Children's bodies are quite easily affected by parasites, since children have lower immunity. In addition, a child's body cannot produce a special digestive enzyme that can destroy worm larvae; A person acquires this ability with age.
It is impossible to visually detect worm eggs, their size is microscopic, but they are present almost everywhere. The danger of infection arises at the moment when the child begins to understand the world by feeling various objects. In addition, the baby strives not only to touch objects, but also sometimes to taste them. Yard sandboxes, which stray animals often use as toilets, pose a great danger. Considering the weak natural defenses of the baby's body against helminthic infestations, it is not difficult to realize how high the chances are of parasites affecting the child's intestines. These are the main ways worms enter a child's body:
- through dirty hands;
- after contact with animals;
- due to poorly cooked meats and fish;
- Insects are also often a source of helminth infestation, as they carry worm eggs on their legs;
- unwashed vegetables and fruits;
- through dirty water that is accidentally ingested while swimming in an open body of water.
An important factor is the ability of worms to be a source of reinfection of the child, despite all the efforts of the parents. The fact is that helminths periodically crawl through the child's anus and lay eggs very close to it, which causes severe itching in the baby. The child itches and the eggs of small worms, in turn, end up under the nails, from where they easily enter the mouth and then travel through the gastrointestinal tract and end up again in the intestines. After two weeks, the larvae develop into adults, which are also capable of laying eggs.
Worm infestation in children, symptoms.
There are around 300 types of parasites that can infect the human body; however, pinworms and nematodes are more commonly diagnosed in children. Both types of worms affect the small intestine; The symptoms of damage from both types of parasites are quite similar:
- Loss of appetite, pale facial skin, dark circles.
- Restless sleep; Sometimes the child may grind his teeth while sleeping.
- Headaches, dizziness, lethargy and weakness appear.
- Sometimes worms are present in a child's stool and can be seen with the naked eye.
- The baby experiences itching in the genital area and anus.
- There is a disorder in the digestive system, constipation can be replaced by diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea are observed.
- General indicators of the blood count may change, that is, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in the level of eosinophils and ESR.
- The vital activity of worms causes general intoxication of the body, which is manifested in the appearance of allergic reactions, urticaria and atopic dermatitis.
- Increased body temperature without good reason.
- Constant itching can cause inflammation of the genital mucosa.
- Worms not only poison the child's body with products of their vital activity, but also actively consume vitamins and minerals - nutrients that the child's body needs so much, which often leads to vitamin deficiency and a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
Popular remedies against worms.
It is true that home remedies are the most suitable for treating helminthic infestations in children; The symptoms disappear quite quickly. However, before using them, it is imperative to consult a doctor, because the child's body is very vulnerable not only to the action of parasites, but also to improper use of medications, even popular ones. These are the most popular folk anthelmintic remedies:
- Garlic enema. Garlic is an antiseptic given to man by nature, it is also applicable against worms. A glass of cow's milk is mixed with a head of chopped garlic, the mixture is boiled, then cooled and filtered through a double layer of cheesecloth. At night, the child is given an enema with the milk received, a third of the medicine received is taken and he is treated in this way for at least a week.
- Chamomile decoction. Another natural antiseptic that is used to treat a wide variety of diseases. To prepare the decoction, take a tablespoon of dried chamomile herb and pour boiling water over it, leave it until it cools and give it to the child to drink throughout the day instead of water or tea. The duration of treatment is 5 days.
- Onion remedy. Chop a small onion, add milk and boil the resulting mixture, then cool and filter. The resulting product is given to the baby for three days in a row, 100 ml.
Simple folk recipes that will help cure a child of worms, watch the video:
Causes of helminthiasis
Almost 400 species of helminths can parasitize the human body, 70 of them are the most common in our country. As a rule, these are roundworms and tapeworms. Diseases caused by the penetration of trematodes (feline or liver flukes) are often detected.
The disease develops when parasite eggs or larvae enter the stomach. During the period of development from egg to sexually mature individual, tapeworms can change hosts. You can also become infected by eating meat (beef, pork, game), unfiltered water, unclean vegetables and fruits.
Helminths parasitize the organisms of mammals, fish, mollusks and amphibians. To avoid infections, it is necessary to avoid eating them raw and not buy smoked or salted fish of unknown origin.
Symptoms of worms
Various types of worms can parasitize the digestive tract, respiratory organs, lymph nodes, bone and muscle tissues. Its vital activity affects the host's body in different ways. They can produce toxins, provoke the development of inflammatory processes, allergic reactions, anemia, metabolic disorders and have a traumatic effect on organs and tissues.
You should contact the clinic to identify or rule out helminthiasis if you have the following symptoms in an adult:
- Temperature increase. It may rise sharply up to 38°C and decrease briefly after taking anti-inflammatory and antipyretic medications. Sometimes the temperature remains high for 2 or 3 months.
- Dull or cutting pain in the stomach, frequent bowel movements (diarrhea or constipation), nausea.
- Itching in the anal area, which worsens at night.
- Frequent colds or respiratory diseases - when infected with helminths, immunity decreases.
- Loss or increase in appetite, sudden loss of body weight.
- Bronchospasms, cough, difficulty breathing, other respiratory disorders, pale skin and mucous membranes.
- Itchy skin rash.
- Insomnia, frequent headaches, anxiety, irritability, depression.
- Pain in joints and muscles.
- Inflammation, enlarged lymph nodes.
- Edema.
In the absence of adequate treatment, helminths can provoke the development of chronic pancreatitis, hepatitis, cholecystocholangitis, cause irreversible tissue changes and even lead to death.
Diagnosis
Infection with certain types of helminths gives a characteristic clinical picture. When a patient first contacts a doctor, she can guess the diagnosis. During the examination of feces, eggs and other traces of the vital activity of roundworms, pinworms and other intestinal worms that parasitize the intestines are detected. Sometimes worms are visible on ultrasound. But some small parasites are very difficult to identify. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a combination of symptoms and results of instrumental and laboratory tests.
If helminthiasis is suspected in adults and children, the following should be taken:
- Analysis of feces. It allows you to accurately detect the presence of common parasites in the body. However, some of them only lay eggs at certain stages of their life cycle, so it is recommended to carry out surveys several times at intervals of 3-4 days.
- General clinical blood test. It does not indicate the presence of larvae, eggs, adults, but it provides a lot of information about the intensity of the inflammatory process, the number of leukocytes, etc.
- Biochemical analysis. It provides detailed information on protein metabolism, identifies abnormal loss or increase in protein synthesis, and allows infection by certain helminths to be excluded or suspected.
- Analysis of liver function indicators (bilirubin, pancreatic alpha-amylase, alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT). Diagnosis of the liver and pancreas suggests helminth infection.
- Urinalysis, blood test with glomerular filtration. They give the doctor information about the condition of the kidneys and the possibility that they are damaged by parasites.
Studies of bile, sputum and duodenal contents may also be prescribed.
To clarify the localization of parasites and assess the extent of damage, ultrasound diagnostics may be prescribed. If the presence of helminths in the brain or eyes is suspected, a CT scan is performed. To diagnose helminths in the lungs, x-rays are taken, and in the stomach and intestines, an endoscopy.
A complete examination makes it possible to quickly and accurately determine the causes of the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment. Don't refuse the exam. The more accurately the doctor determines the cause of poor health, the faster he can help.
Which doctors should I contact?
If you suspect a helminth infection, you should contact a therapist who will conduct an initial examination and prescribe instrumental and laboratory tests. After the examination, the therapist will prescribe treatment or refer you to a specialist doctor.
Treatment
With timely diagnosis, helminthiasis can be easily eliminated with anthelmintic drugs. The doctor determines the dosage depending on the age, weight, degree of parasite damage, type and location of the patient. To get rid of most worms, it is enough to take the medicine 1 to 3 times. Along with anthelmintic drugs, vitamin-mineral complexes are often prescribed to strengthen the immune system.
In case of severe poisoning, allergic reactions or infection against the background of serious chronic diseases, hospitalization in a hospital may be required. Doctors will not only eliminate parasites from the human body, but also perform detoxification therapy and vitamin therapy.
Surgical treatment is required for helminth damage to organs and tissues. A large number of intestinal worms sometimes causes obstruction of the intestines and bile ducts. Its accumulation is removed surgically. The decision on the need for surgical treatment is made by the doctor after a thorough examination. The complexity and duration of the operation depend on the location of the parasites, their size and quantity.
Complications
Heartworm infections caused by common types of parasites can be treated with medications prescribed by your doctor. But if you do not pay attention to alarming symptoms, deterioration of health, weakness, causeless fatigue and decreased immunity, the disease can lead to serious complications.
If the parasites enter the lungs and the patient does not consult a doctor, he or she may suffer from cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, shortness of breath, pneumonia, or even bronchial asthma.
Parasites found in the organs of the digestive system can cause cirrhosis, liver abscess, hepatitis, intestinal cancer, gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity (ascites), and peritonitis. They also often cause the development of chronic kidney diseases, meningoencephalitis and vision loss. Some cestodes (tapeworms) grow more than 1 meter long and small roundworms can form dense balls. This disrupts the normal functioning of the body and causes severe poisoning and severe allergic reactions. Without urgent medical attention, death is possible.
Classification of parasites.
The different types of worms affect the body differently, and have their own characteristics both in the development cycle and in the appearance and damage caused. There are three most common groups of worms: nematodes, cestodes and trematodes.
The first group is the protocavitary worms. They live in soil and water, so they can easily become infected in the sandbox and during a walk in general. It is this group that includes the most common pinworms and roundworms, and also includes hookworms, trichinella and guinea worms. Depending on which parasite caused the infection, ascariasis, enterobiasis, trichuriasis, etc. are distinguished.
Cestodoses are tapeworms that can live both in the intestines (the most common variant is tapeworms) and in the organs (generally larvae of tapeworms, echinococci and alveococci live there). According to which of these types of worms are found in children, echinococcosis, taeniasis, hymenolepiasis, etc. are distinguished.
And the last of the three popular groups are trematoses caused by trematodes. These are several types of flatworms: schistosoma, cat liver fluke and leucochloridium. They cause opisthorchiasis (transmitted by fish from the carp family) and fascioliasis (the liver and biliary system suffer, infection through plants or water).
Symptoms
There are many symptoms and individual manifestations depend on which helminth eggs have entered the body. Below we will talk about the general symptoms of all parasitic infections, and then enterobiasis, ascariasis and 5 other types of infections.
- increased irritability, restless sleep, decreased perseverance and attention, frequent hysteria and anger;
- increased appetite associated with active weight loss;
- symptoms of the digestive system: diarrhea, constipation, nausea, pain in the right upper quadrant;
- dizziness and headache;
- food allergies;
- runny nose;
- diseases and infections of the reproductive system;
- brittle nails/hair;
Enterobiasis is a helminthiasis in which the body is infected by pinworms. The larvae emerge from the eggs in 4-6 hours, in 2-4 weeks they become adults - round grayish or white worms 5-10 mm long. They settle in the cecum and appendix and lay eggs outside the anus; At night, female pinworms come into the air for this purpose. This reproduction mechanism causes intense itching at night, hence restless sleep, tossing and turning and screaming.
Additional special symptoms:
- nocturnal urination;
- teeth grinding;
Ascariasis is a helminthiasis in which the body is colonized by intestinal worms. These worms are already larger: the average length of an adult is 25-30 cm. Larvae and eggs enter the body with insufficiently disinfected fresh fruits and vegetables. The development period takes place in the intestines, after which they pass into the lymphatic and blood vessels, and with the flow of blood and lymph they are distributed throughout the body: in the liver, heart and lungs. They then enter the oral cavity and are swallowed again. From this moment, adult worms begin to develop. This takes approximately 3 months.
How to suspect the presence of worms in children:
- the liver, spleen and lymph nodes increase in size;
- the temperature rises, sometimes up to 38 degrees;
- discomfort and weakness appear;
- respiratory pathologies develop: pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchial asthma;
- pressure drops;
- Gastrointestinal symptoms appear: constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, pain in the form of contractions;
- fear of light;
- nightmares at night;
- dry cough: sputum with an orange tint and blood stains.
It is more difficult to breed intestinal worms than pinworms, since the female lays almost 250 thousand eggs every day. In no case should you trust traditional methods or buy the first remedy you find in the pharmacy; be sure to contact a specialist.
Babies may experience symptoms after a few weeks of life if they have received worm eggs and larvae from their mother, for example during childbirth. As a rule, symptoms manifest themselves in the form of lack of weight gain, excessive drooling, rash, paleness, blue eyes and constipation. The child is constantly worried, screams, sleeps and eats poorly. The screaming can be unbearable and the baby will turn blue in the process.
Worms are often the cause of the development of lung pathologies and are diagnosed using ultrasound or x-ray. Parasites, particularly the Echinococcus tapeworm, can damage not only the respiratory system, but also reach the brain and heart. In areas where helminths develop in the lungs, scars and adhesions appear, and the shape of the lungs begins to change. These changes cause a wide range of diseases: asthma, fibrosis, bronchitis, pleurisy, emphysema, etc. When a tapeworm enters the lungs, echinococcosis is formed, when the parasite develops into a cyst.
The symptoms will largely depend on which helminth has entered the body, but the child's anxiety and the presence of the above general symptoms should alert parents. If signs of worms appear, make an appointment with a pediatrician or gastroenterologist to get tested in a timely manner.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of worms in children is carried out in different ways: depending on which worms the child is infected with, the habitat, the location of the eggs and the toxins found in the body will be different.
To make a diagnosis, the following can be prescribed:
- blood test: shows anemia, hemoglobin and eosinophil levels;
- analysis for parasites - in 99% of cases it helps to detect helminthiasis, and in most cases it helps to accurately determine the type (biomaterial for research: blood from a vein);
- examination of feces - there may be no eggs in the feces, even if there is an infection, to ensure the presence of worms, this diagnosis must be carried out 3 times, which takes time;
- smear: especially effective in case of pinworm infection, since their eggs are located just outside the anus;
- stool analysis for dysbacteriosis;
- if there is suspicion of infection of internal organs, and not only the gastrointestinal tract: computed tomography, X-ray, ultrasound.
Diagnosis allows you to accurately identify the type of parasite and prescribe specific treatment. The doctor prescribes medications, diet, additional supporting procedures and gives recommendations for care and hygiene.
In some cases, parents pay increased attention to helminthiasis and are constantly worried about infecting their children. This leads to regular "preventive" courses of serious anthelmintic drugs, which do not bring any benefit to the baby's body. If your child is not losing weight, feels well, eats well, has a healthy complexion, and does not have itching in the anal area, he is probably healthy. If you want to make sure of this, it is better to get tested than to take an unnecessary course.
Treatment
The course of worm therapy in children includes several stages: preparation, therapy and cleansing. During the entire treatment, it is necessary to carry out general preventive measures and carefully observe hygiene to avoid reinfection or infection of one of the family members. Some types of worms, such as tapeworms and echinococci, can only be removed surgically.
The preparatory stage involves taking various sorbents that absorb toxins and cleanse the body. They are followed by antihistamines, they relieve general itching and prevent the development of allergic reactions to medications.
Treatment of helminthiasis in children in the main stage consists in directly taking anthelmintic drugs in the form of tablets, suppositories or suspensions. Medicines are selected depending on the type of helminth, individual indications and contraindications. Some anthelmintics work in 2 doses:
- the first course kills already developed individuals;
- The second course helps to cope with the larvae and eggs (prescribed 2 weeks after the first).
Cleansing is designed to remove the remains of dead parasites from the body; at this stage, sorbents, enemas and choleretic drugs are used. You can help your baby by adding raw carrots, dairy products, whole grain bread, fruits, vegetables, fish oil, nuts, especially walnuts and peanuts, to the diet.
Also, to restore the body in case of serious damage, vitamin complexes, iron, minerals and a special diet can be used, which will increase hemoglobin, restore liver function and strengthen the body as a whole. The doctor describes the treatment plan in detail, avoiding side effects. Control tests are required. Self-medication and deviation from the plan are not allowed.
Consequences of untreated parasitic infestations
Helminthiasis represents a serious danger; Without treatment, it can lead to death or major health problems. An infected child represents a danger to the entire family and the environment, as it spreads the disease.
Complications of worms in children:
- inflammatory exacerbation of appendicitis;
- epileptic seizures;
- visual impairment of various types;
- allergic reactions with abundant runny nose;
- delay in development compared to peers;
- sexually transmitted infections, the most common in girls is vulvovaginitis;
- various types of pulmonary manifestations, including bronchial asthma;
- in difficult cases, damage to the brain and heart.
Prevention
So that treatment for worms in children is not necessary at all, it is necessary to actively engage in prevention, which consists of both daily precautions and hygiene procedures, as well as taking medications.
How to protect your baby from parasitic infections:
- Maintain hygiene: wash your child's hands and bathe him regularly;
- regularly care for toys: wash and clean them (after diagnosis, all toys must be disinfected);
- cut your nails as often as possible, clean them every day;
- iron clothes after washing;
- get rid of bad habits: sucking fingers, pens, biting nails;
- give only boiled water to drink and explain the reasons;
- avoid swimming in natural bodies of water;
- use repellents (insects often carry worm eggs), destroy all insects that enter the house;
- periodically check pets for parasites;
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, carry out sufficient heat treatment of meat and fish.
Some types of helminthiasis are difficult to cure, so we recommend preventive measures to avoid contagion. By contacting the clinic, parents will receive comprehensive advice on how to properly carry out prevention to avoid problems in the future.