Many people do not understand why, when applying for a job, they are asked to take a test for "worm eggs". Even more often, patients admitted with serious symptoms - vomiting, pain in the abdomen, heart or lungs, constipation, allergiesor headache, are surprised by the diagnosis of helminthic infestation. It turns out that parasites are far from safe for humans, and the above symptoms are only the beginning. Let's get to know them better?
Parasites are everywhere: outside and inside
The word "parasite" comes from the Greek parasites, which means parasite. These organisms live and multiply in the organs and tissues of the host, causing severe illness and even death. Such an infection is called an invasion. Parasites are divided into several groups depending on their structureand "habitat" and they are all very dangerous.
Ectoparasites
This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or inside the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies and carry dangerous infections.
- Head, body and pubic lice use their mouths to pierce the host's skin and drink blood. Infection with them is called pediculosis. Insects are carriers of dangerous diseases - typhus and relapsing fever.
- Demodex mite (tick) is the cause of a disease called demodicosis. The length of the parasite is 0. 48 mm, so it is not visible to the naked eye. The mite lives in human hair follicles, causing inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to the eyebrows and eyelashes also leads to eye infections.
- Scabies causes, as its name suggests, scabies. The female parasite, 0. 25–0. 38 mm long, bites through the epidermis (skin layers) to lay eggs. The scab forms in the thickness of the skin. Parasitism causes itching, rash and allergic reactions. Affected: armpits, groin area, abdomen, interdigital spaces. The disease spreads quickly, as the female lays 3-4 eggs every day, from which larvae hatch after 2-3 days.
Endoparasites
Internal parasites live in the host's organs (gut, kidneys, liver) and blood, causing infection (invasion). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Every year 15-16 million people die because of them.
Endoparasites include worms (worms) and protozoa. In recent years, the number of infestations has increased. Hidden forms of parasitism prevail, in 80% of cases the owner does not know that uninvited "guests" have settled in his body. Deaths from parasitic diseases have also increased. The development of tourism with visits to exotic countries has led to infection with tropical parasites, which in the conditions of our country are difficult to identify and destroy.
Helminths
The most common of these parasites are:
- Roundworms are round worms up to 40 cm long that live in the small intestine. The female lays up to 200 thousand eggs per day. Worms weaken the body, cause anemia and digestive disorders. Gathering into a ball, the worms clog the lumen of the intestine and cause obstruction. Sometimes huge balls of tangled roundworms are removed from a person during surgery.
- Tapeworms (broad tapeworms) are tapeworms that, after entering the human body, do not show symptoms for a long time. The growing helminth causes abdominal distension, anemia, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, and intestinal obstruction. People get tapeworms by eating undercooked fish.
- Pork and beef tapeworms enter the body by eating undercooked meat that contains cysts (larvae) of the worm. Parasites multiply rapidly, inhabiting the host's body. A case of worming of one person by 104 pig tapeworms, the total length of which is 128 meters, is described. Sometimes the tapeworm larvae begin to "walk" around the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
- Pinworms are small worms that live in the intestines. They are not as harmless as they seem. Infection causes allergic reactions, helminths crawl into the appendix, causing inflammation.
- Nematodes are a group of roundworms that parasitize the intestinal tract. Worms cause irritation of the intestinal wall and blockage of the bile ducts. 45 species of nematodes inhabit the human body. The most common are the intestinal eel and the whipworm.
Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract, causing extraintestinal helminthiases (flukes, echinococci, pig tapeworm cysts). They cause damage to the nervous system, brain and internal organs. Patients have fever, swelling, and blood in the urine. Dirofilariasis is dangerous, in which parasites are found in the heart. The parasite causes pain similar to the manifestation of ischemic heart disease.
Protozoa
In recent years, protozoan parasites have become widespread, affecting various organs and tissues:
- Giardia is a microorganism that affects the small intestine and causes peristalsis disorders. The disease is often asymptomatic.
- Trichomonas and chlamydia are protozoa that cause inflammation of the genitourinary system.
- Blastocysts are intestinal parasites that irritate the mucous membrane and reduce immunity.
- Dysenteric amoebae are protozoa that cause a chronic form of ulcerative colitis. A person experiences abdominal pain, loose stools and fever. The disease is dangerous due to intestinal perforation.
How to get infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and unwashed hands
You do not need to think that parasites live only in people who do not take care of themselves and lead an antisocial lifestyle. Anyone can become infected, because a person is not immune from communication with sick people and "carriers of parasites". Uninvited "guests" enter the body with food, water from pets, through dirty hands and insect bites.
Infection is promoted by people who buy home-made bacon, raw meat, dried and smoked fish in unauthorized markets. You can get infected in a canteen or cafe if sanitary conditions are not maintained there. Undercooked meat and fish dishes are dangerous.
Parasites have also taken advantage of the passion for Japanese cuisine, where uncooked fish is added to dishes. Not all chefs at a sushi bar follow proper sanitation practices. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.
How to suspect a parasite infection
In the presence of external parasites (lice, scabies, demodex), skin itching appears, which worsens at night. Areas of irritation, redness, blisters and pustules appear on the skin. Sometimes allergies appear and the temperature may rise.
When infected with helminths, the clinical picture varies, but in all cases there are problems with digestion (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increased appetite, the taste preferences of some people change - a person craves fatty, salty, etc. Thus, the body tries to replenish the loss of vitamins and trace elements caused by worm parasitism.
Helminth infections are accompanied by swelling of the abdomen, pain in its various parts, itching around the anus. Sometimes during a bowel movement, the worms fall out of the anus or come out with the stool. In severe infestation, vomiting occurs with the release of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen increase, pain occurs in the right or left hypochondrium.
In helminthiasis, neurological manifestations caused by poisoning with waste products from parasitic creatures are common: insomnia, irritability, constant fatigue, bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep).
Parasites weaken the body, undermine the immune system and cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (pinworms, roundworms, echinococci).
How to recognize dangerous parasites
It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents on your own, especially since they can exist in a complex, and by eliminating some, you will only make room for others. Every clinic has a parasitologist, he is the one who treats infestations. If there is no such specialist, you can make an appointment with a therapist.
The doctor will prescribe a number of tests:
- Blood for clinical analysis. In helminthiasis, an acceleration of ESR, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in the number of eosinophils are observed.
- Biochemical blood test for ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, thymol test, amylase. An increase in these indicators is typical of nematode infection.
- Analysis of bile, mucus, sputum, muscle tissue.
Worm infestations are often disguised as other diseases. People undergo operations that reveal an eaten pancreas or liver. It is not always possible to cure a patient with an advanced form, so you should not hope for a miracle - you need to take the same test for "worm eggs" in a timely manner. For diagnosis, an endoscopy of the intestine and stomach is prescribed.
Diseases caused by parasitic protozoa are difficult to detect. The infection proceeds latently and destroys the body until the patient shows serious changes in the organs.
Treatment of helminthiasis
To cure a patient, he is freed from parasites and their metabolic products. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, selected depending on the type of parasite and the patient's condition. This should be done by a doctor, as all deworming tablets contain dangerous substances.
To expel large worms, the patient is prescribed a siphon enema. At the same time, make sure that the head of the helminth does not remain in the body, otherwise the parasite will grow again. To prevent re-infection, anthelmintic treatment is carried out in several courses.
After the worms are expelled, drip infusions of solutions, restoratives and vitamins are prescribed. Restores the functions of organs affected by parasites.
Pediculosis is treated using special sprays and mercury ointment. If pubic lice are found, the hair in the groin area is shaved.
Sulfur ointment, benzyl benzoate and a number of other drugs are used to treat scabies. Demodecosis is treated with complex external means that include mercury, tar, zinc and sulfur.
Prevention of parasitic infestations
To avoid the "catch" of exo- and endoparasites, you should:
- wash your hands, vegetables and fruits well before eating;
- removing the dirt under the nails;
- do not use other people's combs, shoes and household items;
- do not walk on the floor in public places with bare feet and wear a hat when swimming in the pool;
- do not buy food in "spontaneous" markets and do not eat in dubious public catering establishments;
- cook or fry meat or fish;
- monitor the health of pets by timely deworming;
- when traveling, use insect repellent;
- After arriving from an exotic country, undergo a full examination and take tests.
Parasites quickly infect people, so when they are found, people living with the patient are checked and, if necessary, they are also treated.
In a modern clinic, you can be examined for the presence of worms and get a consultation with a general practitioner for a quick cure of parasites.