Throughout life, a person is exposed to the risk of infection by various parasites. The most common are helminths (worms in humans). These parasites in the human body lead to many complications, among which are: disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, physical damage to internal organs, and helminthiases. Helminthiasis is not one disease, but a group of diseases provoked by parasites living inside a person. All helminths are divided into 3 main types:
- nematodes (belong to the order of roundworms), prominent representatives - roundworms, pinworms, whipworms;
- tapeworms, or cestodes (a order of flatworms), are represented by tapeworms, bovine tapeworms;
- flukes, or trematodes (order of flatworms), are represented by the liver fluke.
Since helminths leave the host’s body during the reproduction period in order to preserve the species, transferring to another host or into the environment, they are also divided according to the type of transfer:
- Mechanical transfer involves movement over long distances, while no worm development occurs in the body of the carrier. These include most arthropods (crustaceans, arachnids and millipedes), often carried on the legs of ordinary flies.
- An intermediate host is a specific mode of transmission in which one of the developmental stages occurs in the body of the vector. For example, for the bovine tapeworm, the carrier (intermediate host) is cattle, and humans are the final carrier.
Helminths also differ in their mode of transmission:
- active (contact);
- passive (food).
Contact helminths are able to enter the human body through mucous membranes and skin (schistosomes, hookworms). Foodborne diseases are more common; they develop in a person after eating unwashed foods, during contact with sick people, or failure to comply with personal hygiene rules.
In total, there are more than 250 species of lower worms that parasitize humans in the world. Since the symptoms of the presence of worms in humans have different manifestations, at the slightest suspicion you should contact a specialist and get tested.
Life cycle of worms, their reproduction and development
An example of the development of helminths is the classic diagram of the life cycle of the roundworm. The eggs of the parasite are extremely resistant to external adverse influences and can remain in the ground for up to six months. The development of the larva itself requires from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on environmental conditions: temperature, humidity, oxygen availability. A ripe egg enters the stomach with food, where gastric juice eats away the shell of the egg, releasing the larva.
After this, the roundworm enters the bloodstream through the intestinal wall and begins to move throughout the entire system of blood vessels until it enters the pulmonary alveoli. The roundworm larva is aerobic, only here it becomes active and continues to develop. Feeding on blood, it grows to 3-4 mm in length. Having reached primary maturity 4-5 days after invasion, the roundworm begins to move towards the bronchi. Its movement causes a cough in a person, as a result of which the larva, along with mucus, enters the oral cavity and again into the intestines. Here the final stage of the formation of the larva into an adult occurs.
The life cycle of an adult roundworm lasts about a year, during which time it lays up to 250, 000 eggs. Human health, and sometimes even life, directly depends on the presence of worms in the body and their quantity, which is why it is important to start treatment as early as possible. Ascariasis is accompanied by intoxication, and a complication will be intestinal obstruction, in some cases requiring urgent surgical intervention.
Reproduction of helminths occurs in 2 ways, on the basis of which worms are divided into biohelminths and geohelminths. Typically, parasite eggs end up in the external environment, where they mature. Then the egg must enter the host, where it either develops completely (geohelminths) or goes through the stage of transformation into a larva (biohelminths).
For biohelminths, the development process is more complex; the stages of developing into an adult and reaching maturity are separated from the stage of emergence of the larva. That is, from the external environment the egg first enters an intermediate carrier, where the larva hatches. It then needs to be ingested by its final host to reach its adult form. Sometimes biohelminths change up to 4 intermediate carriers before reaching their final host.
Symptoms
How to determine the presence of worms? Polymorphic symptoms and the absence of painful sensations at the first stages of the disease complicate diagnosis. Often the reasons for the appearance of worms in humans are associated with the consumption of stale or contaminated foods, and the parasites themselves live directly in the gastrointestinal tract, so signs of their presence in the human body in most cases relate to the functioning of the intestines:
- loose (unstable) stools;
- pain and bloating;
- allergic skin rashes;
- flatulence;
- nausea;
- vomit;
- lack or excess of appetite;
- at night - sleep disturbances, tossing, grinding of teeth, salivation;
- itching in the anus;
- the presence of mucus or blood in the stool.
These symptoms appear after infection and last a short time (about 7 days). In case of reinfestation, they are repeated after 2-3 weeks. In the absence of treatment or due to the occurrence of an acute or chronic form of the disease, some symptoms do not disappear, and the consequences of a long stay of parasites in the body are added to them:
- Intoxication appears almost simultaneously with infection, but in the early stages it is not so noticeable. The greater the number of worms in the human body, the stronger the symptoms of poisoning increase - from morning sickness to vomiting and abdominal pain.
- Congestion in the lungs (infiltrates), bronchial spasms, pneumonia. The main culprits are parasites that develop in the alveoli of the lungs and damage them, which provokes inflammatory processes.
- Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis). An infectious disease, the result of the vital activity of helminths and subsequent intoxication.
- Meningoencephalitis is a dangerous inflammation of the brain and its membranes caused by bacteria and protozoa.
Different pathogens have their own manifestations and consequences, but most symptoms are common to all helminths.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis is made in laboratory conditions. Only in this case, in the presence of worm eggs and their signs in the blood or feces, can helminthiasis be confidently diagnosed. However, stool analysis is not always enough - some types of parasites do not manifest themselves in it. A special method for determining the presence of worms is a serological blood test for antibodies. For the diagnosis of helminthiasis the following is used:
- bile studies;
- macroscopy (to identify roundworms and pinworms);
- biopsy of muscle tissue to check for trichinosis;
- X-ray and ultrasound.
Trichinosis is a parasitic disease in which the larvae of the pathogen spread throughout the host’s body, causing a lot of destruction to organs and the central nervous system, after which they settle in muscle tissue. Parasites in human muscles gradually create a capsule of infiltrates around themselves, and the symptoms of their presence in the body are reduced, but by this time serious damage to the health of the host has already been caused.
One of the main symptoms can be considered eosinophilia, in which the number of eosinophils in the patient’s blood sharply increases. Eosinophils are a subtype of leukocytes that respond to the presence of the smallest foreign objects in the circulatory system. In places where parasite larvae accumulate, internal swelling and spots on the skin quickly appear - traces of infiltration. They also remain in sputum and lung fluid.
Since the symptoms of helminthic diseases are extensive and largely overlap with signs of other diseases, self-diagnosis cannot be completely reliable. There are cases when, after eating bananas, people noticed dark threads in their stool, which were mistaken for worms. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to undergo all tests to determine the presence and type of parasites.
Treatment of helminthiasis
When treating parasitic diseases, several general rules should be followed:
- Thorough disinfection of the sick person’s linen and the room in which he is located. Reduce contact to a minimum, separate dishes.
- Strict diet excluding alcohol. It is recommended to drink carrot juice and birch bud infusion.
- Maintain personal hygiene, frequent hand washing and laundry, cleaning of living quarters.
- Monitoring the progress of treatment and its effectiveness.
Modern treatment methods exclude the use of a separate drug, since this does not guarantee complete coverage of all types of helminths. Most often, the doctor prescribes an initial-acting drug that weakens the parasites. After 3 days, depending on the age of the patient and the severity of the infection, anthelmintic drugs are prescribed. Pregnant women or people with contraindications to medications are prescribed a non-toxic drug from the tetrahydropyrimidine group.
If it is not possible to see a doctor, then use folk remedies. The following have a good anthelmintic effect:
- enema of garlic infusion, taking garlic on an empty stomach;
- tansy infusion on an empty stomach 4 times a day before meals;
- tincture of wormwood in alcohol, taken 3 times a day, 20 mg.
Nowadays, helminth infections are diagnosed and treated in a short time. If you do not neglect the disease and start treatment on time, this will help avoid complications and reinvasion. Parasitic diseases pose the greatest danger to children: there is a delay in mental development, complications arise in the form of chronic diseases, and inflammatory processes. It is extremely important to promptly explain to your child the need to wash hands and follow personal hygiene rules. Adults are also required to follow other preventive measures.
Prevention of helminthiases
In addition to personal hygiene, there are a number of factors that influence the elimination of the cause of worms:
- washing vegetables and fruits in hot water;
- keeping the house clean, regular wet cleaning;
- a balanced diet that provides the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins of all groups;
- monitoring the condition of pets, annual visits to the veterinarian;
- proper heat treatment of fish and meat;
- fight against insects living in the house;
- abstaining from swimming and resting in areas where cattle are grazing.
Compliance with preventive measures and timely consultation with a doctor in case of infection will help avoid complications. The correct dosage of medications prescribed by a medical specialist will quickly get rid of parasites, and folk remedies can be used in combination with prescribed medications.