Helminthiasis

Helminthiasis is a disease in which the human body is infected with parasites.This problem frequently affects children (80%), but adults can also be infected.Symptoms of the disease may vary depending on the method of penetration and the number of parasites.

Helminthiasis is a disease in which worm infection occurs.

Description of the disease

Parasitic worms (worms, helminths) are individuals that take root almost everywhere.The most common types of worms that infect the human body are pinworms, tapeworms and roundworms.Any infected adult or child carries more than 400 different types of helminths, each with different classes.Therefore, only the attending physician can determine which worm is parasitizing a particular organism, as well as prescribe the exact treatment.

They are most often located in the intestines, but can also affect other areas.Worms affect the brain and eyes, causing allergies and metabolic disorders.Its prevalence is influenced by living conditions and climate.Thus, in European countries, in urban areas, the percentage of the disease is much lower.

The most dangerous are worm larvae, as they move throughout the body, causing additional damage to many important organs.Adult parasites settle in one spot and only affect a certain location.Intestinal helminthiases do not live permanently in the human body and, depending on the type, sooner or later they die.

However, this does not mean that the problem does not need to be eliminated.Both the parasites themselves and their decay products are dangerous.Worms worsen the general condition of the human body, reduce immunity and aggravate chronic diseases in the patient.Furthermore, helminths in the body reduce the effectiveness of various types of vaccines and medications.The most dangerous signs of helminthiasis are for the heart and eyes.

Irritant factors of the disease

Often, the carrier of helminths is a patient (more than half of cases of infection): the female parasites exit into the anal folds and lay eggs there (about 5 thousand eggs per female).The infected person feels itchy, scratches the affected area and spreads the parasites further: to items in their wardrobe and things they touch during the day.

Worms enter the body through food, but there are other routes of transmission: through the skin (dust particles with the virus remain under the nails) or by airborne droplets.That is why patients who do not follow the necessary hygiene rules, eat dirty vegetables and fruits, and drink undistilled tap water are at risk of acquiring this disease.

You can get infected from worms by drinking tap water.

So, helminthiasis most often affects people living in private homes, pet owners, gourmets who prefer baked, smoked and sushi meats.Frequent carriers of parasites are dogs and cats (domestic and stray).This parasite is called “taxacara” and can penetrate another organism;the risk of infection is especially high for people with weak immune systems.The following varieties are distinguished:

1. Get in touch.Transmitted from person to person, they are the most common type of infection.
2. Geohelminthiasis.Transmitted by soil or water;in some cases, infection through a sick animal is possible.The infection vector contains adult worm eggs, which reach humans through the feces of an animal, insect or person.People working on the land are at risk, especially without gloves.
3. Biohelminthiasis.Worms that enter through poorly fried foods: fish or meat.
4. Worms that penetrate through insect bites (most often mosquitoes).

Worms can enter the body along with food without heat treatment.

Forms of the disease

Depending on the location, the following types are distinguished:

• luminal – located in the intestine;
• individuals of the hepatobiliary system;
• affecting the lungs;
• penetrating fabric;
• ophthalmic helminth infections.

Among the most common types of worms are roundworms and tapeworms.

The most common types of helminthiasis:

1. Roundworms.
2. Pinworms.
3. Whipworm.
4. Wide ribbon.
5. Trichinella.
6. Bull tapeworm.

The first variety enters the intestine through the mouth and from there into the lymph.Passing to the lungs and other organs, roundworms cause fever, weakness and coughing.The virus enters the stomach, where it forms an adult.The patient develops allergies and the infected person suddenly loses weight.Often, patients come to the hospital with other illnesses (for example, pneumonia, which has similar symptoms).

Pinworms are most often located in the large intestine, where they grow within 2 weeks.They penetrate through unwashed food, dirty hands and dirt.The most striking symptom is anal itching, which worsens at night.If there are a large number of worms, the patient is constantly bothered by itching.

Whipworm enters through food.The infected person experiences abdominal pain, lack of appetite and anemia.Often, when a whipworm penetrates, the infected person receives the wrong therapy and is offered to remove acute appendicitis.

The fourth variety settles in crayfish or freshwater fish and is then located in the human body through an infected freshwater fish or its eggs.The patient feels constant stomach pain.

Trichinella enters through improperly heat-processed meat, which contains the parasite egg.The muscles of the face, arms and legs and joints are affected.First, the person feels nausea, has diarrhea, after a few days the temperature rises, the face swells and a rash appears on the body.After a month, the larvae die due to the active work of the body.

The bovine tapeworm enters humans through pork or beef.This has a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract, as it stops functioning normally (intestinal and digestive pathologies).

Signs of illness

Symptoms have 2 stages of development.The acute period lasts about 2 weeks, when the parasite develops there.The symptoms are very similar, which is absolutely independent of the type of worm.This form of the disease is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. General symptoms.They appear several weeks after infection: the temperature rises, a rash forms, the face swells, there is a marked loss of weight, paleness and itching.Breathing problems are common in children.

2. Dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract.Diarrhea abruptly gives way to constipation, the patient is diagnosed with vomiting and abdominal pain near the navel and possible active formation of gases.These symptoms can be mild or severe depending on the type of parasite.
3. Nervous system problems.Parasites release toxic substances.The more of them there are in the body, the more actively they act.The patient experiences frequent headaches, nausea and dizziness.Furthermore, symptoms progress to a high temperature, as a result of pain in the body and joints.The patient gets tired quickly, cannot get enough sleep and rest properly.Due to lack of sleep, irritability arises and productivity at work decreases.
4. Allergy.Symptoms of a rash due to helminthiasis are similar to those of urticaria or allergic rhinitis.The skin begins to peel, nails and hair become thin and brittle.Another distinctive feature is the cracked heels.

5. Weak immunity.Helminthiasis significantly reduces immunity and a person becomes sick more often.Some internal organs may be damaged.

The symptoms of the next phase, the chronic phase, are more varied.Here, disorders of different organs will be visible depending on the quantity, location and type of worm.If there are few helminths in the body, they do not manifest themselves in any way;several symptoms are noticeable only when the worms actively reproduce.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnosis of helminthiasis consists of a general blood test, in which eosinophils (which bind to foreign proteins in the blood) are elevated.Additionally, urine and feces are submitted for examination.It may be necessary to repeat the test after 3 days as the worms are not always visible.In some cases, additional tests for helminth infections are required.For such purposes, bile, sputum and muscle tissue are examined.

During laboratory diagnosis, fragments of larvae or worm eggs are looked for in the object of analysis.If symptoms are more chaotic, additional blood tests may be ordered.Other means of diagnosis: ultrasound, x-ray, endoscopy and computed tomography.

Worms absorb food entering the human body, so laboratory tests will show a significant lack of vitamins and minerals.Microscopic examination is prescribed if roundworms or pinworms are suspected.If symptoms indicate problems with the digestive system, fibrogastroduodenoscopy is prescribed.

Treatment of the disease

All complex treatments are prescribed only by the attending physician, as it is necessary not only to destroy the parasites themselves, but also all the consequences that they caused.If a certain type of worm is detected, anthelmintic medications are prescribed.Most of the time, treatment consists of a single dose of the medication, but in some cases it is possible to take the medication again after a short period of time.

Additionally, the following medications may be prescribed:

1. Antihistamines (antiallergic drugs), which remove all harmful substances from the body and normalize the condition of the skin.
2. If the level of hemoglobin or red blood cells in the blood is low, medications containing iron, B vitamins or folic acid will be prescribed.
3. In addition, treatment will consist of taking vitamins and adhering to a specialized diet low in carbohydrates.
4. The room where the infected person lives, as well as their personal belongings, are thoroughly processed.
5. The diagnosis of helminthiasis is recommended for all family members or people who interact directly with the patient.
6. Treatment requires nail care.They must be cut and carefully cleaned.
7. In more advanced cases, hormonal medications are prescribed, as well as medications with a high potassium content.

Also, treatment may consist of folk recipes.Natural plants also have anthelmintic properties.For example, celandine and elecampane juice.Vegetable (carrot) juices also help eliminate the symptoms of helminthiasis.Pomegranate, pumpkin seeds, mint or garlic are suitable for treatment.

Enemas with herbal decoctions help eliminate helminthiasis.

Wormwood decoction can be used as an enema or internally.Folk remedies are often used in combination with saline laxatives.Treatment of helminthiasis with medicinal methods alone is unacceptable, however, in addition to the main or as a means of prevention, such natural preparations will benefit the body.

Treatment of children is often carried out on an inpatient basis, as the disease in them is more serious and lasts a long time.When choosing medications to treat a child, the doctor often adjusts them along the way, as the initial medications will not always be effective for the child's body.

Disease prevention

Preventing helminthiasis is quite simple and does not require much effort.After any work with soil, wash your hands and also treat your nails, as this is how parasites most often enter the body.You should always wash your hands before eating anything, after leaving the house and after visiting a public restroom.Also, you can sometimes use hand sanitizer.

Everything must be carefully processed and scalded with boiling water.Care must be taken to protect food from flies and other insects, since insects often carry infections on their wings.This is especially true in spring and summer.

You should always wash your pets after walking.After a long stay of the animal on the street (for example, in the summer at a summer cottage), the animal's fur is treated with specialized antiparasitic agents.It is necessary to carry out all pet vaccinations on time.

You should only drink boiled or filtered water and avoid water from a well or open reservoir.Sources may contain intestinal helminth infections.Individual dishes, towels and toiletries are provided for each family member.Fry meat and fish well before eating.Sushi lovers can try to find a dish that does not include raw products.

Once every 6 months, a preventive course of anthelmintic medications should be given.

You can carry out drug prophylaxis twice a year: 1 tablet of an antiviral drug once a day after meals for 3 days.If the child is young, parents should consult their pediatrician to find out if the child can take these medications.