Parasitic diseases or damage to the human body by parasites, pathogenic fungi and bacteria are the second most common after respiratory infections. The main danger is that people are not always aware of the presence of this injury, and the characteristic signs of the disease can take months, while parasites cause irreparable damage to health. For a long time, the symptoms of parasites in the body will be disguised as fatigue and minor pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Helminthiasis is not just a disease of "dirty hands". Eating poorly washed fruits, raw fish (sushi) and poorly fried meat can cause worms and other protozoa to appear. Helminth eggs can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person through tactile contact.
The WHO statistics are frightening - about ¾ of the entire population of the planet is infected with several parasites. The incidence rate in adults and children with pets is 99. 9%.
It is possible to get rid of worms with the help of medicines and folk remedies, but there are difficult cases where only surgical intervention will help to get rid of pests.
Which human organs can be infected by parasites
There are 3 ways of worms and helminths penetrating the human body - through the mouth, mucous membranes and skin. In a context of weakened immune systems, parasites multiply without hindrance in the body. Immunity runs out even more, secondary immunodeficiency develops, the body's general allergy manifests itself and resistance to various types of infections decreases. Acute pathologies become chronic, have a severe course.
The favorite habitat of parasites is all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Of the 300 varieties of parasitic diseases, 70% are intestinal forms. Extraintestinal types of helminthiasis affect:
- skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue; liver;
- muscle tissue;
- light;
- brain;
- cardiac tissue;
- eyeball;
- blood;
- joint capsules.
The moment when the first symptoms of an injury appear depends on the type of parasite, the quantity, the location of its location, as well as the current state of human health.
The main symptoms of parasites in the body are similar for all types of helminthic infestations:
- the appetite disappears;
- increases in salivation;
- diarrhea alternating with constipation;
- attacks of nausea and vomiting;
- sleep disturbance.
Grinding of teeth during sleep can indicate the existence of worms in a child's body.
The main symptoms of helminthiasis are general malaise, increased irritability, mild dizziness, weight loss and development of iron deficiency anemia. In the occurrence of allergic reactions (in 70% of cases), it is parasitic lesions that do not receive attention and are not treated in a timely manner.
The main types of parasites and the characteristic symptoms of their presence
Currently, 70 types of parasites that can live inside humans have been identified. They are divided into the following subgroups:
- round worms (worms);
- tapeworms (tapeworms);
- subcutaneous helminths; worms (worms);
- tissue parasites;
- protozoan protozoan.
The symptoms caused by different types of parasites can be different. To understand whether a person's body is affected or not, consider some of the more typical cases.
Pinworms
Enterobius vermicularis or pinworms are roundworms. They feed on blood and intestinal contents. These 0, 5 to 1 cm white worms cause generalized helminthiasis - enterobiasis. According to statistics, the total participation of this disease in all injuries is 65%, of which 90% are children.
Enterobiasis is contagious and spreads from person to person. The main pathway for parasites to enter the body is by swallowing eggs. The life cycle is 4 weeks - during that time, males and females develop from the eggs, which leave the anus and place them on the skin around and in the perineum. Moving and laying eggs causes a sharp burning sensation on the skin.
Pinworms are very difficult to treat because eggs don't just enter the skin. Parasite eggs fall on bedding, bounce on the floor and contaminate household items and toys.
It is difficult to determine the presence of these parasites in the body, but the signs and symptoms of their presence have their own distinct characteristics:
- frequent need to urinate, nocturnal enuresis;
- swelling and pain in the lower abdomen, usually on the right side;
- loss of appetite;
- diarrhea;
- general muscle weakness;
- female moths and egg broods are visually found in the folds of the anus.
With a small number of colonies, diagnoses based on analyzes can be false-negative. To identify the parasites, a triple analysis of feces and scraping is done, which is repeated a few days later. In rare cases, the doctor may prescribe a blood test with an expanded white blood cell count.
Toxocars - symptoms and treatment of toxocariasis varieties
Refers to a subset of nematodes that enter the body after contact with dogs, cats or soil. Toxocars are not transmitted from person to person, but can be transmitted by the mother to the fetus in the womb, or reach the child with milk while breastfeeding. Infestation of parasites of this species often occurs in autumn or spring.
The symptoms of toxocariasis depend on the location of the individuals.
Visceral toxocariasis
This type of injury is detected when the parasites settle in internal organs: a person's liver, kidney, pancreas, brain or heart. In the vast majority of cases, toxocars settle in the patient's lungs. The following clinical picture is frequently observed:
- fever, chills, fever;
- the liver is thickened, the spleen is enlarged; The
- lymph nodes increase slightly, are painful on palpation and stand out from the surrounding tissues;
- dry cough with wet wheezing, especially at night;
- difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath;
- very common bronchitis and bronchopneumonia.
The lack of therapy for helminthiasis in this way can be fatal. Parasites in the heart can lead to death.
Neurological toxocariasis
Pathology occurs when parasites enter the central nervous system. Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the human body:
- children become hyperactive, do not pass neuropsychological tests and fall behind in development;
- adults complain that they have difficulty reading and cannot explain why;
- degrades memory;
- all types of neurological disorders are manifested.
If tosokars remain in the brain, seizures and epileptiform attacks, paresis and limb paralysis may occur.
Cutaneous toxocariasis
Symptoms will appear as localized hives, eczema or papular rashes that appear as the larvae of the toxocar migrate. Patients complain of unbearable itching and the affected areas, in addition to rashes and blisters, are very swollen and red. The laxity of the skin appears around the areas.
Ocular toxocariasis
A lesion in which the parasite's larvae colonize the eyeball. Its migration is clearly visible, even with the naked eye. Only one eye is affected. In most cases, only one parasite is present. However, there are other signs of the presence of parasites:
- inflammation of the choroid;
- purulent inflammation of the vitreous tissues;
- children develop strabismus;
- In the exudate of the eyeball there may be formations in the form of "snowballs".
The main diagnostic technique for any form of toxocariasis is anamnesis, immunological exams and a detailed blood count. Stool examination is not done because these parasites do not live in the intestines. With proper drug treatment, the prognosis for recovery is favorable.
Wide ribbon
This parasite enters the human body when eating raw fish or caviar. The disease is called diphyllobotriasis and is not spread from person to person.
The wide tapeworm can only exist in the small intestine. There are specific symptoms of its presence, which develop in the following order:
- nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting;
- feverish conditions;
- decreased or increased appetite;
- constipation alternating with diarrhea;
- gradual increase in symptoms of B12 deficiency anemia;
- intestinal obstruction caused by blockage of the intestinal lumen by a grown helminth, as well as a violation of superficial and deep sensitivity;
- unsteady gait and crawl under the skin;
- Parasite particles may be present in the stool.
The diagnosis of the presence of parasites is made according to the results of blood tests and coproovoscopy.
Bull tapeworm
This tapeworm can grow up to 7 to 10 meters in length. The parasite enters the human body in the form of larvae or eggs contained in undercooked or raw infected beef. The disease is called teniarinquiasis, adults are more susceptible to it.
Signs of parasites in the human body with teniarinquiasis appear sequentially:
- there is a persistent feeling of constant hunger, false bulimia;
- there is a decrease in appetite, sometimes even a complete absence;
- the pains in the abdomen, which may be from different locations, are increasing, the iliac region on the right hurts more;
- severe persistent flatulence and recurrent diarrhea;
- inflammation of the tongue develops;
- debilitated people may experience sleep disorders, fainting and seizures.
It is very easy to identify and verify the defeat of the bovine tapeworm, its individual segments - proglottids, crawling out of the anus without an act of defecation, especially at night.
The simplest and most effective method of diagnosis is scraping and analyzing feces for the content of proglottid eggs. The prognosis for treatment is favorable.
Echinococcus
Echinococcus belongs to the class of tapeworms. The main source are stray dogs, wolves, jackals, foxes, which feed on carrion infected with echinococcus. It is possible to become infected with parasites of a domestic dog if it comes in contact with stray relatives or feces of infected animals.
Human infection occurs when parasite larvae are swallowed, most often with contaminated water. It is possible that eggs are inhaled with a gust of wind and stick to the mucous membranes of the nose or throat, and when the sputum is swallowed and enters the digestive tract.
The larva of the parasite, which entered the intestine, perforates itself in the bloodstream and, with the flow of venous blood, reaches the liver, where it is fixed. If fixation does not occur, echinococcus can affect the lungs or other organs. Contrary to popular belief, these parasites do not live in human muscles.
Taking the tissue from the organ, the larva begins to grow and form a cyst. In case of death, suppuration of the cyst occurs. When a person is infected with a large number of larvae, numerous live and dead echinococcal cysts are formed.
The symptoms of the presence of this type of parasite do not appear for a long time, but as the cyst grows in the liver, the following symptoms appear:
- violation of stools, frequent vomiting, pain in the solar plexus;
- nodules are felt in the liver;
- in case of compression of the cysts, jaundice develops, accompanied by characteristic symptoms, to which is inserted a very strong itching on the skin;
- when a purulent cyst is opened, severe pain, allergic reactions, even anaphylactic shock occur.
If the parasite settles in the lungs, shortness of breath, weak breathing, chest pain and bleeding cough occur. The advancement of the cyst in the pleural area is fatal. With the passage to the bronchi, suffocation, bluish skin and severe allergic reactions occur.
The diagnosis is clarified by serological blood test and confirmation by ultrasound. Echinococcosis can only be treated surgically! Treatment with specific antiparasitic drugs is performed only in case of massive infection. Drinking alcohol or taking other folk remedies for these parasites is useless.
Giardia
It is very easy to become a carrier of these parasites - human infection occurs with cysts of cats, dogs and rodents. Once in the body, the parasites are located not only in the liver, but also in the large and small intestines. Giardiasis affects children and adults with weakened immunity and low stomach acid.
The disease is characterized by a wavy course with progressive neurological and allergic symptoms:
- colic pain on the right side, especially after eating fatty foods;
- diarrhea alternating with constipation;
- dry and bitter mouth;
- at a normal level of hemoglobin in the blood, there is pallor of the skin, especially the nose "turns white";
- the hair falls out;
- cracks and swelling on the lips appear;
- the skin on the palms and feet is peeling, rashes appear on the skin;
- there are attacks of suffocating cough;
- enlargement of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes;
- develops severe apathy and general weakness.
Faeces and duodenal contents are examined to clarify the diagnosis.
When detecting signs of parasites, you should not self-medicate; you need to contact an infectious disease specialist. Only a doctor can accurately diagnose and prescribe suitable complex treatment.