Worm infestation - infection of the human body with parasitic worms - worms (helminths). Symptoms of helminthic invasion are determined by the form of infection, the number of parasites received, the degree of their adaptability in the human body, and other features.
The first signs of the disease in adults can appear 2-3 days after infection and after a year and a half, but usually the incubation period is 2-3 weeks.
Helminths do not tend to multiply in the human body (except for pinworms and some other worms)
Ways of infection:
- contact home;
- alimentary;
- transmissible;
- percutaneous
The source of infection is a sick person or a carrier.
Classification of helminths
In adults, the parasitism of more than two hundred varieties of helminths has been recorded, which, according to their structural characteristics, belong mainly to two types of worms:
- Roundworms are nematodes that cause diseases such as ascariasis, enterobiasis, trichuriasis, trichinosis, dracunculiasis, filariasis, toxocariasis.
- Flatworms are subdivided into:
- a class of tapeworms that cause tapeworms, taeniasis, cysticercosis, diphyllobothriasis, hymenolepiasis, echinococcosis;
- a class of flukes causing schistosomiasis, opisthorchiasis, clonorchiasis, fascioliasis, dicroceliasis.
Based on the characteristics of the life cycle and transmission factors, three main types of helminths are distinguished: geohelminths, biohelminths, contact helminths.
The influence of parasites on the human body.
The vast majority of worms live in the intestines of adults, however, some types of parasitic worms in the larval stage mature in the tissues of other organs (liver, brain, heart, lungs, eyes, etc. ). In the process of vital activity of helminths, toxic substances are formed that penetrate into the bloodstream and are transported by it to different organs. Also, helminths in the human intestine absorb substances necessary for life (amino acids, fatty acids, glucose, enzymes and others), which causes failures in the physiological systems of the body.
During pregnancy, helminth invasions are doubly dangerous: the detrimental effect is reflected not only in the state of the mother, but also in the maturation of the embryo.
Worm infestation can complicate the course of pregnancy. As a result of an infection in a woman's body, the absorption of nutrients is reduced, which is highly undesirable during gestation.
Also, helminths during pregnancy can cause severe toxicosis. Pinworms can penetrate a woman's genitals. This leads to severe itching and, as a result, constant discomfort and sleep disturbance.
There are helminths that can damage the intestinal wall. As a result, small but long-term blood loss is possible. This is fraught with the formation of iron deficiency anemia in a pregnant woman.
Helminths are able to penetrate the placental barrier and become parasitized in the trunk and body of the fetus. In addition, they can enter the brain and cause an increase in the size of the head, which complicates the course of childbirth.
Its presence in the lungs is also dangerous; subsequently, the child will develop chronic inflammation of it.
Clinic
Distinguish between the acute stage of helminthic invasion, which is characterized by a more pronounced clinic, and the chronic one, which can last for several years and manifest itself as erased symptoms.
The most common symptoms of helminthic invasion:
- The appearance of dysfunctions in the digestive system, namely:
- constipation (due to obstruction of the intestinal lumen, bile ducts with worms);
- loose stools (due to the influence of substances produced by helminths);
- excessive gas formation (due to indigestion).
- Joint and muscle pain: appears when the parasites penetrate the joint fluid and muscles.
- Skin symptoms (rash, eczema, itching, acne) caused by the influence of toxic substances produced by helminths.
- Nervous system disorders, expressed:
- anxiety;
- irritability;
- I long;
- sleep disorder, etc.
- Weight loss associated with metabolic disorders.
- Catarrhal symptoms of the respiratory tract (runny nose, cough), arising from the penetration of helminths into them.
Indirect signs of helminthic invasion:
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- increased body temperature;
- fatigue, asthenia;
- nausea (may be during pregnancy, as a manifestation of toxicosis);
- Headaches;
- anemia (due to blood loss);
- itching in the perineum.
Diagnosis
Usually, to detect helminthic invasion in adults, fecal analysis or scraping of the folds around the anus is performed. The worm eggs are examined microscopically and their appearance is determined.
However, this analysis does not always help identify helminths. The most specific for helminthic invasion is a blood test for the presence of antibodies to various types of worms. In a general blood test, when the body is infected with helminths, an increased content of eosinophils and leukocytes is detected.
To identify worms during pregnancy, it may not be enough to just test the stool. For a more reliable diagnosis, it is necessary to perform an ultrasound, a blood test, and an analysis of amniotic fluid.
Therapy
When signs of helminthic invasion are detected and the diagnosis is verified by blood and stool tests, treatment is carried out taking into account the type of parasite. For this, the doctor prescribes specific anthelmintic drugs. More often, these drugs do not enter the bloodstream and exert an effect exclusively within the intestines. Due to this, the possibility of toxic effects on the body is minimal.
In some situations, a single use of the drug is enough to get rid of worms, in others, a longer course of treatment is needed, built according to an individual scheme by a specialist.
This is a prerequisite for the disease not to take a chronic course. The main task of the repeated course of treatment is the destruction of parasites that have entered the human body in the form of eggs and have not yet completed their life cycle of development. After some time, they will become adults and will be destroyed under the influence of drugs.
Usually, to achieve a good result, the whole family must be treated under the control of blood and stool tests.
Pathogenetic therapy includes antiallergic drugs, drugs to normalize the intestinal flora.
At the same time, concomitant diseases are treated, often developed as a complication of helminthiasis (anemia, hypovitaminosis, malnutrition).
During pregnancy, in addition to the anthelmintic effect of the drug, its possible effect on the fetus is taken into account.
As a rule, in the first trimester of pregnancy, when the laying of the main organs and systems of the embryo is at the stage of formation, it is better to avoid such treatment. During this period, any drug can cause much more harm to the fetus than the likely risk of exposure to worms.
At this stage, you can try to get rid of parasites with the help of non-drug means.
Many recipes are known that can complement the basic treatment and sometimes completely replace drug therapy. The most proven means of helminths are:
- Pumpkin seeds;
- onion;
- Garlic;
- Granada juice;
- infusions of tansy and wormwood.
In the second and third trimesters, the probability of a negative effect of drugs on the fetus and its bearing decreases.
After the end of the course of therapy, it is necessary to retest for worms - scraping. This is done to ensure that the prescribed treatment is correct and that all worms are destroyed.
It must be remembered that therapy should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. Repeat analysis is taken no earlier than 2 weeks after the end of the course of treatment. The course of therapy can be considered completed with 3 negative tests with an interval of 2 weeks.
Prevention
Measures to prevent helminthiasis:
- compliance with personal hygiene measures (washing hands before eating, use of
- personal hygiene products, individual underwear and bedding);
- mandatory washing with water of vegetables, fruits, greens before eating;
- full heat treatment of meat, fish;
- fight against blood-sucking insects;
- regular wet cleaning indoors;
- complete pet care;
- periodic replacement of underwear and bedding, with compulsory ironing of the same;
- exclusion of swimming in water bodies with a high probability of infection with helminths.
When planning a pregnancy, you should be examined for helminths. If they are present, it is necessary to undergo treatment before pregnancy in order not to harm the child's body.
Timely and complete treatment of the acute form of helminthiasis is the prevention of the chronic course of the disease.