Many people do not understand why, when applying for a job, they are asked to take a test for "worm eggs". Most often, patients admitted with serious symptoms - vomiting, abdominal, heart or lung pain, constipation, allergies or headaches - are surprised by the diagnosis of helminthic infestation. It turns out that parasites are far from safe for humans and the symptoms above are just the beginning. Do we get to know them better?
Pests are everywhere: outside and inside
The word "parasite" comes from the Greek parasites, which means parasite. These organisms live and multiply in the organs and tissues of the host, causing serious illness and even death. Such an infection is called an invasion. Parasites are divided into several groups, depending on their structure and "habitat", and they are all very dangerous.
Ectoparasites
This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or inside the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies and carry dangerous infections.
- Head, body, and pubic lice use their mouthparts to pierce the host's skin and drink blood. Their infection is called pediculosis. Insects carry dangerous diseases - typhus and relapsing fever.
- The Demodex mite (mite) is the causative agent of a disease called demodicosis. The length of the parasite is 0. 48 mm, so it is not visible to the naked eye. The mite lives in human hair follicles, causing inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to eyebrows and eyelashes also leads to eye infections.
- The scabies mite causes, as its name suggests, scabies. The female parasite, 0. 25 to 0. 38 mm long, eats away at the epidermis (layers of skin) to lay eggs. Scabies forms in the thickness of the skin. Parasitism causes itching, rashes and allergic reactions. Affected: armpits, groin region, abdomen, interdigital spaces. The disease spreads quickly, as the female lays 3-4 eggs every day, from which the larvae hatch after 2-3 days.
Endoparasites
Internal parasites live in the host's organs (intestines, kidneys, liver) and in the blood, causing infection (infestation). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Every year, 15 to 16 million people die because of their fault.
Endoparasites include worms (worms) and protozoa. In recent years, the number of infestations has increased. Hidden forms of parasitism predominate: in 80% of cases, the owner does not know that unwanted "guests" have settled in his body. Deaths from parasitic diseases have also become more common. The development of tourism with visits to exotic countries has led to infection with tropical parasites, which are difficult to identify and destroy in the conditions of our country.
Helminths
The most common of these parasites are:
- Roundworms are round worms up to 40 cm long that live in the small intestine. The female lays up to 200, 000 eggs per day. Worms weaken the body, causing anemia and digestive disorders. After gathering into a ball, the worms block the intestinal lumen and cause obstruction. Sometimes huge balls of tangled roundworms are removed from a person during surgery.
- Tapeworms (large tapeworms) are tapeworms that, once entering the human body, do not show any symptoms for a long time. Helminths, growing, cause bloating, anemia, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal obstruction. People become infected with tapeworm by eating improperly processed fish.
- Pork and cattle tapeworms enter the body by eating undercooked meat containing cysts (larvae) of the worm. The parasites multiply rapidly and populate the host's body. The case of a person parasitized by 104 pork tapeworms, the total length of which was 128 meters, is described. Sometimes tapeworm larvae begin to "walk" throughout the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
- Pinworms are small worms that live in the intestines. They are not as harmless as they seem. The infection causes allergic reactions; helminths crawl into the appendix, causing inflammation.
- Nematodes are a group of roundworms that parasitize the intestinal tract. The worms cause irritation of the intestinal wall and blockage of the bile ducts. 45 species of nematodes inhabit the human body. The most common are intestinal eel and whipworm.
Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract, causing extraintestinal helminthiasis (flukes, echinococci, pork tapeworm cysts). They cause damage to the nervous system, brain and internal organs. Patients have fever, swelling and blood in the urine. Dangerous is heartworm disease, in which parasites are found in the heart. The parasite causes pain similar to the manifestation of ischemic heart disease.
Protozoa
In recent years, protozoan parasites have become more widespread, affecting various organs and tissues:
- Giardia is an organism that affects the small intestine and causes peristalsis disorders. The disease is often asymptomatic.
- Trichomonas and Chlamydia are protozoa that cause inflammation of the genitourinary system.
- Blastocysts are intestinal parasites that irritate the mucous membrane and reduce immunity.
- Dysenteric amoebae are protozoa that cause a prolonged form of ulcerative colitis. A person experiences abdominal pain, loose stools and fever. The disease is dangerous due to intestinal perforation.
How to get infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and unwashed hands
There is no need to think that parasites live only in people who do not take care of themselves and lead an antisocial lifestyle. Anyone can become infected, because a person is not safe from communicating with sick people and "parasite carriers". Uninvited "guests" enter the body with food, water from pets, through dirty hands and insect bites.
Infection is encouraged by people who purchase homemade lard, raw meat, dried and smoked fish in unauthorized markets. You can become infected in a canteen or cafe if sanitary conditions are not maintained there. Poorly cooked meat and fish dishes are dangerous.
Parasites also took advantage of the passion for Japanese cuisine, where non-heat-treated fish is added to dishes. Not all sushi bar chefs follow good health practices. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.
How to suspect a parasitic infection
In the presence of external parasites (lice, scabies mites, demodex), skin itching appears and worsens at night. Areas of irritation, redness, blisters and pustules appear on the skin. Sometimes allergies occur and the temperature may rise.
In case of infection with helminths, the clinical picture varies, but in all cases there are problems with digestion (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increased appetite, some people's taste preferences change - a person craves fatty, salty, etc. This is how the body tries to replenish the loss of vitamins and microelements caused by worm parasitism.
Helminthic infections are accompanied by bloating of the abdomen, pain in its various parts, itching around the anus. Sometimes, during bowel movements, worms fall out of the anus or come out with feces. In case of severe infestation, vomiting occurs with the release of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen enlarge, and pain occurs in the right or left hypochondrium.
With helminthiasis, neurological manifestations caused by poisoning with waste products of parasitic creatures are common: insomnia, irritability, constant fatigue, bruxism (grinding of teeth during sleep).
Parasites weaken the body, weaken the immune system and cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (pinworms, whipworms, echinococci).
How to Identify Dangerous Pests
It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents yourself, especially since they may exist in a complex and by eliminating some you will only make room for others. Each clinic has a parasitologist: he is the one who treats infestations. If there is no specialist, you can make an appointment with a therapist.
The doctor will prescribe a number of tests:
- Blood for clinical analysis. With helminthiasis, an acceleration of the ESR, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in the number of eosinophils is observed.
- Biochemical blood test for ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, thymol test, amylase. An increase in these indicators is typical for nematode infection.
- Analysis of bile, mucus, sputum, muscle tissue.
Worm infestations are often disguised as other illnesses. People undergo operations during which they find a eaten away pancreas or liver. It is not always possible to cure a patient with an advanced form, so you should not hope for a miracle - you need to take the same test for "worm eggs" in a timely manner. To make a diagnosis, endoscopy of the intestines and stomach is prescribed.
Diseases caused by parasitic protozoa are difficult to detect. The infection proceeds latently and destroys the body until the patient shows serious organic changes.
Treatment of helminthiasis
To cure a patient, they are cleared of parasites and their metabolic products. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, selected taking into account the type of parasite and the patient's condition. This should be done by a doctor, because all anti-worm tablets contain dangerous substances.
To expel large worms, the patient is prescribed a siphon enema. At the same time, make sure that the head of the helminth does not remain in the body, otherwise the parasite will grow back. To prevent reinfection, anthelmintic treatment is carried out in several courses.
After expelling the worms, drip infusions of solutions, replenishers and vitamins are prescribed. Restore the functions of organs affected by parasites.
Pediculosis is treated using special sprays and mercury ointments. If pubic lice are detected, the groin hair is shaved.
Sulfur ointment, benzyl benzonate and a number of other drugs are used to treat scabies. Demodicosis is treated with complex external agents, including mercury, tar, zinc and sulfur.
Prevention of parasitic infestations
To avoid "catching" exo- and endoparasites, you must:
- wash your hands, vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating;
- remove dirt under the nails;
- do not use other people's combs, shoes and household items;
- do not walk on the ground in public places barefoot and wear a cap when swimming in the pool;
- do not buy food in "spontaneous" markets and do not eat in dubious catering establishments;
- boil or fry meat or fish;
- monitor the health status of animals by carrying out deworming on time;
- when traveling, use insect repellent;
- Arriving from an exotic country, undergo a comprehensive examination and take tests.
Parasites quickly infect people, so when detected, people living with the patient are checked and, if necessary, they are also treated.
In a modern clinic you can test for the presence of worms and consult a general practitioner for rapid cure of parasites.