Helminthic infection of the human body can be quite a serious problem. Invasion can manifest itself in everyone, regardless of gender, age and social status.
Worms can settle in the small or large intestine and enter there in different ways.
They exert a serious toxic effect on the entire organ system, and produce products of their vital activity.
All this negatively affects a person's resistance to all kinds of infections that affect the body.
Division of worms into types
Today, more than 300 different helminthic pathologies are known. They are provoked by nematodes and cestodes.
The former are roundworms, while the latter are flatworms. They parasitize various organs and their tissues.
This is why specialists have worked to classify parasites. Two groups of worms are known according to their parasite potential in the human body:
- intestines;
- extraintestinal.
Representatives of the intestinal group settle in the area of the small or large intestine, while the second extraintestinal ones live in the heart, liver, lungs and even muscles.
Thanks to the outflow of blood, they pass through the body. Generally, a person with a good immune system has a number of protective barriers that prevent worms from entering the body.
There is a special enzyme in the mouth that has a negative effect on them. Once the worms have passed this barrier, they enter the stomach, where the acidic environment destroys their eggs.
It is customary to divide worms depending on the diseases they cause. For example, liver flukes cause fascioliasis, cattle tapeworm - to teniarin, pinworms - enterobiasis, roundworms - ascariasis, etc.
Thanks to the immunity of the intestine, certain antibodies are formed that resist helminths.
Only these obstacles are of no particular importance if someone is seriously ill, e. g. the immune system weakens.
Appearance of human worms
To date, a large number of helminths have been presented, which differ in appearance and have special properties. We will not describe everything in this article, but the main features are still worth identifying.
In adults, helminths can appear in the form of roundworms, which are commonly called pinworms, roundworms, and trichina.
The next type are elongated individuals with pointed edges, but flukes have a flattened body.
They are named for a reason because they attach to the area of the excretory ducts in the human body.
This is a special type of worm that does not have its own respiratory and circulatory system. Flukes feed on feces and mucus, and blood.
A special group includes tapeworms, whose body is flattened, similar to a ribbon.
Their habitat is the intestines. Fish and animals can be an intermediate habitat for banded individuals.
They have special suction discs that allow them to adhere to the intestinal wall. There the worms settle and live their lives, feed and multiply.
The appearance of eggs of human worms
Helminths can live in humans for a long time, the symptoms will not be noticeable.
Many people become aware of their pathology only by chance when they start a stool test or feel much worse.
They can't always be seen with the naked eye in the stool, and even if you don't have a microscope at hand.
The presence of worm eggs in humans, the symptoms of which are also not noticeable at first, cannot be seen without the use of special laboratory equipment.
If you submit a stool analysis, the laboratory assistant will be able to determine whether there are worms in the body and determine the type of these parasites.
The data is based on the species and type of worm eggs, which differ from each other in appearance.
Those. If the question arises: "How to tell if a person has worms? "", The answer refers to the fact that first you should go to the hospital and take the tests prescribed by the doctor.
Ways of infection of the body
Worms exist in the human body in several forms of infection. The most important is oral.
In this case, the worms enter the human body through dirty hands and unwashed fruits and vegetables. The eggs of the parasites are inside the person because they live in the soil. That is why it is worth washing your hands thoroughly after gardening and only sitting down to eat afterwards. Otherwise, only a few can avoid the issue of treatment of helminthic invasion.
It is also important not to eat meat and fish that have not been thermally processed and have not been approved by health control.
It is worth noting here that some types of helminth eggs survive even if the meat is cooked.
Another way to infect the body with worms is through contact. Those. infection occurs through faeces.
Feces of infected people or animals may contain helminth eggs. They enter the human body and begin to reproduce when they become sexually mature individuals.
Experts identify other modes of infection. One is related to the skin. Helminths from the aquatic environment penetrate the human body with the help of the epidermis.
Invasion of worms is also possible through the bite of an insect vector. This method is widespread in tropical countries.
But even in the southern part of our country or in exotic countries, it is very easy to catch this type of parasite, which leads to the fact that a person should be interested in the treatment of helminths.
There are really countless ways for worms to spread, from the infected to the healthy.
But this does not mean at all that you will get helminthiasis from an infected person.
The pathology cannot be transmitted by droplets in the air, there is only a contact method for the transmission of worms. Other nuances need to be defined here.
The peculiarity of the ways of infection with worms is that the eggs of the parasites can enter the human body. They lose their ability to develop and become adults.
They will be able to grow if they are in the environment. If they find the necessary nutrients together with the larva, the egg begins to develop and grow.
The eggs of the inactive intestinal worm are excreted from the body together with the faeces, the person begins to infect himself and harm others if the principles of the hygiene system are not followed.
Clinical picture of the presence of helminths in the human body
Many people are interested in the question of how to understand that there are worms. You can get the answer if you pay attention to how you feel.
In adults, the symptoms of worms vary depending on the type of parasites in the body.
Many of them live in the digestive system, so signs of the presence of worms in humans will be as follows:
- state of drowsiness;
- loss of previous performance;
- weakness;
- poisoning of the body with helminths;
- increased appetite or, on the contrary, a sharp lack thereof;
- weight loss with normal nutrition;
- constipation;
- diarrhea;
- scanty stools with blood;
- feces with worms;
- itching sensation in the anus;
- headache with migraine attacks;
- violation of healthy sleep;
- allergic reactions to certain products, this is due to the fact that certain types of worms secrete special substances.
Signs of worms can be accompanied by symptoms similar to hepatitis in adults.
The fact is that the parasites affect the liver and the gallbladder area. There are trematodes that can be confused with the manifestation of pancreatitis.
In the event of muscle pain, excessive sweating and fever, it is worth suspecting that trichinella may be in the body.
Very rarely, but still, cases were recorded when signs of the presence of worms in a person were accompanied by a deterioration in the functioning of the brain, eyes and lungs.
After all, these parasites can settle even in these places, which are not typical for them at all. Therefore, the signs of worms in people were accompanied by just such pain in the area of their settlement.
In adults, the symptoms of the appearance of helminths are different, so there are different ways to understand that there are worms, but in reality they turn out to be ineffective.
Symptoms in adults only appear in case of severe infection. A person may lose a lot of weight, his skin will become pale, and the itching of the anus will not go away.
As you can see, the symptoms of helminthic invasion in adults are very similar to other signs of pathologies.
Below, we examine the differences in certain systems of the human body when worms settle in certain organs.
Disorders of the immune system
Worms cause a strong weakening of the body's immune system, taking away all useful elements and vitamins.
A person can get seriously ill with a cold, although until recently he was not prone to such pathologies.
It is vulnerable to many infectious or viral diseases, so no minerals and vitamins can help restore immunity.
First of all, you need to find out if a person has worms, and then start treatment against parasites.
Respiratory disease
Once the worms find themselves in the respiratory system, they deal a merciless blow. It is possible that asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis and other pathologies of the lung organs appear.
One way to tell if a person has worms is to pay attention to the presence of a constant runny nose.
Violation of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract
Intestinal worms can colonize the intestinal tract. In this case, the symptoms of adults manifest themselves in the form of problems with stool or constipation.
Nausea and vomiting are possible. There is also pain in the intestines, excessive bloating.
A person can eat more than usual and not get better for a long time, or, on the contrary, suddenly refuse to eat.
There are cases when the treatment of mild symptoms and other types of pathology does not bring the desired result.
But there are cases when signs of helminth infection are pronounced. Severe diarrhea can occur when worms have colonized the body, when the large worms block the intestinal tract, causing complete constipation.
Disorder of the central nervous system
A large number of worms in the body requires treatment against worms as early as possible, as the central nervous system can be severely damaged.
The products secreted by the parasites can deal a serious blow to the nervous system, sending the body into a state of disarray and causing malfunctions.
A person may suffer from memory loss, frequent headaches, migraine attacks, depression and fatigue.
It will not be easy for him to establish relationships with other people, and communication can often lead to disputes.
Appropriate treatment of worms in adults is an important measure, because serious complications are possible in the work of the central nervous system.
They are accompanied by fever and an increase in body temperature of 39 degrees.
The lack of useful elements due to parasitic infection can cause chronic fatigue syndrome, start the process of anemia and constantly irritate a person.
Pathologies of the skin
If the worms enter the human body, the skin becomes worse. In many cases, pimples and acne are observed.
No matter how much effort a person makes, it is simply impossible to cure these pathologies.
Helminths cause pathologies such as dermatitis, seborrhea and papillomas. They can manifest themselves in cracks in the heel, itching of the skin and lamination of the nail plate.
A person begins to suffer from severe allergic skin reactions that cannot be treated, so it is important to start an anti-worm treatment in adults. Otherwise, there is a chance that the skin will quickly age and turn pale.
It is important to note that the brightness of the clinical picture largely depends on the number of individuals in the human body, their location and immunity.
Some worms, such as roundworms, can cause a general disruption of normal well-being when the filariae go through a year-round incubation period.
Worms are a threat to humans
We found out what helminths are, now we need to understand what harm they can do to a person.
In this case, it should be indicated that helminths secrete active substances that poison the human body.
Helminths feed on digested nutrients, blood, and also like different types of tissue. All this causes the loss of iron, proteins and other vital vitamins for the development of the body.
Worms can cause malfunctions in the digestive system, disturb the stool, it turns out that in the best case only one person feels much worse.
An adult has every chance to get rid of worms if he consults a doctor in time. Today, many tools are known to help cleanse the body of parasites without harming its integrity.
Diagnostic measures
During the week, the doctor prescribes 3 tests for the patient that can detect the eggs. This measure is necessary to achieve a reliable result.
It is also very important to find effective pills for worms, for this purpose a person must undergo a comprehensive medical examination, which includes:
- general and biochemical blood tests;
- scraping;
- analysis of urine and feces.
The specialist has a serious task of interviewing and examining the patient in order to identify the characteristic signs of worm infection.
Symptoms may include itching of the anus, bitterness in the mouth, swollen lymph nodes, and joint and muscle pain.
The greater their number, the greater the risk of the presence of worms in the human body.
Medical therapy
After carrying out the above tests, special anthelmintic agents must be selected. Your doctor can tell you what an anthelmintic drug is and how it works.
If it is chosen incorrectly, there is a chance that the body will suffer even more, but it will not be possible to remove the parasites.
Each patient must take medication according to a special regimen. The doctor prepares it based on the patient's weight, the form of parasite infection, the patient's age and the extent of the disease.
In order to avoid the facts of self-infection, it is recommended to take anthelmintic drugs again a few weeks after the course. This method allows you to remove other larvae and parasite eggs from the body.
Traditional medicine to remove worms
Pumpkin seeds are famous for their high efficiency in helping to remove parasites from the body. It should be clarified that such a medicine should be eaten with a thin film, necessarily raw.
We recommend taking it in the morning on an empty stomach. If necessary, it can be mixed with honey or jam.
The next stage of treatment will be an enema. You can start eating only 2 hours after the measure. Treatment with pumpkin seeds must be repeated after another 14 days.