Helminths than parasitic worms dangerous for humans

According to the WHO, one in two people on the planet is infected with helminths every year. Many people think that parasitic worms do not cause much harm to health. However, not everything is so simple: helminths can affect important internal organs: the heart, lungs and brain.

Helminths - who are they?

Helminths are parasitic worms that can choose a human, animal or plant organism as a host. In total, there are three classes of helminths:

• tapeworms. This class includes about 3. 5 thousand species of helminths. The length of parasitic worms varies from a few mm to 10-15 meters;
• chance.Parasites are so called because they have suckers that they use to get food. The human body can infect about 4 dozen species of worms. As a rule, the length of the worms does not exceed 5 cm;
• worms.This class of helminths has more than 24, 000 species. Roundworms are fusiform. Usually, its length is not more than 0. 5 meters.

You can get infected with helminths in a number of ways. However, most often parasitic invasion occurs for the following reasons:

1. Poor hand hygiene.
2. Unwashed vegetables, fruits; undercooked or undercooked meat, fish - the use of such products often increases the risk of parasitic invasion.
3. Keep food out of the fridge open. Insects are able to transfer helminth eggs to unpackaged stored products.
4. Contact with pets.

The main symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• weight loss;
• allergic rashes;
• swelling;
• itching in the anus;
• teeth grinding in a dream.

Learn about the signs of parasites in the bodyread our article.

Which helminths are most often found in our country? Consider the most common types of parasitic worms and the diseases they cause.

tapeworms

The body of a tapeworm consists of segments, the total number of which varies from 3 to 5000. The main fastening element of the helminth is the head, additional ones are suction cups, hooks.

The most common causes of tapeworms are:

Diphyllobothriasis

The causative agent of the disease is a large tapeworm that affects the human intestines.The development of worm eggs takes place in fresh water. The scheme for getting the tapeworm in the human body is as follows:

1. Worm eggs are swallowed by crustaceans that live in a reservoir.
2. Infected crustaceans are eaten by fish.
3. A person becomes infected with the parasite by eating fish that has undergone insufficient heat treatment.

Symptoms of the disease develop 1. 5 months after infection. The main sign of the pathology is the presence of whitish fragments of the helminth in the stool.

Adhering to the intestinal mucosa, the tapeworm absorbs large amounts of vitamin B12. For this reason, people with diphyllobothriasis often develop anemia. Also, tapeworm can cause an increase in liver, spleen, intestinal obstruction.

Teniarinhoz

The causative agent of the disease is the bovine tapeworm, which lives mainly in the human small intestine. During its development cycle, the helminth replaces two owners: the intermediary is cattle, the main one is man. The bull tapeworm can live in the body for 20 years, multiplying and causing damage to health. The disease is common in many regions, but is more common in areas where it is cold.

As a rule, people get taeniarrhynchosis after eating undercooked or undercooked meat.

The disease usually proceeds without pronounced symptoms and is detected by chance when a person sees helminthic elements in their stool. In some people, in addition to the main signs of helminth infection, pain in the right side of the anterior abdominal wall may occur.

Adult helminths are able to penetrate the appendix, pancreatic duct, bile ducts, provoking acute inflammatory processes in them. With multiple parasitic invasion, intestinal obstruction may develop.

taeniasis

The causative agent of the disease is the pig tapeworm, which initially affects the human small intestine.Human infection occurs through consumption of raw or undercooked pork.

The parasite can penetrate various organs and tissues, causing pain in the abdomen, back, and limbs. The most favorable pathology occurs when the worm is located in subcutaneous fat and skeletal muscle tissue. By penetrating the eye muscles, helminths cause decreased visual acuity, tearing, and photophobia. The defeat of the pork tapeworm of the brain can be fatal.

chance

Worms have a leaf-like shape and are distinguished by a high ability to reproduce at various periods of the life cycle. Reproduction of worms is possible not only sexually with fertilization, but also without it. In addition to suckers, worms have many hooks and spikes, due to which they are firmly attached to the mucous membranes of organs.

Common pathologies caused by worms:

• fasciolosis;
• opisthorchiasis;
• paragonimiasis.

fascioliasis

Fascioliasis occurs when the liver or gallbladder is damaged by a liver fluke.Basically, the infection occurs when eating vegetables, which have been irrigated with water from open reservoirs.

In addition to the standard signs of parasite infection, a person may experience asthma attacks, which are accompanied by shortness of breath, redness of the face, dilated pupils, and tachycardia. If an adult has caused obstruction of the bile ducts, obstructive jaundice develops. Pathological signs:

• cramping pain in the right hypochondrium;
• yellowing of the skin;
• fever;
• colorless feces.

opisthorchiasis

The causative agent of the disease is the feline worm. The name of the parasite is due to the fact that, in addition to humans, it usually infects cats and other mammals that feed on fish.

As a rule, the feline worm affects the liver and pancreas, causing inflammation in the organs. Symptoms vary and depend on the number of parasites. The patient may have:

• intoxication symptoms;
• fever,
• urticaria;
• itchy skin;
• pain in muscles, joints, right hypochondrium.

In some cases, helminths cause an increase in lymph nodes, the development of jaundice. The chronic form of the pathology usually leads to hepatitis, liver cirrhosis.

paragonimiasis

The culprit of the disease is a lung worm that enters the human body with infected crustaceans.

First, the parasite enters the human intestine, then the abdominal cavity. The end point of your journey is lung tissue. In addition, the worm is able to penetrate the brain and affect the central nervous system.

Specific signs of parasitic invasion of the lungs:

• chest pain syndrome;
• coughing up sputum, which may contain pus and blood;
• fever.

In some cases, helminths cause a violation of the ventilation function of the lungs and gas exchange during breathing.

worms

Due to their structure, roundworms (nematodes) are able to survive even in extreme conditions.Its body is covered with a three-layered muscular sac of skin, which reliably protects parasites from external influences.

Common diseases caused by nematodes:

• ascariasis;
• enterobiasis;
• trichinosis.

ascariasis

The development of the disease causes the roundworm, which initially settles in the small intestine. The average length of adults is 40 cm.Parasite larvae can enter the human digestive system with unwashed vegetables and fruits, contaminated water.In addition, often the cause of ascariasis is poorly washed hands before eating.

During penetration of the larvae into the body, a person may have a subfebrile temperature, allergic rashes, cough with clear sputum. Signs of the intestinal stage of ascariasis (diarrhea, abdominal pain) are observed only in the presence of various parasites. As a rule, living in the intestines of a worm is asymptomatic.

Complications with multiple parasitic invasion:

• bile duct blockage;
• purulent inflammatory processes in the gallbladder, liver;
• inflammation of the appendix;
• bowel obstruction.

enterobiasis

The triggers of the disease are pinworms - small worms up to 1 cm long.Helminths penetrate the human digestive system in the same way as roundworms.

Currently, enterobiasis is the most common parasitic pathology in the world. Basically, the disease is diagnosed in children under the age of 10 years.

Symptoms, as in previous cases, develop only with numerous parasitic invasions. Children often have diarrhea, mucus in the stool, difficult and painful digestion, itchy anus, and nausea. In severe cases of the disease, leg cramps can occur. In addition, pinworms are able to penetrate the genitals, causing acute inflammation in them.

Trichinosis

This disease causes Trichinella - one of the smallest parasitic worms. The length of the parasite rarely exceeds 4 mm. In the larval stage, the worms can infect skeletal muscles. The exception is the myocardium - the muscle tissue of the heart. Adults parasitize in the small intestine.

As a rule, human infection occurs when eating half-cooked pork.At the same time, for the development of the disease, it is enough to consume only 30 g of meat affected by parasites.

The pathology is manifested by standard symptoms of parasitic invasion. In the advanced stage, swelling of the eyelids, face, arms and legs, pain in the lower back, masticatory muscles may occur. Possible complications are total or partial loss of mobility, paralysis of the respiratory tract.

How to prevent helminth infection?

To reduce the risk of infection with parasitic worms, it is important to observe the following rules:

18 signs of the presence of parasites in the body

Being present in the human body, the parasite has a serious pathogenic effect. At the same time, the same parasite can simultaneously produce many mechanisms of action in humans.

The WHO believes that at the moment about four and a half billion people in the world are constantly affected by various parasites.

This problem is very current also because it is very difficult to diagnose the parasitosis. Worm infestation (a large collection of parasitic diseases) is present in humans even when the parasite is gone. And if the patient noticed this, then he, of course, will come to the medical center. Parasitosis can also be detected during preventive screening. But, unfortunately, these cases are a drop in the bucket.

Action mechanisms:

mechanical impact.For example, if the roundworm is in the intestines, then of course it will put pressure on and injure the intestinal wall. In some cases, cause an inflammatory process. If, for example, the echinococci are located in the liver, lungs, or kidneys, tissue compression will occur accordingly. This is a classic mechanical effect: bursting, pressure, dysfunction of the organ or system in which the parasite is present. There are many luminal parasites that are present in the gastrointestinal tract, but also many tissue parasites that can fully perform the so-called mechanical action.

Stimulation of allergic reactions.Unfortunately, when a person has allergic reactions, they start going around in circles: to the dermatologist, to the pediatrician, to the general practitioner, to the allergist, but doctors do not always rule out the presence of parasitic invasions in the body in the first place.

Any parasite, even a banal worm, can lead to the formation of severe allergic reactions, and they can be varied, both in the skin and in the bronchopulmonary tree. For example, frequent obstructive bronchitis in children could be due to the fact that some kind of parasite lives in the intestines.

Influence on microflora.It is no secret that man is a globe for the vast world of microbiota. The microflora that inhabits all of our mucous membranes, skin, organs, tissues is this friendly microflora that produces vitamins, minerals, hormones, enzymes for us and helps our body to live normally. And now, unfortunately, in the presence of parasites, it begins to actively die.

immunosuppressive action.It is now clearly proven that the waste products of parasites drastically inhibit the immune system. They just block. In addition, parasites over millions of years have learned to mimic and hide from the immune system, producing special anti-enzymes. Thus, blocking the immune system, and sometimes a person can suffer from various parasites for decades. Which sooner or later leads to serious illness in the body as a whole, or in a separate organ or system.

The effect of antienzymes. Unfortunately, parasites can not just deplete our bodies. If we try to consume vitamin, mineralized foods, drink vitamins and minerals as a complex, they will not always benefit us, because our freeloaders will take most of them.

Mechanism of nervous reflex action.The waste products of the parasites poison the nervous system. And this can often affect the psycho-emotional state of an adult and a child. Any psychosomatic illness can be associated with parasitic invasion. A child can have hyperreactivity, or vice versa, lethargy, crying, a tendency to depression - all this can be a consequence of the presence of a parasite in the body. For example, even the simplest Giardia produces toxins. Let them be in microdoses, but they are still toxins identical to psychotropic substances. Of course, a child or adult with such persistent poisoning will put serious strain on the functioning of the central nervous system. And from here all sorts of psychological and mental disorders can follow: sleep disorders, nervous disorders, various psychological problems. In addition, neither the parents nor the patient himself, if he is an adult, the idea that this is due to parasitic invasion cannot even arise.

In my opinion, the most serious and terrible is the stimulation of neoplasms by parasites. The prolonged presence of parasites in the body can cause a problem such as the formation of neoplasms: benign and malignant. In addition, the stimulation of neoplasms may be associated with two factors.

The first factor is the direct and detrimental effect on the tissues of a particular organ.

The second factor is the action mediated by a strong inhibition of the immune system. The fact is that the part of the immune system responsible for antiparasitic protection is also responsible for antitumor protection. As a result of improper division, a cancer cell can appear in the human body. In that case, the deficiency of the immune system will manifest in such a way that this cell will not be recognized by our immune cells in time and will not be killed in time.

When can a person suspect the presence of parasites?

Now I will tell you a list of clinical manifestations of parasitic invasions, in the presence of which you should quickly contact your doctor to clarify whether you really have this diagnosis.

• The most common clinical symptom is itching in the anus. This is heard by many people, so it is associated with the presence of parasites, especially in children's practice.
• Grinding teeth in a dream. Again, this can often be in pediatric practice. Mothers suddenly notice that the child has started grinding his teeth in his sleep. Why is this happening? Often, children's creaking is associated with scary dreams. This is exactly the mechanism of toxic effects on the central nervous system that we are talking about. The child has a terrible dream and grinds his teeth in fear in his sleep. This is one of the reasons. There are also other reasons. The formation of trismus or increased tone of the masticatory muscles, this can also be a symptom in this case.
• Salivation during sleep, salivation in the morning, nausea in the morning when brushing teeth. All these are manifestations that may indirectly indicate the presence of parasitic invasion in the organism.
• Peeling of fingers and toes, peeling skin in layers.
• Increased feeling of hunger, sometimes to the point of passing out.
• Allergic skin rashes. When lecturing doctors, I often draw attention to the fact that doctors are in no hurry to give allergy medication to one patient or another. Understand first to the end - there are helminthic invasions. Because a high degree of allergization, appearing suddenly in a person in a short period of time, may indicate, in the first place, that the patient has a parasitic invasion.
• Eruptions on the eyelids, their peeling, swelling. , mental disorders with no known cause.
• Any itchy skin. Especially in children's practice. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the presence of parasitic invasions.
• Disturbed by symptoms like bloating, boiling in the abdomen, loose stools. Any problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
• There is a lack of body weight, or vice versa, overweight. With parasitosis, it can be both.
• The presence of several chronic diseases at the same time. Joint diseases, bronchopulmonary tree, gastrointestinal tract. If suddenly a person starts to get sick in stages, then one, then the second, then the third, then the fifth, then the tenth, and initially there were no visible reasons for this, then this is an occasion to think about the presence of parasites in the body.
• Poor health and the diagnosis is unclear. These patients may also go to several specialists, try to examine one or the other. And in the end, the diagnosis will still be unclear and the health status will remain poor.
• Incomprehensible pains in the abdomen, volatile and sudden spasms, drawing pains. It is also necessary to exclude, especially in pediatric practice, the presence of parasites.
• Prolonged toxic-allergic manifestations. Periodically appearing suddenly, incomprehensible allergic reactions to food.
• Persistent anemia. When hemoglobin is significantly reduced and difficult to correct. It is worth thinking, first of all, about the presence of parasitic invasions in the human body.
• In children: delay in physical, psychosomatic, psycho-emotional development, hyperreactivity or vice versa, lethargy, in school-age children, poor assimilation of material - all this can indicate the presence of hidden parasites in the body.
• Prolonged lymphadenopathy (a condition manifested by an increase in the lymph nodes of the lymphatic system), recurrent lymphadenitis can also indicate the presence of parasitic invasions.

I have listed the main clinical signs of parasitosis. Notice how wide they are. And with these symptoms, a patient can turn to almost any of the doctors. It is believed that if a person has found two or three of these signs in himself, he is already subject to a closer examination for the presence of parasites or an antiparasitic program.

During the consultation, you will be able to voice your problem, the doctor will clarify the situation, decipher the exams, answer your questions and give the necessary recommendations.

I want to get the attention of people who want to be treated on their own. If you go to a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist, "Give me something for worms", you are making a gross mistake - these things cannot be done. First, the pharmacist is not responsible for how you take this medicine. Second, it is not responsible for the consequences. Third, you can get hurt a lot. Do not do it. To find out if you have a parasitic infection or not, it is very important to contact a specialist, go through a certain list of studies, and only then do proper treatment.

What tests will show the presence of parasites in the human body?

According to WHO statistics, about 4. 5 billion people in the world are constantly infected with parasites. This situation is complicated by the fact that the diagnosis of parasitic infestations is very difficult. How to find out if there are parasites in the body? What laboratory and instrumental research methods can detect the parasitosis? Let's consider these issues in detail.

complications

Helminthiasis caused by common types of parasites can be treated with medications prescribed by a doctor. But if you do not pay attention to alarming symptoms, deteriorating health, weakness, causeless fatigue, decreased immunity, the disease can lead to serious complications.

If the parasites have entered the lungs and the patient has not gone to the doctor with complaints of cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, shortness of breath, pneumonia or even bronchial asthma may develop.

Parasites in the digestive system can cause cirrhosis, liver abscess, hepatitis, intestinal cancer, gastrointestinal bleeding, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites), and peritonitis. They also often provoke the development of chronic kidney disease, meningoencephalitis, loss of vision. Some cestodes (tapeworms) grow to more than 1 meter in length, and small roundworms can form dense balls. This disrupts the normal functioning of the body, leads to severe intoxication, pronounced allergic reactions. Without urgent medical attention, death is possible.

Prevention

Helminthiasis usually occurs when hygiene rules are not followed or food is not processed properly. To prevent the helminthic invasion, you need:

• Don't wear someone else's underwear, don't share a towel with strangers.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before eating - it's important to do this not only before breakfast, lunch, dinner, but also with a snack.
• Wash your hands after using the bathroom.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after working on the beds and do all the gardening in thick rubber gloves.
• Use only clean water for drinking and cooking.
• Wash fruits and vegetables well under running water.
• Eat meat, fish, seafood that has undergone heat treatment.
• Do not buy products in spontaneous markets, from people who cannot confirm the safety of the goods.
• Monitor the health of pets, deworm regularly, even if the animal lives in an apartment and does not go out. To select medications and calculate dosage, contact your veterinarian.
• Maintain cleanliness in living and working areas. Sometimes people carry helminth eggs on the soles of their shoes. To reduce the risk of infection, you need to regularly wet-clean, disinfect all surfaces.

Even following these rules, the risk of infection cannot be completely eliminated. To prevent the development of the disease, consult a therapist. The doctor will prescribe medication for the prevention of helminthiasis. Be sure to let us know how often you travel, if there are pets in the house, a personal plot. It is recommended that drug prophylaxis of helminthiasis be performed twice a year.