Symptoms of worm infection are different. For example, dyspeptic disorders develop more often: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and bloating. Some patients do not pay attention to the signs until they develop rashes that cannot be eliminated by conventional medications. Often, the helminthic invasion is accompanied by symptoms similar to other diseases and allergies. Therefore, timely diagnosis is required.
Worm infection in humans
Most helminths spread in the human body by eating unwashed fruits and vegetables. After spreading throughout the body, organ damage occurs, which causes serious illness. Pathologies of the liver, kidneys, heart, digestive tract, gallbladder, and even oncology can develop.
A frequent characteristic symptom is skin irritation, a rash. But a person may not pay attention to this for years, while the pathology develops, even if it is enough to take anthelmintic drugs in one course to fully recover.
Methods of infection
There are 4 methods by which worms spread in the human body:
- Geoelminthiasis. The parasite enters through the soil that remains on unwashed fruits and vegetables and spreads in the water. Also, infection is possible with poor hand washing after working with the soil. Contact with the ground is often observed for animals entering the house with dirty paws. Eggs, larvae, adults can enter the human body.
- Contact. In the host's body, the female lays 4-5 thousand eggs in 1 day. They can spread from an infected person to other people after contact, especially in the home. Eggs or adults are spread through sheets, towels, personal hygiene items. It is enough for an infected person not to wash their hands. Most often, this path is characteristic of pinworms, worms.
- Biohelminthiasis. Parasites are stored in the body of live and dead animals, fish. Subsequently, a person can eat them. Preservation of parasites is observed with insufficient heat treatment.
- Insect bites. In this way helminth eggs with the smallest size are transmitted.
Of all forms of helminths, infection most often occurs by ingestion of eggs and larvae. They can be found in soil, in water, on an infected person, in raw meat. It is important not only to wash food and hands, but also to always use heat treatment for food.
Symptoms of helminthiasis
Symptoms of the infestation vary according to the stage of the disease.Most often, the following symptoms appear:
- weight loss, slimming;
- pallor of the skin;
- itching in the anus.
Symptoms are similar to other pathologies, so the patient may use the wrong therapeutic methods. Symptoms can vary depending on the affected area of the body. For example, with liver damage, yellowing of the skin occurs.
Gastrointestinal dysfunction
With the penetration of pathogens into the digestive tract, the following symptoms develop:
- violation of the formation of fecal masses (constipation, diarrhea);
- itching in the anus;
- dyspeptic disorders - nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn;
- colic in the intestine;
- flatulence, accompanied by bloating;
- periodic change in body weight from higher to lower.
In the early stages, the symptoms are almost invisible. The more the worms damage the internal organs, the more actively the signs develop. Some parasites are able to secrete foreign waste products to the body. This leads to severe intoxication and diarrhea. Large worms spread throughout the intestine, preventing the passage of stool. This causes constipation.
Due to the release of waste products of worms, a person is prone to severe intoxication. That is why weakness, malaise, dyspeptic disorders develop.
Immune suppression
When a person consumes food, the nutrients enter the body and are distributed in the tissues.Helminths eat them, so the patient develops the following deviations:
- hypovitaminosis;
- metabolic disease;
- suppression of the immune system.
A person often begins to get sick with viral, recitative and fungal diseases. Even with the use of multivitamin preparations, hypovitaminosis will not be eliminated until the anthelmintic treatment is completed.
Neurological disorders
Some types of helminths are capable of damaging the peripheral tissues of the nervous system by crossing the blood brain barrier. These properties are possessed by the products of their intoxication.Damage to the nervous system causes the following symptoms:
- constant forgetfulness, poor memory;
- headache up to migraine;
- dizziness;
- stress, neurosis, depression;
- increased fatigue.
The patient's behavior changes. Comes into conflict with the people around him, forget about his acquaintances. Gradually, the symptoms are integrated, the body temperature rises by more than 39 degrees.
Chronic hypovitaminosis leads to chronic fatigue syndrome. Gradually, the level of red blood cells decreases, causing anemia. The person becomes irritable and aggressive.
Respiratory disturbances
Even in the early stages, damage to the deeper parts of the respiratory tract can develop.The following pathologies develop:
- tracheitis, bronchitis;
- emphysema, bronchial asthma, pneumonia.
A sign of helminthic invasion can also be frequent rhinitis and pharyngitis.
Skin problems
In order for the epidermis to develop normally, a sufficient amount of vitamins, trace elements and minerals is required. Worm infestation leads to hypovitaminosis, so the quality of the skin suffers.The following deviations are displayed:
- acne, acne, rash;
- itching, peeling, redness of the epidermis;
- exfoliation of the nail plate.
Even the most serious skin conditions can develop:
- urticaria, dermatitis;
- papilloma, seborrhea;
- allergic reaction.
The doctor and patient may not immediately understand why medications do not help with these conditions. The quality of the skin deteriorates significantly, turns pale, wrinkles appear. The turgor decreases, that is the surface tension.
Signs of infection depending on the type of helminths
The severity of the symptoms depends on the following factors:
- the number of parasites in the body;
- degree of immune activity;
- localization of parasites;
- parasite species.
Some helminths can stay in the host for a long time without causing negative symptoms. Other individuals are able to instantly deteriorate health by damaging the liver. For example, nematode.
Nematode
Ascaris damages many internal organs, causes some symptoms, similar to other diseases.The following symptoms may appear:
- hyperthermia;
- prolonged cough;
- severe fatigue;
- bronchitis, pneumonia.
First, the digestive tract is damaged, then hypovitaminosis and metabolic disorders are formed. The human body is exhausted. Gradually, signs of damage to the gastrointestinal tract are formed:
- yellowing of the skin;
- intestinal blockage.
With the spread of worms across the blood brain barrier, severe headaches, migraines and a depressive state appear.
Schistosomiasis, tricuriasis, hookworms, diphyllobothriasis
Parasites cause the following deviations:
- lack of nutrients and vitamins;
- reduced metabolism, causing a change in body weight;
- intestinal dysbiosis.
Gradually, hypovitaminosis turns into beriberi, which leads to significant exhaustion of the body. A person's skin turns pale, he can often faint, which is typical of anemia.
pinworms
Pinworms are characterized by the deposition of eggs in the anus, usually this process occurs at night. Therefore, a person is worried about severe itching in the anus. The disease is characterized by periodic remission, so sometimes the itching stops. If there is no treatment, the helminthic invasion becomes extensive, so itching worries the patient at any time of the day.
Trichinosis
The parasite penetrates into any part of the body, produces a large amount of toxins. This leads to constant spasms, cramps, muscle aches. Due to damage to the cardiovascular system, edema is formed. With severe intoxication, the body temperature rises.
Fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis, clonorchiasis
This is one of the most dangerous helminths, which leads to the following injuries:
- difficulties in the liver with the development of jaundice;
- intestinal obstruction, dyspeptic disorders during spread along the gastrointestinal tract.
Gradually, the patient develops hepatosplenomegaly.
Urogenital schistosomiasis
Parasites actively spread through the genitourinary system. Due to the chronic inflammatory process, damage to the mucous membranes occurs. Therefore, when urinating, a person detects red urine, indicating the development of bleeding foci.
Habitat of worms
In the human body, helminths can damage several types of organs:
- vlasoglav - large intestine;
- ascaris, tapeworms, hookworms - small intestine;
- nematode - liver.
Depending on the damaged organs, different symptoms are formed:
- liver - jaundice, pain in the right hypochondrium, hepatitis;
- respiratory tract - trachea, bronchitis, pneumonia;
- brain - convulsions, paraesthesia, fainting.
Simultaneous treatment of the disease (hepatitis, colitis), the elimination of helminths is necessary.
Common helminths
Scientists count a huge number of parasites found in the human body. There are more than 100 in total.But more often, doctors distinguish infection with the following parasites:
- pinworms;
- dwarf tapeworm;
- tapeworm;
- hookworms;
- whipworms;
- paragonimiasis;
- cysticercosis.
To determine the exact type of pathogen and prescribe the right treatment, it is necessary to conduct laboratory and instrumental diagnostics. First, the patient is examined by a therapist, then he administers the feces for a coprogram, the detection of worm eggs. Usually, therapists and infectious disease specialists recommend undergoing a study twice, since even in the presence of infection, eggs and larvae may not be detected.
A laboratory blood test is recommended for patients at risk:
- the presence of pets;
- work relating to animals;
- health workers;
- employees of children's educational institutions;
- food sector workers.
Attention! In order to accurately identify helminth and its intoxication products, it is recommended to conduct an enzyme-linked immunosorbent test. It is performed in municipal clinics and hospitals, as well as in private laboratories.
Therapeutic methods
It is forbidden to independently select drugs against helminths, as they strongly affect the state of the liver and kidneys. It is recommended to undergo an initial examination, after which specific medications are prescribed. The dosage is selected based on the state of health, age, body weight of a person.
The following methods of drug administration are selected:
- tablets - mild or moderate degree of helminthiasis;
- injections, infusions - a severe degree of the disease, the formation of an excessively large number of parasites, severe damage to the digestive tract.
Many drugs can only act on adults. If there is a risk of eggs and larvae, it is best to undergo a second course of therapy or choose a more powerful remedy.
The table shows the optimal drugs for treatment.
| Substance | Influence |
| mebendazole | Completely kills pinworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms and other parasites |
| Pirantela pamoata | The substance destroys the nematode, which is effective in enterobiasis and necatorosis |
| Levamisole hydrochloride | Destroys roundworms and hookworms |
| Pirvinia embonate | Helps to completely cure enterobiasis |
| Albendazole | It helps to destroy most of the elements in the adult or larval stage. |
Initially, it is recommended to identify the exact pathogen, only then apply the medicine. This will increase the chances of recovery without a negative effect on the body.
Methods of prevention
To prevent the introduction of parasites into the body, use the rules of prevention:
- wash your hands after returning home, throughout the day, after contact with animals;
- the use of personal hygiene items, dishes by one person;
- take multivitamins, give up bad habits to strengthen the immune system;
- thorough washing of fruits and vegetables, heat treatment of meat and fish;
- the use of high quality drinking water from proven sources.
Helminths can be found in many products, so it is impossible to exclude the risk of their spreading in the body. Anyone can get infected with the parasite without even knowing it. It can spread from one family member to others through family contact. Therefore, it is necessary to use preventive measures on a daily basis.
It is important to take care of the animals. It is necessary to periodically wash them, give drugs from parasites to reduce the risk of helminth infection.
If a person suspects that he has been accused of helminths, it is better to take a laboratory test in a timely manner. It is repeated twice to avoid a false negative test. Self-administration of drugs is prohibited. All of them are powerful, negatively affect the liver. Only a doctor will be able to choose the optimal anthelmintic agent with the right dosage. If timely treatment is carried out, it is possible to prevent the development of serious diseases, immunodeficiency.