Symptoms of worms in humans cannot always be noted in time. Worm infestations often have symptoms similar to other illnesses, such as allergies or indigestion. Helminths are parasites in different parts of the human body. An infected person can treat liver failure, chronic cold or dermatosis without knowing the real reason for the deterioration of health.
What are helminths?
In humans, tapeworms are parasitic worms that can vary in size. They can enter the human body through the mouth, nasal passages, eyes, urethra or anus. Most often, parasites live in the intestines, attach to its walls using suckers, tentacles or peculiar teeth. Parasites can live in lung and brain tissues, respiratory tract mucosa, muscles, liver and gall bladder.
Classification of helminths: types of worms in humans
Various types of helminths can become parasites in the human body. Medical helminthology divides them into groups, taking into account the specificity of the body shape:
- Round (nematodes)- has a whole shape in the form of a lemon, stem, barrel or shaft. The head and tail of nematodes are slightly pointed. The oral apparatus is characterized by three layers. Parasites move freely in soil, fresh and sea water. In the human body, there are pinworms (which cause enterobiasis), roundworms, corn worms and trichinella, which are considered intestinal parasites. Guinea worms - these roundworms are spread through subcutaneous tissue.
- Ribbon (cestodes). It includes the following types of parasites: cattle, pork, dwarf tapeworm, broad tapeworm. Their body resembles a thin segmented ribbon, which can be 10 meters or more in length. The front part of parasitic worms is equipped with suction cups and hooks that attach to the intestinal walls. Echinococci have a complex fixation system - 4 suckers surrounded by two rows of hooks.
- Trematodes (flukes)— this type of worms is characterized by special habitats in the body: gall bladder, bile ducts. Siberian bird (4-13 mm), fasciola (3-7 cm long).
How to get infected with helminths?
Everyone should know why worms appear in people and where they live in the body:
- Nematodes and flatworm dwarf tapeworm enter the body through dirty hands, eating unwashed vegetables and drinking dirty water. Habitat: intestines.
- Trichinella, bovine, pork tapeworm - infection occurs when eating thermally poorly processed meat (beef, pork). Location: intestine.
- Opistorchis, broad tapeworm (class trematodes or tapeworms). A person can become infected by eating raw, lightly salted or undercooked fish. In fish, the parasite larvae live in fat layer and muscles. In humans, they are located in the liver and gallbladder.
- Contact with a dog infected with echinococci, Siberian fluke, fasciola; less often, cats are the source of infection. Helminths can parasitize the human liver, lungs, kidneys and heart. They develop inside echinococcal cysts.
What do worms look like in human feces?
A person may see dead roundworms in the stool 3-4 days after taking anthelmintic tablets. The length of these parasites living in the human body can reach 40 cm, the edges are sharp, and the body is white.
Pinworms usually leave the body alive a few hours after consuming milk with garlic, very salty or spicy food. Small white worms (up to 12 mm long) with sharp edges are clearly visible in the feces and around the anus.
Large flatworms or tapeworms are almost impossible to see (between 3 and 10 m long). After feeding, the worms leave the body in the form of rotten pieces.
Signs of the presence of worms in humans
Symptoms in adults and children with helminthic infestation are usually similar to the manifestations of other diseases. This is related to the location of the worms (respiratory tract, liver, bile) and life process.
In the acute period
The acute phase is believed to be asymptomatic. But in most cases, the first symptoms of worms are mild, and people ignore the parasitic disease. In less cases, symptoms of helminthosis in the body in an infected person occur with fever, nausea and vomiting. A person feels weak and loses appetite.
In the chronic stage
Symptoms of chronic helminthiasis depend on the type of worms, their number and place of residence.
Intestinal helminthiasis
Symptoms of worms in an adult in the intestine:
- deterioration of the digestive process;
- pressing pain in the navel region;
- intestinal dysfunction;
- loss of appetite;
- lose weight;
- pale skin;
- bruises under the eyes;
- anal itching.
Extraintestinal helminths
The main symptoms of infection with helminths of the liver, gallstones and lungs:
- constant fatigue;
- nervous breakdown;
- paroxysmal pain in the epigastric region;
- decreased performance;
- foul-smelling, greasy stools (steatorrhea);
- urticaria, skin itching;
- chest pain;
- chronic dry cough;
- skin discoloration.
Extraintestinal parasites (giardia, opistorchis, fasciola) can cause not only headaches or skin diseases, but also depression. Typically, if the symptoms of skin allergy do not go away for a long time (itching, dry skin, rash) or reappear after treatment, a pathological condition occurs.
How to detect worms: diagnosis of helminthic infections
To diagnose helminths, feces are collected on worm eggs. But the analysis does not always show a positive result in the presence of parasites. First, not all types of worms are identified in this way. Second, the time of stool submission for analysis may not coincide with the time of parasite reproduction. A repeat test for worm eggs is carried out after 2-3 days. If the result is negative in the presence of symptoms, the following examination methods can be prescribed:
- Blood test- an increase in the level of eosinophilic leukocytes and the presence of low hemoglobin indicate infection with worms.
- Duodenal sounding- helps to identify opisthorchiasis, giardiasis and other extraintestinal worms in humans by examining duodenal secretions.
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and other parts of the human body— the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gall bladder, its channels, pancreas, muscles, brain, lungs are examined for the presence of pathological changes (seals, cysts, nodules, blockages) characteristic of the life of worms.
- X-ray of the chest- performed when lung parasites are suspected (tubeworms, echinococci, tapeworm larvae are detected).
- CT scan- detect worms in the human brain, eyes and lungs.
- Capsule endoscopy— to identify tape parasites.
- ELISA— detects antibodies in the blood against the most common parasites.
An immunological study is prescribed to assess the severity of damage to the body by worms. It helps identify weaknesses in a person's immune system. After that, complex therapy is prescribed for the pathological condition.
How to get rid of worms quickly and effectively
It is better to learn how to remove helminths from the human body at the appointment of a parasitologist. Treatment of worms without a doctor's advice can lead to intoxication and impaired liver function.
Diet and hygiene features
Treatment of helminthiasis in adults and children should be accompanied by a diet that will help quickly remove worms and cleanse the body of toxins. Products that contribute to the vital activity of parasites or intoxication of the body should be removed from the menu:
- meat, fat;
- all kinds of sweets;
- fresh milk;
- bakery products;
- wheat porridge, pasta;
- coffee, alcohol.
Hygiene procedures for helminthic infestation include frequent and thorough hand washing with soap. The procedure should be carried out before eating, after visiting the toilet and after returning from the street. Bedding is changed 2-3 times a week. Be sure to iron after washing. Take a clean towel after every bath.
Medicines
Treatment of worms in adults and children is carried out with the following drugs:
- Benzimidazole-type broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug - effective against nematode worms and trematodes. Contraindicated in children under 2 years old, pregnant and lactating women are prescribed with caution. The dose and frequency of medication depends on the type of worms. 1 tablet is prescribed for roundworms and mixed infestations. 2 times a day for three days. Enterobiasis is treated by taking 1 tablet per day for three consecutive days. The course is repeated after 21 days. In adults, echinococci are eliminated by increasing the dose of the drug: the first 3 days - 500 mg in the morning and evening, the next three days - 500 mg three times a day until complete recovery from parasites. The duration of treatment for echinococcosis is determined by the doctor (from 4 to 6 weeks).
- A broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug from the pyrazinisoquinoline group. Contraindicated for children under 4 years of age and pregnant women (1st trimester). Effective against muscle/tissue worms. Urogenital schistosomiasis (worms live in the blood vessels near the bladder), intestinal and abdominal cavity is treated with a single dose of the drug (40 mg/10 kg). In severe forms of parasitic vascular pathology, tablets are taken 20-25 mg/10 kg 3 times a day (every 6 hours).
- A broad-spectrum drug from the group of benzimidazoles. It is not prescribed for children under 2 years old, pregnant and lactating women. Adults are prescribed 400 mg once a day, children 60 mg/10 kg for intestinal helminthiasis. For parasites in the brain, adults are prescribed 800 mg/day, children 15 mg/kg, the course of treatment is 8-30 days.
Anthelmintic drugs are toxic. They are not prescribed to people with liver failure, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
Traditional methods
How to treat worms with home remedies:
- Grind flax seeds (1 tablespoon). Pour the powder into 0. 5 liters of cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil, cook on low heat for 20 minutes, cover. Drink 100 ml in the morning and evening on an empty stomach for 10 consecutive days. The recipe helps against almost all parasites that can live in the human body - pinworms, tapeworms, Giardia.
- Grind 300g of dried but not roasted pumpkin seeds. Add enough hot boiled water to the powder to make a paste. Add a large spoonful of honey. Eat the whole mixture on an empty stomach. Take a laxative after 4 hours. The recipe is effective for intestinal worms in humans.
Which parasites can only be removed surgically?
Surgical treatment of helminthosis requires the following conditions:
- Obstruction of the intestinal tract - a pathological condition provoked by roundworms, tapeworms, flukes and other worms.
- Intestinal wall perforation - a bovine tapeworm makes a hole and exits the human abdominal cavity.
- Parasitic cholecystitis, accompanied by subsequent necrosis of the pancreas, is a blockage of the bile duct by a tapeworm.
Surgery is often used for echinococcosis. Parasitic cysts in the lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen of an infected person are removed by laparotomy or laparoscopy.
How dangerous is helminthic infection for the body?
If not treated, the pathology takes a chronic form. During a severe form of the disease, the most dangerous thing that can happen in the body is the destruction of the tissues of the internal organs, suffocation, and the onset of blindness.
How to protect yourself from infection
Prevention of helminthic infection in the body requires a person to:
- Carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene.
- Treat parasites in pets immediately.
- Treat fish with heat for 60 minutes, meat for 2-3 hours.
Worm eggs are neutralized in people with strong immunity, so the immune system must be constantly strengthened. For this, it is enough to lead a healthy lifestyle and periodically take vitamin and mineral complexes.