Parasites can be called natural companions of humans, as these creatures cannot live outside the body of the host. It is estimated that at least 70% of the world's population is infected with various types of helminths. In addition, many people have been home to them since birth. At the same time, he is considering how to determine the presence of parasites in the body, about a third of all infected. The reason for this is the low awareness of the population or the lack of interest in the state of their health.
To avoid complications caused by parasites, it is important to recognize the infection in time.
According to statistics, more than 60% of people with parasitic infections learn about the problem by accident, and only about 30% purposefully look for symptoms of helminthiasis and go to identify the problem with specialists.
Until recently, helminthiasis was commonly referred to as the disease of the poor, as hygiene skills are poorly established in these layers. However, with growing interest in the problem from science, it has been found that such a definition is fundamentally wrong, as worms can be found in both peasants and respected businessmen.
Why is coexistence with parasites dangerous?
Many people do not understand why they should be tested for parasites if there are no serious health problems? Why should you look for any disturbances in your condition if they do not interfere with your normal lifestyle? In addition, 8% of the population has a reasonable question - what if a person has learned to exist with parasites in his body? After all, evolution does not stand still, and what was once considered harmful may already be the norm.
Such questions have been raised more than once, and every doctor, even the most inexperienced, will say that a parasitic organism differs from a symbiont (a microorganism that exists peacefully in a person that helps, for example, to process and assimilate food more efficiently). that it takes more than it gives. In the human body, parasites usually behave as very unreliable and irresponsible hosts:
- clog it with toxins and slag;
- destroy the natural defenses (immunity);
- take away most of the nutrients;
- damages the internal organs on a physical level.
This is called parasitism, that is, the existence in the body of the host in order to get the maximum benefit for oneself, but without providing a benefit to the host.
Early detection of parasites helps to avoid many problems, including severe endocrine and hormonal disorders, dysfunction of internal organs and even mental disorders.
What are the signs of parasites
Most of the parasitic life forms dangerous to humans live in the intestines and internal organs. They rarely go out in their original form and therefore during the preliminary diagnosis the doctor takes into account only the external signs of their stay. Their presence can be determined by a combination of clinical manifestations.
In 99% of cases, the host's body reacts violently to a dangerous neighborhood. Signals of worm infection can be various disorders of the body, depending on which organ they live in. As it can be difficult to detect parasites in their natural form, it is important to pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Sudden onset of digestive disorders. Most often, they show that they have begun to parasitize intestinal forms of helminths - round and tapeworms, giardia and protozoan organisms. This group of symptoms can be expressed by sudden constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, belching, indigestion. Another sign of intestinal helminthiasis is vague abdominal pain, which may not have a clear location.
- Allergic reactions in the form of rashes, scaling of the skin, the appearance of spots. In most cases, it is impossible to determine the source of such a reaction, as allergen tests show negative results. And only after the patient passes the test for the presence of parasites in the body, it becomes clear what caused the atypical immune response.
- General deterioration of well-being in the form of febrile conditions, fatigue, deterioration of sleep quality. Similar clinical manifestations of helminthiasis appear immediately after the invasion, as well as during its prolonged course. As it is not possible to immediately identify parasites, many patients try to cope with these unpleasant phenomena with the help of folk remedies and symptomatic drugs. As a rule, they bring only temporary relief.
A certain group of signs inherent in diseases associated with worm infection can be found only in women. This makes their hair and nails dull and brittle. The skin also suffers from parasites - it becomes pale, pustules appear, age spots, scaling.
A rare woman associates cosmetic problems with helminths. Most of them say to the last: "I have a lack of vitamins, hormonal imbalance, not worms! "
If you have the slightest suspicion that there are parasites in the body, how do you know exactly what caused them to appear? There are many methods for self-diagnosis at home, as well as specialized ways to identify worms.
How to recognize helminthiasis at home
About 70% of patients who suspect they have helminths do not want to see a doctor. And the point here is not that one does not take care of one's own health. So far, people consider helminthiasis to be a shameful disease that can only occur in the lower strata of the population. However, experts say that many prosperous people can acquire a cunning settler.
Since helminths are mostly found in the gut, the only way to recognize their presence is to check the stool. This time-tested method is the basis for microscopic examination of feces, during which the doctor can detect worm eggs.
This is the simplest and cheapest method and can be done at home. However, this will not allow you to detect worm eggs due to their microscopic size.
How does the self-test work?
There are several rules on how to determine the presence of parasites in the human body in this way:
- The stool should be examined several times, because the worms do not come out constantly, but periodically. As different types of worms become active at different times of the day, it is worth collecting portions of feces both in the morning and in the evening. In the morning you can find pinworms, and in the evening you often come across larger worms - roundworms and tapeworms.
- The person examining the helminth stool should have disposable medical gloves on their hands. Most helminths actively lay eggs, which when ingested can provoke re-infection. It is important to prevent this, even if you already have symptoms of a worm infection. Dispose of them after using gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- In the course of stool examination it is worth using an object, as parasites can be found not only on the surface but also in the center of the stool. It is advisable to discard the stick or spatula after such use.
Finally, the most important rule for self-examination of worm feces. It is advisable to collect the material in a separate bowl, as it is unlikely to check it with special care in a toilet bowl or pot. As a last resort, you can cover the toilet bowl with plastic, empty it, and then carefully examine the stool.
Experts recommend applying a small amount of material to the glass and then examining it from all sides in good light. Thus, even the smallest parasites can be seen.
The result of self-examination of feces for worms
It is necessary to talk about 100% presence of helminthiasis, if it is possible to detect in the stool:
- live or immobile small worms;
- white or yellowish slices that look like cooked noodles with a slightly wavy edge;
- fragments resembling rice grains that may be mobile;
- large round worms of white or pink color.
All these signs indicate an infection with dangerous worms, which can lead to serious health problems, up to and including sudden death. But even if the stool turned out to be "clean" and there are symptoms of helminthiasis, you should urgently contact an infectious disease specialist or pediatrician (if there are signs of helminthiasis in a child).
Tests for worms in the clinic
As it is very difficult to find out for yourself if there are parasites in the body, and the results of self-diagnosis are not very accurate, you should entrust the diagnosis to professionals. A referral for the necessary tests is given by a doctor or a specialist in infectious diseases. If the signs of invasion bother the child, you can seek help from a pediatrician.
To make an accurate diagnosis, you must go through:
- microscopic analysis of stool (coprooscopy) - preferably three times with an interval of one week;
- scraping for enterobiosis;
- blood test for ELISA - a single delivery is enough to make a reliable diagnosis;
- stool analysis PCR - prescribed when obtaining ambiguous results from microscopic examination of stool.
Also, the doctor may prescribe additional instrumental diagnostics. This most often occurs when helminths are suspected in the liver parenchyma and bile ducts or other internal organs. In the presence of worms, the tests will be positive (eggs of parasites, their DNA, antibodies and antigens to them will be found in the materials).
Based on the results of the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed treatment, which can almost always be carried out at home (not many parasitic infections require hospitalization). Therapy may be necessary for all members of the worm carrier's family, as many species of these creatures are easily transmitted from person to person.