Worms are representatives of the lower worms that live in the human body. The disease associated with the infection of a person with various types of worms is called helminthiasis. This disease is not uncommon and occurs in certain populations. Children are prone to infection with pinworms, hunters - Trichinella, fishermen and lovers of Japanese cuisine (raw fish in the form of sushi) suffer from diphyllobothriasis. Paradoxically, many diseases can occur in the human body due to infection with helminthiasis. To date, the theory of the relationship between cancer and parasitic infections is one of the most relevant. In the presence of helminthiasis, symptoms do not always appear, and if patients with this disease still experience unpleasant and unpleasant sensations, they are perceived as signs of other diseases. The patient has been treated for years for pancreatitis, gastritis or colitis without realizing that the cause of his symptoms is helminthiasis.
How an infection occurs
Worms bring a lot of trouble to a person
Infection with helminths occurs as follows:
- By unwashed hands
- In contact with earth
- after insect bites
- Because of dirty hands
- When eating raw meat and fish
- After eating unwashed fruits and vegetables
- After contact with an animal
- After contact with infected people
Mature parasite eggs can be found in soil, water, food (raw and poorly thermally processed meat or fish). Rare cases of the disease occur due to insect bites. The mechanism of infection with helminthiasis is oral-faecal. A person swallows eggs of parasites with food, water. Contact-household infection methods also occur. They occur when hands are not washed thoroughly after contact with soil or sand.
Vegetables and berries growing in the soil that are not washed sufficiently are also a source of infection for worms. Children who play with the garden and pets are at risk of contracting worms. Pets roaming the streets freely can bring worm eggs into the home. Flies and other insects can easily transmit helminth eggs after contact with animal feces that sit on food. Surprisingly, human-to-human transmission is also possible. It happens like this: the female pinworm can crawl out of the intestines and lay eggs directly on the underwear, causing severe itching. A person who has combed an itchy spot may come into contact with other toiletries and household items. These items get into the hands of other family members, after which they become infected.
Infection through water is also possible. Many parasitic eggs fall easily into open water bodies and wells. Drinking unboiled well water is extremely dangerous.
Types of helminthiasis
Helminthiases differ in the way they enter the human body:
- biohelminths
- geohelminths
- contagious
Biohelminths are transmitted to humans through contact with animals. Geohelminth can be infected through the ground. Contagious arising through contact with an infected person. The disease manifests itself differently depending on the method of infection, the number of worms and the degree of their adaptation to a human organ.
Stages of helminthiasis
The most destructive effect on the body is exerted not by adults, but by their larvae. Adult individuals have already chosen a comfortable place in the human body, and the larva wanders through the organs, leaving their lesions. The most common habitat for parasites is the gastrointestinal tract. Different species of parasites prefer different habitats. So, roundworms reside in the small intestine, and pinworms reside in the colon and lower parts of the small intestine. Depending on the habitat of parasites, helminthiases are:
- translucent
- material
Translucents are located in the lumen of the genital organs, and in the tissues - in the tissues. Depending on growth, parasites can change their habitat, going from the translucent form to the tissue form. Helminthiasis develops in two stages:
- acute
- Chronic
The acute stage lasts from a week to a month, and the chronic stage continues until cured. The acute stage begins with the introduction of the egg and continues as the parasite matures and grows. The disease is manifested by allergic reactions to a foreign organism. During the chronic stage of the disease, various reactions of the body occur. During this time, the parasite moves through the body in search of a shelter. The disease is accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of organs and systems in the human body. Having integrated into the human body's immune system, parasites consume the substances necessary for their growth and development. This leads to metabolic disorders, disorders of the digestive system, difficulties in absorbing vitamins and minerals.
In addition to this damage, parasites spit out their waste products into the human body, poisoning the body, which leads to intestinal disorders, reduced immunity and the development of bacterial infections. Parasites contribute to cancer risk. This happens due to the negative impact on the immune system and the stimulation of the process of cell division. Often a patient is examined by many specialists who identify a number of diseases in him. And in this case, only a doctor, a parasitologist, can replace all the specialists.
Classification of helminths
Roundworms are quite common
Types of worms in humans:
- flatworms
- roundworms
Flatworms include:
- Trematodes (opisthorchis, schistosomes, paragonim)
- Cestodes (broad tapeworm, tapeworm, echinococcus, alveococcus)
- Roundworms or Nematodes:
- pinworm
- Askaris
- hookworm
- trichinella
Such a classification of helminths is presented in the medical literature. In order to successfully solve such a problem as helminthiasis, it is necessary to get a thorough description of the structure and life cycle of parasites.
trematodes
Another name for trematodes is leeches. These parasites are flat, leaf-shaped or lanceolate with two suckers. One sucker is in the mouth, and the second, which serves for attachment, is in the peritoneum. All representatives of the leeches enter the body through an intermediate host. These parasites are mostly hermaphrodites.
opisthorchises
This fluke is a worm up to 1. 3 cm long with two suckers. Opisthorchis is a hermaphrodite that parasitizes in the liver, gallbladder and pancreas in humans and some predators (foxes, dogs, cats). The eggs of opisthorchiasis leave the human or animal body with feces. Getting into the reservoir, these eggs are swallowed by freshwater mollusks, where the larvae hatch and develop. The process of development and maturation of the larvae takes two months. Then the larvae crawl out of the mollusk and penetrate under the skin of carp fish. After six weeks, the larvae become full-fledged adult parasites. Opisthorchis enters the body of an animal or person after eating infected fish. This worm can live in a living organism for up to 20 years. Symptoms of Opisthorchiasis:
- allergy
- Weakness
- headache
- dizziness
- depression
- loss of consciousness
The damage done to the body by opisthorchiasis:
- Poisoning by the parasite's waste products
- Damage to liver tissue
- injury to the gallbladder
- Violation of the outflow of bile
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- secretion disorders
- Decreased gastric motility
- Thickening of the walls of some organs, the appearance of tumors as a result.
The chronic course of the disease is characterized by:
- feeling of heaviness after eating
- Pains
- to throw up
- nausea
Habitats of Opisthorchis in fish-rich rivers:
- Came
- Dnipro
- Neman Delta
Infection Prevention: To avoid contracting opisthorchiasis, do not eat raw fish. The larvae die during the heat treatment of products. Dried fish can only be eaten if it has been previously salted. In addition, if the fish is frozen for a long time, the larvae will die.
schistosomes
These parasites are of different sexes, they look like a needle from 0. 4 to 2. 6 cm long, females are longer than males and larger, they produce 3000 eggs per day. The method of reproduction, like the previous species of parasites, is carried out by freshwater molluscs. The larva penetrates the human body through the skin and mucous membranes while swimming in a freshwater reservoir. It can also enter the body of a person who accidentally swallowed water while swimming. After a day after penetration, the larva turns into an adult and penetrates into the peripheral veins, through which it is sent to the lungs and venous vessels. There the schistosome reaches sexual maturity.
Schistosoma lays eggs in the intestines, mucous membranes, bladder. Then the eggs are excreted from the human body with urine or feces and start the development path again. Schistosoma lives in the human body for several decades, causing damage and infecting new individuals. The problems that arose during infection with schistosomes are more likely to be caused in the human body not by adults, but by their eggs. Only half of the eggs are excreted from the body, the rest accumulates in the organs. The eggs of this parasite have spikes that damage a person's internal organs, ulcers often appear in those infected. Patients with schistosomiasis have the following symptoms:
- appetite disturbance
- anemia
- enlarged liver
- Altered spleen
- Decreased intestinal peristalsis
- stomach pain
- constipation
- Diarrhea
- weight loss
- intestinal bleeding
- pain when urinating
- allergies
- Weakness
When the genitourinary system is infected, patients experience:
- Menstrual disorders and miscarriages in women
- Impotence and incomplete ejaculation in men
When eggs enter the central nervous system:
- Acute cerebral schistosomiasis
- Chronic brain damage
- fatal outcome
Infected children experience growth and developmental retardation, a decrease in academic performance. Preventing the disease includes avoiding swimming and avoiding walking barefoot in tropical waters.
paragonim
Paragonim is a 1 cm long lung fluke with an egg-shaped body and red spines. This parasite multiplies in the lungs of animals and enters the human body by eating crabs and freshwater crabs. The parasite affects the respiratory tract. In patients with paragonimiasis, allergic reactions and a decrease in immunity are characteristic. Symptoms:
- temperature rise
- Cough
- Excretion of sputum from the lungs when coughing
- dyspnea
- In severe cases, blood and parasite eggs are present in the sputum.
- In the patient's lungs, wheezing is clearly audible.
- Prevention: Refrain from using raw crayfish and shrimp.
cestodes
Representatives of cestodes are tapeworms of different lengths. Some parasites reach gigantic sizes. On the head of these parasites are suckers, hooks or suction slits. These adaptations are necessary for parasites to remain attached to the intestinal walls. Cestodes affect the entire human body, they are most dangerous for children, who quickly develop anemia.
Echinococcus
These parasites grow up to 5 cm long and are the causative agents of Echinococcus disease. A multichamber representative of this type of worm is the causative agent of such a disease as alveococcosis. The disease is transmitted by cattle and domestic animals. When caring for these animals, the eggs of the parasite fall from their fur into the hands of people. When entering the human intestine, the parasites bite into the mucous membrane. As the parasite matures, 4 sections appear, the last of which is filled with eggs. These departments detach and spread throughout the body, infecting it. The fourth section distributes eggs throughout the body.
For example, an infected organ in a patient enlarges the liver. Suppuration may form. An enlarged organ can even perforate the abdominal cavity. And this can lead to severe sepsis of the body and even death. Symptoms:
- Weakness
- dizziness
- Allergic reactions to the waste products of parasites.
Echinococcus affects:
- Brain
- spinal cord
- Eyes
- thyroid
- liver
- lung
- uterus
This parasite can provoke the formation of tumors, including malignant ones. The most unpleasant thing is that the treatment of this disease is possible only surgically. Prevention: Personal hygiene when in contact with animals.
nematodes
These worms with an elongated body, round or in the shape of a cylinder most often parasitize in children's bodies. These roundworms include pinworms, roundworms, hookworms.
pinworms
These are little white worms. The length of the female is 1 cm, the male is 0. 5 cm. These parasites have a pointed tail, which is why they were called pinworms. The habitat of pinworms is the human intestine. The front end of the parasite has a sucker, which the pinworm uses to bore the intestine, and the sharp end hangs into the lumen, damaging the walls. This disease is called enterobiosis. You can get infected through dirty hands from a person. There is a disease in preschool children who attend kindergarten. A symptom of pinworm infection is itching around the anus. Itching is more often felt at night, when the female lays eggs, releasing a special substance in the process. Symptoms:
- itching
- Diarrhea
- stomach pain
- headache
- loss of appetite
- prevention
- Wash your hands
roundworm
These worms are the biggest. The length of the female is up to 0. 5 m. The female lays 200, 000 eggs per year, independently of the male. The mechanism of infection is fecal-oral. Ascaris eggs enter the human body through dirty hands along with unwashed vegetables and fruits. The larva that has entered the intestine is selected from the envelope and penetrates the intestinal walls while migrating through the intestinal veins to the liver, through the hepatic veins to the heart, through the pulmonary arteries to the bronchi, and then into the intestinal wall trachea andin the mouth. Some of the larvae die in the open air, the rest are swallowed backwards. Symptoms:
- nausea
- To throw up
- jaundice
- pancreatitis
- Frequent acute respiratory infections
- bronchitis
- lung infection
Prevention:
- Wash your hands
- Wash vegetables and fruit
- personal hygiene
- Protect food from flies, cockroaches and other peddlers.
Summing up, we can say that the cause of the disease is not always bacteria and viruses that have entered the body. Parasites can cause great harm to human health. If the symptoms are unclear, it is not necessary to rule out the penetration of the parasite into the body, the patient should consult a parasitologist.