Speaking of helminths in humans, the symptoms, the treatment of which is well known to many even from childhood, one cannot but note that they are conditionally divided into several classes. Different types of parasites differ from each other not only in the way of harm to the human body, but also in the method of infection. Some of them are specific. For example, for hunters, this is trichinosis, which is found in large numbers in wild birds, less often in ungulates. But how to correctly determine from the symptoms that a person has worms, and what methods modern medicine proposes to get rid of them?
forms of infection
Worms in humans in 99% of cases occur due to a violation of the elementary rules of individual hygiene. And they enter the body through the fecal-oral route, that is, by contact with the waste of some infected animals or people (just visit a public bathroom). It is impossible to pinpoint the exact signs of the disease (the spread of parasites) in the human body, since there are many varieties of worms, and each of them has its own clinical picture. And even those complex preparations used for their destruction act only on 2-3% of types of helminths, which are the most common in the world. These include: pinworms, trichinosis, diphyllobothriasis, tapeworms, etc. These are the ones that are most frequently found in our body. But its greatest diversity is in Africa, where only 1 in 10 people is healthy. In them, helminths are infected mainly through water, which does not go through the necessary stages of purification and is simply teeming with pathogens and parasites.
Considering the types of worms in humans, it is necessary to note those that enter the body through the meat of infected animals. These, for example, include the same pinworms that are found mainly in the soil. But as soon as they get to the meat, they begin to multiply actively. By the way, their dealers are usually flies.
Most often, infection occurs through well water. And filters will not help here, only passing the liquid through a special thermal station, where it is heated up to about 80-100 ° C. But these are quite expensive, so they are rarely installed in practice.
And, of course, if worms are found in a person, this means that he is also a carrier of the parasite. Helminths can be transmitted even through a handshake if the patient does not wash his hands well after going to the bathroom. For this reason, everyone can become infected, regardless of their place of residence, social status.
Please note that helminths most often occur in children. There are many reasons for this:
- Parents care little about the hygiene of their children, they do not count the elementary rules that before eating, after going to the bathroom, it is necessary to wash your hands with soap and water.
- The child's body is less resistant to helminths. Consequently, even a few pinworms can lead to the rapid spread of parasites in the baby's body.
By the way, speaking of pinworms, remember that these are helminth worms that cannot reproduce while in the human body. That is, their distribution occurs only when the eggs again enter the oral cavity. Accordingly, if an infected person adheres to strict hygiene rules, then after 3-4 weeks he will be completely healthy: part of the helminths will be destroyed by immunity, the rest will naturally leave the body along with feces.
Varieties of parasites.
What helminths are recognized as the most common in the world? Of course, pinworms, which are found in almost every country on our planet. This is due to the fact that they freely infect both humans and domestic animals and can be transmitted, including through food and water. Symptoms of its appearance in the body are classic: violation of feces, functions of the gastrointestinal tract, signs of primary intoxication.
Such types of parasites as roundworms are predominantly found in domestic and wild animals, but almost never infect humans. They easily enter our body, but die in just a few days. In severe cases, for example, when the patient's immunity is greatly weakened, the parasites settle in the lungs, sometimes in the liver, which is accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature. As a rule, at the same time roundworms are clearly visible in feces, even with visual examination.
Trichinosis is another type of common helminth that enters the body mainly through poorly (thermally) processed fish and animal meat. It causes muscle pain, sometimes swelling of the face, and general intoxication of the body.
But the most dangerous of the common helminths is the tapeworm, since it can even provoke a spasmodic attack, since its metabolic products affect the functioning of the neural system. It is also dangerous that this type of helminth can live safely in our body for about 30 years, growing up to several meters in length. In the later stages of the infection, it can only be removed surgically, as it can tunnel into the organs for rapid movement.
Schistosomiasis - helminths that are more common in men (this is due to the inherent differences in the process of urinating in men and women). Infection with such worms is accompanied by multiple symptoms, and in severe cases, helminths can exit through the urethra. It should be noted that these types of worms are more common in Africa, since the infection occurs only through water or food.
Symptoms of pathology.
How can one know that a person has been exposed to helminths in the body? In the early stages - only through a full blood test, as well as feces, urine. In the laboratory, they study the change in the composition of these substances, the change in the background of antibodies. But roundworms and pinworms are easily determined even when taking a sample from the rectal cavity. Such an analysis is necessarily carried out when passing a medical commission at the school, when receiving a sanitary book.
But the primary symptoms of infection with worms appear much later, when their number in the body increases significantly, and this is accompanied by intoxication with the waste products of parasites. For example, if we are talking about flatworms, then the patient may not know about them even after several years from the start of the infection. Suspicion provokes only a rapid decrease in body weight (despite the observance of a healthy diet), as well as lethargy. By the way, many people know that in the XIX century (as well as at the beginning of the XX century), worms were usually used in medicine to quickly get rid of excess body weight. But this was only until scientists discovered that such therapy is irreparably harmful to health.
Speaking of helminths, it should be noted that most of them can cause allergic reactions. And this is perhaps one of the most dangerous symptoms. In some patients, this can lead to sudden anaphylactic shock and even death due to rapid swelling of the airways. And all this is due to the fact that in the waste products of helminths there is a large percentage of those substances that cause allergies. Strongyloidiasis is the most common worms, the symptoms of which include such a reaction.
For the diagnosis, doctors usually use the so-called symptomatic test. This is a small sheet with about 20 questions. They offer to describe how often a person has headaches, after eating what kind of food diarrhea begins, etc. In 80% of cases, the test results are reliable, so many doctors still use such diagnostic tools.
therapeutic measures
Given the fact that there are worms and how different they are from each other, they must be treated by different means. Most types of helminths are easily eliminated through the use of pesticides. These, in turn, destroy the positive microflora for them, temporarily rendering the body unfit to live. However, the use of such drugs is quite harmful to our immunity, so they should be used only as prescribed by the attending physician.
Do not forget that all worms are conditionally divided into round, flat and fluke, and different types of anthelmintic preparations are used to get rid of them. The variety of parasites, even despite the harsh weather, remains high: more than 70 subtypes. Also, when determining the dose of the pesticide used, it is necessary to take into account such factors as the age of the patient, his body weight, the duration of infection (conditional, based on data from complex analyzes).
However, most helminths can be easily eliminated with the help of anthelmintic drugs. But keep in mind that you will need to be treated within 3-4 months, after you have completed 2 courses of therapy. And here it will be very important to follow a strict diet, recommendations for controlling body weight.
Symptoms, treatment inherent in one or another type of parasites, practically do not depend on their subtype. The clinical picture for the most part depends only on the physiological characteristics of a particular patient and the period since infection.
Precautionary measures
As mentioned above, the most effective prevention of helminths is the observance of elementary rules of personal hygiene, eating only well-treated food. But those who love meat with blood belong to the most vulnerable category of patients, in whom worms are found in almost 97% of cases. The same applies to those who like to eat fresh vegetables and fruits bought in a store or on the market, without subsequently washing them under running water. And all due to the fact that the people working on the harvest do not comply with hygiene (because it is not provided by the employer).
Therefore, in order to know for sure that in a person the symptoms with which he comes to the clinic are in no way related to helminthiasis, he also conducts blood, stool and urine tests. After all, some types of worms cause symptoms similar to those that occur with an infectious lesion. These, for example, include diphyllobothriasis, the infection of which is very similar to a simple flu-like illness. However, such a reaction of the body is associated precisely with the properties of the toxins that the parasite will release into our body. This is accompanied by a sharp increase in body temperature, runny nose and sore throat. But it's all due to dehydration. And those roundworms and the toxins they secrete cause the same symptoms as in the violation of the gastrointestinal tract.