Many people do not understand why, when applying for a job, they are asked to take a test for "worm eggs". Even more often, hospitalized patients with serious symptoms - vomiting, pain in the abdomen, heart or lungs, constipation, allergies or headaches - are surprised by the diagnosis of helminthic infection. It turns out that parasites are not at all safe for humans, and the above symptoms are just the beginning. Let's get to know them better?
Parasites are everywhere: outside and inside
The word "parasite" comes from the Greek word parasites, which means parasite. These organisms live and multiply in the host's organs and tissues, causing severe illness and even death. Such an infection is called an invasion. Parasites are divided into several groups, depending on their structure and "habitat", and all of them are very dangerous.
Ectoparasites
This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or within the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies and carry dangerous infections.
- Head, body and pubic lice use their mouthparts to pierce the host's skin and drink blood. Infection with them is called pediculosis. Insects carry dangerous diseases - typhus and relapsing fever.
- Demodex mites (mites) are the causative agent of a disease called demodicosis. The length of the parasite is 0. 48 mm, so it is not visible to the naked eye. Mites live in human hair follicles, causing inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to eyebrows and eyelashes also leads to eye infections.
- Scabies causes scabies, as its name suggests. The female parasite, 0. 25-0. 38 mm long, burrows through the epidermis (layers of skin) to lay eggs. Dandruff forms in the thickness of the skin. Parasitism causes itching, rashes and allergic reactions. Affected: armpits, groin area, abdomen, interdigital spaces. The disease spreads quickly, because the female lays 3-4 eggs every day, from which the larvae hatch after 2-3 days.
Endoparasites
Internal parasites live in host organs (intestines, kidneys, liver) and blood, causing infection (invasion). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Every year, 15-16 million people die because of their own fault.
Endoparasites include worms (worms) and protozoa. In recent years, the number of infections 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 become more frequent. The development of tourism with visits to exotic countries has brought about the 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, 000 eggs per day. Worms weaken the body, cause anemia and digestive disorders. Once gathered in a ball, the worms block the intestinal lumen and cause obstruction. Sometimes large tangled balls of worms 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 helminth, growing, causes bloating, anemia, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal obstruction. People become infected with tapeworms by eating poorly processed fish.
- Pork and cattle tapeworms enter the body when they eat uncooked meat containing worm cysts (larvae). Parasites multiply quickly, populating the host's body. A case of parasitism of a person by 104 pork tapeworms, the total length of which was 128 meters, is described. Sometimes tapeworm larvae begin to "walk" throughout the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
- Worms 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 intestinal eel and whipworm.
Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract, causing extraintestinal helminthiasis (flux, echinococci, pig tape 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.
protozoan
In recent years, protozoan parasites have spread widely, affecting various organs and tissues:
- Giardia is an organism that affects the small intestine and leads to peristaltic 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 mucosa and lower immunity.
- Dysenteric amoebae are protozoa that cause a protracted form of ulcerative colitis. A person experiences abdominal pain, loose stools and fever. The disease is dangerous because of intestinal perforation.
How to get infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and unwashed hands
There is no 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 encouraged by people who buy home-made lard, 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 benefited from the passion for Japanese cuisine, where thermally raw fish is added to foods. Not all sushi bar chefs follow proper hygiene practices. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.
How to suspect a parasite infection
In the presence of external parasites (lice, scabies mites, demodex), skin itching appears, worsening at night. Areas of irritation, redness, blisters and pustules appear on the skin. Sometimes allergies occur and the temperature may rise.
When infected with helminths, the clinical picture changes, but in all cases there are problems with digestion (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increased appetite, some people's taste preferences differ - one person wants fat, salt, etc. Thus the body tries to replenish the loss of vitamins and trace elements caused by the worms' parasitism.
Helminth infections are accompanied by swelling of the abdomen, pain in its various parts, itching around the anus. Sometimes during defecation the worms fall out of the anus or come out in the stool. With severe infection, vomiting occurs with the release of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen are enlarged and pain appears in the right or left hypochondrium.
With helminthiases, neurological manifestations caused by poisoning from the remains of parasitic creatures are common: insomnia, nervousness, constant fatigue, bruxism (teeth grinding in sleep).
Parasites weaken the body, undermine the immune system and cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (leg worms, whipworms, echinococci).
How to identify dangerous parasites
It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents yourself, especially since they can exist in a complex and by eliminating some, you will only leave room for others. Each clinic has a parasitologist; it is the one that treats infections. If there is no such specialist, you can make an appointment with a therapist.
The doctor will prescribe a series of tests:
- Blood for clinical analysis. With 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 for infection with nematodes.
- Analysis of bile, mucus, saliva, muscle tissue.
Worm infections often masquerade as other illnesses. People undergo operations during which an eaten pancreas or liver is found. It is not always possible to cure a patient with an advanced form, so you should not hope for a miracle - you should do the same test for "worm eggs" at the right time. In order to establish a diagnosis, endoscopy of the intestines and stomach is prescribed.
Diseases caused by parasitic protozoa are difficult to detect. The infection continues latently and destroys the body until the patient shows serious organ changes.
Treatment of helminthiasis
To cure a patient, he is freed from parasites and their metabolic products. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, selected taking into account 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 expulsion of the worms, drip infusions of solutions, restoratives and vitamins are prescribed. Restoring the functions of organs affected by parasites.
Pediculosis is treated with the help of special sprays and mercury ointment. If pubic lice are detected, the hair in the groin area is shaved.
Sulfur ointment, benzyl benzonate, and a variety of other medications are used to treat scabies. Demodicosis is treated with complex external agents, which include mercury, tar, zinc and sulfur.
Prevention of parasitic infections
To avoid "catching" exo- and endoparasites, you should:
- wash hands, vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating;
- remove 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 cap when swimming in the pool;
- do not buy food in "spontaneous" markets and do not eat in questionable catering establishments;
- boil or fry meat or fish;
- monitor the health status of pets by performing deworming in time;
- when traveling, use insect repellent;
- After arriving from an exotic country, do a full examination and take tests.
Parasites quickly infect people, so when they are detected, people living with the patient are checked and, if necessary, they are also treated.
In a modern clinic you can be tested for the presence of worms and get a consultation with a general practitioner for a quick cure for parasites.