Symptoms signaling worms in childrenDon't delay your treatment!

Most often, worms appear in children of preschool and elementary school age. Where do worms come from? The main cause of helminthic invasion in children is improper hygiene. Young children do not always wash their hands, they like to put their fingers in their mouths, bite their nails and eat unwashed fruits and vegetables. The development of helminthic invasion occurs if a person has weakened immunity. The immune system in children is just forming, it cannot cope with a large number of foreign agents. Signs of worms in children resemble symptoms of poisoning or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Why are worms dangerous for a child's body? They damage internal organs, absorb nutrients, cause inflammation. The toxins secreted by helminths negatively affect the nervous system of the baby. You can remove worms with the help of traditional and traditional medicine.

Types of helminthiasis in children

Helminths in children appear quite often, especially in preschool age. The risk of infection is always high. The kid can catch an infection in kindergarten, in the yard, in contact with animals. Also, children often do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom, before eating.

What are worms? Worms are a large group of parasitic worms. They can live in the intestines, liver, respiratory tract, some can affect the heart and brain. The main types of worms in children:

1. Pinworms - the largest class of human parasites, includes roundworms, pinworms, hookworms, trichinella.
2. Tapeworms: Class includes bovine and porcine tapeworms (tapeworm), echinococci.
3. Trematodes are digenetic trematodes, these include schistosomes, opisthorchis, trematodes (liver and cat).

Also, parasitic diseases are caused by protozoa (protists), single-celled organisms; in the human intestine, Giardia or amoeba parasitize.

Diseases caused by parasites in children have different degrees of danger, but have similar symptoms. The vast majority of roundworms parasitize in the gastrointestinal tract, are found in the contents of the duodenum, in the feces. The source of nutrition for worms is digested food (most often carbohydrates), sometimes blood. Helminthiases in children have symptoms similar to an eating disorder or gastrointestinal illness.

The most common types of helminthiasis in children

Children are much more prone to worm infestation than adults. The most common helminthiases in children:

1. Enterobiasis (pinworm infection).
2. Ascariasis (roundworm invasion).
3. Giardiasis (invasion of giardia).

Pinworms live only in the intestines. Migratory roundworm larvae enter the respiratory tract, liver, and heart. Giardia most often cause liver and gallbladder disease, although they cannot survive inside these organs. Are these diseases contagious?

Enterobiasis is transmitted from person to person by handshake, contact with household items used by the patient.

Ascariasis and giardiasis, under certain conditions, can also be passed from the baby to other members of the family.

enterobiasis

The main cause of pinworm infection is dirty hands. Also, parasite eggs can enter the baby's body by eating poorly washed fruits. Signs of worm infection appear after 3-4 weeks from the date of infection. A characteristic sign of enterobiasis is itching in the anal area, which appears during sleep. Unpleasant sensations are caused by the movement of female worms, which crawl to lay eggs. With a strong invasion, you can see the worms in the feces of a child with the naked eye.

When the baby scratches his anus and then puts his hands in his mouth (which is often the case with young children), a reinfection occurs. Therefore, during the period of treatment of helminthiasis, children should be monitored to regularly wash their hands and eat only well-processed food.

ascariasis

Infection with pinworms occurs through unwashed products, insufficiently thermally processed meat, through contact with animals. Parasites enter the baby's body in the form of eggs and larvae. The eggs develop in the intestines, the larvae begin to migrate through the blood and lymphatic channels. They reach the liver, right ventricle of the heart, lungs. These organs receive a regular and abundant supply of oxygen, which is so necessary for the larvae to develop into adults. From the lungs, the larvae will enter the bronchi, trachea, cough and be swallowed with saliva in the stomach. The cycle of movements continues until the larva grows.

With worms in children, in addition to the typical symptoms, a severe cough may appear. Helminthiasis in children is detected using a coprogram and specific blood tests.

giardiasis

Giardiasis in a child develops when more than 10 cysts enter the body. Cysts are immobile, resistant to environmental conditions, the form of existence of lamblia from which, under favorable conditions, individuals capable of reproduction develop. Motile protists can only live in conditions that are created only in the human small intestine.

Developmental stages of Giardia invasion in humans:

1. Cysts from the oral cavity enter the stomach, and then the duodenum. The protective capsule is destroyed, two Giardia are released.
2. Giardia eat simple carbohydrates, multiply by longitudinal division of the cell in half.
3. Some of the parasites pass into the large intestine, where they can only exist in the form of cysts.
4. During the act of defecation, the cysts come out and pass into the external environment.

Giardia cysts can be found in water, vegetables, fruits, meat, and household surfaces. They are very tenacious, difficult to destroy with conventional detergents. The risk of person-to-person transmission is low.

Typical symptoms of helminthiasis in children

The first signs of worms appear 2 to 4 weeks after infection. Worm infestation in children can occur in an acute or latent form. If the parasite population is small, the baby may not feel any discomfort.

The main symptoms of worms in children:

1. Pain in the abdomen of different localization and intensity, manifested by seizures.
2. Stool disorders, diarrhea and constipation.
3. Nausea vomiting.
4. Reduced appetite or, conversely, brutal.
5. Intestinal dysbacteriosis.
6. Loss of energy, dizziness.
7. Sleep disorders.
8. Dermatitis.
9. Pale skin, blue circles under the eyes.
10. Girls can develop urinary incontinence.

Dermatitis (rash, red, itchy skin) is the result of an allergic reaction to toxins released by helminths. Harmful substances also affect the state of the nervous system. Children look tired, become irritable, capricious.

Acute infection is accompanied by symptoms of helminths in children: fever, vomiting, diarrhea.

Tests for helminths in children.

How to identify worms in a child? Worm infestations in children are difficult to determine from the clinical picture. Symptoms of different helminthiases are similar to each other. Detection of worms is carried out with the help of new and proven methods of laboratory diagnosis.

1. Histological analysis of feces allows you to check the presence of helminth eggs in feces.
2. Microscopic examination of scrapings from the anus (helps to recognize enterobiasis).
3. Analysis of the contents of the duodenum. Worms or protozoa may be found in the duodenal contents.
4. General blood test with leukocyte formula. Indirect signs of the presence of worms are an increased level of eosinophils and anemia.
5. Serological tests for antibodies against helminthic antigens.
6. Analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

PCR is the most reliable and sensitive method to diagnose helminthic invasions. Blood, feces, scrapings are suitable for analysis. The study determines the presence of foreign DNA in a biological sample. The efficiency of the histological coprogram is lower than that of PCR and ELISA.

Principles of treatment of helminthic invasions.

How to get rid of worms in children? The method of treatment depends on the type and degree of helminthic invasion. Helminthiases are usually treated conservatively (without surgery), but an operation is done to remove the echinococcus cysts.

Treatment of worms in children consists of several stages:

1. Preparation of the body for treatment.
2. Actually therapy, taking anthelmintic drugs.
3. Recovery of the body after illness and medication. It is necessary to normalize the functioning of the nervous system, increase immunity, eliminate intestinal dysbacteriosis.

Usually the treatment period lasts about three months. Before starting therapy, you need to accurately determine whether the child has worms. The treatment is prescribed and controlled by a doctor.

Pharmacological treatment of helminthiasis in children.

An integrated approach will help to completely cure any variety of helminthiasis, without harming the body. You can treat worms in a child using certain drugs:

1. Anthelmintic drugs. They include antiparasitic drugs that differ in spectrum and principle of action. Named according to the type of invasion. It will be more convenient for the baby to take the medicine in the form of a suspension.
2. Sorbents. Bind toxins, accelerate the removal of worms from the body. Only strictly defined doses of sorbents can be taken, otherwise serious digestive disorders may occur.
3. antiallergic agents. Helps relieve symptoms of allergies to helminth waste products.
4. Hepatoprotectors. Assign during the recovery period. Helps normalize liver function.
5. enzyme preparations. Restore normal digestion.

In the treatment of enterobiasis, the patient is also prescribed enemas. If the baby has a tendency to constipation, the doctor will prescribe baby laxatives. It is important to provide regular bowel movements so that parasites and toxins are eliminated from the body. It is impossible to take any medicine without control, since there is a possibility of side effects.

Traditional medicine for worms.

Traditional medicine is undesirable for the treatment of helminthiasis in children. They do not kill the worms and do not help remove them from the body. Folk remedies can only be used in combination with drug treatment.

How to remove worms from a child with folk methods? Here are some of the most common recipes:

1. Pumpkin seed. Contains components that interfere with the normal functioning of worms, remove toxins. Peeled seeds (100 g) are crushed and poured with olive oil (100 ml). The tincture is given to the child before meals (three hours) for three days. The treatment is repeated after 2 days. Pumpkin seeds can be boiled in milk (15 seeds in 1 glass). The remedy is given to the baby to drink before lunch.

2. Garlic mix. A few cloves of garlic (2-3) should be rubbed on a fine grater, mixed with a small amount of water until smooth. For a young child, garlic porridge is mixed with a tablespoon of milk or orange juice, and given to drink before bedtime.
3. Onion in oil. 100 grams of onion is chopped, covered with a teaspoon of salt, poured with 50 ml of sunflower or olive oil. The mixture is given to the baby for five days in a row at bedtime.

Beet and carrot juice, echinacea tincture will help increase the child's immunity. Restore the nervous system - chamomile tea. Chamomile is also used for enemas for enterobiasis.

Folk remedies are contraindicated in children with peptic ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis, a tendency to allergies. And, of course, before you start trying "grandmother's recipes" on a child, first consult a pediatrician and a parasitologist, otherwise the result of such therapy may be the most unpredictable.

Dietary supplements and homeopathy for worms

The internet is full of advertisements for biologically active additives (BAAs) and homeopathic remedies that the manufacturers claim will completely eliminate worms. Reviews about the funds are extremely positive.

Why can't dietary supplements be used to treat worms in a child? Biologically active food supplements help normalize metabolism, increase the body's resistance, improve the functioning of internal organs, but do not eliminate parasites. They can only be used in combination with traditional medicines.

Homeopathic preparations consist of a complex of natural extracts. They also do not have a detrimental effect on worms. But they can increase immunity, restore metabolism. In many countries today it is prohibited to prescribe homeopathic medicines due to their ineffectiveness.

Prevention of helminthiasis in children.

Prevention of the occurrence of helminthiasis in children includes simple measures:

1. Hygiene. Parents should ensure that the child regularly washes his hands, takes a bath or shower, does not bite his nails, does not put toys in his mouth.
2. Sufficient heat treatment of meat and fish.
3. Regular scraping for enterobiosis (this procedure is carried out in kindergarten).
4. Healthy sleep, observance of daily routine.
5. Balance diet.
6. Taking vitamins.

Drug prophylaxis should be carried out if cases of infection are recorded in a kindergarten or school, one of the family members or a pet has contracted the infection.

Symptoms of helminths in children are easily confused with manifestations of food poisoning, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. How to find out if a child has worms, the doctor will tell. Children can be treated for worms after an accurate diagnosis is made under the strict supervision of a specialist. Caring parents should understand that the health of young children is entirely in their hands.