Speaking of helminths in humans, the symptoms of which, the treatment of which is well known to many since childhood, one cannot help but notice that they are conditionally divided into several classes. Different types of parasites differ from each other not only in the way they damage the human body, but also in the method of infection. Some of them are specific. For example, for hunters, it is trichinosis, 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 proposed by modern medicine?
forms of infection
Worms in humans in 99% of cases occur due to a violation of elementary standards of personal hygiene. And they enter the body through the oral-fecal route, that is, through contact with the waste of some infected animals or people (just visit a public toilet). It is impossible to pinpoint the exact signs of the disease (the spread of parasites) in the human body, as 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 most found in our body. But its greatest diversity is found in Africa, where only 1 in 10 people is healthy. In them, helminths are mainly infected by water, which does not go through the necessary purification steps and is simply full of pathogens and parasites.
Considering the types of worms in humans, it is necessary to observe those that enter the body through the flesh of infected animals. These, for example, include the same pinworms that are mostly found in the ground. But as soon as they enter the flesh, they begin to actively multiply. By the way, their distributors are often flies.
Often, infection occurs through well water. And here no filters will help - just passing 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 practice.
And, of course, if the worms are found in a person, it means that he is also a carrier of the parasite. Helminths can be transmitted even through a handshake if the patient does not wash their hands well after going to the bathroom. For this reason, everyone can get infected, regardless of place of residence, social status.
Note that helminths occur most often in children. There are several reasons for this:
- Parents care little about the hygiene of their children, they do not count on 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. Thus, even some worms can lead to the rapid spread of parasites in the baby's body.
By the way, talking about pinworms, remember that they are helminth worms that cannot reproduce in the human body. That is, their distribution occurs only when the eggs re-enter the oral cavity. So, 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 along with the feces.
Varieties of parasites
Which 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. The symptoms of its appearance on 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, parasites settle in the lungs, sometimes in the liver, accompanied by a sharp rise in temperature. As a rule, at the same time, roundworms are clearly visible in the stool, even with a visual examination.
Trichinosis is another type of common helminth that enters the body primarily through the poorly processed (thermal) meat of fish and animals. 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, as it can even cause a spasmodic attack, as its metabolic products affect the functioning of the neural system. It is also dangerous that this type of helminth can safely live 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 through the organs for rapid movement.
Schistosomiasis - helminths that are more common in men (this is due to inherent differences in the urination process in men and women). Infection with these worms is accompanied by various symptoms, and in severe cases, helminths can come out through the urethra. It should be noted that these types of worms are more common in Africa as the infection only occurs through water or food.
pathology symptoms
How can you find out that a person has been exposed to helminths in the body? In the early stages - only through a comprehensive 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 by taking a smear from the rectal cavity. Such an analysis is necessarily carried out when passing through a medical commission at the school, upon receipt of a health book.
But the primary symptoms of worm infection appear much later, when their number in the body significantly increases, and this is accompanied by intoxication with parasite residues. For example, if we are talking about flatworms, the patient may not know about them even after several years from the beginning of the 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 the early 20th century), worms were often used in medicine to quickly get rid of excess body weight. But that was only until scientists discovered that this therapy is irreparably harmful to health.
Talking about 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 airway inflammation. And all this is due to the fact that in the residues of helminths there is a large percentage of these substances that cause allergies. Strongyloidiasis is the most common worm whose symptoms include this 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 starts, etc. In 80% of cases, test results are reliable, which is why many doctors still use these diagnostic tools.
therapeutic measures
Given the fact that worms exist and how different they are from one another, they must be treated in different ways. Most types of helminths are easily eliminated by the use of pesticides. These, in turn, destroy the positive microflora for them, making the body temporarily unsuitable for them to live. However, the use of such drugs is quite harmful to our immunity, so they should be used only as prescribed by the treating physician.
Do not forget that all worms are conditionally divided into round, flat and worms, and different types of anthelmintic preparations are used to get rid of them. The variety of parasites, despite the harsh climate, still remains high - more than 70 subtypes. In addition, when determining the dose of the pesticide used, it is necessary to take into account factors such as the patient's age, body weight, duration of infection (conditional, based on complex analysis data).
However, most helminths can be easily eliminated with the help of anthelmintic drugs. But remember that you will have to be treated within 3-4 months, having 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 to one or another type of parasite, practically do not depend on its subtype. The clinical picture largely depends only on the physiological characteristics of a given patient and the period that has elapsed since infection.
Preventive 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 and blood belong to the most vulnerable category of patients, in which worms are found in almost 97% of cases. The same applies to those who like to eat fresh vegetables and fruits bought at the store or market, without washing them under running water afterwards. And all because people who work in the harvest do not adhere to 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 goes to the clinic are in no way related to helminthiasis, he also does 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, whose infection is very similar to a simple flu illness. However, this reaction of the body is precisely associated with the properties of the toxins that the parasite will release into our body. This is accompanied by a sharp rise in body temperature, a runny nose and a sore throat. But it's all due to dehydration. And these roundworms and the toxins they secrete cause the same symptoms as a violation of the gastrointestinal tract.