The presence of parasitic organisms in the body leads not only to discomfort and the appearance of unpleasant symptoms, various diseases develop, and the state of health sharply worsens. Certain types of parasites threaten not only health but also life. A dangerous quarter causes a decrease in immunity, damage to the integrity of internal organs. Doctors are sounding the alarm, more than eighty percent of all illnesses are caused by parasites or are the result of their life in the body. The statistics are alarming: one in four adults and one in two children are infected with helminths. Quite often a person is unaware of the presence of worms until the condition becomes critical. Where do human worms come from? After all, infection occurs even in people who strictly follow the recommendations and try to exclude contact with the pathogenic environment. Let's try to figure out how to avoid infection, which becomes the cause of the development of helminthic invasion.
The main routes of infection: where do the worms come from?
There are different ways to get infected with parasites. Worms are a problem for anyone of any age, although children are the most vulnerable category. They get to know the world by actively exploring objects for taste and do not have persistent hygiene habits. Babies become infected mainly due to the use of plant products without prior washing, violations of the rules of hygiene after contact with pets, licking dirty fingers. Worms in children are very common.
The mechanism of infection by parasites by adults is practically the same. Most helminthiasis develop due to ignorance of the rules of personal hygiene. Often, infection occurs as a result of contact with sick people or animals, use of contaminated household items and objects. With insufficient heat treatment of meat and fish, the risk of getting sick is also high. Biohelminthiasis thus enter the human body. To minimize the risk of the development of pathology, it is necessary to carefully cook, simmer or fry fish and meat. Drinking contaminated water, swimming in an unfamiliar body of water, or working in the garden with unprotected hands can cause worms to appear in the body of an adult.
The main routes of infection are:
- Oro-fecal. The pathogen enters the body through contaminated food or water. This group of helminths lives mainly in the intestines. The pathogenic organism goes through a complete development cycle and secretes eggs, which come out with the host's feces. After entering the external environment, the parasite is introduced into the body of another host.
- Through the ground. Transmission of parasites in this way occurs due to human contact with contaminated soil. The method of transmission is similar to the previous version of the infection, but the eggs enter the soil not only with feces, but also with other secretions from the host body.
- Hematogenous. Parasites enter the host organism through insect bites. Infected leeches carry helminth eggs.
- Biohelminthiasis. A complex infection system in which several intermediate and permanent hosts are present.
Life cycle of parasites
Different types of helminths have their own developmental cycles, but their general pattern is the same: a larva develops from an egg, which eventually turns into a sexually mature adult individual.
Taking into account the peculiarities of development, there are three groups of parasites:
- contact;
- soil-transmitted helminths;
- biohelminths.
Infection with contact parasites occurs mainly through dirty hands. Soil-transmitted helminths develop without an intermediate host. The eggs ripen in the ground. This group of parasites enters the human body through the oral cavity or the skin. Biohelminths have the most complex development cycle with several intermediate hosts.
Symptoms of helminthiasis
After the penetration of parasites into the human body, the first symptoms may appear immediately or after some time, when the number of worms increases significantly, or the only representative of the species reaches a large size. The first blow is struck by the immune system.
Signs of a general deterioration in the state of health gradually appear:
- tired;
- bad sleep;
- apathy;
- lethargy;
- dizziness.
Such symptoms are due to an increasing deficiency of nutrients and components absorbed by parasites, depleting the human body. People with helminthiasis become weak and irritable. Specific symptoms appear gradually, which depend on the type of helminth, localization in a particular organ.
Worms in the liver
Parasites enter the organ through the blood or orally. As the disease progresses, the following symptoms are observed:
- Body temperature rises by several degrees. With the mass of parasites in the organ, necrosis, abscess can begin, in which case the temperature rises to critical figures.
- The mucous membranes and skin turn yellowish as the gland produces large amounts of bilirubin.
- On palpation, an enlarged liver is felt. The patient feels a burst in the organ, he presses on the adjacent tissues. Begins to disturb the pain in the right abdomen, breathing becomes difficult.
- A clinical blood test shows an increased content of eosinophils.
- Often worried about nausea, an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Some patients complain of dizziness.
Intestinal worms
Most parasites prefer to live in the intestines. It is an ideal place to feed, develop and reproduce. In the intestines, sexually mature individuals secrete eggs that enter the environment with the patient's stool.
Symptoms of localization of helminths in this organ are as follows:
- Indigestion in the form of a predominance of constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
- Aversion to food, complete loss of appetite.
- Change eating habits. The patient refuses his favorite dishes, preferring an unusual taste.
- The presence of blood in the stool.
- Very intense abdominal cramps.
- The presence of parasites or their fragments in the stool, vomiting.
- Bowel obstruction.
Worms in the lungs
The worms enter the lungs with the bloodstream. The localization of helminths in the respiratory system causes serious damage to the organism. Symptoms of lung damage are as follows:
- Chest pain.
- Exhausting cough with expectoration.
- Increase in body temperature.
- Wheezing hearing in the chest.
- Difficulty in breathing, development of an asthmatic component.
With massive seeding of the lungs, there is a high probability of developing complications in the form of pneumonia, airway obstruction, necrosis or abscess.
Worms in the eyes
The localization of helminth larvae in the eyes leads to serious vision problems. Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the eyes are as follows:
- Seals visible under the eyelids.
- Pain and movement in the eyes.
- A sharp decrease in visual acuity.
- Change the position of the eyeball.
- Gradual ladle.
- Constant discharge from the eye.
Worms in the brain
One of the most serious conditions is the presence of parasites in the brain, as helminths irrevocably damage nerve fibers. Very often the disease ends with the death of the patient.
Symptoms of brain parasites are:
- Violent migraines.
- Dizziness.
- Nausea Vomiting.
- Accession of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Helminthic invasion therapy
Parasites in the body of adults and children are often detected. Awareness of the presence of pathogenic individuals in one's own body is rather unpleasant. It is necessary to start correct treatment in a timely manner. Only a qualified specialist can prescribe anthelmintic drugs.
To confirm or deny your suspicions, you must be examined and tested.
The doctor recommends any method of detecting helminths: complete blood count, stool, urine, ultrasound or x-ray, endoscopy or computed tomography. Depending on the type of parasite identified, treatment is prescribed. The pharmaceutical industry is poised to offer many effective drugs against worms. Treatment can be carried out with the use of a drug once or a course. It all depends on the type of parasite, the place of localization, the quantity, as well as the general condition of the patient.
When detecting the fact of helminthiasis in the family, it is recommended to undergo treatment for parasites in the body for all people living together. Human helminths are not only an unpleasant disease, but also a very dangerous disease that threatens the development of many complications. You cannot ignore the situation or use the drugs yourself. Only a doctor can prescribe a remedy that will be as effective as possible and will not harm.
There are folk recipes that can become a powerful support for the body against helminthiasis. Medicines can be used in addition to drug therapy or for prophylaxis. It should be understood that you cannot take traditional medicine yourself. Initially, you need to look for information about the parasite, find out the place of its localization. If possible, your doctor will recommend that you add alternative medicine prescriptions to your regimen.
The following herbal ingredients are considered the best folk remedies: pumpkin seeds, wormwood, ginger, herbal preparations, tansy, buckthorn.
Preventive actions
Worm infestations are not as harmless as they might seem at first glance. The disease damages health, negatively affects the general condition. For babies, helminthiasis are much more dangerous: the child is very late in development, is often sick.
The preventive measures are simple and easy to do, you just need to take some good habits:
- Wash hands before eating, after walking, visiting public places.
- Deworm pets.
- Eat only washed plant foods.
- Do not drink unboiled water, refuse to swim in unfamiliar bodies of water.
- Work in the garden or vegetable patch with gloves on.
- Carefully prepare meat and fish dishes.
- Refuse to buy food in spontaneous markets.
And if it is impossible to completely protect yourself against helminthic invasion, it is really possible to minimize the risks by following the recommendations of specialists. Don't be sick!