The symptoms of a worm infection are different. For example, dyspeptic disorders most often develop - nausea, vomiting, pain and bloating in the abdomen. Some patients do not pay attention to the signs until they develop rashes that cannot be eliminated by conventional medications. Often, helminthic infestation is accompanied by symptoms similar to other diseases and allergies. Therefore, a timely diagnosis is required.
Worm infection in humans
Most helminths spread throughout the human body by eating unwashed fruits and vegetables. After spreading throughout the body, organ damage occurs, which causes serious illness. Pathologies of the liver, kidneys, heart, digestive tract, gallbladder, and even oncology can develop.
A common characteristic symptom is skin irritation, redness. But a person may not pay attention to this for years as the pathology develops, though it is enough to take anti-helminthic medication in a course to fully recover.
Methods of infection
There are 4 methods by which worms spread in the human body:
- Geohelminthiaza. The parasite enters through soil that remains in unwashed fruits and vegetables and spreads in water. Also, infection is possible with poor hand washing after working with soil. Contact with the ground is often observed for animals entering the house with dirty paws. Eggs, larvae, adults can enter the human body.
- CONTACT. In the body of the host, the female lays 4-5 thousand eggs in 1 day. They can be spread from an infected person to other people after contact, especially at home. Eggs or adults are spread through bedding, towels, personal hygiene items. It is enough for an infected person not to wash his hands. Most often, this path is characteristic of worms, worms.
- Biohelmintiazat. The parasites are stored in the body of living and dead animals, fish. Afterwards, a person can eat them. Preservation of parasites is observed with insufficient heat treatment.
- Insect bites. In this way the smaller helminth eggs are transmitted.
Of all the forms of helminths, infection occurs most often by ingestion of eggs and larvae. They can be found in soil, water, in an infected person, in raw meat. It is important not only to wash food and hands, but also to always use heat treatment for food.
Symptoms of helminthiasis
Symptoms of infection vary depending on the stage of the disease.The following symptoms are most common:
- weight loss, weight loss;
- skin pallor;
- itching in the anus.
The symptoms are similar to other pathologies, so the patient may use the wrong methods of therapy. Symptoms may vary depending on the affected area of the body. For example, with liver damage, yellowing of the skin occurs.
Gastrointestinal dysfunction
With the penetration of pathogens into the digestive tract, the following symptoms appear:
- violation of the formation of fecal masses (constipation, diarrhea);
- itching in the anus;
- dyspeptic disorders - nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn;
- abdominal pain in the intestines;
- bloating, accompanied by swelling;
- periodic change of body weight from a larger scale to a smaller scale.
In the early stages, the symptoms are almost invisible. The more the worms damage the internal organs, the more actively the signs develop. Some parasites are able to secrete waste products that are foreign to the body. This leads to severe intoxication and diarrhea. Large worms spread throughout the intestines, preventing the passage of feces. This causes constipation.
Due to the release of worm waste products, a person is subjected to severe intoxication. This is why weaknesses, maltreatment, dyspeptic disorders develop.
Suppression of immunity
When a person consumes food, nutrients enter the body and are distributed throughout the tissues.Helminths eat them, so the patient develops the following deviations:
- hypovitaminosis;
- metabolic diseases;
- suppression of the immune system.
A person often begins to get sick with viral, acting, fungal diseases. Even with the use of multivitamin preparations, hypovitaminosis will not be eliminated until the anthelmintic treatment is completed.
Neurological disorders
Some species of helminths are capable of damaging the peripheral tissues of the nervous system, crossing the blood-brain barrier. These properties possess the products of their intoxication.Nervous system damage causes the following symptoms:
- persistent forgetfulness, poor memory;
- headaches up to migraine;
- dizziness;
- stress, neurosis, depression;
- added fatigue.
Patient behavior changes. Conflicts with the people around him, forgets acquaintances. Gradually, the symptoms subside, the body temperature rises more than 39 degrees.
Chronic hypovitaminosis leads to chronic fatigue syndrome. Gradually, the level of red blood cells decreases, causing anemia. The person becomes irritable and aggressive.
Respiratory disorders
Even in the initial stages, damage can develop in the deeper parts of the respiratory tract.The following pathologies develop:
- tracheitis, bronchitis;
- emphysema, bronchial asthma, pneumonia.
Frequent rhinitis and pharyngitis can also be a sign of helminthic infestation.
Skin problems
In order for the epidermis to develop normally, a sufficient amount of vitamins, trace elements and minerals are required. Infection with worms leads to hypovitaminosis, so the quality of the skin suffers.The following deviations appear:
- acne, acne, redness;
- itching, peeling, redness of the epidermis;
- exfoliation of the nail plate.
Even the most severe skin pathologies can develop:
- urticaria, dermatitis;
- papilloma, seborrhea;
- allergic reaction.
The doctor and the patient may not immediately understand why medications do not help with these pathologies. The quality of the skin deteriorates significantly, fades, wrinkles appear. The turgor decreases, i. e. the surface tension.
Signs of infection depending on the type of helminth
The severity of the symptoms depends on the following factors:
- number of parasites in the body;
- degree of immune activity;
- localization of parasites;
- kind of parasite.
Some helminths can stay in the hostel for a long time without causing negative symptoms. Other individuals are able to immediately deteriorate health, damaging the liver. For example, the round worm.
Round worm
Ascaris damages many internal organs, causes certain symptoms, similar to other diseases.The following symptoms may occur:
- hyperthermia;
- prolonged cough;
- severe fatigue;
- bronchitis, pneumonia.
First, the digestive tract is damaged, therefore, hypovitaminosis and metabolic disorders are formed. The human body is impoverished. Gradually, signs of gastrointestinal tract damage appear:
- yellowing of the skin;
- intestinal obstruction.
As the worms spread through the blood-brain barrier, a severe headache, migraine, and a depressive state appear.
Schistosomiasis, trichuriasis, ankilostomiasis, diphyllobothriasis
Parasites cause the following deviations:
- lack of nutrients and vitamins;
- reduced metabolism, causing a change in body weight;
- intestinal dysbiosis.
Gradually, hypovitaminosis turns into beriberi, which leads to significant depletion of the body. Human skin fades, can often weaken, which is typical of anemia.
Red worms
Red worms are characterized by the deposition of eggs in the anus, usually this process occurs at night. Therefore, a person is concerned about severe itching in the anus. The disease is characterized by periodic remission, so sometimes itching stops. If there is no treatment, the helminthic invasion becomes widespread, so itching bothers the patient at any time of the day.
trichinosis
The parasite penetrates into every part of the body, producing a large amount of toxins. This leads to constant spasms, cramps, muscle aches. Due to damage to the cardiovascular system, edema forms. With severe intoxication, the body temperature rises.
Fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis, clonorchiasis
This is one of the most dangerous helminths, leading to the following lesions:
- difficulty in the liver with the development of jaundice;
- intestinal obstruction, dyspeptic disorders when they spread along the gastrointestinal tract.
Gradually, the patient develops hepatosplenomegaly.
Urogenital schistosomiasis
The parasites are actively spread through the genitourinary system. Due to the chronic inflammatory process, damage to the mucosa occurs. Therefore, when urinating, a person detects red urine, which indicates the development of foci of bleeding.
Worm habitats
In the human body, helminths can damage different types of organs:
- vlasoglav - colon;
- ascaris, tapeworm, hookworms - small intestine;
- round worm - liver.
Depending on the damaged organs, different symptoms appear:
- liver - jaundice, pain in the right hypochondrium, hepatitis;
- respiratory tract - trachea, bronchitis, pneumonia;
- brain - convulsions, paresthesia, fainting.
Simultaneous treatment of the disease (hepatitis, colitis), elimination of helminths is required.
Common helminths
Scientists count a large number of parasites found in the human body. There are more than 100 of them in total.But more often, doctors distinguish infection with the following parasites:
- worm pink;
- dwarf ribbon;
- tape;
- hookworms;
- whipworm;
- paragonimiasis;
- cysticercosis.
To determine the exact type of pathogen and to prescribe the appropriate treatment, laboratory and instrumental diagnosis is required. First, the patient is examined by a therapist, then he gives feces for a coprogram, the detection of worm eggs. Usually, therapists and infectious disease specialists recommend undergoing a double examination, as even in the presence of infection, eggs and larvae may not be detected.
A laboratory blood test is recommended for patients at risk:
- the presence of pets;
- work related to animals;
- medical workers;
- employees of children's educational institutions;
- food workers.
Careful! To accurately identify the helminth and its intoxication products, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is recommended. It is performed in municipal clinics and hospitals, as well as private laboratories.
Methods of Therapy
Independent choice of helminthic drugs is prohibited, as they strongly affect the condition of the liver and kidneys. It is recommended to undergo an initial examination, after which specific drugs are prescribed. The dose is chosen depending on the health condition, age, body weight of a person.
The following methods of drug administration are selected:
- tablets - mild or moderate degree of helminthiasis;
- injections, infusions - a severe degree of the disease, the formation of an extremely large number of parasites, severe damage to the digestive tract.
Many medicines can only work in adults. If there is a risk of eggs and larvae, it is better to undergo a second course of therapy or choose a more potent drug.
The table shows the optimal drugs for treatment.
| substances | the impact |
| mebendazole | Completely kills needles, strike worms, whipworms, tapeworms and other parasites |
| Pyrantela pamoate | The substance destroys roundworm, effective in enterobiasis and necatorosis |
| Levamisole hydrochloride | Destroys roundworm and gregorian worm |
| Embonate Pirvinia | Helps in complete cure of enterobiasis |
| Albendazole | Helps destroy most of the elements in the adult or larval stage. |
Initially, it is recommended to identify the exact pathogen, only then apply the drug. This will increase the chances of recovery without a negative effect on the body.
Prevention methods
To prevent parasites from entering the body, use the rules of prevention:
- hand washing after returning home, all day, after contact with animals;
- use of personal hygiene items, dishes by only one person;
- taking multivitamins, giving up bad habits to strengthen the immune system;
- thorough washing of fruits and vegetables, thermal treatment of meat and fish;
- use of high quality drinking water from proven sources.
Helminths can be found in many products, so it is impossible to rule out the risk of their spreading in the body. Anyone can become infected with the parasite without knowing it. It can be spread from one family member to others through contact with the family. Therefore, it is necessary to use preventive measures on a daily basis.
It is important to take good care of the animals. It is required to wash them periodically, giving medicines to parasites to reduce the risk of helminth infection.
If a person suspects that he was charged with helminths, it is best to do a lab test in a timely manner. Repeat twice to avoid a false negative test. Self-administration of drugs is prohibited. All of them are powerful, negatively affect the liver. Only a doctor will be able to choose the optimal anthelmintic agent with the right dose. If the treatment is carried out in time, it is possible to prevent the development of serious diseases, lack of immunity.