Symptoms that signal worms in children. Don't delay your treatment!

Most often, worms appear in children of preschool and primary school age. Where do worms come from? The main cause of helminthic invasion in children is improper hygiene. Young children do not always wash their hands, they like to put their fingers in their mouths, bite their nails, and eat unwashed fruits and vegetables. The development of helminthic invasion occurs if a person has weakened immunity. The immune system in children is just being formed, it is not able to cope with a large number of foreign agents. Signs of worms in children resemble symptoms of poisoning or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Why are worms dangerous for a child's body? They damage the internal organs, suck out nutrients, cause inflammation. Toxins that helminths secrete adversely affect the nervous system of the baby. You can remove worms with the help of traditional and traditional medicine.

Types of helminthiases in children

Helminths in children appear quite often, especially at preschool age. The risk of infection is always at a high level. The kid can pick up an infection in kindergarten, on the playground, in contact with animals. Also, children often neglect to wash their hands after using the toilet, before eating.

What are worms? Worms are a huge group of parasitic worms. They can live in the intestines, liver, respiratory tract, some can affect the heart and brain. The main types of worms in children:

1. Roundworms - the most numerous class of human parasites, includes pinworms, roundworms, hookworms, trichinella.
2. Tapeworms - the class includes bovine and pork tapeworm (tapeworm), echinococcus.
3. Trematodes are digenetic flukes, these include schistosomes, opisthorchis, flukes (liver and cat).

In addition, parasitic diseases are caused by protozoa (protists) - unicellular organisms; in the human intestine, Giardia or amoeba parasitize.

Diseases caused by parasites in children have different degrees of danger, but have similar symptoms. The vast majority of roundworms parasitize in the gastrointestinal tract, are found in the contents of the duodenum, in feces. The food source for worms is digested food (most often carbohydrates), sometimes blood. Helminthiases in children have symptoms similar to an eating disorder or gastrointestinal disease.

The most common types of helminthiases in children

Children are much more prone to worm infestation than adults. The most common helminthiases in children:

1. Enterobiasis (pinworm infection).
2. Ascariasis (ascaris invasion).
3. Giardiasis (giardia invasion).

Pinworms live only in the intestines. Migrating roundworm larvae enter the respiratory tract, liver and heart. Giardia very often cause diseases of the liver and gallbladder, although they are not able to survive inside these organs. Are these diseases contagious?

Enterobiasis is transmitted from person to person by shaking hands, contact with household items used by the patient.

Ascariasis and giardiasis, under certain conditions, can also be transmitted from the baby to other family members.

Enterobiasis

The main cause of pinworm infection is dirty hands. Also, parasite eggs can enter the baby's body when eating poorly washed fruits. Signs of infection with worms appear after 3-4 weeks from the date of infection. A characteristic sign of enterobiasis is itching in the anal area, which appears during sleep. Unpleasant sensations are caused by the movement of female worms, which crawl out to lay eggs. With a strong invasion, you can see the worms in the feces of a child with the naked eye.

When the baby scratches the anus, and then hands get into the mouth (which is often the case with young children), re-infection occurs. Therefore, during the period of treatment of helminthiasis, children should be monitored so that they regularly wash their hands and eat only well-processed food.

Ascariasis

Infection with ascaris occurs through unwashed products, insufficiently thermally processed meat, through contact with animals. Parasites enter the baby's body in the form of eggs and larvae. The eggs develop in the intestines, the larvae begin to migrate through the blood and lymphatic channels. They reach the liver, right ventricle of the heart, lungs. These organs are regularly and abundantly supplied with oxygen, which is so necessary for larvae to grow into adults. From the lungs, the larvae will enter the bronchi, trachea, cough up and be swallowed with saliva into the stomach. The cycle of movements continues until the larva grows.

With worms in children, in addition to typical symptoms, an intense cough may appear. Helminthiasis in children is detected using a coprogram, and specific blood tests.

Giardiasis

Giardiasis in a child develops when more than 10 cysts enter the body. Cysts are immobile, resistant to environmental conditions, the form of existence of lamblia from which, under favorable conditions, individuals capable of reproduction develop. Motile protists can only live in conditions that are created only in the human small intestine.

Stages of development of Giardia invasion in humans:

1. Cysts from the oral cavity enter the stomach, and then into the duodenum. The protective capsule is destroyed, two Giardia are released.
2. Giardia eat simple carbohydrates, multiply by longitudinal division of the cell in half.
3. Part of the parasites passes into the large intestine, where they can exist only in the form of cysts.
4. During the act of defecation, the cysts come out, getting into the external environment.

Giardia cysts can be found in water, vegetables, fruits, meat, household surfaces. They are very tenacious, they are difficult to destroy with conventional detergents. The risk of human-to-human transmission is low.

Typical symptoms of helminthiasis in children

The first signs of worms appear 2-4 weeks after infection. Worm infestation in children can occur in acute or latent form. If the parasite population is small, then the baby may not feel any discomfort.

The main symptoms of worms in children:

1. Pain in the abdomen of different localization and intensity, manifested by seizures.
2. Stool disorders, diarrhea and constipation.
3. Nausea, vomiting.
4. Reduced or, conversely, brutal appetite.
5. Intestinal dysbacteriosis.
6. Loss of energy, dizziness.
7. Sleep disorders.
8. Dermatitis.
9. Paleness of the skin, blue circles under the eyes.
10. Girls may develop urinary incontinence.

Dermatitis (rash, redness, itchy skin) is the result of an allergic reaction to toxins that helminths release. Harmful substances also affect the state of the nervous system. Children look tired, become irritable, capricious.

Acute infection is accompanied by symptoms of helminths in children - fever, vomiting, diarrhea.

Tests for helminths in children

How to identify worms in a child? Worm infestations in children are difficult to determine by the clinical picture. Symptoms of different helminthiases are similar to each other. The detection of worms is carried out both with the help of time-tested and new methods of laboratory diagnostics.

1. Histological analysis of feces allows you to check the presence of helminth eggs in the feces.
2. Microscopic examination of scrapings from the anus (helps to recognize enterobiasis).
3. Analysis of the contents of the duodenum. In the duodenal contents, worms or protozoa can be found.
4. General blood test with leukocyte formula. Indirect signs of the presence of worms are an increased level of eosinophils and anemia.
5. Serological tests for antibodies to helminth antigens.
6. Analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

PCR is the most reliable and sensitive method for diagnosing helminthic invasions. Blood, feces, scrapings are suitable for analysis. The study determines the presence of foreign DNA in a biological sample. The efficiency of the histological coprogram is less than that of PCR and ELISA.

Principles of treatment of helminthic invasions

How to get rid of worms in children? The method of treatment depends on the type and degree of helminthic invasion. Usually, helminthiases are treated conservatively (without surgery), but an operation is performed to remove echinococcal cysts.

Treatment of worms in children consists of several stages:

1. Preparing the body for treatment.
2. Actually therapy, taking anthelmintic drugs.
3. Recovery of the body after illness and medication. It is necessary to normalize the functioning of the nervous system, increase immunity, get rid of intestinal dysbacteriosis.

Usually the treatment period takes about three months. Before starting therapy, you need to accurately determine whether the child has worms. Treatment is prescribed and controlled by a doctor.

Drug therapy of helminthiases in children

An integrated approach will help to cure any variety of helminthiases completely, without harm to the body. You can treat worms in a child using certain drugs:

1. Anthelmintic drugs. They include antiparasitic drugs that differ in spectrum and principle of action. Appointed depending on the type of invasion. It will be more convenient for the baby to take the drug in the form of a suspension.
2. Sorbents. Bind toxins, accelerate the elimination of worms from the body. Only strictly defined doses of sorbents can be taken, otherwise serious digestive disorders may occur.
3. Antiallergic agents. Help to relieve the symptoms of allergies to the waste products of helminths.
4. Hepatoprotectors. Assign during the recovery period. Helps to normalize the functioning of the liver.
5. enzyme preparations. Restore normal digestion.

In the treatment of enterobiasis, the patient is also prescribed enemas. If the baby has a tendency to constipation, the doctor will prescribe baby laxatives. It is important to provide regular stools so that parasites and toxins are eliminated from the body. It is impossible to take any medication uncontrollably, as there is a possibility of side effects.

Traditional medicine for worms

Traditional medicine is not advisable to use for the treatment of helminthiasis in children. They do not kill the worms and do not help to remove them from the body. Folk remedies can only be used in combination with drug treatment.

How to remove worms from a child with folk methods? There are some of the most common recipes:

1. Pumpkin seed. Contains components that interfere with the normal functioning of worms, remove toxins. Peeled seeds (100 g) are crushed and poured with olive oil (100 ml). Tincture is given to the child before meals (three hours) for three days. The treatment is repeated after 2 days. Pumpkin seeds can be boiled in milk (15 seeds in 1 glass). The remedy is given to drink to the baby before lunch.

2. Garlic mix. A few cloves of garlic (2-3) must be rubbed on a fine grater, mixed with a small amount of water until smooth. For a small child, garlic gruel is mixed with a spoonful of milk or orange juice, given to drink before bedtime.
3. Onion in oil. 100 grams of onion are chopped, covered with one teaspoon of salt, poured with 50 ml of sunflower or olive oil. The mixture is given to the baby for five days in a row before going to bed.

Beet-carrot juice, echinacea tincture will help to increase the child's immunity. Restore the nervous system - chamomile tea. Chamomile is also used for enemas for enterobiasis.

Folk remedies are contraindicated in children with peptic ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis, a tendency to allergies. And, of course, before you start testing "grandmother's recipes" on a child, first consult a pediatrician and a parasitologist, otherwise the outcome of such therapy can be the most unpredictable.

Dietary supplements and homeopathy for worms

The Internet is replete with advertising of biologically active additives (BAA) and homeopathic remedies, which, according to manufacturers, will completely remove worms. Reviews about the funds are extremely positive.

Why can't dietary supplements be used to treat worms in a child? Biologically active food supplements help to normalize metabolism, increase the body's resistance, improve the functioning of internal organs, but do not get rid of parasites. They can only be used in combination with traditional drugs.

Homeopathic preparations consist of a complex of natural extracts. They also do not have a detrimental effect on worms. But they can increase immunity, restore metabolism. In many countries today it is forbidden to prescribe homeopathic medicines because of their ineffectiveness.

Prevention of helminthiases in children

Prevention of the appearance of helminthiasis in children includes simple measures:

1. Hygiene. Parents should ensure that the child regularly wash their hands, take a bath or shower, do not bite their nails, do not take toys in their mouths.
2. Sufficient heat treatment of meat and fish.
3. Regular scraping for enterobiosis (this procedure is carried out in kindergarten).
4. Healthy sleep, observance of the daily routine.
5. Balanced diet.
6. Taking vitamins.

Drug prophylaxis should be carried out if cases of infection are recorded in a kindergarten or school, one of the family members or a pet has caught the infection.

Symptoms of helminths in children are easily confused with manifestations of food poisoning, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. How to find out if a child has worms, the doctor will tell you. Children can be treated for worms after an accurate diagnosis is made under the strict supervision of a specialist. Caring parents should understand that the health of young children is completely in their hands.