Speaking of helminths in humans, the symptoms of which, the treatment of which is well known to many even from childhood, one cannot but note that they are conditionally divided into several classes. Different types of parasites differ from each other not only in the form of damage to the human body, but also in the method of infection. Some of them are specific. For example, for hunters, this is trichinosis, which is found in large quantities in wild birds, less often in ungulates. But how to correctly determine from the symptoms that a person has worms and what methods of getting rid of them are proposed by modern medicine?
Ways of infection
Worms in humans in 99% of cases occur due to a violation of the elementary rules of individual hygiene. And they enter the body via the fecal-oral route, that is, by contact with the waste products of some infected animals or people (just visit a public bathroom). It is impossible to indicate the exact signs of the disease (the spread of parasites) in the human body, since there are many varieties of worms, and each of them has its own clinical picture. And even those complex preparations used for their destruction act only on 2-3% of the types of helminths, which are the most common in the world. These include: pinworms, trichinosis, diphyllobothriasis, tapeworms, etc. These are the ones found most often in our body. But their greatest diversity is found in Africa, where only 1 in 10 people are healthy. In them, helminths are mainly infected with water, which does not go through the necessary stages of purification and is simply teeming with pathogens and parasites.
Considering the types of worms in humans, it is necessary to note those that enter the body through the meat of infected animals. These, for example, include the same pinworms that are found mainly in the soil. But as soon as they get on the meat, they begin to actively multiply. By the way, their distributors are often flies.
Quite often, infection occurs through well water. And here no filters will help - only the passage of liquid through a special thermal station, where it heats up to about 80-100 ° C. But these are quite expensive, so they are rarely installed in practice.
And, of course, if the worms are found in a person, it means that he is also a carrier of the parasite. Helminths can also be transmitted through a handshake if the patient does not wash their hands thoroughly after going to the bathroom. For this reason everyone can be infected, regardless of place of residence, social status.
It should be noted that helminths most often occur in children. There are several reasons for this:
- Parents care little about the hygiene of their children, they do not tell about the elementary rules that before eating, after going to the bathroom, it is necessary to wash your hands with soap and water.
- The child's body is less resistant to helminths. As a result, even a few pinworms can lead to the rapid spread of parasites in the baby's body.
Speaking of pinworms, by the way, remember that these are helminth worms that cannot reproduce while in the human body. That is, their distribution occurs only when the eggs enter the oral cavity again. As a result, if an infected person adheres to strict hygiene rules, then after 3-4 weeks he will be completely healthy: part of the helminths will be destroyed by immunity, the rest will leave the body naturally along with the feces.
Variety of parasites
Which helminths are recognized as the most common in the world? Of course, pinworms, which are found in almost all countries of our planet. This is due to the fact that they freely infect both humans and pets and can be transmitted, including through food and water. Symptoms of their appearance in the body are classic: violation of feces, functions of the gastrointestinal tract, signs of primary intoxication.
Such types of parasites as nematodes are found predominantly in domestic and wild animals, but they almost never infect humans. They easily enter our body, but die in a few days. In severe cases, for example, when the patient's immunity is noticeably weakened, parasites settle in the lungs, sometimes in the liver, which is accompanied by a sharp rise in temperature. As a rule, at the same time, nematodes are clearly visible in the feces, even with a visual examination.
Trichinosis is another type of common helminth that enters the body mainly through poorly processed (thermally) fish and animal meat. It causes muscle pain, sometimes swelling of the face and general intoxication of the body.
But the most dangerous of the common helminths is tapeworms, as it can also cause a spasmodic attack, since its metabolic products affect the functioning of the neural system. It is also dangerous that this type of helminth can live quietly in our body for about 30 years, growing to several meters in length. In the later stages of infection, it can only be removed surgically, as it can tunnel into organs for rapid movement.
Schistosomiasis - more common helminths in men (this is due to the inherent differences in the process of urination in men and women). Infection with such worms is accompanied by multiple symptoms, and in severe cases, helminths can exit through the urethra. It should be noted that these types of worms are more common in Africa, as infection occurs only through water or food.
Pathology symptoms
How can you find out that a person has been exposed to helminths in the body? In the early stages - only through a comprehensive blood test, as well as feces, urine. In the laboratory, they study the change in the composition of these substances, the change in the background of antibodies. But nematodes and pinworms are also easily determined when taking a smear from the rectal cavity. Such an analysis is necessarily carried out when passing a medical commission at school, upon receipt of a health book.
But the primary symptoms of worm infection appear much later, when their number in the body increases significantly, and this is accompanied by intoxication with the waste products of parasites. For example, if we are talking about flat worms, the patient may not know them even after several years from the onset of infection. Suspicion provokes only a rapid decrease in body weight (despite the observance of a healthy diet), as well as lethargy. By the way, many people know that in the 19th century (as well as at the beginning of the 20th century), worms were generally used medicinally to quickly get rid of excess body weight. But that was only until scientists discovered that such therapy is hopelessly harmful to health.
Speaking of helminths, it should be noted that most of them can cause allergic reactions. And this is perhaps one of the most dangerous symptoms. In some patients, this can lead to sudden anaphylactic shock and even death due to rapid airway inflammation. And all this is due to the fact that in the waste products of helminths there is a large percentage of those substances that cause allergies. Strongyloidosis is the most common worm, the symptoms of which include such a reaction.
For diagnosis, doctors often use the so-called symptomatic test. This is a small sheet with about 20 questions. They offer to describe how often a person has a headache, after eating what kind of food diarrhea begins, etc. In 80% of cases, the test results are reliable, which is why many doctors still use such diagnostic tools.
Therapeutic measures
Given that there are worms and how different they are from each other, they should be treated by different means. Most types of helminths are easily eliminated through the use of pesticides. These, in turn, destroy the positive microflora for them, thus making the body temporarily unsuitable for their life. However, the use of such drugs is quite harmful to our immunity, so they should be used only as prescribed by the attending physician.
Do not forget that all worms are conditionally divided into round, flat and flukes, and different types of anthelmintic preparations are used to eliminate them. The variety of parasites, despite the harsh climate, still remains high: over 70 subtypes. In addition, when determining the dose of the pesticide used, it is necessary to take into account such factors as the patient's age, body weight, duration of infection (conditional, based on complex analysis data).
However, most helminths can be easily eliminated with the help of anthelmintic drugs. But keep in mind that you will need to be cured within 3-4 months, after completing 2 courses of therapy. And here it will be quite important to follow a strict diet, recommendations for controlling body weight.
Symptoms, treatment inherent in one or another type of parasites, practically do not depend in any way on their subtype. The clinical picture depends for the most part only on the physiological characteristics of a particular patient and the period that has elapsed since the infection.
Preventive measures
As mentioned above, the most effective prevention of helminths is the observance of the elementary rules of personal hygiene, eating only well-processed foods. But those who love meat with blood belong to the category of the most vulnerable patients, in which worms are found in almost 97% of cases. The same goes for those who like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables bought in a shop or at the market, without then washing them under running water. And all due to the fact that the people who work at the harvest do not respect hygiene (because it is not provided by the employer).
Therefore, in order to know for sure that in a person the symptoms with which he goes to the clinic are in no way connected with helminthiasis, he also performs blood, stool and urine tests. After all, some types of worms cause symptoms similar to those that occur with an infectious lesion. These, for example, include diphyllobothriasis, the infection of which is very similar to a simple flu disease. However, such a reaction of the body is associated precisely with the properties of the toxins that the parasite will release into our body. This is accompanied by a sharp rise in body temperature, a runny nose and sore throat. But it's all due to dehydration. And those nematodes and the toxins they secrete cause the same symptoms as the violation of the gastrointestinal tract.