A rather serious problem can be helminth infection of the human body. Invasion can occur in anyone, regardless of a person's gender, age, and social status.
Worms can settle in the small or large intestine, penetrating it in different ways.
They have a severe toxic effect on the organ system as a whole, producing the products of their vital activity.
All this negatively affects a person's resistance to all kinds of infections affecting the body.
Division of worms into types
Today, more than 300 different helminthic pathologies are known. They are caused by nematodes and tapeworms.
The former are nematodes, while the latter are flat. They parasitize in various organs and their tissues.
It is for this reason that specialists have carried out work on the classification of parasites. Two groups of worms are known based on the possibility of parasitism in the human body:
- intestinal;
- extraintestinal.
Representatives of the intestinal group settle in the area of the small or large intestine, while the extraintestinal second live in the heart, liver, lungs and even muscles.
They travel through the body thanks to the outflow of blood. As a rule, a person with a good immune system has several protective barriers that prevent worms from entering the body.
There is a special enzyme in the mouth that affects them negatively. If this barrier has been overcome by worms, they enter the stomach, where the acidic environment kills their eggs.
It is also customary to divide the worms according to the diseases they cause. For example, liver flukes cause fascioliasis, bovine tapeworms - teniarinhoz, pinworms - enterobiasis, roundworms - ascariasis, etc.
Thanks to the immunity of the intestine, certain antibodies are formed that resist helminths.
Only these barriers are not of particular importance in the event that a person has been seriously ill, eg. the immune system is weakened.
Appearance of human worms
To date, a large number of helminths are presented, which differ in appearance and have special characteristics. Not everything will be described in this article, but it is still worth identifying the main features.
Helminths in adults can be presented in the form of nematodes, which are commonly referred to as pinworms, roundworms, trichina.
The next variety are oblong individuals with pointed edges, but flukes have a flattened body.
They are called this for a reason, because they attach themselves to the area of the excretory tracts of the human body.
This is a special type of worm, which does not have its own respiratory and circulatory systems. Flukes feed on feces and mucous membranes, blood.
A special group should include tapeworms, they have a flattened body shape, similar to a ribbon.
Their habitat is the intestine. An intermediate place of residence can consist of fish and animals for individuals with duct tape.
They have special suckers that allow them to attach themselves to the intestinal walls. There, the worms settle and lead their lives, feeding and multiplying.
Appearance of human worm eggs
For a long time, helminths can live in humans, the symptoms will not be noticeable.
Many people only become aware of their condition accidentally when they start having stool tests or feel much worse.
In feces, it is not always possible to notice them with the naked eye, and even if there is no microscope at hand.
The presence of worm eggs in humans, the symptoms of which are not noticeable at first, cannot be seen without the use of special laboratory tools.
If you pass a stool analysis, the laboratory assistant will be able to determine if there are worms in the body and determine the type of these parasites.
The data will be based on the type and type of worm eggs that look different from each other.
Those. if the question arises: "how to determine if a person has worms? ", The answer boils down to the fact that to begin with it is worth going to the hospital and taking the tests prescribed by the doctor.
Ways of infection of the body
Worms are in the human body in the form of several ways of infection. The most important is oral.
In this case, the worms enter the human body through dirty hands, unwashed fruits and vegetables. Parasite eggs are found inside a person, because they live in the soil. It is for this reason that after gardening it is worth washing your hands well and only then sitting down to eat. Otherwise, only a few will be able to avoid the question of how to deal with the Helminth invasion.
It is also important not to eat meat and fish that have not been heat treated and have not been approved by health checks.
It is worth noting here that some types of helminth eggs remain alive even if the meat is cooked.
Another way to infect the body with worms is by contact. Those. infection occurs through the faeces.
Fecal matter from infected people or animals may contain helminth eggs. They enter the human body and begin to multiply when they become sexually mature individuals.
Experts identify other ways of infection. One of them is related to the skin. Helminths of the aquatic environment penetrate the human body using the epidermis.
Invasion of worms is also possible by receiving the bite of a vector insect. This method is popular in tropical states.
But even in the south of our country or in exotic countries, this type of parasite is very easy to intercept, which will lead to the fact that a person will have to be interested in how to treat helminths.
The ways of transmission of worms are truly innumerable, there is also a way from an infected person to a healthy one.
But this does not at all mean that, being together with an infected person, you will get helminthiasis from him.
Pathology cannot be transmitted by droplets in the air, there is only one contact method for transmitting worms. Here it is necessary to determine other nuances.
The peculiarity of the ways of infection of worms is that the eggs of parasites can enter the human body. They will lose the ability to develop and become adults.
They will be able to grow if they are in the environment. If, together with the larva, the necessary nutrients are found, the egg will begin to develop and grow.
Inactive helminth eggs will be excreted along with feces from the body, a person will begin to become infected and harm others, if the principles of a hygiene regimen are not followed.
The clinical picture of the presence of helminths in the human body
Many people are interested in the question of how to understand that you have worms. The answer can be obtained if you pay attention to your well-being.
Symptoms of worms in an adult vary depending on the types of parasites found in the body.
Many of them live in the digestive tract, and therefore the signs of the presence of worms in humans will be as follows:
- state of drowsiness;
- loss of previous performance;
- weakness;
- intoxication of the body with helminths;
- increased appetite or, conversely, its strong absence;
- weight loss with normal nutrition;
- constipation;
- diarrhea;
- scanty stools with blood;
- feces with worms;
- itching sensation in the anus;
- headache with migraine attacks;
- violation of healthy sleep;
- allergic reactions to certain products, this is due to the fact that some types of worms secrete special substances.
Signs of worms in adults can be accompanied by symptoms close to hepatitis.
The fact is that parasites affect the liver and the gallbladder area. There are types of flukes that can be confused with the manifestation of pancreatitis.
In the event of the manifestation of muscle pain, excessive sweating and a feverish state, it is worth suspecting that there may be trichinella in the body.
Very rarely, but cases were still recorded when the signs of the presence of worms in a person were accompanied by a deterioration in the functioning of the brain, eyes and lungs.
After all, these parasites can settle even in these places, which do not characterize them at all. Therefore, the signs of worms in humans were accompanied by precisely such pain sensations in the area of their settlement.
Symptoms in an adult of the appearance of helminths vary, it is for this reason that there are several methods for understanding that you have worms, but in reality they prove to be ineffective.
Symptoms in adults appear only in cases where a severe infection is observed. A person can lose a lot of weight, his skin will turn pale, and the itching in the anus will not stop.
As you can see, the symptoms of helminthic invasion in adults are very similar to other signs of pathologies.
Below will be considered cases of deviation of certain systems of the human body, if worms settle in certain organs.
Malfunctions of the immune system
Worms provoke a sharp weakening of the body's immune forces, taking away all useful elements and vitamins.
A person can begin to get seriously ill with a cold, even if until recently he did not have a tendency to such pathologies.
It is vulnerable to many infectious or viral diseases and therefore no minerals and vitamins can help restore immunity.
First of all, you need to find out if a person has worms and then start being treated for parasites.
Respiratory disease
If worms are found in the respiratory system, they deal a merciless blow to it. It is possible that asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis and other pathologies of the pulmonary organs begin to appear.
One of the ways to determine if a person has worms is to pay attention to the presence of a constantly runny nose.
Violation of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract
Helminths can settle in the intestinal area. Symptoms in an adult will manifest themselves in this case in the form of problems with stool disorders or constipation.
Nausea and vomiting are not excluded. There is also pain in the intestines, excessive swelling.
A person can eat more than normal and not get better for a long time, or, on the contrary, sharply refuse to eat.
There are cases when mild symptoms and treatment for other pathologies do not bring the desired result.
But there are cases when the signs of helminth infection are pronounced. There may be severe diarrhea if helminths have established themselves in the body, when large worms block the intestinal passage, causing complete constipation.
Disruption of the CNS
A huge number of helminths in the body require the earliest possible treatment for worms, because the central nervous system can be severely damaged.
The products secreted by parasites are able to inflict a severe blow to the nervous system, send the body and cause malfunctions.
A person can suffer from memory loss, frequent headaches with migraine attacks, depression, and fatigue.
It will not be easy for him to connect with other people and communication can often lead to quarrels.
Proper treatment of worms in adults is an important measure, because serious complications in the work of the central nervous system are possible.
They will be accompanied by a feverish state and an increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees.
The lack of useful elements due to parasite infection can provoke chronic fatigue syndrome, start the process of anemia and make a person constantly irritated.
Skin pathologies
If worms enter the human body, the skin worsens. In many cases, acne and pimples will be observed.
No matter how much effort a person makes, it is simply impossible to cure these pathologies.
Helminths cause pathologies such as dermatitis, seborrhea and papillomas. They can manifest as cracks in the heels, itchy skin, and lamination of the nail plate.
A person begins to suffer from severe allergic skin reactions that cannot be treated, so it is important to start a course of treatment for worms in an adult. Otherwise, there is a chance that the skin will age quickly and turn pale.
It is important to note that the brightness of the clinical picture will largely depend on the number of individuals in the human body, the place of their localization and immunity.
Some helminths, for example roundworms, can cause a general disruption of normal well-being when the heartworms go through a year-round incubation period.
The danger of worms to people
We figured out what helminths are, now it remains to figure out what harm they can do to a person.
In this case, it is necessary to indicate that helminths secrete active substances that poison the human body.
Helminths feed on digested nutrients, blood, and also love different types of tissues. All this causes the loss of iron, proteins and other vitamins vital for the development of the body.
Worms can provoke a malfunction in the digestive tract, stop the stool, it turns out that at best only a person will feel much worse.
An adult has every chance of getting rid of worms if you seek help from a doctor in time. Today, many means are known to help cleanse the body of parasites without violating its integrity.
Diagnostic measures
During the week, the doctor will prescribe 3 tests for the patient that can detect eggs. This measure is necessary to obtain a reliable result.
It is also very important to find effective tablets for worms, for this purpose a person must undergo a comprehensive medical examination, which includes:
- general and biochemical blood tests;
- scrape;
- urinalysis and stool analysis.
The specialist has the serious task of interviewing the patient and examining him to identify the characteristic signs of worm infestation.
Symptoms can include itchy anus, bitterness in the mouth, swollen lymph nodes, and joint and muscle pain.
The greater their number, the greater the risk of the presence of worms in the human body.
Medical therapy
After carrying out the above tests, it is necessary to select special anthelmintic agents. What an anthelmintic medicine is and how it works, the attending physician will be able to tell.
If it is chosen incorrectly, there is a possibility that the body will suffer even more, but it will not be possible to remove the parasites.
Each patient will need to take medications according to a specific treatment regimen. The doctor will do this based on the weight of the patient, the form of parasite infestation, the age of the patient and the degree of the disease.
In order to avoid self-infection facts, it is recommended to take anthelmintic drugs again a few weeks after the course of treatment. This method allows you to remove the rest of the parasite larvae and eggs from the body.
Traditional medicine to get rid of worms
Pumpkin seeds are famous for their great effectiveness, which help remove parasites from the body. It should be clarified that such a remedy must be consumed with a necessarily raw thin film.
It is recommended to take it in the morning on an empty stomach. If necessary, you can mix them with honey or jam.
The next stage of treatment will be an enema. Only 2 hours after this measure, you can start eating. The course of pumpkin seed treatment should be repeated after another 14 days.