Many people do not understand why they are asked to be tested for "worm eggs" when applying for a job. Even more often, patients admitted with serious symptoms - vomiting, pain in the abdomen, heart or lungs, constipation, allergies or headaches - are surprised by the diagnosis of helminthic infestation. Parasites have been shown to be far from safe for humans and the above symptoms are just the beginning. Let's get to know them better?
Parasites are everywhere: outside and inside
The word "parasite" comes from the Greek word parazit, which means parasite. These organisms live and reproduce in the host's organs and tissues, causing severe illness and even death. Such an infection is called an invasion. Parasites are divided into several groups, depending on their structure and "habitat", and all of them are very dangerous.
Ectoparasites
This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or inside the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies and transmit dangerous infections.
- Head, body and pubic lice use their mouthparts to pierce the host's skin and drink blood. Infection with them is called pediculosis. Insects transmit dangerous diseases - typhus and relapsing fever.
- Demodex mite (mite) is the causative agent of a disease called demodicosis. The length of the parasite is 0. 48 mm, so it is not visible to the naked eye. The mite lives in the follicles of human hair, causing inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to eyebrows and eyelashes also leads to eye infections.
- The scabies mite causes, as its name suggests, scabies. The female parasite, 0. 25–0. 38 mm long, bites through the epidermis (layers of skin) to lay eggs. Scabies forms in the thickness of the skin. Parasitism causes itching, rashes and allergic reactions. Affected: armpits, groin, abdomen, interdigital spaces. The disease spreads quickly, because the female lays 3-4 eggs every day, from which the larvae hatch after 2-3 days.
Endoparasites
Internal parasites live in the host's organs (intestines, kidneys, liver) and blood, causing infection (invasion). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Every year 15-16 million people die because of them.
Endoparasites include worms (worms) and protozoa. In recent years, the number of infections has increased. Hidden forms of parasitism prevail, in 80% of cases the owner does not know that uninvited "guests" have settled in his body. Deaths due to parasitic diseases were also frequent. The development of tourism along with visits to exotic countries has led to infection with tropical parasites, which are difficult to identify and destroy in the conditions of our country.
Helminths
The most common of these parasites are:
- Roundworms are round worms up to 40 cm long that live in the small intestine. The female lays up to 200, 000 eggs per day. Worms weaken the body, cause anemia and indigestion. Gathering into a ball, the worms clog the lumen of the intestine and cause obstruction. Sometimes a huge ball of tangled roundworms is removed from a person during surgery.
- Tapeworms (broad tapeworms) are tapeworms that, after entering the human body, do not show symptoms for a long time. The helminth, growing, causes flatulence, anemia, gastrointestinal tract disorders and intestinal obstruction. People become infected with tapeworms by eating poorly processed fish.
- Pork and beef tapeworms enter the body when they eat undercooked meat containing worm cysts (larvae). Parasites multiply rapidly, inhabiting the host's body. A case of parasitism of one person out of 104 pork tapeworms, with a total length of 128 meters, is described. Sometimes the tapeworm larvae begin to "walk" all over the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
- Pinworms are small worms that live in the intestines. They are not as harmless as they seem. Infection causes allergic reactions; helminths crawl into the appendix, causing inflammation.
- Nematodes are a group of roundworms that parasitize the intestinal tract. Worms cause irritation of the intestinal wall and blockage of the bile ducts. 45 species of nematodes inhabit the human body. The most common are intestinal eel and whip.
Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract, causing extraintestinal helminthiasis (flukes, echinococci, pig tapeworm cysts). They cause damage to the nervous system, brain and internal organs. Patients have fever, swelling and blood in the urine. Dirofilariasis, in which the parasites are found in the heart, is dangerous. The parasite causes pain similar to the manifestation of ischemic heart disease.
Protozoa
In recent years, protozoan parasites have become widespread, affecting various organs and tissues:
- Giardia is an organism that infects the small intestine and causes peristalsis. The disease is often asymptomatic.
- Trichomonas and chlamydia are protozoa that cause inflammation of the genitourinary system.
- Blastocysts are intestinal parasites that irritate the mucous membrane and reduce immunity.
- Dysenteric amoebae are protozoa that cause a long-term form of ulcerative colitis. The person has abdominal pain, loose stools and fever. The disease is dangerous due to intestinal perforation.
How to get infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and unwashed hands
You should not think that parasites live only in people who do not take care of themselves and lead an asocial lifestyle. Anyone can get infected, because a person is not immune to communication with sick people and "carriers of parasites". Uninvited "guests" enter the body through food, water from pets, dirty hands and insect bites.
The infection is encouraged by people who buy homemade fat, raw meat, dried and smoked fish in illegal markets. You can get infected in a canteen or cafe if sanitary conditions are not maintained there. Undercooked meat and fish dishes are dangerous.
Parasites have also benefited from the passion for Japanese cuisine, where uncooked fish is added to dishes. Not all chefs in sushi bars follow proper sanitation practices. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.
How to suspect a parasitic infection
In the presence of external parasites (lice, mange mites, demodex), skin itching occurs, which worsens at night. Areas of irritation, redness, blisters and pustules appear on the skin. Sometimes allergies occur and the temperature may rise.
In case of helminth infection, the clinical picture varies, but in all cases there are problems with digestion (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increased appetite, some change their taste preferences - a person craves fatty, salty, etc. In this way, the body tries to compensate for the loss of vitamins and microelements caused by worm parasitism.
Helminth infections are accompanied by bloating of the abdomen, pain in various parts of it, itching around the anus. Sometimes, during a bowel movement, worms fall out of the anus or come out with the feces. In case of severe infestation, vomiting occurs with the release of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen enlarge, and pain occurs in the right or left hypochondrium.
In helminthiasis, neurological manifestations caused by poisoning by waste products of parasitic creatures are common: insomnia, irritability, constant fatigue, bruxism (grinding of teeth in sleep).
Parasites weaken the body, undermine the immune system and cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (pinworms, whipworms, echinococcus).
How to recognize dangerous parasites
It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents on your own, especially since they can exist in the complex and eliminating some will only make room for others. Every clinic has a parasitologist, he is the one who treats infestations. If there is no such specialist, you can schedule an appointment with a therapist.
The doctor will prescribe a series of tests:
- Blood for clinical analysis. In helminthiasis, an acceleration of ESR, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in the number of eosinophils are observed.
- Biochemical blood test for ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, thymol test, amylase. An increase in these indicators is typical for nematode infection.
- Analysis of bile, mucus, sputum, muscle tissue.
Worm infestations are often disguised as other diseases. People undergo operations during which a eaten pancreas or liver is found. It is not always possible to cure a patient with an advanced form, so you should not hope for a miracle - it is necessary to take the same test for "worm eggs" in a timely manner. An endoscopy of the intestine and stomach is prescribed for diagnosis.
Diseases caused by parasitic protozoa are difficult to detect. The infection takes place latently and destroys the body until the patient shows serious organ changes.
Treatment of helminthiasis
In order to cure the patient, he gets rid of the parasites and their metabolic products. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, selected taking into account the type of parasite and the patient's condition. This should be done by a doctor, because all anti-worm tablets contain dangerous substances.
To expel large worms, the patient is prescribed a siphon enema. At the same time, make sure that the head of the helminth does not remain in the body, otherwise the parasite will grow again. In order to prevent re-infection, anthelmintic treatment is carried out in several courses.
After the worms are expelled, infusions of solutions, restoratives and vitamins are prescribed. They restore the functions of organs affected by parasites.
Pediculosis is treated with the help of special sprays and mercury ointment. If pubic lice are found, the hair in the groin area is shaved.
For the treatment of scabies, sulfur ointment, benzyl benzoate and a number of other drugs are used. Demodicosis is treated with complex external agents, which include mercury, tar, zinc and sulfur.
Prevention of parasitic infestations
In order to avoid the "catch" of exo- and endoparasites, it is necessary to:
- thoroughly wash your hands, vegetables and fruits before eating;
- remove dirt from under the nails;
- do not use other people's combs, shoes and household items;
- do not walk on the floor in public places barefoot and wear a cap when swimming in the pool;
- do not buy food in "spontaneous" markets and do not eat in questionable catering establishments;
- to cook or fry meat or fish;
- monitor the health status of pets by performing deworming on time;
- use insect repellent when traveling;
- Upon arrival from an exotic country, undergo a complete examination and take tests.
Parasites quickly infect people, so when they are discovered, the people who live with the diseased person are examined and, if necessary, treated.
In a modern clinic, you can be tested for the presence of worms and consult a general practitioner for a quick remedy against parasites.