own.
Thus, the most striking sign that an infection with parasites has occurred is the presence of a sharp loss of weight. In addition, the patient's skin turns pale - this is how anemia manifests itself. In appearance, signs of the presence of helminthic invasion are also displayed - a person looks exhausted, his level of fatigue may increase.
Helminths cause itching in the anus if the intestines are infected. However, they can also parasitize other organs - in the lungs, liver, bladder, and even in the arm or leg, etc.
However, all the symptoms of parasites in the human body listed above are only the first general signs of infection that develop when the body is massively damaged by worms and help to recognize that something is wrong with health. There are other more specific symptoms of helminthic invasion in adults. The patient may perceive them as a manifestation of other diseases. At the same time, he can treat these diseases for a long time, of course, without success. It lasts until the exact cause of these symptoms is determined - helminthiasis. You can find more details about this in the corresponding videos on the network.
What are the symptoms of worms in an adult and a child can occur?
Digestive disorders
If the parasites are localized in the intestines, and not in other organs, the main signs in an adult and in a child are a violation of the digestive function. A person may be disturbed by constant diarrhea or constipation, periodically manifested by nausea, vomiting, pain in the stomach, pain in the right hypochondrium, near the navel, intestinal disorders. If the intestinal parasites are wound up, flatulence often worries.
All these signs can be both strong and weak, both long-term and periodic. It all depends on the severity of the infection. There are types of helminths that produce hormone-like substances, under the influence of which permanent diarrhea develops. If large worms grow larger (like a tapeworm), they block the intestines and cause constipation.
General malaise, nervous system disorders
Worms live and secrete very large amounts of poisonous substances, whether the parasites live in a person's blood, liver or lungs. The more massive the infection, the more pronounced the signs of intoxication of the body, which negatively affects the nervous system.
As a result, headaches, dizziness and nausea develop. Some people confuse these signs with the development of a migraine, and therefore they drink painkillers.
Sometimes, when infected with parasites, the temperature rises, pain in the joints is disturbing. In addition, helminthic lesions cause vitamin and nutrient deficiency in the body. This phenomenon, together with depression of the nervous system, leads to the manifestation of chronic fatigue syndrome. The patient feels tired, he is worried about drowsiness, a feeling of weakness in the body. If we are talking about a child, he is naughty, constantly nervous. Young children have disturbed sleep, they cry or scream at night. Children of school age, due to inattention and fatigue, can study poorly.
Allergies and skin manifestations
Signs of helminths Worms cause deterioration of the skin. Toxins with which worms infect the body negatively affect its general condition and can cause the manifestation of various reactions on the skin. Rashes appear as a result of the release of histamine from mast cells and the accumulation of the liquid part of blood in the tissues with the elevation of the epidermis.
These same reasons lead to the development of allergic reactions. In particular, itching, red spots, acne, hives, as well as dry cough, allergic rhinitis, manifestations of bronchial asthma may appear. Also, when infected, the nails can peel off, brittle hair is noted, and cracks on the heels appear.
Deterioration of immunity and infectious diseases
Since worms feed in the body, they secrete toxic waste. The toxic effect, a decrease in vitamins and minerals in the body leads to the fact that the immunity of the infected person deteriorates significantly. As a result, the state of health from chronic diseases also worsens, inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx begin to disturb - sinusitis, stomatitis. In women and girls, vulvovaginitis, bacterial vaginosis are possible. It is proved that with a prolonged infection with pinworms, the development of inflammation of the appendages is possible. In this case, it is very important to detect their presence in a timely manner. Parasites in the liver also cause bad breath, a persistent bad taste.
There is also an opinion that worms in a person cause the appearance of nighttime snoring and grinding of teeth. However, this relationship has not yet been proven.
Where do parasites live in the human body?
The types of parasites in the human body are determined based on where exactly they live in the body. How to determine the presence and how to remove parasites from the body depends on their type.
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These worms mainly inhabit the intestines, living in its various departments. Hookworms, roundworms, large tapeworms and other tapeworms are localized in the small intestine. In the small intestine live pygmy tapeworm, pinworms, in the large intestine - whipworm. In total, there are about a hundred types of cavity parasites. Photos and images can be found online.
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These types of worms in humans do not live in the intestines, but in the organs and tissues. There are varieties that live in the brain (cysticercosis), liver (echinococcosis), lungs (paragonimiasis), muscles, lymphatics (filariasis) and other helminths.
What worms are in a person at the moment, you can find out from a specialist.
The roundworm is a species that belongs to both luminal and tissue parasites, since in the first phase of their development they can move through the blood and infect any organ. How to get rid of ascaris, the doctor who prescribes the treatment regimen for infection with such parasites will tell.
What worms look like in humans can be found by looking at the picture of the corresponding type of parasite. Special literature shows what worm eggs look like.
Signs of infection by type
How the worms manifest themselves and how dangerous they are depends on the type of parasites, where exactly they live in the body, as well as the intensity of the infection. Signs of invasion in humans can be detected after a few days. For example, if roundworms appear, health deteriorates after 2-3 days. When infected with other types of helminths, the first signs are noted in the patient after 2-3 weeks. The incubation period of filariasis is 6 to 18 months.
Intestinal worms are dangerous from the point of view that if there is a single individual in the intestine, it is impossible to understand that a person is infected, since there are no signs. Some symptoms may only be bothersome if the worms are long (roundworm, large tapeworm, etc. ) or if there has been a massive infection. Almost all helminthiasis are accompanied by headache, fatigue, dizziness, irritability.
What are worms, what are they called and do they look like?
Pinworms (enterobiasis) - you can determine the presence of this type of helminth by the manifestation of the main signs, as well as the manifestation of itching in the anus, which becomes more intense at night. If there are only a small number of pinworms in the body, itching may occur for several days, then pass and reappear after a few weeks. With a strong invasion, itching can be felt constantly.
Ascaris - what are the signs of ascariasis, depends on the stage of development of these parasites. In the phase when the larvae migrate to the heart, lungs and other organs, there is weakness, subfebrile temperature, cough, in which sputum is released, sometimes with pus and blood. If an X-ray of the lungs is taken at this time, volatile infiltrates are visible there, which later disappear. Allergic reactions develop, a blood test shows a large percentage of eosinophils. If the invasion is strong, the development of bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma attacks is likely. Often people wonder if there can be a cough when they are infected. Indeed, it is possible. You may also feel a sore throat. The signs of the second phase are associated with digestive disorders. Roundworms produce substances that neutralize pepsin and trypsin, the human digestive enzymes. As a result, proteins are not digested and the patient loses a lot of weight. With ascariasis, complications sometimes occur - pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, intestinal obstruction, appendicitis.
Ankylostomiasis, schistosomiasis, diphyllobothriasis, trichuriasis - with such lesions, anemia and beriberi develop. After all, the toxins secreted by helminths of these varieties significantly aggravate the intestinal microflora, causing the development of dysbacteriosis.
Opisthorchiasis, fasciolosis, clonorchiasis are liver parasites. The consequences of the invasion are icteric syndrome, enlargement of the liver, spleen, pancreatitis, cholecystocholangitis, neurological disorders, pathologies of the digestive system.
Trichinosis - with such a lesion, the most common symptoms are muscle pain, swelling of the eyelids, swelling of the face, fever.
Strongyloidiasis - causes roundworms, the symptoms are very diverse. There may be signs of dyspepsia, allergies, bile duct dysfunction, etc.
Genitourinary schistosomiasis - caused by flatworms, manifested by diuretic disorders. At the end of urination, blood is found in the urine. In men, it can lead to pathological lesions of the prostate, pathology of the seminal vesicles. In women, it leads to consequences in the form of vaginal bleeding, genital lesions. Fibrosis may appear in the bladder.
Cestodiasis - caused by tapeworms. These are bovine tapeworm, sheep brain, echinococcus, large tapeworm, etc. Signs of the disease are severe weight loss, weakness and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to determine the presence of worms in a person?
If certain symptoms indicating an infection are concerned, a person naturally worries about how to understand whether you have helminths. Of course, it is possible to say for sure whether or not there is an infection only after consulting a doctor and carrying out all the necessary tests. But there are other ways that are suitable for those who wish to find out that you have worms. To do this, you need to carefully monitor the state of health and pay attention to the changes that occur in the body. After all, the presence of certain pronounced symptoms gives an answer to the question of how to understand that you have worms.
Prevention of worm infection
In order to prevent infection, you need to clearly understand what causes the invasion, what is helminthiasis, what are worms. It is important to take all preventive measures, which significantly reduce the risk of infection.
- It is necessary to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables, pour boiling water over them.
- It is important to fight flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes - to find out where they come from, to destroy them.
- Cooking meat and fish should take at least 40-60 minutes.
- You should use only your own hygiene items - a towel, a comb (so that lice are not transmitted), etc.
- It is important to teach the baby before eating, as well as after each contact with animals, to go immediately to wash his hands with soap and water.
- If there are large and small animals in the house, then you need to constantly give them funds for the prevention of worms. To find out which ones, you should contact your veterinarian.
- It is important that younger children only play with clean toys, and a pacifier or dropped pacifier should be washed away immediately.
- Children need to be weaned from bad habits - sucking their fingers, biting their nails, taking various things in their mouths.
- The baby should have clean, short fingernails.
- To avoid reinfection with pinworms, the baby should wear tight pants at night, which prevents the spread of parasites and eggs on the bed.
- It is important to iron baby clothes after washing them.
- In the morning you need to change panties and wash the child well.