Worms than worms-parasites dangerous to humans

According to WHO, every second person 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:

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

You can get infected with helminths in different ways. However, more often parasitic invasion occurs for the following reasons:

1. Poor hand hygiene.
2. Vegetables, unwashed fruits; raw or undercooked meat, fish - the use of such products increases the risk of parasitic invasion many times over.
3. Keep open food out of the refrigerator. Insects are able to transfer helminth eggs to products that are stored without packaging.
4. Contact with pets.

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

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

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

Which poisons are found most often 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 element of fixation 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 broad tape that affects the human intestines.Development of worm eggs occurs in fresh water. The scheme for introducing the tapeworm into the human body is as follows:

1. Worm eggs are ingested by crustaceans living in a tank.
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 white fragments of the helminth in the feces.

Attaching to the intestinal mucosa, the tapeworm absorbs large amounts of vitamin B12. For this reason, people with diphyllobothriasis often develop anemia. In addition, the tapeworm can cause an increase in the 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 intermediate one is cattle, the main one is man. Bull tape 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 colder areas.

As a rule, people get taeniarhynchosis after eating undercooked or undercooked beef.

The disease often continues without pronounced symptoms and is discovered by chance when a person sees helminth elements in feces. In some people, in addition to the main signs of infection with helminths, pain may appear on the right side of the front abdominal wall.

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 pork tapeworm, which first affects the human small intestine.Human infection occurs through the consumption of raw or improperly cooked pork.

The parasite can penetrate into various organs and tissues, causing pain in the abdomen, back and limbs. The most favorable pathology occurs when the worm is localized in subcutaneous fat and skeletal muscle tissue. When they penetrate the muscles of the eye, helminths cause a decrease in visual acuity, lacrimation and photophobia. Loss of pig brainworm can be fatal.

strikes

Flukes have a leaf-like shape and are distinguished by a high ability to reproduce at different 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 well attached to the mucous membranes of organs.

Common pathologies caused by fluxes:

• fasciolosis;
• opisthorchiasis;
• paragonimiasis.

Fascioliasis

Fascioliasis occurs when the liver or gallbladder is damaged by a stroke of the liver.Basically, the infection occurs when you eat vegetables, which were irrigated with water from open tanks.

In addition to the standard signs of parasite infection, a person may experience asthmatic attacks, which are accompanied by shortness of breath, facial flushing, dilated pupils, and tachycardia. If an adult has caused blockage of the bile ducts, then obstructive jaundice develops. Signs of pathology:

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

Opisthorchiasis

The causative agent of the disease is the cat's bite. The name of the parasite is due to the fact that, in addition to humans, it often infects cats and other mammals that eat fish.

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

• symptoms of intoxication;
• fever,
• beehive;
• itching of the 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 often leads to hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver.

Paragonimiasis

The culprit of the disease is a pulmonary stroke that enters the human body with infected crustaceans.

First, the parasite enters the human intestine, then the abdominal cavity. The final point of its journey is the 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;
• cough with sputum, which may contain pus and blood;
• fever.

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

roundworms

Due to their structure, roundworms (nematodes) are able to survive even in extreme conditions.Their body is covered with a three-layer muscular bag, which reliably protects the parasites from external influences.

Common diseases caused by nematodes:

• ascariasis;
• enterobiasis;
• trichinosis.

Ascariasis

The development of the disease provokes the roundworm, which is initially fixed 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.Also, often the cause of ascariasis is poorly washed hands before eating.

During the penetration of larvae into the body, a person may experience subfebrile fever, allergic rash, cough with clear sputum. Signs of the intestinal stage of ascariasis (diarrhea, abdominal pain) are observed only in the presence of some parasites. As a rule, staying in the intestines of a worm is asymptomatic.

Complications with multiple parasitic infestation:

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

Enterobiasis

The causative agents of the disease are roundworms - small worms up to 1 cm long. Helminths enter 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.

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

trichinosis

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

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

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, chewing muscles may appear. Possible complications are complete or partial loss of mobility, paralysis of the respiratory tract.

How to avoid infection with helminths?

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 multiple mechanisms of action in humans.

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 parasitosis. Worm infestation (a large collection of parasitic diseases) is present in humans even when the parasite is already gone. And if the patient has noticed this, then in this case he will, of course, come to the medical facility. Parasitosis can also be detected during the preventive examination. But unfortunately, these cases are a drop in the ocean.

Mechanisms of action:

mechanical impact.For example, if the roundworm is in the intestines, it will certainly press on and damage the intestinal wall. In some cases, it causes an inflammatory process. If, for example, echinococcus is located in the liver, lungs or kidneys, tissue compression will occur accordingly. This is a classic, mechanical effect: explosion, pressure, dysfunction of the organ or system in which the parasite is present. There are many not only luminal parasites that are present in the gastrointestinal tract, but there are also many tissue parasites that can fully realize the so-called mechanical action.

Stimulation of allergic reactions.Unfortunately, when a person has allergic reactions, he starts making rounds: to the dermatologist, to the pediatrician, to the general practitioner, to an 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 serious allergic reactions, and they can be different, both on the skin and affecting the bronchopulmonary tree. For example, frequent obstructive bronchitis in children may be due to the fact that some kind of parasite lives in the intestines.

Impact on microflora.It's no secret that man is a globe for the vast world of microbiota. The microflora that inhabits all our mucous membranes, skin, organs, tissues is that 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.Today it is clearly established that parasite debris dramatically inhibits the immune system. They just block it. 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 parasitosis for decades. Which sooner or later leads to serious diseases in the body as a whole, or in a particular organ or system.

The effect of antienzymes. Unfortunately, parasites can not only deplete our body. If we try to consume vitamin food, mineralized, drink vitamins and minerals as a complex, it will not always benefit us, because our free loaders will take their lion's share.

The mechanism of action of the nervous reflex.The remains of the parasites poison the nervous system. And very often this can affect the psycho-emotional state of an adult and a child. Any psychosomatic illness can be associated with parasitic invasion. A child may be hyperreactive, or vice versa, lethargic, tearful, prone to depression - all this may 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 that are identical to psychotropic substances. Of course, a child or adult with such persistent poisoning will experience a serious strain on the functioning of the central nervous system. And from here all kinds of psychological and mental disorders can follow: sleep disorders, nervous disorders, various psychological problems. Moreover, neither the parents nor the patient himself, if he is an adult, can conceive the idea that this is due to parasitic invasion.

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

The first factor is the direct, damaging effect on the tissues of a particular organ.

The second factor is the action mediated through a sharp inhibition of the immune system. The thing is, the part of the immune system that is responsible for anti-parasitic defense is also responsible for anti-tumor defense. As a result of the wrong division, a cancerous cell can appear in the human body. In this case, the lack of the immune system will appear in such a way that this cell will not be recognized in time by our immune cells and will not be killed in time.

When can a person suspect the presence of parasites?

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

• The most common clinical symptom is itching in the anus. This is heard by many people, so it is related to the presence of parasites, especially in the practice of children.
• Grinding teeth in a dream. Again, very often this can be in pediatric practice. Mothers suddenly notice that the child began to grind his teeth in his sleep. Why is this happening? Very often, creaking in children is accompanied by scary dreams. This is exactly the mechanism of the toxic effects on the central nervous system that we talked about. The child sees a terrible dream and in his sleep clenches his teeth in fear. This is one of the reasons. There are also other reasons. The formation of trismus or increased masticatory muscle tone, this can also be a symptom in this case.
• Saliva during sleep, saliva in the morning, nausea in the morning when brushing the teeth. All these are manifestations that can indirectly indicate the presence of parasitic invasion in the body.
• Peeling of fingers and toes, peeling of the skin in layers.
• Increased feeling of hunger, sometimes to the point of fainting.
• Allergic rash on the skin. When I give lectures to doctors, I very often draw attention to the fact that doctors are not in a hurry to give antiallergic drugs to one or another patient. Understand first to the end - is there any helminthic invasion. Because a high degree of allergy, suddenly appearing in a person within a short period of time, can indicate, first of all, that the patient has a parasitic invasion.
• Redness in the eyelids, their peeling, swelling. , mental disorders without known causes.
• Any itchy skin. Especially in the practice of children. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the presence of parasitic invasions.
• Troubled by symptoms such as bloating, heartburn, 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. Diseases of joints, bronchopulmonary tree, gastrointestinal tract. If suddenly a person begins to get sick in stages, then one, then the second, then the third, then the fifth, then the tenth, and at first there was no obvious reason for this, then this is an occasion to think about the presence ofparasites in the body.
• Poor health and the diagnosis is unclear. Such patients can also go to different specialists, try to examine one or the other. And in the end, the diagnosis will still be unclear, and the state of health will remain poor.
• Inexplicable pain in the abdomen, unstable, sudden spasms, pulling pains. It is also necessary to exclude, especially in pediatric practice, the presence of parasites.
• Prolonged toxic-allergic manifestations. Periodically appear suddenly, incomprehensible allergic reactions to food.
• Persistent anemia. When hemoglobin is significantly reduced and it is difficult to correct. It is worth thinking, first of all, about the presence of parasitic invasions in the human body.
• In children: a delay in physical, psychosomatic, psychoemotional development, hyperreactivity, or vice versa, lethargy, in schoolchildren, poor assimilation of material - all this may indicate the presence of hidden parasitosis in the body.
• Prolonged lymphadenopathy (condition manifested by an increase in the 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 doctor. It is believed that if a person has found two or three such signs in himself, then he already undergoes a more complete examination for the presence of parasitosis, or an antiparasitic program.

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

I want to draw the attention of people who want to treat themselves. If you come to a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist: "Give me something for worms", then you are making a big mistake - these things cannot be done. First, the pharmacist is not responsible for how you take this drug. Second, it is not responsible for the consequences. Third, you can hurt yourself a lot. Don't do that. To understand whether you have a parasitic infection or not, it is very important to contact a specialist, go through a certain list of studies and only after that undergo an adequate course of 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 infections is very difficult. How to find out if there are parasites in the body? What laboratory and instrumental research methods can detect parasitosis? Let's examine these questions in detail.

Complications

Helminthiasis caused by common types of parasites can be treated with medicines prescribed by a doctor. But if you do not pay attention to the alarming symptoms, deterioration of health, weakness, fatigue without cause, decreased immunity, the disease can lead to serious complications.

If the parasites enter the lungs and the patient does not go 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, bowel cancer, gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity (ascites) and peritoneum. They also often provoke the development of chronic kidney diseases, meningoencephalitis, loss of vision. Some cestodes (tapeworms) grow over 1 meter in length, and the small roundworms can form dense balls. This disrupts the normal functioning of the body, leads to severe intoxication, severe allergic reactions. Without immediate medical attention, death is possible.

prevention

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

• Do not wear someone else's underwear, do not share a towel with strangers.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before eating - it is important to do this not only before breakfast, lunch, dinner, but also a snack.
• Wash your hands after using the toilet.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after working in the beds and do all gardening with thick rubber gloves.
• Use only clean water for drinking and cooking.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water.
• Eat meat, fish, seafood that has undergone heat treatment.
• Do not buy products on spontaneous markets, from individuals who cannot confirm the safety of the goods.
• Monitor the health of pets, regularly clean the worms, even if the animal lives in an apartment and does not go outside. To choose drugs and calculate the dose, contact your veterinarian.
• Maintain cleanliness in living and working areas. Sometimes people bring helminth eggs on the soles of their shoes. To reduce the risk of infection, you should regularly perform wet cleaning, 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 drugs for the prevention of helminthiasis. Be sure to tell us how often you travel, if there are pets at home, a personal plot. Medicinal prophylaxis of helminthiasis is recommended to be carried out 2 times a year.