Worms or helminths are a disease that masks its course quite well. Therefore, often a person does not cure a phenomenon that is deteriorating health. Knowing the main signs of worms, you can accurately determine their presence or absence in the body.
Above all, it is important to ensure the correct assessment of the patient's condition and the specificity of the course of the disease. In order for treatment to proceed efficiently and in a timely manner, it is necessary to conduct a detailed study of the manifestations of worms.
How can you get infected with worms?
Any adult can become a carrier of parasitic worms, and children are also susceptible to infection.
Helminths can enter the body in several ways, namely:
- Water;
- Food;
- Contact and household;
- Autoinfection;
- transferable.
The first route of infection is through ingestion of water, which contains either the worm's eggs or the larvae. The larvae enter the water via an intermediate host, for example a mollusc, only then leave their body and develop independently by attaching themselves to aquatic plants. As soon as the liquid gets into the body of a living being, the worm gets into the digestive system and is already fixed there.
This process often takes place in rivers, ponds, lakes, springs. To avoid contamination, it is important to refrain from drinking water from open sources, especially for children. If the case forces you to absorb such water, boiling or filtering through a special filter is a prerequisite.
The entry route through food is the most important and most common principle of infection. It is directly related to the failure to observe basic hygiene or a violation of the technologies for the preparation of meat and fish dishes. The helminth penetrates through dirty hands, vegetables, berries, fruits, etc. Everything that grows on the ground can contain eggs from worms. They appear there from the feces of patients with ascariasis and live in favorable conditions for a long time. The greatest likelihood of infection is when the soil is fertilized with feces with Ascaris eggs in them.
The larvae found in meat and fish get into the body along with improperly cooked food that is not fully cooked. Once inside a person, the worms eventually develop into an individual capable of laying eggs on their own. It is important to know that a worm can produce hundreds of thousands of new eggs in 24 hours.
In order not to become infected and not experience signs of worms, it is necessary to buy meat and fish only in controlled places, pay attention to the presence of a veterinary inspection, examine meat, and especially the liver, for the presence of worms. Also cook food thoroughly (steam, fry), process kitchen utensils correctly, protect the room from flies that can carry helminth eggs on their paws.
The household contact method involves the invasion of worms through contact with household items, animals that have the larvae of the worms. Statistics show that more than 70% of the world's total population was infected with worms, half of them through contact with pets. This is dangerous because the signs of the presence of worms in animals may not appear at all. However, in humans, the symptom of the invasion of the helminth manifests itself as nausea, constipation, vomiting, intestinal pain, and weight loss.
In terms of self-infection, children are often prone to it, especially those of kindergarten age and younger school children. Children do not always adhere to the rules of hygiene, for example after using the toilet. Helminthic invasion in babies is the development of enterobiasis. Pinworms have very light eggs, so a gust of wind can transfer them to toys, bedding, furniture, and also get into the body with dust. When the worms reach puberty in a child or adult, they crawl on the walls of the anus and begin to lay eggs. Itching and itching begin, these are the main signs of invasion by worms. At night, the child can scratch the anus, and then put the worms back in their mouth with their hands, in which case the cycle repeats.
Regarding communicable infection, it can be said that the infection is caused by an insect bite. These can be mosquitoes, mosquitoes, fleas that have pets. The most common infection occurs with filaments (filariae).
Symptoms of worms in an adult
The presence of worms in the body can be identified by special signs, but they can be different in people.
Such manifestations that are characteristic of severely infected patients:
- Exhaustion;
- Weight loss (a large downward change in weight);
- Pallor of the skin;
- severe itching in the anus.
Depending on where the helminths are and how many they are, a certain symptom will develop.
In the brain
The first and most important symptom that indicates the presence of worms in the brain is a general deterioration in well-being and is not permanent, but transient and cyclical. A necessary measure is a photo with an ultrasound machine, then the worms in the brain will look like a tumor.In addition, the symptoms should be:
- Lethargy;
- feeling stunned;
- Nausea along with vomiting;
- the disease causes seizures such as epilepsy;
- Temperature rise for no apparent reason.
These symptoms are generalized, special studies will help see the prevailing picture more clearly.
In body
Among all parasites on earth, more than 250 types of helminths can harm the human body. They can live almost anywhere in the body: heart, muscles, liver, under the skin, etc.
The symptoms of each case will be different, but there are still a number of common signs.
- Weakness of the immune system;
- Pain in joints, muscles;
- Nervousness;
- Fatigue that has developed chronically;
- Underweight;
- Deterioration of the skin.
In the intestine
Most often, worms settle in the intestines, it is much easier to get in here and multiply in such an environment. You can find out about the presence of "residents" by:
- constantly recurring gas;
- Diarrhea;
- Weight fluctuations;
- Flatulence;
- constant feeling of hunger.
Signs of the appearance of worms, as well as how to identify worms using tests and other diagnostic methods
When a person becomes infected with worms, symptoms may not appear at the initial stage. You may only see signs of worms appearing in your home when they start to multiply. The first sign begins when the body is poisoned with toxins, parasites ingest the nutrients that a person receives through food.
The manifestation of helminths can be due to symptoms such as:
- Diarrhea;
- discomfort in the abdomen;
- Flatulence;
- Flatulence;
- stagnation of bile;
- Constipation;
- allergic manifestations;
- Intestinal inflammation;
- Joint and muscle pain;
- Dermatitis, eczema;
- brittle nails, cracks in the skin, discoloration of the skin;
- Anemia;
- Weight loss;
- Nervous system disorders, anxiety symptoms, sleep disorders;
- Grinding of teeth in sleep;
- excessive fatigue, loss of performance;
- Respiratory problems: inflammation, pneumonia, asthma;
- Weakening of the immune system;
- Oncology (when helminthiasis is left untreated for a long time).
Methods of determining worms
How to determine worms in a person, as a rule, the doctor knows for sure, an examination is carried out for this, which will help determine or refute the presence of a worm. After completing the main phase (taking the medical history), diagnostic procedures are prescribed. Which studies are prescribed depends on the severity of symptoms and the nature of the helminthiasis. However, it is imperative to have tests carried out so as not to infect humans with worms.
Blood test for parasites
Such an analysis is prescribed in order to identify the presence of helminths. Preparation is required for delivery, such a condition allows more accurate diagnosis. In addition, the recommendations should be followed by both an adult and a child.
- carried out in the morning on an empty stomach;
- at least 9 hours should pass after the last meal;
- You can drink water, excluding the carbonated version;
- For 3 days you need to follow a diet in which there should be no salty, spicy, smoked foods.
- minimize physical activity and stress;
- Stop taking any medicine for any purpose within 14 days.
It happens that the analysis does not show an accurate result, in addition, there are signs of the appearance of worms. In this case, blood and feces must be donated again and the next result may be positive.
Worms in the feces
The presence of worms can be determined by the most common method - the discharge of feces. Differentiate between the coptogram and the kato method. The first involves visual inspection of feces and chemical research. The Kato method visually shows whether a worm is present while biological material, that is, feces, is placed on a special jar.
Other signs of worms in a child
To find out if a child has an infection, you need to pay attention to their appearance. Almost all parents know how to determine a child's worms at home. If there are signs of a clear appearance of worms, the following symptoms indicate it:
- dark circles under the eyes;
- pale appearance of the skin of the face;
- the body does not eat any food, there is a loss of appetite;
- excessive salivation;
- Vomiting, nausea;
- destabilization of the intestines along with constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain;
- Dizziness;
- Weakness;
- increased tears, moodiness;
- Itching in the anal area, the worm can even crawl out, it can be seen with the naked eye;
- Redness between the buttocks.
Helminthic invasion: symptoms by type of parasite and means of combating them combat
Worms can infect humans in a number of ways. Often due to poor hygiene or contact with a worm carrier. Parasitic diseases are considered dangerous because they cleverly disguise themselves as other diseases. Therefore, the symptoms can indicate a disease, a helminth invasion, rather ambiguous.
To find out the reasons, several diagnoses are required. Treatment is strictly individual and has an integrated approach, since it is important not only to recognize the presence of helminths, but also to get rid of the consequences that caused them by their stay in the body.
When worms enter the human body, they consume all the major components that are necessary for normal functioning. They also release toxins, have a negative effect on the immune system and damage tissues and organs. If the disease is not treated in time, it has dire consequences, including oncology and even death.
Characters by types of worms
Depending on the case, the helminthic invasion exhibits symptoms that are characteristic of a certain type of worm, as there are hundreds of species in nature. Pinworms are considered the most common as infection can occur year-round. Any type of worm, whether round or ribbon-shaped, is manifested by a decrease in the function of the immune system, damage to internal organs, poisoning, allergies, etc.
Round
Roundworms, or nematodes, are a dangerous helminthic invasion, and in some cases symptoms may not appear immediately. In order to feel comfortable in the human body, worms need oxygen, a suitable temperature regime, a certain level of humidity. All of this is in the human body.
The symptoms of worms of this classification are very similar to colds:
- wandering pain;
- slight nausea;
- violation of appetite;
- Weakness all over the body;
- Stool disorders;
- inflammation of the walls of the stomach and the resulting pain;
- acute allergies;
- Intoxication;
- If treatment is missed, a violation of the rhythm of work of all human organs develops.
The class of roundworms is quite extensive, so the signs also differ. For example, with the development of enterobiasis, itching may appear in the anus, which is especially aggravated at night. In ascariasis, the larvae actively migrate with the blood, so they can appear anywhere. Trichinosis disease develops along with a severe fever, muscle pain, facial swelling, bright red rashes, and so on.
tape
Tapeworms are also divided into types, including broad tapeworm, bovine tapeworm, echinococcus, and others. Home remedies for this type of parasite are ineffective. The helminth invasion and its symptoms are pronounced in individual cases.
So, with the development of a wide tapeworm in the body, it can be:
- pressure in the pancreas;
- decreased acidity of the stomach;
- disturbed digestive process;
- Constipation of the intestines;
- Lose weight;
- Anemia;
- in severe cases of the course of the disease, internal organs, high fever, numbness of the extremities may be aggravated.
Similar symptoms are observed in the development of tapeworms, frequent headaches are added, appetite increases or decreases sharply.
Echinococcosis damages the lungs and liver, and muscles, brain and bones suffer less. With liver damage, pain in the right hypochondrium, heartburn, jaundice, cirrhosis are observed. If the disease develops on the lungs, a severe dry cough with blood impurities begins, shortness of breath. In the abdominal cavity, the development of such worms is especially dangerous, as it can lead to severe poisoning, allergies, peritonitis and anaphylactic shock.
Remedies for worms for humans
Means for removing worms can be divided into drugs with a narrow and wide spectrum of action. The first type is based on the use of protivotsestodosny drugs, the second - antihelminthic. The latter are most often prescribed, they effectively fight parasites, stop their growth and reproduction, and quickly remove them from the body.
Depending on the situation and neglect of the case, a narrow spectrum is used. Self-medication can be dangerous to health and life! A visit to a specialist is a must.