Many people do not understand why, when applying for a job, they are asked to take a test for "worm eggs". Even more frequently, patients hospitalized with severe symptoms – vomiting, pain in the abdomen, heart or lungs, constipation, allergies or headaches – are surprised by the diagnosis of helminthic infestation. It turns out that parasites are far from 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 parasites, which means parasite. These organisms live and multiply in the host's organs and tissues, causing serious illness and even death. This infection is called invasion. Parasites are divided into several groups depending on their structure and "habitat", and they are all very dangerous.
Ectoparasites
This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or in the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies and transmit 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 transmit dangerous diseases - typhus and relapsing fever.
- The demodex mite (mite) is 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. The mite lives in human hair follicles, causing inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to the eyebrows and eyelashes also leads to eye infections.
- The scabies mite causes, as its name suggests, scabies. The female parasite, 0. 25–0. 38 mm long, gnaws through the epidermis (layers of skin) to lay eggs. Scabies 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 to 4 eggs every day, from which the larvae hatch after 2 to 3 days.
Endoparasites
Internal parasites live in the host's organs (intestines, kidneys, liver) and blood, causing infection (invasion). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Every year 15-16 million people die through their fault.
Endoparasites include flukes (worms) and protozoa. In recent years, the number of infestations has increased. Hidden forms of parasitism predominate: in 80% of cases, the owner does not know that unwanted "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 led to 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 roundworms up to 40 cm long that live in the small intestine. The female lays up to 200 thousand eggs per day. Worms weaken the body, cause anemia and digestive disorders. Gathered into a ball, the worms clog the intestinal lumen and cause obstruction. Sometimes huge balls of tangled roundworms are removed from a person during surgery.
- Tapeworms (broad tapeworms) are tapeworms that, once they enter the human body, do not show symptoms for a long time. The growing helminth causes swelling, anemia, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal obstruction. People become infected with tapeworms by eating poorly processed fish.
- Pork and beef tapeworms enter the body when undercooked meat containing cysts (larvae) of the worm is eaten. The parasites multiply quickly, populating the host's body. The case of a person parasitized by 104 pork tapeworms, whose total length was 128 meters, is described. Sometimes tapeworm larvae begin to "walk" around the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
- Pinworms are small worms that live in the intestines. They are not as harmless as they seem. The infection causes allergic reactions; helminths crawl into the appendix, causing inflammation.
- Nematodes are a group of roundworms that parasitize the intestinal tract. The worms cause irritation of the intestinal wall and obstruction of the bile ducts. 45 species of nematodes inhabit the human body. The most common are the intestinal eel and the whipworm.
Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract, causing extraintestinal helminthiases (flukes, echinococci, pork tapeworm cysts). They cause damage to the nervous system, brain and internal organs. Patients present with fever, swelling, and blood in the urine. Heartworm disease is dangerous, in which parasites are found in the heart. The parasite causes pain similar to the manifestation of ischemic heart disease.
Protozoa
In recent years, protozoan parasites have spread, affecting various organs and tissues:
- Giardia is an organism that affects the small intestine and causes peristalsis 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 mucous membrane and reduce immunity.
- Dysenteric amoebas are protozoa that cause a prolonged form of ulcerative colitis. A person feels abdominal pain, loose stools and fever. The disease is dangerous due to intestinal perforation.
How to get infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and dirty 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 they are not immune from communicating with sick people and "parasite carriers". Unwanted "guests" enter the body with food, water from pets, through dirty hands and insect bites.
The infection is encouraged by people who buy homemade lard, raw meat, dried and smoked fish in unauthorized markets. You can become infected in a canteen or cafe if sanitary conditions are not maintained. Undercooked meat and fish dishes are dangerous.
Parasites also benefited from the passion for Japanese cuisine, where non-thermally processed fish is added to dishes. Not all sushi bar chefs follow proper sanitation practices. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.
How to suspect a parasitic infection
In the presence of external parasites (lice, scabies mites, demodex), itchy skin occurs, 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 varies, but in all cases there are digestion problems (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increase in appetite, some people's taste preferences change - a person craves fatty, salty foods, etc. This is how the body tries to replenish the loss of vitamins and microelements caused by worm parasitism.
Helminth infections are accompanied by swelling in the abdomen, pain in its various parts, itching around the anus. . . Sometimes, during bowel movements, worms fall out of the anus or come out with the feces. With severe infestation, vomiting occurs with the release of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen increase in size, and pain occurs in the right or left hypochondrium.
In helminthiasis, neurological manifestations caused by poisoning by waste from parasitic creatures are common: insomnia, irritability, constant fatigue, bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep).
Parasites weaken the body, harm the immune system and cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (pinworms, whipworms, echinococci).
How to identify dangerous parasites
It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents on your own, especially because they may exist in a complex and by eliminating some you will only make room for others. Every clinic has a parasitologist, he is the one who treats infestations. 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. In 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 nematode infection.
- Analysis of bile, mucus, sputum, muscle tissue.
Worm infestations are often disguised as other illnesses. People undergo operations during which a corroded pancreas or liver is found. It is not always possible to cure a patient with an advanced form, so you should not expect a miracle - you need to do the same test for "worm eggs" in a timely manner. To make the diagnosis, endoscopy of the intestine and stomach is prescribed.
Diseases caused by protozoan parasites are difficult to detect. The infection proceeds latently and destroys the body until the patient presents serious changes in the organs.
Helminthiasis treatment
To cure a patient, he is freed from parasites and their metabolic products. For treatment, anthelmintic medications 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 helminth head 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 expulsion of the worms, infusions of solutions, restoratives and vitamins are prescribed. Restore the functions of organs affected by parasites.
Pediculosis is treated with special sprays and mercury ointment. If pubic lice are detected, the hair in the groin area will be shaved.
Sulfur ointment, benzyl benzonate, and several other medications are used to treat scabies. Demodicosis is treated with complex external agents, which include mercury, tar, zinc and sulfur.
Preventing parasitic infestations
To avoid "catching" exo- and endoparasites, you need to:
- wash your hands, vegetables and fruits well before eating;
- remove dirt from under the nails;
- do not use other people's combs, shoes and household items;
- do not walk barefoot on the ground in public places and wear a cap when swimming in the pool;
- do not buy food in "spontaneous" markets and do not eat in dubious catering establishments;
- boil or fry meat or fish;
- monitor the health status of pets by carrying out deworming at the right time;
- when traveling, use insect repellent;
- Having arrived from an exotic country, undergo a full examination and take tests.
Parasites quickly infect people, so when they are detected, people living with the patient are examined and, if necessary, also treated.
In a modern clinic, you can get tested for worms and see a general practitioner for a quick parasite cure.