Helminthoses- This is an infection with worms. It is mainly recorded in children and adults in hot and humid countries. The risk group is boys and girls aged 5-15 years, which is due to their knowledge of the outside world, low immune reactivity and low enough stomach pH. Target organs - liver, kidneys, lungs. The main habitat is the gastrointestinal tract.
Parasites penetrate through damaged mucous membranes and skin or through contaminated water and food. In the digestive system, young individuals enter the bloodstream through the destroyed wall.
Initially, the helminth descends into the intestines, grows for 40-80 days, gradually turns into an adult, lays eggs that leave the body in feces at a late stage of development.
Causes of the disease
A person becomes infected after consuming contaminated food and water or contact with contaminated soil. Individuals are transmitted to another person through ordinary objects - dishes, toothbrushes, towels, forks, spoons, toys.
Provocative factors are non-compliance with hygiene rules, improper preparation of food (cooking meat and fish at low temperatures), adherence to a raw food diet.
The eggs are regularly brought in by pets that roam outside.
Types of worms
Parasites are divided into classes that differ according to their presence in the environment:
- Contact. It is transmitted between people.
- Geohelminthoses. There is no need for an intermediate host for development, the residence is land.
- Biohelminthosis. At least two organisms are necessary for life.
Science knows more than 350 species of parasites. The following are dangerous:
- Nematodes (roundworms) are responsible for the development of ascariasis and necatoriasis.
- Spinyheads (acanthocephalans) – disease: acanthocephalosis.
- Trematodes (flukes) - provoke opisthorchosis and fascioliasis.
- Cestodes (tapeworms) - tapeworm, exinococcus.
Helminths live in the intestines, lungs and gall bladder.
Clinical picture
Symptoms are determined by the type of worm, the affected organ, the patient's anatomical and physiological characteristics and immunity.
Stream options:
- Sharp.
Duration - 2-8 weeks. Intoxication syndrome and allergy prevail: weakness, loss of strength, nausea, vomiting, fever, rashes, lymphadenopathy, feeling of lack of air, swelling and abdominal pain. The pathognomonic symptom is bruxism (teeth grinding). It is mostly seen at night. Local changes are possible - redness and irritation of the perianal region. - Chronic.
Duration - several years. The patient is worried about stool disorders, pain in the lower abdomen, sour or bitter belching, dyspepsia, intolerance to certain foods. Damage to the liver and gallbladder leads to jaundice (skin discoloration) and hepatitis. Nematodes cause bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory failure and inflammation of the heart muscle. Penetration into the central nervous system is accompanied by emotional lability, irritability, difficulty remembering new information, and insomnia.
Helminths reduce immune reactivity, contribute to the accumulation of secondary bacterial flora, caries, severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) and exacerbation of accompanying pathologies.
Complications
Waste products of parasites cause local symptoms (itching, urticaria), pneumonia, cardiac and bronchial asthma. Worms feed on human macronutrients, which causes psychomotor and mental retardation in the child's development. Whipworms use red blood cells and hemoglobin to cause anemia. Patients with massive infection develop appendicitis, dysbiosis, frequent blockage of bile ducts and intestinal obstruction.
Diagnostics
At the first symptoms, you should consult a specialist or therapist.
Enlarged spleen, liver and regional lymph nodes are determined by palpation. The number of eosinophils increases in the CBC and the ESR increases.
To check the diagnosis and control treatment, the following is carried out:
- itching from the perianal area;
- examination of biological material (vomit, urine, sputum, feces);
- coprogram;
- allergy tests.
The severity and degree of pathological changes are determined by chest x-ray, ultrasound, contrast computed tomography, MRI, gastro- and colonoscopy.
The diagnosis of helminthosis is difficult due to the irregular release of eggs, the disappearance of antibodies 2-3 months after infection, and the diversity of the clinical picture.
Treatment
Patient management tactics are determined by the doctor after consultation.
Drug therapy involves choosing an anthelmintic drug based on symptoms and the type of worm.
Bronchopulmonary manifestations are treated with steroids, expectorants, antihistamines and antispasmodics. Normal intestinal microflora is restored with probiotics, digestion is improved with enzymes. A surgical operation is performed to remove the cyst.
After 3-4 weeks, a control stool test is performed three times.
Prevention
The following recommendations help prevent helminthic infection:
- Wash your hands after going to the toilet and returning from a walk and before eating.
- Rejection of bad habits.
- Washing greens, vegetables, apples, oranges under the tap.
- Proper processing of products.
- Drink boiled water.
- Active lifestyle.
Drug prophylaxis with non-specific anthelmintic drugs (for adults, children, pets) is indicated twice a year.