Symptoms of the presence of worms in the body of a child, the causes of the appearance of parasites in children, treatment

Helminthiasis is a parasitic disease that is particularly common in children. If the worms appeared in one of the organs or systems of the child's body, then their negative impact will not only affect its functioning, but also affect the work of the immune and nervous systems. Symptoms such as cough, lack of appetite, indigestion, an allergic reaction may be accompanied by other unrelated symptoms. If you suspect a helminth invasion, it is important to contact a specialist immediately and not to self-medicate.

Why is helminthiasis dangerous?

Most helminthiases of the species most often found in children parasitize in the intestines. In it they live and feed, as a result of which they reproduce and release toxins. Parasitic worms also mechanically affect the walls of the intestine. The consequence of the active life of worms in the body of a child can be:

• Avitaminosis and weight loss. These problems arise due to a lack of nutrients and vitamins. As a result, children begin to lag behind in development. Pathological processes can begin in other organs.
• Inflammation in the intestine, colitis, dysbacteriosis, bleeding. All these unpleasant and serious complications are caused by mechanical damage caused by worms in babies in the body.
• The development of inflammatory processes in the appendix, liver, gallbladder. These are organs adjacent to the intestine where parasites can move.
• Intestinal blockage. It can be partial or complete, and sometimes there is a risk of rupture of the intestinal wall.
• body intoxication. When worms live and die inside a person, they release aggressive toxins.
• Allergy. The waste products of parasites are considered strong allergens.
• Violation in the functioning of the liver. For this reason, the child must follow a diet for many years and additionally consume enzymes.
• Psychosis. Helminths tend to have a negative impact on the patient's nervous system.

Types of worms that affect a child's body

There are many types of parasites that can appear in a child's body. They vary in size, both small and large, they also manifest themselves in different ways and have a different incubation period, ranging from 1 to 1. 5 months. To prescribe effective drugs that will help cure helminthiases, it is necessary to correctly determine their type. The most common types in children are:

1. Tape. This type of worm includes tapeworms, pygmy tapeworms, tapeworms, and echinococcus.
2. Ringed. Among these are the annelids.
3. Spin. Their representatives are trichinella, pinworms, whipworms, roundworms, roundworms.
4. Prickly head. They are represented by scrapers.
5. Apartment. Among them are flukes and flukes.

Causes and methods of infection

It is possible to get infected with helminthiasis not only in an exotic country or by trying an unusual dish on the menu. Playing in the sandbox and unwashed hands are the easiest way for worms to enter the baby's body. Small children tend to touch and study everything, without thinking about the purity of the subject studied. After that, they can safely lick their fingers without washing them first. Worms remain viable for a long time (weeks to months), remaining on the surface of various objects.

In addition to dirty hands, the main sources of infection include:

• dirty toys and surfaces;
• Do you live;
• shoes;
• railings at the entrance;
• door handles;
• raw water;
• dirty fruits and vegetables;
• soil, earth, sand;
• contact with a sick child;
• not sufficiently well cooked meat;
• poorly heat-treated fish or other seafood.

Symptoms of the presence of parasites in children

Usually in children under 1 year of age, any manifestations of the presence of parasites in the body are observed in isolated cases. The first symptoms that signal a helminth infection are recorded already in old age (about 2-3 years) in children who attend a nursery or other developing organizations.

Helminthiases in children are represented by a huge variety, and each individual type has its own specific characteristics. However, there are a number of symptoms characteristic of any type of worm:

• irritability and moodiness for no apparent reason;
• restless sleep;
• allergy;
• itching in the anus;
• increased saliva secretion;
• disturbed digestion, accompanied by diarrhea, constipation, nausea and bloating;
• lack of appetite;
• weight loss with good nutrition;
• paleness of the skin.

In adult children, these symptoms can include:

• headache;
• stomach discomfort;
• dizziness;
• increased fatigue;
• little concentration.

Enterobiasis (pinworms)

A disease when such parasites as pinworms enter the child's body is called enterobiasis. This type of helminth is one of the most common in preschool children, ages 2 to 5. They differ in average size, which is 5-13 mm, and minimal damage compared to other types of parasites.

Their presence causes the appearance of the following symptoms:

1. Violent itching in the anus. Its intensity can reach such a force that the baby will not sleep well, scratching the anus, causing irritation and inflammation.
2. Urinary incontinence during night sleep. Seen in girls. This happens if pinworms from the anus enter the urethra. As a result, the child begins to develop urethritis, vaginitis or cystitis.

Pinworms are easy to get rid of and are not as dangerous as other types of worms. It is important in time, when the first signs appear, to consult a doctor and pass the necessary tests. If pinworms have been found in a child, then the parents also need treatment. All clothes, towels and other rags should be washed and ironed and the room washed thoroughly, as the eggs of these worms are found on all surfaces of the infected person's home.

Ascariasis (nematode)

The second most common in children are large roundworms up to 40 cm, which live in the small intestine - roundworms. In addition to the general symptoms of helminthiasis, in the case of roundworm, an infected person at the initial stage develops an unreasonable cough in the absence of inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract. Its appearance is due to the fact that the larvae of this type of parasites enter the lungs and upper respiratory tract and, through coughing, re-enter the stomach.

Other features include:

• headache and dizziness;
• allergy;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• high temperature;
• intestinal disorders.

At the same time, itching in the buttocks with roundworms is absent. Not only the intestine, but also any other organ or system of the body can become a habitat.

Trichuriasis (mustache)

These parasites in children are worms with a very thin body, the length of which reaches 5 cm. The female whipworm can lay up to 2 thousand eggs at a time. Usually, such helminths are more common in adolescence, and in young children they appear much less frequently.

A distinctive feature of tricuriasis is the almost complete absence of signs of helminthic invasion. Possible symptoms include:

• disturbances in the work of the nervous system (irritability, headache);
• problems with the digestive system, accompanied by diarrhea, nausea or vomiting;
• increase in body temperature.

Signs of other parasites

Among other types of worms that can occur in children, the following can be distinguished:

• Hymenolepiasis or pygmy rat tapeworm. It has no specific symptoms. Its presence can be recognized by nausea, loss of appetite, heartburn, diarrhea and constipation, headache, abdominal pain, increased salivation, dizziness, fatigue, rash, allergic rhinitis and bronchospasm.
• Opisthorchiasis or Siberian cat fluke. These worms in a child cause subfebrile temperature, skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes, pain in the joints and right hypochondrium, pancreatitis, gastritis and other signs of digestive system malfunction, permanent catarrhal syndrome, and more.

• Toxocariasis. Transmitted through animals. The main symptoms are an allergic cough with choking and rashes, which are characterized by severe itching.
• Wide ribbon. The source of the infection is not fried or boiled fish. Symptoms include abdominal pain, an allergic reaction, vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, and other common signs of intestinal upset.

How to check if your child has worms?

In most cases, it is difficult for parents to associate specific symptoms with helminthiasis or to understand why a child suddenly has vomiting or other symptoms for no apparent reason. At the slightest suspicion of the appearance of worms, it is necessary to turn to specialists and undergo tests, which make it easy to verify the hypothesis of helminth invasion. It will not take a lot of time and effort, but the reason for the child's ailment will be exactly clear and it will be possible to conduct treatment in a timely manner.

Self diagnosis

Self-diagnosis is a careful monitoring of changes in the child's behavior, development, habits, routine and normal state, both physical and emotional-psychological.

Includes:

• periodic examination of feces for the presence of worms;
• monitor the frequency of visits to the toilet;
• examine the skin for rashes, redness, or irritation;
• check the amount of food consumed.

Test

Medical diagnosis is needed to confirm the diagnosis if worms are detected visually or only if helminth invasion is suspected. To find out the cause of the symptoms, you need to perform a series of tests, which include:

1. Fecal analysis. In it you can find already ripe eggs or parts of worms. The effectiveness of the method is maximum during the period when there are already mature individuals in the intestine, i. e. about 3 weeks to one month after infection. The fecal material must be collected in the morning and sent to the laboratory.
2. A stain or scrape from the anus. To do this, use a dry cotton ball dipped in glycerin or duct tape. The analysis allows you to identify the larvae of worms that have settled on the skin areas in the anus.
3. General blood test. Patients with helminthiasis in the blood may have an increased number of immune cells, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and a reduced level of hemoglobin.
4. ELISA blood test. It allows you to detect parasites at an early stage with the help of coloring enzymes that attract worms, viruses and other foreign bodies.

Additional tests for parasites in a child that can be done in an outpatient setting include:

• analysis for the presence of IgG antibodies;
• ultrasound procedure;
• X-ray.

Features of drug treatment

The appointment of drugs to combat parasites in a child must be approached by a doctor after passing all the required tests and establishing an accurate diagnosis and the type of worms. Among the most common drugs against helminth invasion, it should be noted:

1. Anthelmintic drug that acts on nematodes. Acceptance is allowed from 6 months. Effective against all types of nematodes, but useless in case of flat parasites.
2. Anthelmintic drug of the benzimidazole group. Appointed for 2-3 years. Dosage is determined at the rate of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight.
3. Antiprotozoal and antimicrobial drug from the nitroimidazoles group. Suitable for any age according to which the daily dose is determined.
4. An anthelmintic drug from the benzimidazole group. For children from 2 years against nematodes.

What folk remedies can help?

In addition to drugs, worms can be treated with folk remedies.

The most popular products that can provide effective treatment for worms in children are:

• Garlic. It successfully destroys roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms and copes with many other varieties of parasites. Suitable for children from 5 years of age and with a healthy stomach. It should be given 1 clove before meals once a day. It can be taken with water or milk. Garlic is also an excellent antiviral agent.
• Pumpkin seeds. They should be eaten on an empty stomach and raw. Children usually like this treatment. Otherwise, they can be crushed and mixed with honey if the baby is not allergic to honey.
• Sagebrush. Allowed for children from 12 years. To simplify the reception, it should be mixed with a piece of bread and salt.
• Fresh carrot juice. Enough half a cup on an empty stomach once a day for 7-10 days. You can also munch on raw carrots.
• Beetroot juice. It is given on an empty stomach. It is recommended to alternate it with carrots, so as not to provoke a violation of the stool.
• Walnuts. A few pieces per day will be enough for a child.
• A pineapple. Fresh fruit, not in syrup, is a tasty and effective remedy.
• citrus fruits. To their "company" you can add sour-tasting berries and fruits.

Prevention

Regardless of the type of worms, prevention comes down to adhering to the basic rules of personal hygiene:

1. Washed food. All vegetables, fruits and berries must be washed well before eating. As an additional measure, the products can be sprinkled with boiling water.
2. Clean hands. They must be washed before eating, after walking, visiting the hospital and staying in public places, after going to the bathroom and playing with animals, even pets.
3. Deworming of pets. It must be done at least 2 times a year.
4. Boiled or filtered water to drink. It is forbidden to drink water from open tanks. Swimming in them should also be avoided to prevent splashes of water from entering the mouth. Salt lakes and seas are an exception.
5. Regular prevention with the help of folk remedies.
6. Take care of old and new toys. Soft toys need to be washed periodically, plastic and plastic ones need to be washed with boiled water. New ones, before giving them to a child, should be poured without fail with boiling water.
7. No bugs! Flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches carry helminth eggs on their paws. It is important to prevent them from entering the house. To do this, you can use fumigators, adhesive tapes and special crayons.
8. Exclusion from the child's diet of fish and meat dishes that require low roasting of animal products.
9. Stool analysis once a year. This procedure will help detect worms at an early stage.