Helminths than dangerous parasitic worms for humans

According to the WHO, every second person on the planet is infected with helminths every year. Many people think that parasitic worms do not cause much harm to health. But not everything is so simple: helminths can affect important internal organs: the heart, lungs and brain.

Helminths - who are they?

Helminths are parasitic worms that can choose a human, animal or plant organism as a host. In total there are three classes of helminths:

• tapeworm. This class includes about 3. 5 thousand species of helminths. The length of parasitic worms varies from a few mm to 10-15 meters;
• flukes.Parasites are so named because they have suckers that they use to get food. The human body can infect about 4 dozen species of flukes. As a rule, the length of worms does not exceed 5 cm;
• roundworms.This class of helminths has more than 24 thousand species. Roundworms are spindle-shaped. Usually their length is no more than 0. 5 meters.

You can get infected with helminths in different ways. However, most often parasite infestation occurs due to the following reasons:

1. Poor hand hygiene.
2. Unwashed vegetables, fruits; undercooked or undercooked meat, fish - the use of such products increases the risk of parasitic invasion many times over.
3. Keep food outside the refrigerator open. Insects are able to transfer helminth eggs to products that are stored without packaging.
4. Contact with pets.

The main symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• weight loss;
• allergic rashes;
• bloating;
• itching in the anus;
• grinding teeth in a dream.

Learn more about the signs of parasites in the bodyread our article.

What helminths are most often found in our country? Consider the most common types of parasitic worms and the diseases they cause.

Tapeworm

The body of the tapeworm consists of segments, the total number of which varies from 3 to 5000. The main element for fixing the helminth is the head, additional are suction cups, hooks.

The most common causes of tapeworms are:

Diphyllobothriosis

The causative agent of the disease is a broad tapeworm that affects the human intestine.Development of worm eggs takes place in fresh water. The scheme for getting a tapeworm into the human body is as follows:

1. The eggs of the worms are ingested by crustaceans that live in a tank.
2. Infected crustaceans are eaten by fish.
3. A person becomes infected with the parasite by consuming fish that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment.

Symptoms of the disease develop 1. 5 months after infection. The main sign of pathology is the presence of whitish fragments of the helminth in the feces.

Attaching to the intestinal mucosa, the tapeworm absorbs large amounts of vitamin B12. For this reason, people with diphyllobothriasis often develop anemia. In addition, the tapeworm can cause an increase in the liver, spleen, intestinal obstruction.

Taeniarhynchosis

The causative agent of the disease is the bovine tapeworm, which lives mainly in the human small intestine. During its development cycle, the helminth replaces two hosts: the intermediate one is cattle, the main one is man. The bull tapeworm can live in the body for 20 years, multiplying and causing harm to health. The disease is common in many regions, but is most prevalent in areas where it is cold.

As a rule, people get taeniarchinosis after eating undercooked or undercooked beef.

The disease often occurs without pronounced symptoms and is discovered by chance when a person sees helminthic elements in his feces. In some people, in addition to the main signs of helminth infection, pain may appear on the right side of the anterior abdominal wall.

Adult helminths can penetrate the appendix, pancreatic duct, bile ducts, provoking acute inflammatory processes in them. Intestinal obstruction may develop with multiple parasitic infestations.

taeniosis

The causative agent of the disease is the pig tapeworm, which initially affects the human small intestine.Human infection occurs through consumption of raw or undercooked pork.

The parasite can penetrate various organs and tissues, causing pain in the abdomen, back and limbs. The most favorable pathology occurs when the worm is localized in subcutaneous adipose tissue and skeletal muscle tissue. When they penetrate the eye muscles, helminths cause a decrease in visual acuity, lacrimation and photophobia. Pig tapeworm damage to the brain can be fatal.

flukes

Butterflies have a leaf-like shape and are distinguished by a high ability to reproduce in different periods of the life cycle. Reproduction of worms is possible not only sexually with fertilization, but also without it. In addition to suckers, worms have many hooks and spikes, due to which they are firmly attached to the mucous membranes of the organs.

Common pathologies caused by flukes:

• fasciolosis;
• opisthorchosis;
• paragonimosis.

Fascioliasis

Fascioliasis occurs when the liver or gallbladder is damaged by liver fluke.Generally, the infection occurs by eating vegetables that have been soaked with water from open tanks.

In addition to the standard signs of parasite infection, a person may experience asthma attacks that are accompanied by shortness of breath, facial flushing, dilated pupils, and tachycardia. If an adult has caused a blockage of the bile ducts, then obstructive jaundice develops. Signs of pathology:

• spasms pain in right hypochondrium;
• yellowing of the skin;
• fever;
• colorless stools.

opisthorchosis

The causative agent of the disease is the cat fluke. The name of the parasite is due to the fact that, in addition to humans, it often infects cats and other mammals that eat fish.

As a rule, cat flu affects the liver and pancreas, causing inflammation of the organs. Symptoms vary and depend on the number of parasites. The patient may experience:

• symptoms of intoxication;
• fever,
• hives;
• skin itching;
• pain in muscles, joints, right hypochondrium.

In some cases, helminths cause an increase in lymph nodes, the development of jaundice. The chronic form of pathology often leads to hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver.

Paragonimosis

The culprit of the disease is lung fluke, which enters the human body with infected crustaceans.

First, the parasite enters the human intestine, then the abdominal cavity. The end point of its journey is the lung tissue. In addition, the worm is able to penetrate the brain and affect the central nervous system.

Specific signs of parasitic invasion of the lungs:

• chest pain syndrome;
• cough with sputum that may contain pus and blood;
• fever.

In some cases, helminths cause a violation of the ventilation function of the lungs and gas exchange during breathing.

roundworms

Thanks to their structure, roundworms (nematodes) are able to survive even in extreme conditions.Their body is covered with a three-layer skin-muscle bag, which reliably protects the parasites from external influences.

Common diseases caused by nematodes:

• ascariasis;
• enterobiosis;
• trichinellosis.

ascariasis

The development of the disease provokes ascaris, which are initially fixed in the small intestine. The average length of adults is 40 cm.Parasite larvae can enter the human digestive system with unwashed vegetables and fruits, contaminated water.Also, often the cause of ascariasis is poorly washed hands before eating.

During the penetration of the larvae into the body, a person may experience low-grade fever, allergic rashes, cough with clear sputum. Signs of the intestinal stage of ascariasis (diarrhea, abdominal pain) are observed only in the presence of several parasites. As a rule, staying in the intestine of a worm is asymptomatic.

Complications of multiple parasite infestation:

• obstruction of the bile duct;
• purulent inflammatory processes in the gallbladder, liver;
• inflammation of the appendix;
• intestinal obstruction.

enterobiosis

The provocateurs of the disease are pinworms - small worms up to 1 cm long.Helminths enter the human digestive system in the same way as roundworms.

Currently, enterobiosis is the most common parasitic pathology in the world. In general, the disease is diagnosed in children under the age of 10.

Symptoms, as in the previous cases, develop only with multiple parasitic invasions. Children often have diarrhea, mucus in the stool, difficult and painful digestion, itching in the anus, and nausea. In severe cases of the disease, leg cramps may occur. In addition, sedges can penetrate the genitals, causing acute inflammation in them.

Trichinellosis

This disease provokes trichinella - one of the smallest parasitic worms. The length of the parasite rarely exceeds 4 mm. In the larval stage, worms can infect skeletal muscles. An exception is the myocardium - the muscle tissue of the heart. Adults parasitize in the small intestine.

As a rule, human infection occurs when eating half-cooked pork.At the same time, for the development of the disease, it is enough to consume only 30 g of meat affected by parasites.

The pathology is manifested by standard symptoms of parasitic invasion. In an advanced stage, swelling of the eyelids, face, hands and feet, pain in the back, and chewing muscles may appear. Possible complications are complete or partial loss of mobility, paralysis of the respiratory tract.

How to avoid helminth infection?

To reduce the risk of getting infected with parasitic worms, it is important to follow these rules:

18 signs of the presence of parasites in the body

Being present in the human body, the parasite has a serious, pathogenic effect. At the same time, the same parasite can simultaneously produce many mechanisms of action on humans.

WHO estimates that currently about four and a half billion people in the world are permanently affected by various parasites.

This problem is very topical and because it is very difficult to diagnose the parasitosis. Helminthiasis (a large collection of parasitic diseases) is present in humans even when the parasite has already disappeared. And if the patient has noticed this, then in this case, of course, he will come to the medical facility. Parasitosis can also be detected during a preventive examination. But unfortunately, these cases are a drop in the ocean.

Mechanisms of action:

mechanical impact.For example, if roundworms are in the intestine, they will of course press on and injure the intestinal wall. In some cases, they cause an inflammatory process. If, for example, the echinococcus is located in the liver, in the lungs or in the kidneys, compression of the tissues will occur accordingly. This is a classic, mechanical effect: bursting, pressure, dysfunction of the organ or system in which the parasite resides. There are many not only luminal parasites that are present in the gastrointestinal tract, but there are also many tissue parasites that can fully realize the so-called mechanical action.

Stimulation of allergic reactions.Unfortunately, when a person has allergic reactions, he begins to go around in circles: to a dermatologist, to a pediatrician, to a general practitioner, to an allergist, but doctors do not always rule out the presence of parasitic invasions in the body in the first place.

Any parasite, even a banal pinworm, can lead to the formation of serious allergic reactions, and they can be different, both on the skin and affecting the bronchopulmonary tree. For example, frequent obstructive bronchitis in children may be due to the fact that some kind of parasite lives in the intestines.

Influence on the microflora.It is no secret that man is a globe for the vast world of microbiota. The microflora that inhabits all our mucous membranes, skin, organs, tissues is that friendly microflora that produces vitamins, minerals, hormones, enzymes for us and helps our body to live normally. And now, unfortunately, in the presence of parasites, it begins to actively die.

immunosuppressive action.Today, it is clearly demonstrated that the waste products of parasites dramatically suppress the immune system. They just block it. In addition, parasites over millions of years have learned to mimic and hide from the immune system by producing special anti-enzymes. In this way, the immune system is blocked and sometimes a person can suffer from various parasitosis for decades. Which sooner or later leads to serious diseases in the body as a whole or in a separate organ or system.

The effect of antienzymes. Unfortunately, parasites can not only deplete our body. If we try to consume vitamin food, mineralized, to drink vitamins and minerals as a complex, they will not always benefit us, because our free ones will take the lion's share of them.

Nervous reflex mechanism of action.The waste products of the parasites poison the nervous system. And very often this can affect the psycho-emotional state of both an adult and a child. Any psychosomatic illness can be associated with a parasitic infestation. The child may be hyperreactive or vice versa, lethargic, tearful, prone to depression - all this may be a consequence of the presence of a parasite in the body. For example, even the simplest Giardia produces toxins. Even if they are in microdoses, they are still toxins that are identical to psychotropic substances. Of course, a child or an adult with such prolonged poisoning will experience a serious strain on the functioning of the central nervous system. And from here all kinds of psychological and mental disorders can follow: sleep disorders, nervous disorders, various psychological problems. Moreover, neither the parents nor the patient himself, if he is an adult, can even think that this is due to a parasitic invasion.

In my opinion, the most serious and terrible thing is the stimulation of neoplasms by parasites. The prolonged presence of parasitosis in the body can provoke such a problem as the formation of neoplasms: benign and malignant. In addition, the stimulation of neoplasms can be related to two factors.

The first factor is the direct, damaging effect on the tissues of a given organ.

The second factor is the action mediated by a sharp inhibition of the immune system. The thing is, the part of the immune system that is responsible for anti-parasite defense is also responsible for anti-tumor defense. As a result of improper division in the human body, a cancer cell can appear. In this case, the deficiency of the immune system will manifest itself in such a way that this cell will not be recognized by our immune cells in time and will not be killed in time.

When can a person suspect the presence of parasites?

Now I will tell you a list of clinical manifestations of parasitic infestations, in the presence of which you should quickly contact your doctor to clarify whether you really have this diagnosis.

• The most common clinical symptom is itching in the anus. This is heard by many people, so it is associated with the presence of parasites, especially in children's practice.
• Grinding teeth in a dream. Again, very often this can be in pediatric practice. Mothers suddenly notice that the child begins to grind his teeth in his sleep. Why is this happening? Very often, squeaking in children is associated with frightening dreams. This is exactly the mechanism of toxic effects on the central nervous system that we talked about. The child has a terrible dream and grinds his teeth with fear in his sleep. This is one of the reasons. There are other reasons too. The formation of trismus or increased tone of the masticatory muscles, this can also be a symptom in this case.
• Salivation during sleep, salivation in the morning, nausea in the morning when brushing the teeth. These are all manifestations that can indirectly indicate the presence of a parasitic invasion in the body.
• Peeling of the fingers and toes, peeling of the skin in layers.
• Increased feeling of hunger, sometimes to the point of fainting.
• Allergic rashes on the skin. When I give lectures to doctors, I very often draw attention to the fact that doctors are in no hurry to prescribe anti-allergic drugs to one or another patient. Find out first to the end - are there helminthic invasions. Because a high degree of allergy, suddenly appearing in a person in a short period of time, may mean, first of all, that the patient has a parasite infestation.
• Rashes on the eyelids, their peeling, swelling. , mental disorders without known causes.
• Any itchy skin. Especially in children's practice. First of all, it is necessary to exclude the presence of parasitic infestations.
• Disturbed by such symptoms as abdominal distension, boiling in the abdomen, unstable chair. Any problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
• There is a lack of body weight or, on the contrary, overweight. In parasitosis it can be both.
• The presence of several chronic diseases at the same time. Diseases of the joints, the bronchopulmonary tree, the gastrointestinal tract. If suddenly a person begins to get sick in stages, then one, then the second, then the third, then the fifth, then the tenth, and initially there were no apparent reasons for this, then this is an occasion to think about the presence of parasitesin the body.
• Poor health and unclear diagnosis. Such patients can also go to different specialists, try to examine one or the other. And in the end, the diagnosis will still be unclear and the state of health will remain poor.
• Unexplained abdominal pains, intermittent, sudden cramping, pulling pains. It is also necessary to exclude, especially in pediatric practice, the presence of parasites.
• Prolonged toxic-allergic manifestations. Periodically, sudden, incomprehensible allergic reactions to food appear.
• Persistent anemia. When hemoglobin is significantly reduced and difficult to correct. It is worth thinking, first of all, about the presence of parasitic invasions in the human body.
• In children: lag in physical, psychosomatic, psychoemotional development, hyperreactivity or vice versa, lethargy, in students, poor absorption of the material - all this may indicate the presence of hidden parasitosis in the body.
• Prolonged lymphadenopathy (a condition manifested by an increase in the nodes of the lymphatic system), recurrent lymphadenitis can also indicate the presence of parasitic invasions.

I have listed the main clinical signs of parasitosis. Notice how wide they are. And with these symptoms, the patient can turn to almost any doctor. It is believed that if a person has discovered two or three such signs in himself, then he is already subject to a more thorough examination for the presence of parasitosis or an antiparasitic program.

During the consultation, you will be able to express your problem, the doctor will clarify the situation, decipher the tests, answer your questions and give the necessary recommendations.

I want to pay attention to people who want to treat themselves. If you come to a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist: "Give me something against worms", then you are making a grave mistake - these things cannot be done. First, the pharmacist is not responsible for how you take this medicine. Second, he is not responsible for the consequences. Thirdly, you can do a lot of harm to yourself. Don't do this. To find out whether you have a parasite infection or not, it is very important to contact a specialist, go through a certain list of tests and only then undergo an appropriate course of treatment.

What tests will show the presence of parasites in the human body?

According to WHO statistics, about 4. 5 billion people in the world are constantly infected with parasites. This situation is complicated by the fact that the diagnosis of parasitic infestations is very difficult. How do you know if there are parasites in the body? What laboratory and instrumental research methods can detect parasitosis? Let's look at these questions in detail.

Complications

Helminthiasis caused by common types of parasites can be treated with medications prescribed by a doctor. But if you do not pay attention to alarming symptoms, deterioration of health, weakness, unexplained fatigue, reduced immunity, the disease can lead to serious complications.

If the parasites have entered the lungs and the patient has not gone to the doctor with complaints of cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, shortness of breath, pneumonia or even bronchial asthma may develop.

Parasites in the digestive system can cause cirrhosis, liver abscess, hepatitis, bowel cancer, gastrointestinal bleeding, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites) and peritonitis. They also often provoke the development of chronic kidney diseases, meningoencephalitis, loss of vision. Some cestodes (tapeworms) grow over 1 meter long, and the small roundworms can form tight balls. This disrupts the normal functioning of the body, leads to severe intoxication, pronounced allergic reactions. Without emergency medical attention, death is possible.

Prevention

Helminthiasis often occurs when hygiene rules are not followed or food is not processed properly. To prevent a helminthic invasion, you must:

• Do not wear other people's underwear, do not share a towel with strangers.
• Wash your hands well before eating - it is important to do this not only before breakfast, lunch, dinner, but also a snack.
• Wash hands after using the toilet.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after working on the beds and do all work in the garden with thick rubber gloves.
• Use only clean water for drinking and cooking.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water.
• Eat meat, fish, seafood that has undergone heat treatment.
• Do not buy products on spontaneous markets, from persons who cannot confirm the safety of the goods.
• Monitor the health of pets, regularly deworm, even if the pet lives in an apartment and does not go outside. To choose drugs and calculate the dose, contact your veterinarian.
• Maintain cleanliness in living and working areas. Sometimes people carry helminth eggs on the soles of their shoes. To reduce the risk of infection, you should regularly perform wet cleaning, disinfect all surfaces.

Even with compliance with these rules, the risk of infection cannot be completely eliminated. To prevent the development of the disease, consult a therapist. The doctor will prescribe drugs for the prevention of helminthiasis. Be sure to let us know how often you travel, whether there are pets in the house, private plot. Medicinal prophylaxis of helminthiasis is recommended to be carried out twice a year.