Deterioration of health can be observed not only from infections that penetrate the body.
Parasites and worms can also cause malaise, weakness, and a state of exhaustion. They can lead to many of the consequences that people usually take for the manifestation of a normal inflammatory process.
What is helminthiasis? And what symptoms does it show in the human body?
The answers are quite simple.
Helminths are parasites, round and tapeworms, as well as their bright representatives, such as roundworms, pinworms, bovine tapeworms, tapeworms and many others. Surely many have met them in childhood or already in adulthood.
The disease, which received the corresponding name, such as helminthiasis, is the result of the influence and activity of helminths in the body.
Worm infection
Parasites can enter a person's body, both unnecessarily clean and not obsessed with their own health, in several ways. There are enough of them.
Consider what helminths look like in a healthy body:
- normal handshake. The easiest way to reach a new host for a parasite. Through the upper layers of the epidermis, they first enter the skin and then into the blood. This method of transmission also works when in contact with homeless street animals and when touching other people's objects. Thanks to the good blood circulation of a healthy person, it is not difficult for them to reach the goal and find themselves in the chosen place of their future habitat;
- through the water. Many helminths are perfectly preserved as larvae in cool, even seawater. Don't forget the village wells and water pipes. They are not overly sensitive. Care should also be taken when visiting swimming pools, baths and saunas. Perhaps they are badly worked out;
- moist soil and sand. The eggs of many types of worms come out with feces and fall on these surfaces. In suburban suburban areas and even in a children's sandbox, it is easy to get infected;
- low quality products. These often include seafood, fruits and vegetables, eggs and milk, cottage cheese;
- places of mass public congestion of people. Supermarkets, shops, pharmacies and hospitals. This is where many people get hold of handles, shelves, packaged goods and handrails every day. And not the fact that they are all healthy. Do not forget the dirt that enters these environments during rainy and humid periods;
- In the summer and fall seasons, insects are a danger. Mosquitoes and flies, even with their paws, can carry tiny microscopic eggs.
To this list of the appearance of the Helminthic invasion in adults and children, one can also add the failure to comply with the usual basic rules of personal hygiene.
What helminths can be infected
There is a huge number of pest representatives. And they all enter the body in different ways, migrate inside and affect specific organs. Some of them choose a single host, while others spend their entire life cycle with different vectors.
People can observe several major isolated parasites in their body:
- the most common nematodes are roundworms. Small whitish individuals. Reach 40 mm. Everyone is familiar with roundworms, pinworms, whipworms and tropical Guinea worms. They live in the intestine, eggs are laid in the anus, often excreted with feces. Determining helminth infestation with nematodes is very simple and without analysis;
- parasitic tapeworms are larger and more dangerous. Reaching 10 meters, they migrate and enter almost all vital organs and systems. There have been cases of suffocation after the parasite moves through the respiratory system. Manifested by bovine tapeworm, tapeworm;
- flukes, flukes. They are unpretentious to habitat, therefore they penetrate the body both through soil and through water. They travel throughout the human body and under the sebum they are easy to see. This is mainly the eye and eyelid area. They destroy not only the intestinal microflora, but also the tissues of other organs. Toxic effects lead to exhaustion of the body.
Of course, it is impossible to independently identify which helminth is in a person. Only the method of testing for worms and a comprehensive examination determines the type and subsequent treatment, and in case of recovery, prophylaxis is prescribed.
Symptoms of parasites in the body
If helminths have entered the body, it is not possible to immediately identify them by the symptoms of infection. Some only appear after a certain time.
But all the signs of worms in an adult are quite serious and at first glance proceed for no reason:
- a sharp rise in temperature at the level of the inflammatory process. Typically 37. 6 ° C to 38 ° C;
- manifestation of nausea, vomiting;
- aching pain in the abdomen and navel;
- possible redness of the skin;
- weakness, drowsiness, fatigue;
- occasional involuntary grinding of teeth at night;
- persistent dry cough and shortness of breath;
- violation of normal stool. diarrhea or constipation;
- itching in the anus;
- the acquisition of a yellowish or too pale skin tone;
- discomfort in the muscles and joints.
It is not immediately possible to make an accurate diagnosis based on these signs. But helminths in humans show only those symptoms that correspond to damaged organs. And this is usually the intestines, bronchi and liver with the kidneys.
Signs of ongoing helminthiasis
Late pest detection can lead to much more complex consequences:
- a sharp decrease in immunity. As a result, the ability of any infections and viruses to enter the body;
- urticaria, bronchial asthma, as a consequence of the constant poisoning action of parasites. The discharge of worms causes a severe allergy in the body;
- intense hair loss, eyelashes;
- unexplained brittle nails;
- caries, enamel gradually disappears;
- profuse bleeding of the gums;
- nervousness, mental disorders.
Worms in humans not only show symptoms of infection, but also provoke many diseases, exacerbate the course of existing diseases, and therefore the treatment of parasites is mandatory.
It is better to conduct an examination in time and begin a full-fledged complex removal of helminths from the body.
Diseases caused by parasites
The characteristic ruthless signs of the helminthic invasion indicate that the body is subject to severe toxic effects or already damage to many organs and systems:
- disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the fact that most helminths choose this place for further growth and development. It is expressed in intestinal obstruction, dysbacteriosis, diarrhea, pancreatitis;
- breathing problems. Each migration of the parasite invariably carries it to the bronchi and lungs. This often leads to spasms, pneumonia;
- the central nervous system suffers. Migraine, dizziness, loss of orientation in space, irritability and depression;
- an increase in the spleen, liver, a decrease in the level of outflow of bile;
- inadequate functioning of the urinary system. Urethritis, cystitis;
- problems with the reproductive organs. Vaginitis, inflammatory processes in the uterus, vagina, ovaries. Possible sexual infection.
These are severe symptoms that appear with helminths. If you care about your health, you should definitely consult a doctor. Any of the presented signs obliges the specialist to prescribe a special examination.
The most common blood test will show that parasites have appeared in the body. With hemoglobin values below 100 g / l, an increase in the number of eosinophils by more than 6%, an increase in leukocytes by 9%, and a decrease in erythrocytes by 3 g / l or less.
In addition, a specialist should note a sharp decrease in proteins and an increase in the immunoglobulins characteristic of allergies.
Parasitic diseases and their symptoms
Depending on the type and class of worms, the signs of helminth infection received their individual names, which distinguish them from each other. For specialists, this classification facilitates further treatment, recovery and prevention.
Ascariasis. It naturally indicates the symptoms that the ascaris parasite presents and possible concomitant diseases. Most often, it is not observed immediately, but only after 2 weeks after the ingestion of helminths into the body.
Symptoms resemble a common cough, acute bronchitis, mild allergies. Confused with a common infection, as it is accompanied by all the above characteristics and fever. There may be changes in the lymph nodes.
With advanced chronic ascariasis, all symptoms are complicated. Jumps in blood pressure begin, anorexia can appear along with lack of appetite, constant and aching pain in the abdomen. Regular vomiting, stool disorders. The face becomes pale, healthy skin color disappears, dark circles and swelling appear. At night, poor sleep or its complete absence becomes habitual. Small whitish worms appear in fecal secretions.
Penetration of pinworms or enterobiasis. A frequent occurrence in young children due to non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. The infection is caused by frequent itching in the anus. Pinworms appear periodically. For 1-2 days with breaks. When parasites enter, the body's reaction will be involuntary grinding of teeth at night, intermittent poor sleep. Not particularly dangerous, the pain does not cause.
Worms, like flukes, carry opisthorchiasis with them. The acute course of the disease lasts up to 8 weeks. During this period, there is an increase in body temperature, heaviness and swelling, diarrhea and a feeling of inflammation. With chronic exposure to flukes, symptoms also pass to the respiratory organs, causing severe allergies, to the central nervous system.
Parasites of tapeworms lead to many consequences of their presence in the human body. A large tapeworm can destroy the pancreas, lead to intestinal obstruction, vitamin B12 deficiency, decreased hemoglobin, and anemia. Similarly, all representatives of tapeworms cause painful syndromes in the abdominal cavity, bloating and nausea.
Giardiasis. There are a small number of these parasites in the human body. But they are safe within the normal range. With exacerbation, their level increases. Leading to vomiting, bitterness due to liver and stomach disorders, characteristic pain in the abdomen, bloating and altered stools.
Of course, such symptoms of helminthiasis must be treated and must be prevented by carrying out comprehensive prevention.