Deteriorating health can be observed not only from infections entering the body.
Parasites and worms can also cause malaise, weakness, and a breakdown. They can lead to many of the consequences that people normally put up with for the manifestation of a normal inflammatory process.
What is helminthiasis? And what symptoms does it show in the human body?
The answers are very simple.
Helminths are parasites, roundworms and tapeworms, as well as their bright representatives, such as roundworms, pinworms, beef tapeworm, tapeworm and many others. Surely many have encountered it in childhood or already in adulthood.
The disease, which received the appropriate name, such as helminthiasis, is the result of the influence and activity of helminths in the body.
infection with worms
Parasites can enter the body of a person who is both unnecessarily clean and not obsessed with their health in a number of ways. There's enough of that.
Consider how helminths appear in a healthy body:
- normal handshake. The easiest way to reach a new host for a parasite. Through the upper layers of the epidermis, they first enter the skin, and then the blood. This transmission path also works when in contact with homeless street animals and when touching foreign objects. Thanks to the good blood circulation of a healthy person, it is not difficult for him to reach the goal and find himself in the chosen place of his future habitat.
- through the water. Many helminths are perfectly preserved as larvae in fresh and even sea water. Don't forget the village fountains and aqueducts. You are not overly sensitive. Caution is also required when visiting swimming pools, baths and saunas. Perhaps they are poorly made;
- wet soil and sand. The eggs of many types of worms come out with feces and fall on these surfaces. It is easy to get infected in suburban areas and even in a children's sandbox;
- inferior products. These often include seafood, fruits and vegetables, eggs and milk, cottage cheese;
- Places of public mass gatherings of people. Supermarkets, shops, pharmacies and hospitals. Here, many people reach for doorknobs, shelves, packaged products and handrails every day. And not the fact that they are all healthy. Don't forget the dirt that gets into these rooms during the rainy and humid periods;
- In the summer and autumn season, insects are a danger. Mosquitoes and flies can even carry small microscopic eggs with their paws.
To this list of occurrences of helminthic invasion in adults and children, one can also add non-observance of the elementary habitual rules of personal hygiene.
What helminths can be infected
There are a variety of parasitic representatives. And they all enter the body in different ways, migrate and affect specific organs. Some of them choose a single host, while others spend their entire lifecycle with different carriers.
Humans can observe several isolated main parasites in their bodies:
- The most common roundworms are nematodes. Small whitish individuals. reach 40mm. Everyone knows roundworms, pinworms, whipworms and tropical pearlworms. They live in the intestines, eggs are laid in the anus, often excreted with feces. Determining helminth infestation with nematodes is very simple and does not require analysis;
- Parasitic tapeworms are larger and more dangerous. They reach a height of 10 meters, wander and penetrate almost all vital organs and systems. There have been cases of asphyxiation following the movements of the parasite through the respiratory tract. Manifested by bovine tapeworm, tapeworm;
- Trematodes, flukes. They are unpretentious to habitat, so they penetrate the body through both soil and water. They travel throughout the human body and are easily seen under the sebum. This is mainly the area of the eyes and eyelids. They destroy not only the intestinal flora, but also the tissues of other organs. Toxic effects lead to exhaustion of the body.
It is, of course, impossible to independently identify which helminth is in a person. Only the method of testing for worms and a full examination determine the type and further treatment, and in case of recovery prophylaxis is prescribed.
Symptoms of parasites in the body
If helminths have entered the body, you cannot immediately identify them by the symptoms of infection. Some only appear after a certain time.
But all the signs of worms in an adult are quite serious and, at first glance, pass without reason:
- a sharp increase in temperature to the level of the inflammatory process. Typically 37. 6°C to 38°C;
- manifestation of nausea, vomiting;
- aching pains in the abdomen and navel;
- possible reddening of the skin;
- weakness, drowsiness, fatigue;
- occasional involuntary nocturnal teeth grinding;
- dry persistent cough and shortness of breath;
- Violation of normal bowel movements. diarrhea or constipation;
- itching in the anus;
- the acquisition of a yellowish or too pale skin tone;
- Discomfort in the muscles and joints.
It is not immediately possible to make an accurate diagnosis based on such signs. But helminths in humans show only the symptoms corresponding to damaged organs. And these are usually the intestines, bronchi and liver with kidneys.
Signs of ongoing helminthiasis
Late detection of parasites can lead to much more complex consequences:
- a sharp decrease in immunity. As a result, the ability of infections and viruses to enter the body;
- Urticaria, bronchial asthma, as a result of the constant intoxicating action of parasites. The discharge from worms causes a severe allergy in the body;
- severe hair loss, eyelashes;
- unexplained brittle nails;
- caries, tooth enamel gradually disappears;
- severe bleeding gums;
- nervousness, mental disorders.
Worms in humans not only show symptoms of infection, but also provoke many diseases, aggravate the course of existing diseases, which is why treatment of parasites is imperative.
It is better to conduct an examination in time and start a full-fledged complex removal of helminths from the body.
Diseases caused by parasites
The characteristic merciless signs of a helminthic invasion indicate that the body is exposed to severe toxic effects, or many organs and systems are already damaged:
- Disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the fact that most helminths choose this place for further growth and development. It is manifested by intestinal obstruction, dysbacteriosis, diarrhea, pancreatitis;
- respiratory problems. Any migration of the parasite inevitably leads it to the bronchi and lungs. This often leads to convulsions, pneumonia;
- the central nervous system suffers. migraines, dizziness, disorientation in space, irritability and depression;
- an increase in the spleen, liver, a decrease in bile outflow;
- insufficient functioning of the urinary system. urethritis, inflammation of the bladder;
- Problems with the reproductive organs. Vaginitis, inflammatory processes in the uterus, vagina, ovaries. Possible sexual infection.
These are severe symptoms that occur with helminths. If you care about your health, you should definitely see a doctor. Each of the presented signs obliges the specialist to prescribe a special examination.
The most common blood test shows that parasites have appeared in the body. With hemoglobin values less than 100 g / l, an increased number of eosinophils of more than 6%, an increase in leukocytes of 9% and a decrease in erythrocytes of 3 g / l or less.
Also, a sharp decrease in protein and an increase in immunoglobulins characteristic of allergies should be detected by a specialist.
Parasitic diseases and their symptoms
Depending on the species and class of worms, the signs of infection with helminths received their individual names that distinguish them from each other. For specialists, this classification facilitates further treatment, recovery and prevention.
ascariasis. Of course, indicates the symptoms that the Ascaris parasite shows and possible concomitant diseases. Most often it is not observed immediately, but only after 2 weeks after the ingestion of helminths into the body.
Symptoms resemble an ordinary cough, acute bronchitis, mild allergies. Confused with an ordinary infection, as it is accompanied by all of the above features and fever. There may be changes in the lymph nodes.
With advanced chronic ascariasis, all the symptoms are complicated. Jumps in blood pressure begin, anorexia can appear along with loss of appetite, aching constant pain in the abdomen. Regular vomiting, stool disorders. The face becomes pale, the healthy skin color disappears, dark circles and puffiness appear. At night, poor sleep or its complete absence becomes a habit. Small whitish worms are visualized in stool secretions.
Penetration of pinworms or enterobiasis. A common occurrence in young children due to non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. The infection is caused by frequent itching in the anus. Pinworms appear regularly. For 1-2 days with breaks. When parasites invade, the body's response is involuntary nighttime teeth grinding and poor intermittent sleep. Not particularly dangerous, does not cause pain.
Worms, like flukes, bring opisthorchiasis. The acute course of the disease lasts up to 8 weeks. During this period there is an increased body temperature, a feeling of heaviness and bloating, diarrhea and a feeling of inflammation. With chronic exposure to flukes, symptoms also spread to the respiratory system, leading to severe allergies and the central nervous system.
Tapeworm parasites lead to many consequences of their presence in the human body. A broad tapeworm can upset the pancreas, leading to intestinal obstruction, vitamin B12 deficiency, decreased hemoglobin, and anemia. Likewise, all representatives of tapeworms cause pain syndromes in the abdominal cavity, flatulence and nausea.
giardiasisThere are a small number of these parasites in the human body. But they are safe within the normal range. With the aggravation, their level increases. Which leads to vomiting, bitterness due to liver and stomach disorders, characteristic abdominal pain, flatulence and stool disorders.
Such helminthiasis symptoms must be treated naturally and prevented through comprehensive prevention.