Worms remain one of the most controversial topics in medicine.Some doctors continue to consider nocturnal teeth grinding and indigestion to be the first symptoms of worms in humans.
Other experts believe that helminth infestations are not dangerous and advise against taking any measures if the parasite is detected.
Types of worms in humans
Medicine knows more than 300 types of various parasites that can live in the human body.A worm is a worm of the genus of helminths that parasitizes the body of mammals (humans and animals).It may not cause visible harm to the host's body.But in some cases it leads to the development of serious pathologies.
What does a worm look like?It depends on the type of helminths, of which there are two in humans:
- Round.These are roundworms, pinworms and whipworms.Large roundworms can reach 10-40 cm in length, often accumulating in the small intestine, clogging it.Pinworms are small roundworms no more than 1 cm long.Whipworms parasitize the large intestine and reach a length of 4-5 cm.Worm eggs look different, but almost all of them have a round shape.
- Tape.These worms include tapeworms and tapeworms.They are characterized by a long body (up to several meters) with a small head.Long, flat worms in humans can lodge in the intestines, liver and other organs.This subspecies includes worms with a long, flat body and head.They also have suction grooves or suction cups.
In addition to these varieties, the body is parasitized by Giardia and protozoa, which affect the liver and small intestine.All types of parasites are characterized by the inability to fully exist outside the host's body, high reproductive function, and the ability to spread throughout the body.
Where do they live?
To understand why worms are harmful, you need to know their type and location in the body.When worms initially locate in the intestine, they travel easily through the bloodstream, reaching the lungs, liver, brain and organs of vision.
Most often, helminths settle in the intestines.There they damage the mucosa, because the parasites suck or gnaw the inner lining of the intestine to obtain food.
To feed themselves, they constantly need digested food or blood.The more parasites there are in the intestine, the more nutrients are removed from the host.Toxin poisoning occurs.The waste products of the worms enter the intestinal lumen, and then into the human blood, causing general intoxication.
Classification
Depending on the habitat of parasites in nature, the following types of worms are distinguished in humans:
- Geohelminths.Part of the life cycle takes place in the soil.Usually, the eggs of the parasite fall into the soil along with feces, which, together with the soil, vegetables and fruits, enter the body of the new host.Geohelminths include roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, and necators.
- Biohelminths.For such parasites to grow and mature, they must remain permanently in a mammal's body.Eggs begin to develop when they enter the body of an intermediate host: an animal, bird or fish.To mature and reproduce, worms must enter a new organism, usually a warm-blooded animal or person.Such helminths include tapeworms, roundworms and echinococci.
- Contact helminths.The smallest group.Infection with these helminths occurs through direct contact with the owner or with his personal objects and clothing.Transmissible parasites include pinworms and dwarf tapeworms.
Why are worms harmful?
Doctors often debate whether worms are dangerous and how dangerous they are.There is an opinion that no parasites can survive in a healthy human body.If they remain, their numbers will be very limited and they will not cause much damage.
This theory is confirmed by its supporters by the fact that every day a person encounters many pathogenic bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, with which the body successfully copes.
Thanks to natural defense mechanisms, a person can overcome helminths that have penetrated the gastrointestinal tract or on the skin.But if the infection was massive and the parasites were in an environment favorable to them, worms in the intestine or liver can cause the development of many diseases.
The degree of damage to the body depends on the lifespan of worms in a person.The length of time parasites stay depends on their type.Some of them leave the body after a reproductive cycle if a person is an intermediate host, as in the case of bovine tapeworm or feline fluke infection.But very often parasites have existed in the human body for years.
The consequences of worm infection are a weakened immune system, impaired digestion and a general weakening of the body, which can no longer cope with normal stress and other diseases.Worm infestations are especially dangerous in children and women.The parasites interfere with the full growth and development of the baby and in pregnant women cause miscarriages or delays in the development of the fetus.
Symptoms of worms
In parasitic infestation, manifestations common to all types of infection and specific to each species occur.
Common symptoms of worms in adults:
- increase in body temperature to subfebrile for no apparent reason;
- pain in the abdomen, right hypochondrium;
- stool instability;
- change in appetite;
- weight loss;
- weakness, worsening of performance, headache.
The following symptoms are characteristic of ascariasis:
- nausea, pain in the abdomen and right hypochondrium;
- a rash that appears periodically all over the body;
- decreased appetite and weight loss.
With enterobiasis (pinworms) the following is observed:
- abdominal pain;
- itching in the anal area;
- change in appetite.
Diphyllobothriasis (long tapeworms in humans) manifests itself:
- nausea, vomiting;
- pain in the abdominal area;
- indigestion;
- weakness, headache, fainting.
If the worms enter the liver, lungs or other internal organs, it is possible that no symptoms of infection will be observed for a long time.Then signs of dysfunction of a particular organ appear: cough, skin jaundice, tachycardia.
Which doctor should I contact for helminth infestations?
If you suspect the presence of worms in the stomach, you can contact a pediatrician or therapist, who will issue a referral for examination and prescribe treatment.Also, worms in the stomach require consultation with an infectious disease specialist or parasitologist.
Diagnostics
Detection of helminths is carried out in several ways:
- Stool analysis and scraping for worm eggs.Most helminths live in the intestine, so eggs or body parts of the parasites may be found in feces or scrapings.The disadvantage of this method is its low reliability, since helminths in feces can be detected only with massive infection.
- ELISA for helminth infestation.The enzyme immunoassay method allows you to detect antibodies against parasites.In the acute form of the infection, IgM is determined, and if a person has already had parasitosis or the infection has become chronic, then IgG.
- Blood tests.Detects antibodies against certain types of worms.It is considered the most accurate diagnostic method.
There are less common diagnostic methods: determining helminth infestation using a thermal imager or electromagnetic vibrations created by parasites.But these methods are not widely used.To confirm the diagnosis, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, heart, CT scan of internal organs and MRI of blood vessels are also prescribed.
Treatment of helminth infestations
A diagnosis of parasitosis often causes a negative reaction in patients, which is why they even refuse treatment.So what to do if worms are found in your family members or in you?
Today, the treatment of helminth infestations in adults and children does not present any difficulties.There are numerous drugs against parasites: broad-spectrum or highly specialized.
In no case should you self-medicate, much less try to remove worms from an adult or child on your own.Each of the drugs has its own level of toxicity and can cause poisoning of the body.Only a doctor can prescribe the appropriate drug and regimen for its use.
Pharmacological treatment
To eliminate worms we recommend the following:
- Universal preparations for all types of parasites.
- The drugs are active against roundworms and hookworms.
- Broad-spectrum drugs.
All types of worming drugs only help to get rid of adult worms.Therefore, to completely destroy all larvae and eggs, it is necessary to undergo several courses of therapy.
Traditional methods
To get rid of worms, there are the following recipes:
- Absinthe powder.Take 0.5 teaspoon.once a day for 3 days.
- Green walnut husks.It is infused in alcohol for 10-14 days and taken 1 teaspoon.once a day.
- Clove seeds.Chopped cloves are taken on the tip of a knife.The course of treatment lasts 7-10 days.
Diet
When treating helminth infestations, it is recommended not to eat heavy foods or temporarily refuse to eat to enhance the effect of therapy.And to speed up the removal of toxins from the body, you need to drink as much liquid as possible.
Routes of infection and prevention
There are three main methods of helminthiasis infection:
- Food products.The most common route of infection.Worm eggs can be carried in water or soil;they can easily become infected by eating unwashed fruits, vegetables and berries.A huge number of parasites live in river fish and seafood, raw meat and dairy products that have not undergone heat treatment.
- Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules.You can contract helminths everywhere: in public catering places, in transport, in shops, on the street, through contact with street and domestic animals.The only way of prevention remains personal hygiene and monitoring the conditions of pets.
- Contact and family.This is how helminth infestations spread in groups of children.It is also possible to infect members of the same household by sharing towels, bedding or clothes.
Are worms transmitted directly from person to person?This is rare, but in close contact with an infected patient the risk of infecting others increases several times.The only prevention of helminthiasis is to observe the rules of personal hygiene and careful processing of food.
It is recommended to undergo tests and examinations by your doctor annually.If worms are left untreated, a person's health can be seriously affected.And with the invasion of some types of parasites there is a risk to life.