Deterioration of health can be noticed not only from infections that penetrate the body.
Parasites and worms can also cause weakness, weakness and a breakdown condition. They can lead to many 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 pretty simple.
Helminths are parasitic, roundworms and tapeworms, as well as their bright representatives, such as roundworms, pinworms, beef tapeworms, tapeworms and many others. Surely many have encountered them in childhood or as adults.
The disease, which has been given the appropriate name, such as helminthiasis, is the result of the influence and activity of helminths in the body.
Worm infection
Parasites can penetrate a person's body, both unnecessarily clean and not obsessed with their health, in several ways. There are enough of them.
Consider how helminths appear in a healthy body:
- normal handling. The easiest way to find a new host for parasites. Through the upper layers of the epidermis, they first enter the skin and then the blood. This mode of transmission also works when in contact with homeless street animals, and when touching other people's objects. Thanks to the good 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 freshwater and even seawater. Don't forget the village wells and water pipes. They are not hypersensitive. You should also be careful when visiting swimming pools, baths and saunas. They may be poorly processed;
- wet soil and sand. Eggs of many species of worms come out with feces and fall on those surfaces. In suburban suburbs, and even in children’s sandbox, it is easy to get infected;
- low quality products. This often includes seafood, fruits and vegetables, eggs and milk, cottage cheese;
- places of public mass gathering of people. Supermarkets, shops, pharmacies and hospitals. Here, many people grab door handles, shelves, packaged products and handrails every day. And not the fact that everyone is healthy. Don't forget the dirt that enters these rooms during rainy and humid periods;
- In the summer and fall seasons, insects are a danger. Mosquitoes and flies, even with their paws, can carry small microscopic eggs.
To this list of occurrences of helminthic invasion in adults and children can be added non-compliance with the basic usual rules of personal hygiene.
Which helminths can be infected
There are a huge number of parasite representatives. And they all enter the body in different ways, migrate inside and affect certain organs. Some of them choose one host, while others spend their entire life cycle with different carriers.
People can spot several major isolated parasites in their body:
- the most common roundworms are nematodes. Small whitish individuals. Range 40 mm. Everyone knows roundworms, pinworms, whips and tropical guinea worms. They live in the intestines, eggs are laid in the anus, they are often excreted in the feces. Determining helminth nematode infestation 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. Cases of suffocation have been reported following the movement of parasites through the respiratory system. It is manifested by beef tapeworm, tapeworm;
- trematodes, flukes. They are unpretentious to the habitat, so they penetrate the body through both soil and water. They travel all over the human body and are easy to see under sebum. It is mainly the area of the eyes and eyelids. They destroy not only the intestinal microflora, but also the tissues of other organs. Toxic effects lead to depletion of the organism.
Of course, it is impossible to independently identify which helminth is in a person. Only the method of testing for worms and a complete 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, then you cannot immediately recognize them by the symptoms of the infection. Some appear only after a certain time.
But all the signs of worms in an adult are quite serious and at first glance appear for no reason:
- a sudden increase in temperature to 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 gnashing of teeth at night;
- dry persistent cough and shortness of breath;
- violation of normal stool. diarrhea or constipation;
- itching in the anus;
- acquiring yellowish or too pale skin color;
- discomfort in muscles and joints.
It is not possible to immediately make an accurate diagnosis based on such signs. But helminths in humans show only those symptoms that correspond to the damaged organs. And these are usually the intestines, bronchi and liver with kidneys.
Signs of liquid helminthiasis
Late detection of parasites can lead to much more complex consequences:
- a sharp decrease in immunity. As a result, the ability of any infection and virus to enter the body;
- urticaria, bronchial asthma, as a consequence of constant poisoning by parasites. The release of worms causes a serious allergy in the body;
- intense hair loss, eyelashes;
- inexplicably brittle nails;
- caries, enamel gradually disappears;
- heavy bleeding gums;
- nervousness, mental disorders.
Worms in humans not only show symptoms of infection, but also cause many diseases, worsen the course of existing diseases, and therefore the treatment of parasites is mandatory.
It is better to have an examination in time and start a full-fledged complex removal of helminths from the body.
Diseases caused by parasites
Characteristic relentless signs of helminthic invasion indicate that the body is susceptible to severe toxic effects or already damage to many organs and systems:
- gastrointestinal tract disorder. Due to the fact that most helminths choose this place for further growth and development. It is expressed in intestinal obstruction, dysbacteriosis, diarrhea, pancreatitis;
- respiratory problems. Every migration of the parasite always leads it to the bronchi and lungs. This often leads to cramps, pneumonia;
- times the central nervous system. Migraines, dizziness, loss of spatial orientation, irritability and depression;
- increase in the spleen, liver, decrease in the level of bile outflow;
- inadequate functioning of the urinary system. Urethritis, cystitis;
- reproductive problems. Vaginitis, inflammatory processes in the uterus, vagina, ovaries. Possible sexual infection.
These are severe symptoms of helminths. If you care about your health, you should definitely visit a doctor. Any of the displayed signs obliges specialists to rewrite a special examination.
The most common blood test will show that parasites have appeared in the body. With hemoglobin values less than 100 g / l, an increase in the number of eosinophils of more than 6%, an increase in leukocytes of 9% and a decrease in erythrocytes of 3 g / l or less.
Also, the specialist should notice a sudden drop in protein and an increase in immunoglobulins characteristic of allergies.
Parasitic diseases and their symptoms
Depending on the type and class of worms, the signs of helminth infection got 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 of the parasite ascaris and possible accompanying diseases. It is usually not noticed immediately, but only after 2 weeks after the entry of helminths into the body.
Symptoms are reminiscent of a common cough, acute bronchitis, mild allergies. Confused with the usual infection, because it is accompanied by all the above characteristics and fever. Changes in the lymph nodes may occur.
In advanced chronic ascariasis, all symptoms are complicated. Blood pressure jumps begin, anorexia may occur with loss of appetite, constant aching abdominal pain. Regular vomiting, stool disorders. The face becomes pale, healthy skin color disappears, dark circles and swellings appear. At night, poor sleep or its complete absence becomes common. Small whitish worms are visualized in the fecal secretion.
Penetration of pinworms or enterobiasis. 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 occasionally. 1-2 days with breaks. When the parasites enter, the reaction of the organism will be involuntary gnashing of teeth at night, bad interrupted sleep. It is not particularly dangerous, it does not cause pain.
Worms, like flukes, bring opisthorchiasis with them. The acute course of the disease lasts up to 8 weeks. During this period, fever, heaviness and bloating, diarrhea and a feeling of inflammation occur. With chronic exposure to flukes, the symptoms spread to the respiratory organs, causing severe allergies, to the central nervous system.
Tapeworm parasites lead to many consequences of their presence in the human body. Broad tape can disrupt 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 normal limits. With exacerbation, their level increases. Which leads to vomiting, bitterness due to liver and stomach disorders, characteristic abdominal pain, bloating and disturbed stools.
Of course, such symptoms of helminthiasis must be treated and prevented by carrying out full prevention.