Parasites may well be called humans' natural companions, as these creatures cannot live outside of the host's body. At least 70% of the world's population is believed to be infected with various types of helminths. Also, many people are at home to them almost from birth. At the same time, it ponders the question of how to determine the presence of parasites in the body, about a third of all infected. The reason for this is the low awareness of the population or lack of interest in the state of their health.
To avoid complications caused by parasites, it is important to recognize the infection in time.
According to statistics, more than 60% of people with parasitic infections learn about the problem by chance, and only about 30% purposely look for the symptoms of helminthiasis and go to identify the problem to specialists.
Until recently, helminthiasis was often called the disease of the poor, as hygiene skills are poorly instilled in these layers. However, with the growing interest in the problem on the part of science, it has been found that such a definition is fundamentally wrong, as the worms can be found both in peasants and in respectable businessmen.
Why is coexistence with parasites dangerous?
Many people don't understand why they need to be tested for parasites if there aren't any serious health issues? Why do you need to look for any interruptions in your state if they don't interfere with your usual lifestyle? Also, 8% of the population has a reasonable question - what if a person learned to exist with parasites in their body? After all, evolution does not stand still, and what was once considered harmful may now be the norm.
Similar questions have been raised more than once, and any doctor, even the most inexperienced, will tell you that a parasitic organism differs from a symbiote (a microorganism that exists peacefully in a person, which helps, for example, to process and assimilate food more efficiently. efficiency) insofar as it takes more than it gives. In the human body, parasites often behave as unreliable and irresponsible hosts:
- clog it with toxins and slags;
- destroy natural defenses (immunity);
- take away most of the nutrients;
- damage the internal organs on the physical level.
This is what is called parasitism, that is, the existence in the host's body to extract maximum benefit for itself, but without providing benefit to the host.
Timely detection of parasites helps to prevent many problems including severe endocrine and hormonal disorders, internal organ dysfunctions and even mental disorders.
What signs appear with parasites
Most parasitic life forms dangerous to humans live in the intestines and internal organs. They rarely come out in their original form, and therefore, during the preliminary diagnosis, the doctor only considers the external signs of their stay. Its presence can be determined by a combination of clinical manifestations.
In 99% of cases, the host's body reacts violently to dangerous surroundings. Signs of worm infection can be a variety of disorders of body functions, depending on the organ they live in. As it can be difficult to detect parasites in their natural form, it is important to pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Sudden onset of digestive disorders. Most often they indicate that intestinal forms of helminths - roundworms and tapeworms, lamblia and protozoan organisms - have begun to parasitize. This group of symptoms can be expressed by sudden constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, belching, poor digestion. Another sign of intestinal helminthiasis is vague abdominal pain, which may not have a clear location.
- Allergic reactions in the form of rashes, peeling of the skin, the appearance of spots. In most cases, it is impossible to find out the origin of such a reaction, as tests for allergens show negative results. And only after the patient passes the test for the presence of parasites in the body, it becomes clear what caused the atypical immune response.
- General deterioration of well-being in the form of feverish conditions, fatigue, deterioration of sleep quality. Similar clinical manifestations of helminthiasis appear immediately after invasion, as well as with its prolonged course. Since it is not possible to immediately identify the parasites, many patients try to cope with these unpleasant phenomena with the help of folk remedies and symptomatic drugs. As a rule, they bring only temporary relief.
A certain group of signs inherent in diseases associated with infection with worms can be found only in women. Thus, your hair and nails become dull and brittle. The skin also suffers from parasites - it turns pale, pustules, age spots, peeling appear.
A rare woman associates cosmetic problems with helminths. Most of them say to the last one: "I'm lacking vitamins, hormonal imbalance, not worms! "
If you have the slightest suspicion that there are parasites in the body, how do you know what exactly made them appear? There are many methods of self-diagnosis at home, as well as specialized ways to identify worms.
How to identify helminthiasis at home
About 70% of patients who assume they have helminths do not want to go to the doctor with this problem. And the point here is not that a person doesn't care about his own health. Until now, people have considered helminthiasis a shameful disease that can only occur in the lower strata of the population. However, experts say that quite prosperous people can acquire an insidious settler.
Since most helminths settle in the intestines, the only way to recognize their presence is to check the feces. This time-tested method formed the basis for the microscopic examination of droppings, during which the doctor can detect the worm eggs.
This is the simplest and cheapest method, and it can be done at home. However, it will not allow you to detect worm eggs due to its microscopic size.
How does the self test work?
There are several rules for determining the presence of parasites in the human body in this way:
- The stool should be examined several times, as the worms do not come out constantly, but periodically. As different types of worms become active at different times of the day, it is worth collecting portions of feces in the morning and in the evening. In the morning you can find pinworms, and in the evening you often find larger earthworms - roundworms and tapeworms.
- The person examining the stool for helminths should have disposable medical gloves on their hands. Most helminths actively secrete eggs which, if ingested, can lead to reinfection. It is important to protect yourself from this, even if there are already symptoms of a worm infection. Throw them away after wearing gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- When examining stool, it is worth using an object, as parasites can be found not only on the surface, but also in the center of the stool. It is advisable to discard the stick or spatula after such use.
Finally, the most important rule for the self-study of feces for worms. It is advisable to collect the material in a separate basin, as it is unlikely that it will be possible to check it with special care in a toilet or toilet. As a last resort, you can cover the toilet with plastic, empty it, and carefully examine the stool.
Experts recommend applying a small portion of the material to the glass and examining it from all sides in good lighting. So even the smallest parasites can be seen.
The result of stool self-examination for worms
It is necessary to talk about 100% presence of helminthiasis if it is possible to find it in the stool:
- small live or immobile worms;
- white or yellowish slices that look like cooked noodles with a slightly wavy edge;
- fragments that look like grains of rice that can be movable;
- large white or pink roundworms.
All these signs indicate infection with dangerous worms, which can lead to serious health problems, including sudden death. But even if the stool is "clean" and there are symptoms of helminthiasis, you should urgently contact an infectious disease specialist or pediatrician (if signs of helminthiasis are noticed in a child).
Tests for worms in the clinic
As it is very difficult to find out if there are parasites in the body on your own and the results of self-diagnosis are not very accurate, you should entrust the diagnosis to professionals. Referral for necessary tests is done by a physician or infectious disease specialist. If the signs of invasion bother the child, you can seek help from a pediatrician.
To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to pass:
- microscopic analysis of stool (coproovoscopy) - preferably three times with an interval of one week;
- scraping for enterobiasis;
- a blood test for ELISA - a single delivery is enough to make a reliable diagnosis;
- PCR stool analysis - prescribed when receiving ambiguous results of microscopic examination of stool.
In addition, the physician may prescribe additional instrumental diagnoses. Most often this occurs when helminths are suspected in the liver parenchyma and bile ducts, or in other internal organs. In the presence of worms, the tests will be positive (parasite eggs, their DNA, antibodies and antigens for them will be found in the materials).
Based on the diagnostic results, the patient receives prescribed treatment, which can almost always be performed at home (few parasitic infections require hospitalization). Therapy may be necessary for all family members of the worm carrier, as many species of these creatures are easily transmitted from person to person.