The deterioration of health can be observed not only from infections penetrating the body.
Parasites and worms can also cause malaise, weakness, and a state of breakdown. They can lead to many of the 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 quite simple.
Helminths are parasitic, round and tapeworms, as well as their bright representatives, like roundworms, pinworms, bovine tapeworm, tapeworm and many others. Surely many have come across them in childhood or already in adulthood.
The disease, which received the corresponding name, like helminthiasis, is the result of the influence and activity of helminths in the body.
Infection with worms
Parasites can penetrate the body of a person, 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 handshake. The easiest way to reach a new host for a parasite. Through the upper layers of the epidermis, they first enter the skin, and then into the blood. This method of transmission also works when in contact with homeless street animals, and when touching other people's objects. Thanks to the good blood 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 fresh and even sea water. Do not forget about the village wells and water pipes. They are not overly sensitive. Caution should also be taken when visiting swimming pools, baths and saunas. Perhaps they are poorly processed;
- wet soil and sand. The eggs of many types of worms come out with feces and fall on these surfaces. In suburban suburban areas and even in a children's sandbox, it is easy to get infected;
- low quality products. These often include seafood, fruits and vegetables, eggs and milk, cottage cheese;
- places of public mass congestion of people. Supermarkets, shops, pharmacies and hospitals. It is here that every day many people take hold of door handles, racks, packaged products and handrails. And not the fact that they are all healthy. Do not forget about the dirt that gets into these rooms during the rainy and damp periods;
- In the summer and autumn seasons, insects are a danger. Mosquitoes and flies, even with their paws, can carry small microscopic eggs.
To this list of the appearance of helminthic invasion in adults and children, one can also add non-compliance with the basic usual rules of personal hygiene.
What helminths can be infected
There are a huge number of parasitic representatives. And they all enter the body in different ways, migrate inside and affect specific organs. Some of them choose a single host, while others spend their entire life cycle with different carriers.
People can observe several main isolated parasites in their body:
- the most common roundworms are nematodes. Small whitish individuals. Reach 40 mm. Everyone knows roundworms, pinworms, whipworm and tropical guinea worm. They live in the intestines, eggs are laid in the anus, often excreted with feces. Determining helminth infestation with nematodes 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. There have been cases of suffocation after the movements of the parasite through the respiratory system. Manifested by bovine tapeworm, tapeworm;
- trematodes, flukes. They are unpretentious to the habitat, therefore they penetrate into the body both through the soil and through the water. They travel throughout the human body and under the sebum they are easy to see. This is mainly the area of \u200b\u200bthe eyes and eyelids. They destroy not only the intestinal microflora, but also the tissues of other organs. Toxic effects lead to depletion of the body.
It is, of course, 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 prophylaxis is prescribed in case of recovery.
Symptoms of parasites in the body
If helminths have penetrated the body, then you can not immediately identify them by the symptoms of infection. Some appear only after a certain time.
But all the signs of worms in an adult are quite serious and at first glance proceed for no reason:
- a sharp 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 grinding of teeth at night;
- dry persistent cough and shortness of breath;
- violation of the normal stool. diarrhea or constipation;
- itching in the anus;
- the acquisition of a yellowish or too pale skin tone;
- discomfort in the muscles and joints.
It is impossible to immediately make an accurate diagnosis based on such signs. But helminths in humans show only those symptoms that correspond to damaged organs. And this is usually the intestines, bronchi and liver with kidneys.
Signs of running helminthiasis
Late detection of parasites can lead to much more complex consequences:
- a sharp decrease in immunity. As a result, the ability to penetrate any infection and virus into the body;
- urticaria, bronchial asthma, as a consequence of the constant poisoning action of parasites. The discharge of worms causes a serious allergy in the body;
- intense hair loss, eyelashes;
- unexplained brittle nails;
- tooth decay, enamel gradually disappears;
- profuse bleeding of the gums;
- nervousness, mental disorders.
Worms in humans not only show symptoms of infection, but also provoke many diseases, exacerbate the course of existing diseases, and therefore the treatment of parasites is mandatory.
It is better to conduct an examination in time and begin a full-fledged complex removal of helminths from the body.
Diseases caused by parasites
The characteristic merciless signs of helminthic invasion indicate that the body is subject to severe toxic effects or already damage to many organs and systems:
- disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. 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. Each migration of the parasite invariably leads it to the bronchi and lungs. This often leads to spasms, pneumonia;
- the central nervous system suffers. Migraines, dizziness, loss of orientation in space, irritability and depression;
- an increase in the spleen, liver, a decrease in the level of outflow of bile;
- inadequate functioning of the urinary system. Urethritis, cystitis;
- problems with the reproductive organs. Vaginitis, inflammatory processes in the uterus, vagina, ovaries. Possible sexual infection.
These are severe symptoms that appear with helminths. If you care about your health, you should definitely see a doctor. Any of the presented signs obliges the specialist to prescribe 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 increased number of eosinophils more than 6%, an increase in leukocytes from 9% and a decrease in erythrocytes from 3 g / l or less.
Also, a sharp decrease in protein and an increase in immunoglobulins characteristic of allergies should be noted by a specialist.
Parasitic diseases and their symptoms
Depending on the type and class of worms, signs of infection with helminths received their individual names, which distinguish them from each other. For specialists, this classification facilitates further treatment, recovery and prevention.
Ascariasis. Naturally indicates the symptoms that the roundworm parasite exhibits, and possible concomitant diseases. Most often, it is not observed immediately, but only after 2 weeks after the ingestion of helminths into the body.
Symptoms resemble a common cough, acute bronchitis, mild allergies. Confused with a common infection, as it is accompanied by all of the above features and fever. There may be changes in the lymph nodes.
With advanced chronic ascariasis, all symptoms are complicated. Jumps in blood pressure begin, anorexia may appear along with a lack of appetite, aching constant pain in the abdomen. Regular vomiting, stool disorders. The face becomes pale, healthy skin color disappears, dark circles and swelling appear. At night, poor sleep or its complete absence becomes habitual. In fecal secretions, small whitish worms are visualized.
Penetration of pinworms or enterobiasis. A frequent occurrence in young children due to non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. Infection is caused by frequent itching in the anus. Pinworms appear periodically. For 1-2 days with breaks. When parasites enter, the reaction of the body will be involuntary gnashing of teeth at night, poor intermittent sleep. Not particularly dangerous, pain does not cause.
Worms, like flukes, bring opisthorchiasis with them. The acute course of the disease lasts up to 8 weeks. During this period, there is an increased body temperature, heaviness and bloating, diarrhea and a feeling of inflammation. With chronic exposure to flukes, the symptoms also pass 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. A wide tapeworm can disrupt the pancreas, lead to intestinal obstruction, vitamin B12 deficiency, a decrease in hemoglobin and anemia. Similarly, all representatives of tapeworms cause pain 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 the normal range. With exacerbation, their level rises. Which leads to vomiting, bitterness due to disorders of the liver and stomach, characteristic pain in the abdomen, bloating and impaired stool.
Naturally, such symptoms of helminthiasis must be treated and must be prevented by carrying out full prevention.