The types of worms that infect a person's internal organs are called helminths (worms). According to statistics, today about 30% of the total population is susceptible to helminthic invasion. The worms that poison the body can infect any part of the body. This is dangerous not only for diseases that can provoke helminths. Their presence in the body can be fatal.
To date, helminthiasis can be completely cured not only with drugs, but also with folk remedies. Each type has its own treatment methods. Therefore, it is helpful to know and understand what the types of worms are, as well as the symptoms of a parasitic infection, in order to take timely action.
Classification of helminthiasis
Parasitic worms are divided into two major groups: intestinal and tissue.
The first species lives directly in the intestines. This group includes:
- roundworms and pinworms;
- hookworms and lamblia;
- whipworms and dwarf tapeworm;
- bovine tapeworm and broad tapeworm;
- pork tapeworm.
Tissue worms can inhabit any organ in the human body and parasitize for many years. These include:
- cysticercus and trematodes;
- trichinella and liver fluke;
- echinococcus and alveococcus.
Ascaris
These are the most common and delicate types of worms that live in the small intestine of an adult or child. Infection with this type of helminth is called ascariasis.
In the first days of the invasion, a person begins to experience discomfort, nervousness, fever, shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest area. Such symptoms are justified by the fact that helminths initially affect the respiratory system.
Infection can occur by drinking raw water from unverified sources, poorly processed fresh fruits and vegetables. In summer, the risk of ascariasis is increased.
Pinworms
The small helminths that settle in the intestines cause a disease called enterobiosis. The worms lay their eggs in the anal region. The eggs that are laid turn into larvae and can only re-enter the body through the oral cavity.
Reinfection occurs due to the contact of the dirty hands of a person with enterobiosis with the food they eat. Symptoms of infection can include itching around the anus and increased irritability.
Important! The disease is transmitted by humans.
Hookworm
Hookworm infection occurs through damaged skin in contact with the ground, where the larvae of these types of worms live.
Hookworms, before entering the intestines, follow the same path as roundworms.
Symptoms include cough, lower abdominal pain, nausea, and disturbed stools. This type of helminthiasis can cause anemia.
Giardia
Giardiasis progresses in people who have a habit of biting their nails and other objects (pencils, pens). Infection can also occur from consumption of poor quality water, unwashed products, contact with dirty laundry, where larvae may be found, and a carrier of the disease.
Symptoms of the infection may include loose stools and lower abdominal pain.
Vlasoglava
Trichocephalosis occurs during infection with whipworm larvae. They come inside with unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Dirty hands and water are also vectors.
The invasion is accompanied by sharp abdominal pain, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. The signs of infection are often similar to those of appendicitis.
Dwarf tapeworm
Infection with the worm occurs not only through dirty hands and unwashed food, but insects can also be a vector.
The dwarf tapeworm affects the intestines and liver, causing inflammation and poisoning.
Hymenoleposis may be accompanied by the onset of dysbiosis, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased fatigue and nervousness.
Bovine tapeworm
One of the most dangerous types of worms that parasitize the large intestine.
An adult worm reaches several meters in length. The individual removes all nutrients from the human body and produces severe intoxication.
Symptoms of the invasion are:
- diarrhea and abdominal pain;
- vomiting and nausea;
- agitated sleep;
- dizziness and fainting.
The risk of teniarinhoses disease arises from eating underprocessed beef contaminated with bovine tapeworm larvae.
Wide ribbon
The cause of diphyllobothriasis is the consumption of improperly processed fish products and caviar.
The worm that causes the disease is one of the largest and can reach ten meters.
Symptoms of the infection are severe pain in the lower abdomen and anemia.
Pork tapeworm
Infection with this type of helminth is extremely dangerous for humans. Eating undercooked pork can cause Finns to enter the body and develop into adults.
From the body of the pig tapeworm, the so-called segments are periodically separated, able to leave the body on their own through the anus or with feces, entering the environment. The signs of tapeworm are similar to those of a cattle tapeworm infection.
Cysticerki
It is a type of tissue worm that is the product of a segment of pork tapeworm. Segments containing tapeworm eggs enter the external environment and can re-enter the body through external environmental objects and cause the development of cysticercosis.
The parasites take up residence in the muscles, the myocardium and even the brain.
Important! They have a compressive effect on the organs and cause inflammation.
Hepatic fluke
Opisthorchiasis occurs as a result of the ingestion of liver fluke larvae with infected fish in the human body.
Signs of the presence of opisthorchiasis:
- nausea;
- diarrhea;
- stiffness all over the body;
- the appearance of allergies.
The more serious symptoms are chronic. This type of parasite is dangerous for the development of liver cancer.
Echinococcus
The worm settles in the body, most often in the liver or lungs. Echinococcus can cause a cyst to form in the affected organ and the development of tumors. The infection can be fatal.
The larvae are transmitted to humans through contact with sick animals.
Trichinella
Trichinosis primarily affects people who eat improperly processed meat from wild animals. Pigs can also be carriers of Trichinella.
The habitats of adults in the human body are different types of muscles (respiratory, facial, etc. ).
At an early stage, nausea and loose stools occur. The subsequent symptoms of the invasion are fever, edema, rash, muscle pain. Infection with this type of parasite without prompt treatment can be fatal.
Means of human infection with helminths
- Biohelminthiasis (animal infection).
- Contagious helminthiasis (transmitted from person to person).
- Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (diseases caused by parasites that go through one of their life cycles in the soil).
Factors affecting the manifestations of helminthiasis
The way the parasite enters the body;
- The degree of adaptation of helminths to the human body;
- Population density (number) of parasitic individuals;
- The habitat of the worm (tissue parasites live in the thickness of soft tissues, and the luminals live in the interstices of hollow organs). Some helminths in different phases have both luminal and tissue forms. As a rule, the larval and developing stages of worms cause more pronounced pathological changes.
In the absence of reinfection, the number of adult parasites in the human body does not increase. This feature significantly distinguishes helminthic invasions from diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa.
Worms in humans: symptoms
Helminthiasis is a disease characterized by 2 stages of evolution (acute, from two weeks to two months) and chronic (from several months to several years).
Symptoms of the acute phase of helminthiasis
The first signs of the disease can appear at different times (most often after 2-3 weeks, with ascariasis - after 2-3 days, and with filariasis, the incubation period can last from 6 to 18 months).
At the acute stage of the parasitic invasion, the most characteristic symptom is an allergic reaction (antibodies are produced against the antigens of the larvae of migrating parasites). Often, in people infected with worms, itchy rashes appear on the skin, prone to recurrent course, an increase in regional lymph nodes, generalized or local edema, muscle and joint pain may occur. In addition, the larvae of migrating parasites can cause chest pain, coughing, choking attacks, stool disorders, nausea and vomiting.
Signs of chronic helminthiasis
Symptoms of the chronic phase directly depend on the organ "inhabited" by the parasites, and their size and number also play an important role.
Thus, when parasitized in the intestines of isolated individuals, the disease may be asymptomatic (except in cases of infection with very large parasites). The characteristic signs of the chronic phase of intestinal helminthiasis are dyspeptic disorders. In children, asthenoneurosis and pain syndrome is more pronounced. With the massive invasion of roundworms, the development of intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice and pancreatitis is possible.
In people with helminthiasis, due to a weakened immune system and an improved process of cell division (a consequence of the constant restoration of tissue damaged by parasites), the risk of malignant tumors increases significantly.
Types of helminths parasitizing in the human body
The agents responsible for human helminthiasis are 2 types of worms: round (nematodes) and flat (ribbon and fluke).
Round worms
Pinworms
The parasites that cause enterobiosis are small, thin-cavity worms (up to 10 mm) with a grayish-white coloration. The infection occurs food (through the mouth). The reason is dirty hands. Eggs of the parasite can be found in the soil, on the wool of infected animals, unwashed vegetables and fruits, etc. At the same time, with enterobiosis, cases of self-infection are common (especially in children), resulting from scratching of the itchy areas and subsequent swallowing of the eggs. The pinworm larva develops within two weeks in the digestive tract. As an adult, the worm parasitizes the lower and upper parts of the colon.
Ascaris
Ascaris is a large, fusiform red-yellow parasite, reaching 40 cm (females) and 15-25 cm (males) in adulthood. Without suction cups or other fasteners, the roundworm can move independently towards food masses. The eggs laid by the female of the parasite are excreted with the feces.
Vlasoglav
Vlasoglav, the causative agent of trichocephalosis, is a white helminth parasitizing in the initial section of the large intestine and reaching a size of 4 to 5 cm. The parasite feeds on blood and tissue in the rectal lining.
With a small number of worms, trichocephalosis is asymptomatic. In a severe stage (with massive invasion), the patient develops abdominal pain, severe diarrhea develops, sometimes accompanied by rectal prolapse. This condition is most often seen in debilitated children. With a moderate phase of trichocephalosis, retarded growth of the child is possible.
Trichinella
The causative agent of trichinosis is a small, round helminth, up to 2 to 5 mm in length. The infection occurs by eating poorly roasted meat (pork, bear meat, wild boar). Entering the intestines, the larva of the parasite matures in 3-4 days to the state of a sexually mature individual. The lifespan of the worm is 40 days, after which the parasite dies. By piercing the intestinal wall, the larvae enter the bloodstream and are transported to all organs of the human body, settling in the muscles. In this case, the respiratory and facial muscles, as well as the flexor muscles of the limbs, are most often affected.
In the first days after the invasion, patients complain of abdominal pain. Then, after about 2 weeks, the body temperature rises to 39-40 C, itchy rashes appear on the skin, muscle pain develops, and the face swells. During this period, in case of massive infection, the risk of death is significant. After about a month, the patient recovers. The parasite is encapsulated in a spiral form, after which it dies within two years.
Hookworm and nekator
These two parasites are similar in biological characteristics, as well as in the diseases caused. In this regard, it is customary to combine them under a common name (hookworms). The worms, reaching lengths of 10 to 15 mm, parasitize in 12 p. intestine. It should be noted that this is one of the most common parasites, but at the same time quite rarely detected. Worm larvae enter the human body through the skin on contact with contaminated soil. In addition, entering the bloodstream, they, like roundworms, migrate to the lungs, and then, through the bronchi, along with expectorants, into the digestive tract. Parasitic hookworm in the intestine, attaching to the intestinal wall. Therefore, the most characteristic symptom of this helminthiasis is iron deficiency anemia, as well as a change in the ratio of protein fractions (dysproteinemia).
Flatworms
Wide ribbon
It is one of the largest helminths, reaching a length of 10 to 20 meters. The disease caused by this parasite is called diphyllobothriasis. The worm's development cycle begins with freshwater fish or crustaceans. The larva enters the human body, which is the final owner of the broad tapeworm, with infected eggs or fish fillets. Reaching the small intestine, the parasite attaches to its wall and becomes a mature individual within 20 to 25 days.
Diphyllobothriasis occurs against the background of disorders of the digestive tract and vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.
Hepatic fluke
The parasite responsible for opisthorchiasis is a flatworm reaching a length of 7 to 20 mm. Human infection occurs when eating contaminated fish meat that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment. The larva of the hepatic fluke of the small intestine enters the bile ducts and the gallbladder, attaching itself there with the help of two suction cups.
In the acute phase of helminthiasis, the patient has pain in the upper abdomen, an increase in body temperature, nausea, muscle pain develops, diarrhea and rashes are possible. The chronic course of opisthorchiasis is manifested by symptoms of hepatitis, inflammation of the bile ducts, cholecystitis, digestive tract disorders, nervous disorders, weakness and increased fatigue. The parasite leads to the development of irreversible changes, and even after its expulsion, the patient does not experience chronic inflammatory processes and functional disorders.
Cattle and pork tapeworm
These parasites, of almost identical structure, reach a length of 5 to 6 meters. Infection with teniarinhoses and tapeworm occurs due to the consumption of meat from cattle or pigs infected by Finns (one of the intermediate forms of helminthiasis). Viable Finns, presented as whitish bubbles up to 0. 5 cm, attach to the wall of the human small intestine and develop into an adult within 3 months. The band parasite, made up of more than 2000 segments, is constantly growing.
Echinococcus
For this parasite, a person is an intermediate host. The worm parasitizes the human body in the form of the Finns. The ultimate owner of the echinococcus is a wolf, dog, or cat. Infection occurs through food contact with animals and with environmental objects seeded with Echinococcus eggs. After entering the intestine, oncospheres (six-hooked larvae) develop from them. From the intestines, they enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body.
Alveococcus
This parasite, considered a type of echinococcus, is the cause of one of the most dangerous helminthiases (alveococcosis), the severity of which is similar to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Infection occurs when oncospheres (eggs with mature larvae) enter the intestines. Laurocysts are very aggressive formations that are constantly growing due to the enlargement of the bubbles and also have the ability to grow in the liver like cancer metastases. Necrotic changes due to disturbances in the functioning of blood vessels undergo necrotic changes in nearby tissues. Extending to neighboring structures, the alveococcus forms fibrous nodes with inclusions of multicameral bubbles. This condition can last for several years and therefore requires mandatory surgery.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis
The diagnosis of helminthic invasions includes the following activities:
- careful collection of anamnesis, which helps to find out the possible causes of infection;
- laboratory analyzes of feces, blood, intestinal contents 12p, rectal and perianal mucus, muscle tissue, pulmonary sputum, bile. Analysis may reveal eggs, segments or fragments of the parasites. At the same time, an increased content of eosinophils in the blood is also a sign of the presence of helminthiasis.
- when diagnosing diseases caused by larval stages or tissue parasites, serological tests are performed (ELISA, RSK, indirect agglutination reaction, immunofluorescence analysis, etc. ).
- to identify worms that affect liver tissue, ultrasound, computed tomography and endoscopic studies are prescribed.
Worms in humans: treatment
In the acute phase of parasitic infection, the patient is prescribed detoxification and desensitization therapy. In severe cases of the disease (liver trematodes, trichinosis), glucocorticoids are used according to medical indications.
As specific therapy drugs, taking into account the nature of the pathogen, special anthelmintic chemotherapeutic agents are prescribed.
In parallel, the patient is recommended to take antihistamines and enterosorbents. The last stage of treatment includes the use of probiotics that normalize the intestinal microflora.
A special mild diet is also prescribed (food should be digestible and low in fat).
During the period of anthelmintic therapy, the patient is required to strictly observe personal hygiene (in order to avoid re-infection). At the same time, for many helminthiasis, all family members and those in constant contact with those infected must undergo treatment.
An underestimation of their danger, combined with a lack of knowledge of the biology of these creatures and the routes of infection by them, has led to the fact that at least several billion people are now carriers of certain parasites.
Parasites can also be present not only inside a person, but even outside the human body.
Prevention of parasite infestation
Rule 1:you cannot eat any fish that is not sufficiently salted, fried or boiled. Sushi, lightly salted herring or sashimi can be considered gourmet dishes. But it is mostly raw fish, and fish is one component of the parasitic worm life cycle.
How it all goes:first, the larva enters the mollusk, where it does not grow more than a certain limit, then the fish eats the mollusk, the larva enters its digestive tract, remains alive, then grows and multiplies, entering themuscle tissue of the fish, then that fish is eaten by a dolphin, seagull, or polar bear. Or a restaurant visitor who decides to join Japanese high culture.
Safe raw fish exists in theory. To do this, it must either be frozen immediately after capture and thawed just before cooking, or be specially cultivated on a fish farm with control for the absence of parasites. But it is usually impossible to verify whether a risky dish was really prepared from it.
The same care should be taken with meat; don't try raw ground meat and freshly salted bacon.
In addition, in order not to get infected with helminths, the vegetables should be washed before eating, as well as the hands. As a component of the natural environment, these parasites in the human body are widespread almost everywhere.
Any contact of food or hands with soil, dirt dust and vegetation can leave their microscopic eggs on the food. If they get into the intestines, the worms hatch from the eggs, which will not be easy to get rid of.
There are parasites that attack a person who walks or relaxes in nature, for example:
- Plasmodium malaria, contained in the saliva of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles,
- the causative agent of encephalitis contained in the saliva of ixodid ticks,
- gadfly and wolfarth fly.
Their prevention consists in the use of all kinds of repellents when hiking in nature, as well as in the maximum protection of open areas of the body (mosquito nets, mosquito nets, special gel).
However, what can you do if prevention hasn't helped? Since the attack has been known for a long time, treatment with folk methods has also been known for a long time.
And in conclusion, it can be noted that compliance with simple rules of hygiene and sanitation, the extermination of flies and cockroaches, can significantly reduce the risk of infection with parasites, leading to serious consequences.