Speaking of helminths in humans, the symptoms of which are well known to many even from childhood, one cannot fail to notice that they are conditionally divided into several classes. Different types of parasites differ from each other not only in the form of damage to the human body, but also in the method of infection. Some of them are specific. For example, for hunters it is trichinosis, which is found in large quantities in wild birds, less often in ungulates. But how to correctly determine from the symptoms that a person has worms, and what methods of getting rid of them are offered by modern medicine?
Routes of infection
Worms in humans in 99% of cases arise due to a violation of basic standards of personal hygiene. And they enter the body through the oral-fecal route, that is, through contact with the waste of certain animals or infected people (it is quite enough to go to a public toilet). It is impossible to highlight 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 these complex preparations used for their destruction act only on 2-3% of the types of helminths, which are the most common in the world. These include: pinworms, trichinosis, diphyllobothriasis, tapeworms, etc. These are the ones most commonly found in our bodies. But their greatest diversity is in Africa, where only 1 in 10 people are healthy. In them, helminths are mainly infected with water, which does not go through the necessary stages of purification and is simply full of 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 found primarily in soil. But as soon as they get into the meat, they begin to actively multiply. By the way, their distributors are often flies.
Very often infection occurs through well water. And here no filters will help - it is enough to pass the liquid through a special thermal station, where it heats up to about 80-100 ° C. But these are quite expensive, so they are rarely installed in thepractice.
And, of course, if worms are found in a person, it means that he is also a carrier of the parasite. Helminths can be transmitted even by a handshake if the patient does not wash his hands thoroughly after going to the toilet. For this reason, anyone can be infected, regardless of place of residence, social status.
Note that helminths most often occur in children. There are several reasons for this:
- Parents do not care about the hygiene of their children, they do not talk about the elementary rules that before eating, after going to the toilet, you need to wash your hands with soap and water.
- The child's body is less resistant to helminths. Accordingly, 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 helminthic worms that cannot reproduce 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 rules of hygiene, 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 with feces.
Varieties of pests
Which helminths are recognized as the most widespread in the world? Of course, pinworms, which are found in almost every country on our planet. This is because they freely infect humans and pets and can be transmitted, including through food and water. Symptoms of their appearance in the body are classic: violation of stool, functions of the gastrointestinal tract, signs of primary intoxication.
Types of parasites such as roundworms are mostly found in domestic and wild animals, but they 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 sharply weakened, parasites settle in the lungs, sometimes in the liver, which is accompanied by a sharp rise in temperature. As a rule, at the same time, roundworms are clearly visible in the feces, even with visual examination.
Trichinosis is another type of common helminths that enter the body mainly through improperly processed (thermally) fish and animal meat. It causes muscle pain, sometimes swelling of the face and general intoxication of the body.
But the most dangerous of common helminths is tapeworm, because it can even provoke a spastic 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, reaching several meters in length. In the later stages of infection, it can only be removed surgically, as it can create tunnels in organs for rapid movement.
Schistosomiasis - more common helminths in men (this is due to the inherent differences in the process of urination 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 infection occurs only through water or food.
Pathology symptoms
How do you know that a person has been exposed to helminths in the body? In the early stages - only by a complete blood test, as well as feces, urine. In the laboratory, they study the evolution of the composition of these substances, the evolution of the background of antibodies. But roundworms and pinworms are easily determined even by taking a smear from the rectal cavity. Such an analysis is necessarily carried out when passing a medical commission at school, upon receipt of a health booklet.
But the main symptoms of infection with worms appear much later, when their number in the body increases significantly, which is accompanied by poisoning with the waste products of parasites. For example, if we are talking about tapeworms, the patient may not know about them even many years after the onset of infection. Suspicion causes 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 19th century (as well as at the beginning of the 20th century), worms were usually used in medicine to quickly get rid of excess weight. But that's only until scientists find out 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 inflammation 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 worm, the symptoms of which include such a reaction.
For diagnosis, doctors often 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, test results are reliable, which is why many doctors still use such diagnostic tools.
Therapeutic measures
Since there are worms and how different they are from each other, they must be dealt with in different ways. Most types of helminths are easily eliminated through the use of pesticides. These, in turn, destroy the microflora positive for them, thereby rendering the body temporarily unfit for life. However, the use of such drugs is quite harmful to our immunity, so they should be used only as prescribed by the attending physician.
Remember that all worms are conditionally divided into round, flat and flukes, and different types of anthelmintic preparations are used to get rid of them. The variety of pests, even despite the harsh climate, remains high - more than 70 subtypes. In addition, when determining the dose of the pesticide used, it is necessary to take into account such factors as the patient's age, body weight, duration of infection (conditional, based on data fromcomplex analysis).
Nevertheless, 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 completing 2 treatment cycles. 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 largely depends only on the physiological characteristics of a particular patient and the period that has passed since infection.
Preventive measures
As mentioned above, the most effective prevention of helminths is observance of elementary rules of personal hygiene, eating only well-processed 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 goes for those who like to eat fresh vegetables and fruits bought in a store or in the market, without washing them under running water afterwards. And all this due to the fact that the people who work in the harvest do not respect 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, feces and urine tests. After all, some types of worms cause symptoms similar to those that occur with an infectious lesion. These include, for example, diphyllobothriasis, the infection of which is very similar to a simple flu illness. However, such a reaction of the body is precisely associated with the properties of toxins that the parasite will release into our body. This is accompanied by a sharp increase in body temperature, a runny nose and a sore throat. But it's all down to dehydration. And these roundworms and the toxins they secrete cause the same symptoms as in violation of the gastrointestinal tract.