Parasitic diseases or damage to the human body by parasites, pathogenic fungi and bacteria are the second most common after respiratory infections. The main danger is that people are not always aware of the presence of such a lesion and the signs characteristic of the disease may not appear for months, while the parasites cause irreparable damage to health. The symptoms of parasites in the body for a long time will be disguised as fatigue and minor pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Helminthiasis is not just a disease of "dirty hands". Eating poorly washed fruits, raw fish (sushi) and insufficiently fried meat can cause worms and other protozoa. Helminth eggs can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person through tactile contact.
WHO statistics are scary - about 3/4 of the world's population are infected with various parasites. The incidence in adults and children with pets is 99, 9%.
It is possible to get rid of helminths with the help of medicines and folk remedies, but there are difficult cases when only surgery will help get rid of pests.
What human organs can be infected by parasites
There are 3 ways for worms and helminths to enter the human body - through the mouth, mucous membranes and skin. Against the background of a weakened immune system, parasites multiply unhindered in the body. Immunity is further depleted, secondary immunodeficiency develops, the body develops a general allergy and reduces resistance to various types of infections. Acute pathologies develop into chronic, take a severe course.
The favorite habitat of parasites are all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Of the 300 varieties of parasitic diseases, 70% are intestinal forms. Extraintestinal types of helminthiasis affect:
- skin and subcutaneous fat;
- liver;
- muscle tissue;
- light;
- brain;
- heart tissue;
- eyeball;
- blood;
- joint capsules.
The moment when the first symptoms of a lesion appear depends on the type of parasites, the number, the location of their location, as well as the current state of human health.
The main symptoms of parasites in the body are similar for all types of helminth infestations:
- appetite disappears;
- salivation increases;
- diarrhea alternating with constipation;
- bouts of nausea and vomiting;
- sleep disorder.
Grinding teeth during sleep can indicate the existence of worms in the child's body.
The main symptoms of helminthiasis are general malaise, irritability, mild dizziness, weight loss and the development of iron deficiency anemia. When allergic reactions occur (in 70% of cases) it is the parasitic lesions that are not paid attention to and are not treated in a timely manner.
The main types of parasites and the distinctive symptoms of their presence
Currently, 70 species of parasites that can live in humans have been identified. They are divided into the following subgroups:
- roundworms (worms);
- tapeworms (tapeworms);
- subcutaneous helminths;
- methyl (methyl);
- tissue parasites;
- protozoa.
Symptoms caused by different types of parasites may vary. To find out if the human body is affected or not, we will look at some of the most typical cases.
Blades
Enterobius vermicularis or roundworms are roundworms. They feed on blood and intestinal contents. These 0, 5-1 cm white worms cause widespread helminthiasis - enterobiosis. According to statistics, the total share of this disease of all lesions is 65%, of which 90% are children.
Enterobiosis is contagious and spreads from person to person. The main route of entry of parasites into the body is through the ingestion of eggs. The life cycle is 4 weeks - during this time men and women develop from the eggs that come out through the anus and lay eggs on the skin around it and in the perineum. Moving and laying eggs causes a sharp burning sensation on the skin.
Shingles are very difficult to treat because the eggs don't just fall on the skin. The eggs of the parasites fall on bed linen, shake on the floor and contaminate household items and toys.
It is difficult to determine the presence of these parasites in the body, but the signs and symptoms of their presence have their own characteristics:
- frequent urge to urinate, bedwetting;
- bloating and pain in the lower abdomen, often on the right side;
- loss of appetite;
- diarrhea;
- general muscle weakness;
- Female spines and egg joints are visually located in the folds of the anus.
In a small number of colonies, analysis based on analysis may be false negative. To identify the parasites, a three-fold stool and scraping test is performed, which is repeated after a few days. In rare cases, your doctor may prescribe a blood test with an enlarged white blood cell count.
Toxocariasis - symptoms and treatment of varieties of toxocariasis
Refers to a subset of nematodes that enter the body after contact with dogs, cats or soil. Toxocara is not transmitted from person to person, but can be transmitted from mother to fetus in utero or reach the baby with breast milk. Infection with parasites of this species often occurs in autumn or spring.
The symptoms of toxocariasis depend on the location of the individuals.
Visceral toxocariasis
This type of lesion is found when parasites settle in the internal organs: the liver, kidneys, pancreas, brain or heart. In most cases, toxocariasis is found in the patient's lungs. The following clinical picture is often observed:
- fever, chills, fever;
- the liver becomes denser, the spleen enlarges;
- lymph nodes are slightly enlarged, painful on palpation and separated from the surrounding tissues;
- dry cough with moist wheezing, mainly at night;
- difficulty breathing and shortness of breath;
- too common bronchitis and bronchopneumonia.
Lack of therapy for this form of helminthiasis can be fatal. Parasites in the heart can lead to death.
Neurological toxocariasis
Pathology occurs when parasites enter the central nervous system. Symptoms of parasites in the human body:
- children become hyperactive, do not pass neuropsychological tests and lag behind in development;
- adults complain that they find it difficult to read and cannot explain why;
- impairs memory;
- any neurological disorders occur.
If the tosocars remain in the brain, seizures and epileptiform seizures, paresis and paralysis of the limbs are possible.
Every toxocariasis
Symptoms will appear as localized urticaria, eczema, or papular eruptions that occur when toxocara larvae migrate. Patients complain of unbearable itching, and the affected areas, in addition to rashes and blisters, swell and become very red. Loose skin appears around the areas.
Ocular toxocariasis
A lesion in which the larvae of the parasite colonize the eyeball. Their migration is clearly visible even to the naked eye. Only one eye is affected. In most cases, only one parasite is present. However, there are other signs of parasites:
- inflammation of the choroid;
- purulent inflammation of the vitreous tissues;
- children develop strabismus;
- There may be "snowball" formations in the exudate of the eyeball.
The main diagnostic technique for any form of toxocariasis is medical history, immunological tests and a detailed blood test. Stool testing is not done because these parasites do not live in the gut. With adequate medication, the prognosis for recovery is favorable.
Wide bar
This parasite enters the human body through the consumption of raw fish or caviar. The disease is called diphyllobotriasis and does not spread from person to person.
Broad tapeworm can only exist in the small intestine. There are specific symptoms of its presence, which develop in the following order:
- nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting;
- febrile conditions;
- decreased or increased appetite;
- constipation alternating with diarrhea; gradual increase in the symptoms of B12-deficiency anemia;
- intestinal obstruction caused by obstruction of the intestinal lumen by overgrown helminths, as well as violation of superficial and deep sensitivity;
- unstable gait and crawling under the skin;
- Parasitic particles may be present in the faeces.
Diagnosis of the presence of parasites is made according to the results of blood tests and coprooscopy.
Bull tapeworm
This tapeworm can grow up to 7-10 meters in length. The parasite enters the human body in the form of larvae or eggs contained in poorly cooked or raw infected beef. The disease is called tapeworm disease, it is more susceptible to adults.
Signs of parasites in the human body with teniarinchiasis appear sequentially:
- has a constant feeling of constant hunger, false bulimia;
- has a decrease in appetite, sometimes to complete absence;
- abdominal pain, which may be of different localization, intensifies, the iliac region on the right hurts more;
- persistent severe flatulence and recurrent diarrhea;
- develops inflammation of the tongue;
- debilitated people may have sleep disorders, seizures, seizures.
It is quite easy to identify and check the defeat of bovine tapeworm, its individual segments - proglottids, crawling from the anus without an act of defecation, especially often at night.
The simplest and most effective diagnostic method is stool scraping and analysis for the contents of proglottid eggs. The prognosis for treatment is favorable.
Echinococcus
Echinococcus belongs to the class of tapeworms. The main source are stray dogs, wolves, jackals, foxes, which feed on carcasses infected with echinococci. It is possible to become infected with parasites from a pet dog if it has come in contact with stray relatives or the feces of infected animals.
Human infection occurs when the larvae of parasites are ingested, most often with contaminated water. An option is possible when the eggs are inhaled with a gust of wind and adhere to the mucous membranes of the nose or throat and when the expectoration is swallowed and enters the digestive tract.
The larva of the parasite, which has entered the intestine, flows into the blood and with the flow of venous blood reaches the liver, where it is fixed. If fixation does not occur, echinococcus can affect the lungs or other organs. Contrary to popular belief, these parasites do not live in human muscles.
Capturing organ tissue, the larva begins to grow and form a cyst. In case of her death, suppuration of the cyst occurs. When a person is infected with a large number of larvae, many living and dead echinococcal cysts form.
The symptoms of this type of parasite do not appear for a long time, but with the growth of the cyst in the liver, the following symptoms appear:
- stool disorders, frequent vomiting, pain in the solar plexus;
- nodules are felt in the liver;
- compression of the cysts develops jaundice, accompanied by characteristic symptoms, to which a very strong itching is applied;
- When a purulent cyst opens, severe pain, allergic reactions, and anaphylactic shock occur.
If the parasite has attached to the lungs, shortness of breath, weakening of breathing, anxiety from chest pain and coughing with bleeding develop. The breakthrough of a cyst in the pleural area is fatal. With bronchial perforation, suffocation, bruising of the skin and severe allergic reactions develop.
The diagnosis is clarified by a serological blood test and confirmation by ultrasound. Echinococcosis can only be treated surgically! Specific antiparasitic drug treatment is carried out only in case of massive infection. Drinking alcohol or taking other folk remedies to treat these parasites is useless.
Giardia
It is quite easy to become a carrier of these parasites - human infection occurs with cysts from cats, dogs and rodents. Once in the body, the parasites are localized not only in the liver but also in the large and small intestines. Giardiasis affects children and adults with weakened immunity and low stomach acidity.
The disease is characterized by a wavy course with progressive neurological and allergic symptoms:
- grasping pain in the right side, especially after eating fatty foods;
- diarrhea alternating with constipation;
- dry and bitter mouth;
- at a normal level of hemoglobin in the blood, there is pallor of the skin, especially the nose "turns white";
- hair falls out;
- cracks and swellings appear on the lips;
- the skin of the palms and soles peels off, rashes appear on the skin;
- has bouts of choking cough;
- enlarged liver, spleen and lymph nodes;
- develops severe apathy and general weakness.
Stools and duodenal contents are examined to clarify the diagnosis.
When you find signs of parasites, you should not self-medicate, you should contact an infectious disease specialist. Only a doctor will be able to accurately diagnose and prescribe adequate comprehensive treatment.