Worms in humans - symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Once the worms enter the human body, they begin parasitic activity, which makes the person feel sick. Helminthic infestations often cause severe allergic reactions, gastrointestinal diseases and other pathologies not related to the gastrointestinal tract. However, traditional treatment of these diseases does not bring recovery. In humans, worms can be suspected with a high probability based on certain symptoms, but helminthiasis is clinically manifested only when the worms multiply massively. In case of asymptomatic cases, laboratory tests will help to reliably diagnose helminthosis. Symptoms of worms in humans can be different, but first of all, abdominal pain, discomfort near the anus, nausea and general malaise appear. To restore health, it is necessary to get rid of worms using anthelmintic drugs or folk methods.

What are worms?

Worms are parasites of humans and animals belonging to the class of flatworms or roundworms. Worms have a fairly common structure.
In their development, worms traditionally go through several stages: egg - larva - adult. A person becomes infected with worms most often by ingesting worm eggs.

Eggs that enter the intestinal tract of a person quickly turn into larvae, and they begin to migrate to their permanent place of life, where they grow into adults. In the process of movement, almost all helminths make real "trips" through the human body.

Only a few parasites (for example, pinworms) emerge from the eggs and remain in the intestinal tract. Usually, the destruction of tissues and organs and the symptoms caused by larvae and other developing forms of helminths during movement are more obvious. symptoms caused by adult forms of parasites

As we said above, adult worms traditionally have a stable localization in the body, and their developing forms often migrate to different organs and tissues, and often their path of movement is quite complex. For example, a person becomes infected with ascariasis by eating food contaminated with worm eggs (ascaris eggs grow on the ground).

In the intestinal cavity, roundworm eggs develop into larvae, which enter the blood vessels through the wall of the intestinal tract within a few hours and are carried by the bloodstream to the lungs. Roundworm larvae grow and mature in the lungs. The growing larva slowly bites the adjacent bronchi and crawls along them, first entering the trachea and then the oral cavity, where it is reabsorbed and transported to the intestinal tract.

The roundworm larva, which re-enters the intestinal tract, becomes an adult worm. Lung migration of roundworm larvae is manifested by an abundance of symptoms (cough, asthma attacks, increased body temperature, allergic skin rash), and the presence of a small number of adult worms in the intestinal tract may not be manifested at all.

What are worms? Worms are scientifically called helminths. Helminths are any worms that are parasitic in the body of humans, animals and plants. Accordingly, worms are not a specific type of parasite, but a whole group of different worms, three of which are the most common.

Some scientists claim that almost the entire population of the Earth is infected with one or another parasitic worm. But in this case, helminthic infestations should be the most common type of disease in the world, and, moreover, a number of serious studies prove that, in fact, everything is not so bad. But the idea that a person still has helminths makes him immediately look for an answer to the question of how to get rid of worms.

It should also be understood that helminthic infection is not a rare and insignificant thing. There are more than three hundred species, in humans, the larvae penetrate far beyond the intestines and continue to develop there, gradually poisoning the body. Let's figure out what are the signs of worms in people, because the ones who are forewarned, as we know, are the arms. And then we will learn how to effectively get rid of worms and what is needed to prevent them from returning.

It is actually very easy to determine the presence of worms in the body of any person - you just need to pass a stool test. But the problem is that most people do not think to pass such an exam. The problem is that in adults and children, helminths show themselves by masquerading as a large number of diseases, and at first they do not show their presence at all.

A person can treat the intestines, liver, kidneys, stomach, gall bladder for years, and the root of the evil will be helminths and parasites, which feel great if not dealt with.

Often, helminth infestation leads to the development of diseases that have nothing to do with the helminths themselves. And in this case, if you do not understand what is happening in time, you can be treated endlessly.

All this proves that worms are not just an unpleasant phenomenon. Knowing the symptoms of worms in humans is vital, given the many routes of infection.

What do worms (parasites) look like?

Symptoms of helminthic diseases depend on the stage of development of the parasite. The development of helminthiasis is usually divided into acute and acquired stages.

• The stage of acute development of parasites begins from the moment the patient is infected with worms and lasts 2-3 weeks (in case of severe disease - up to 2 months).This stage is characterized by the predominance of allergic manifestations (rash, dry suffocating cough, increased level of eosinophils in the blood) that develop in response to the appearance of antigens (fragments) of migrating larvae in the blood. When the early forms of the parasite (larvae) are in the body of an infected person, the immune response is very evident;
• the acquired stage of the development of worms occurs after the acute stage and lasts for several weeks, months or years (for some helminthic diseases - up to 10 years). For us, the symptoms of this stage depend on the location of the worms, their number and feeding habits.
  Parasites damage tissues with fixation organs (hooks, spines, cutting plates, cuticular spines) where they spread. Damage causes tissue irritation and the development of an inflammatory reaction.

Some fast-growing parasites, such as cysticerci or hydatid cysts, compress surrounding tissues, often causing dysfunction of vital organs, such as in the brain, eyeballs, and liver, with serious consequences.

In the acquired stage of helminthosis, the metabolism is disturbed, because the parasite constantly consumes valuable nutrients such as proteins, minerals, carbohydrates and vitamins. In addition, the process of absorption of digested food in the intestinal tract is disturbed. In most digestive helminthic infestations, the acquired phase is often asymptomatic, especially in cases where the parasites are represented by a single individual.

Any symptoms of the disease appear only when the parasite is huge, such as roundworm or tapeworm.
With other helminthosis, for example, with enterobiosis, night itching may appear in the anal region; intensive invasion with trichuriasis contributes to the development of hemorrhagic colitis; rectal prolapse symptoms may appear in children.

How do you get worms?

You can get parasites in different ways. In this case, worms are carried by larvae that are invisible to the naked eye.

The main methods of infection:

• lack of hygiene skills - dirty hands, working on the floor;
• eating food contaminated with helminths - unwashed fruits and food eaten by husbands, as well as meat and fish that have not been treated with sufficient heat (kebabs, rare steak, smoked foods, sushi, etc. );
• drinking unboiled water contaminated with worm eggs;
• contact with animals that are a natural reservoir for worms - cats and dogs, wild animals (hunting, fishing, working on fur farms);
• contact with a person with helminthiasis - handshake, bedding, door handles, etc.

In what organs can worms live?

Helminthic parasites are divided into two categories according to their place of action in the donor's body:

• space- worms living in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. There are about 100 species of intestinal parasites, and several dozen species for each part of the intestine. The small intestine is ready to receive roundworms, antelostomes, broad tapeworms and other less common "brothers". The small intestine will "share living space" with pinworms, dwarf tapeworms and others. Medical literature describes cases where a person is simultaneously infected with several types of parasites;
• cloth- localized worms in organs, tissues and even blood. Modern medicine successfully fights paragonimiasis (lungs), cysticercosis (brain), echinococcosis (liver) and filariasis (lymphatic vessels). Some worm larvae travel throughout the body through the circulatory system and randomly attach to any organ. If many eggs are introduced, the whole body can become infected.

How do you get worms?

To protect yourself, you should know about 4 ways that worm eggs are spread and infected:

• through soil and water - geohelminthoses. They develop in sand, soil and water, then enter the human body and start laying eggs there. Then the worm eggs enter the external environment with the feces and wait in the wings to infect a new person. Eating poorly washed vegetables and fruits, dirty hands and dust on food can cause a person to become infected with geohelminths. Some parasite eggs enter the human body through the skin of the feet and ankles;
• through direct contact.In pets and humans, worms are transmitted by hand-to-hand contact, play, and shared activity.
• with the consumption of contaminated food of animal origin - biohelminthiasis. Eating raw and lightly processed meat (kebabs, lard, canned meat, home-made game) and fish (sushi, dried fish, canned fish) is potentially dangerous. There is a possibility of infection with intestinal infections and biohelminths;
• for insect bites. This type of infection is extremely rare. These include intestinal miosis, canthiasis and scoliosis. Do not confuse the eggs of parasites and insect larvae, which are also laid under the skin of animals and under the skin of humans (for example, gadfly larvae).

Symptoms of worms

To understand how to remove tapeworms from a person, you need to know the symptoms that indicate each type of tapeworm. Depending on the location of the exit, helminthic infections can be:

• lightly.Cavity species of worms live in the territory of the small and large intestines. For example, the area where roundworms and tapeworms live is the small intestine. Pinworms live in the lower part of the small intestine, whipworms live in the large intestine;
• muscle (cell).They live in muscle cells, lung tissue, brain cells, liver, lymph nodes and eyes. Some of the worms are luminal and cellular because in the early stages they migrate through the bloodstream and fill the organs above.

Symptoms of worms in adults can be different. As mentioned above, they are often easily confused with the symptoms of other diseases. In some cases, everything happens according to the classic scenario of mass infection. In this case, the symptoms of worms in an adult and a child will be similar, most likely, in children - they are more obvious.

Obvious signs of worm infection: itching in the anus, especially at night; sudden loss or, conversely, weight gain; anemia, which manifests itself externally in the pallor of the skin; tired, tired look.

If you or your children start to experience such cases, you should definitely see a doctor and insist on getting tested for the presence of parasite eggs in the stool. Of course, it may not be their fault. Symptoms of helminthic infestation are not always to blame for poor health, but communication with a doctor will be useful in any case, because disorders in the body are obvious.

Symptoms of worms in humans, the first signs

Humans do not always have the first signs of worms, the symptoms of a parasitic infection appear only when there are a large number of worms (pinworms, roundworms) or when the tapeworm, for example, reaches a large size. The clinical picture of helminthiasis often mimics the pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.

However, in addition to those specific to lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, there are signs that indicate the dysfunction of other organs.

Symptoms indicating the presence of helminths in the body:

• lack of appetite or vice versa, gluttony, bitterness in the mouth and excessive salivation;
• a strong desire to eat sweets (worms feed on carbohydrates);
• nausea, vomiting - sometimes worms crawl into the stomach or their parts (segments) are found in vomit;
• itching of the anus and grinding of teeth during sleep often indicate enterobiasis;
• unstable stool - always provokes intestinal dysbiosis, helminthosis often occurs with changes in diarrhea and constipation; with a significant infestation, worms can be excreted in the feces;
• flatulence - swelling and rumbling in the stomach is caused by toxins produced by worms;
• periodic abdominal pain - diffuse, often localized in the umbilical region, the pain is sometimes spastic;
• skin manifestations - sudden allergic rashes and purulent formations (acne, boils) caused by a decrease in local immunity and removal of toxins through the skin, often occur in a severe form, as well as weakness of nails and excessive hair loss;
• irritable bowel syndrome - impaired absorption of nutrients, especially with numerous helminthic colonies, leads to the development of anemia and weight loss;
• cough is a dry symptom that occurs in the lung stage of helminthosis (ascaris larvae enter the lungs with blood); severe infestation can cause pneumonia;
• obesity - strangely enough, it can also be caused by intestinal parasites, which cause a sharp drop in blood glucose when eating carbohydrates and force a person to consume more food, and the body stores fat;
• symptoms from the nervous system - increased irritability, poor sleep or sleepiness, constant depression, reduced attention and memory problems are especially noticeable in children with helminthosis;
• chronic fatigue syndrome - parasites often cause constant weakness, the temperature rises to 37-37. 5 C, a flu-like condition and muscle pains;
• pathology of the upper respiratory tract - slow runny nose, untreated cough, even pneumonia and asthmatic conditions are often caused by the presence of helminths;
• reduced immunity - accompanying helminthosis, intestinal dysbiosis and chronic intoxication often lead to pathologies with indicators of immune deficiency (herpes, warts, etc. ), including colds and oncopathology.

The effect of helminthosis on the nervous system deserves special attention. During its lifetime, any type of parasite produces products that are perceived by the body as foreign substances. Their toxic effect primarily affects the nervous system, causing irritability, depressive states and other disorders of emotional stability.

Flat parasites in humans. Symptoms

Fluke

Found in hepatic ducts. It causes cancer of digestive organs. You can get infected by eating lightly salted, raw fish products. Symptoms of worms in adults: increased body temperature; vomiting attacks; dyspepsia; pain in the spleen, liver; allergies. A person periodically feels dizzy and sleep is disturbed; migraine is observed; gets nervous; mood changes often. Treatment of helminthiasis is carried out in the hospital.

Schistosoma

Routes of Schistosoma infection include swimming in fill ponds and drinking contaminated water. It parasitizes in the small veins of the large intestine, the abdominal cavity, the small pelvis, the uterus, and the bladder. It can be localized in the brain.

Symptoms of a worm infection include loss of appetite; violation of the digestive system; pale skin; stomach ache; dyspepsia; intestinal and uterine bleeding, weight loss, intestinal obstruction. It causes menstrual irregularities in women, miscarriages have been recorded due to the presence of worms during pregnancy.

Impotence develops in men; sperm quality decreases (infertility). Children suffer from retardation and mental development. When brain cells are damaged, consciousness is impaired, paralysis and convulsions can occur. Such conditions can lead to death

Paragon

Paragonoma - pulmonary fluke: what causes worms in humans: from consumption of freshwater crayfish, fish, pork. The worm affects the bronchial organs and lungs. Symptoms of worms in adults: temperature rises; the person starts to cough and it lasts for a long time.

Sputum is produced when coughing. Migraine is observed; shortness of breath appears with lack of movement; impaired visual acuity; vomiting attacks.

Echinococcus

Echinococcus is a very dangerous tapeworm. It can cause death. He lives with a person for a long time and manages not to express himself. The route of infection is through pets, most often dogs. A person is infected without following the rules of hygiene.

Echinococcus causes the development of cysts in human organs. Treatment of worms in adults is carried out only surgically. Digestive system, respiratory system, brain, bone tissue are often affected. Symptoms in adults depend on which organ is affected.

Liver: pain in this area, varied in nature, heaviness, fatigue, skin allergies, jaundice. Lungs: chest pain, coughing fits, shortness of breath. Brain: migraine, dizziness, paralysis, mental disorders, epilepsy. Bones: muscles, joints ache; fractures are often observed.

Broad tapeworm

The broad tapeworm is one of the largest parasites. It lives in the small intestine. The way of infection is the consumption of lightly salted caviar, fish that have not undergone proper heat treatment.

Worms in the human body are often characterized by vomiting; pain in the abdomen; dyspepsia; loss of appetite; tiredness; anemia; low blood pressure; migraine. Moreover, sometimes the pain is so strong that it causes fainting.

Taurus built a ribbon

Cow tapeworm: route of entry is contaminated beef. Helminthic infestation colonizes the small intestine. How to understand that an infection has occurred? Symptoms of worms in humans: stomach pain; severe nausea; excessive appetite; lose weight; rumbling in the stomach; flatulence; increased stool frequency.

He built pork

Pig tapeworm lives in different organs. Ways of infection are non-compliance with hygiene rules, unwashed fruits. You can determine that a person has worms with dizziness, long-term and regular migraines. A person sleeps poorly, often wakes up in a "cold sweat" due to nightmares, and therefore becomes irritable over time. Appetite is disturbed and belching appears.

The dwarf built a ribbon

Dwarf tapeworm reaches humans through the oral cavity with contaminated fruits and vegetables. Lives in the small intestine. Symptoms: fever, nausea, salivation, belching, heartburn, rhinitis, dry mucous membranes.

Roundworms in humans. Symptoms

Ascaris

Ascariasis: you can get infected after eating unwashed vegetables and fruits. Tapeworms live in the small intestine. Signs of the appearance of worms in a person: the anus itches, a person feels the movement of worms, which causes incredible discomfort. The temperature may rise, the lymph nodes may grow, and there may be a headache in the evening. The liver enlarges, allergy symptoms appear (urticaria on the feet and hands, dermatosis). Due to damage to the central nervous system, mental disorders occur - depression, convulsions, violent attacks, nightmares at night. The activity of the digestive system is disturbed.

Pinworm

pinworm: this parasite starts with dirty hands. It lives in the large and small intestines of people. The source of infection is sick people and non-compliance with hygiene norms.

The first signs of worms: the anal region itches (worse at night); my stomach hurts; to be ill; sleep is disturbed. A person is restless and nervous; gets tired quickly.

In some people, urinary incontinence develops against this background; allergic manifestations. Girls with worms experience vaginal discharge.

Trichinella

Trichinella is a dangerous helminth infection. Symptoms do not always appear immediately. Ways of infection: consumption of pork, vegetation near pastures. Helminthic infestation affects all systems and organs without exception.

The following symptoms cause worms in humans: loss of appetite; people feel nauseous all the time and occasionally have a gag reflex. Faeces are disturbed and there is pain in the abdomen. A distinctive feature is swelling of the face. Muscle pains; rashes appear on the skin; increase in temperature.

Corn worms

Corn worms are dangerous worms for adults. Symptoms may or may not be severe. It affects the gastrointestinal tract (small intestine, duodenum). Ways of infection: contact with soil where larvae are present; orally with vegetables and herbs contaminated with soil.

Signs of the presence of worms: itching skin allergies; coughing attacks (streaks of blood appear in the sputum); increase in body temperature, migraine. People feel dizzy and weak; aches and pains in the bones (as with ARVI). I suffer from hunger pangs.

After eating, a person feels nauseous and may vomit. Almost always after eating, the stomach swells and the stomach hurts. After eating, diarrhea appears two hours later. On the contrary, many experience constipation due to intestinal motility disorders caused by worms. A person becomes sleepy and fatigue appears even in the absence of physical activity.

Is it worth buying deworming tablets for prevention?

If one of the family members has pinworms, preventive treatment is always carried out for the whole family.

Indications for preventive use of anti-helminth drugs:

• having pets;
• constant contact with the earth (playing in the sand, villagers);
• if children live permanently in closed children's groups;
• regular visits to exotic countries;
• Hobbies: fishing, hunting, beach volleyball, soccer.