Parasites can live in the human body, in any of its organs and systems. These creatures enter the body from the environment and are transported throughout the body through the bloodstream. There are a huge number of varieties of parasites that can inhabit the human body. All this is a threat to human health and causes negative changes in the work of organs. So today we will talk about the varieties of human pests. In the next article, you will learn what parasites can be installed in the human body.
How can you become infected with worms?
To protect yourself, you need to know about 4 ways of spreading and infecting worm eggs with eggs:
- Through soil and water - geohelminths. They grow in sand, soil and water, then enter the human body and begin to lay eggs there. Further, the worm's eggs enter the external environment along with the feces and wait on the wings to infect a young person. Consumption of poorly washed vegetables and fruits, dirty hands, dust in food can lead to human infection with helminths. Some parasite eggs enter the human body through the skin of the feet and ankles.
- Through direct contact. Worms in pets and humans are transmitted through hand contact, toys and joint activities.
- Through the use of contaminated food of animal origin - biohelminthiasis. Consumption of raw and poorly processed meat (kebab, bacon, canned, home-cooked) and fish (sushi, dried fish, canned fish) is potentially dangerous. There is a possibility of intestinal infections and bio-helminths.
- With insect bites. This type of infection is quite rare. These include intestinal myositis, candidiasis and scoliosis. Do not confuse pest eggs and insect larvae, which are also deposited under the skin of animals and humans (for example, fly larvae).
The main mechanisms of spread of worms
- Soil, sand and other soil types are the most fertile habitat for worm eggs. Fruit plants are in constant contact with the soil. During harvesting, greens, fruits and vegetables come into contact with workers' hands, dusty vegetable shelves and trucks. In such conditions, contamination of food with parasite eggs is very likely. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the products of plant origin under running water and then pour boiling water over them. You need to be especially careful in the countryside, where pets walk in the yard and then go home. It is not difficult to imagine what kind of sewage a cat or a dog can put in the house after a night walk. Flies and cockroaches are also carriers of helminth eggs. When you sit down to eat, insects can contaminate your food. Any contact with soil and sand can lead to the entry of parasites into the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly, especially under the nails. This is especially true for children.
- From person to person. This mechanism of infection is extremely effective. For example, pinworms lay eggs at night in the area around the anus. A child, in a state of sleep, scratches the place where the eggs are born, as that is where the itching begins. Thousands of eggs fall on clothes, on the bed and in the morning on the door knobs and on anything that touches a little commotion in the morning, even before he washes his hands and washes his face. As a result, the whole family is at risk of becoming infected.
- In contact with water. Open water bodies contain a huge number of types of worms. Bathing and accidentally swallowing water pose a serious risk of contamination
Children are much more likely than adults to be prone to helminth infestation. This is due to the fact that the child's body is poorly protected (as soon as defense mechanisms are formed) and the child actively comes into contact with the external environment. It takes incredible effort for his parents to teach him the basic rules of personal hygiene. Children are much more likely than adults to be prone to helminth infestation.
A baby under 6 years old is at high risk of infection. According to statistics, about 95% of children under 4-5 years of age are infected with worms. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to prevention. Most species of worms are found inside the body, only there they lay eggs and after a certain period of time they die. For example, pinworms live 6-8 weeks, roundworms - up to 1 year. The number of parasites in the body increases only with the entry of new eggs from abroad.
The treatment allows you to get rid of the worms much faster and stop spawning in the intestines. It is almost impossible for children with helminthiasis to recover without medication. New eggs will constantly enter the oral cavity, replenishing the ranks of adults in the child's body.
What are the signs of recognizing helminth infestation?
The signs of the appearance of worms in humans are obvious and hidden. The obvious include "irrational" weight loss, pale appearance (skin anemia), chronic fatigue, nocturnal itching in the anal canal. These manifestations are known and are indicative of infection.
It is not uncommon for helminths to invade, in which diseases of the internal organs worsen, diseases that have not manifested in the past appear. These are considered hidden signs. A person is led to the treatment of many diseases and the cause is ignored. At the same time, the treatment does not bring results. The following are examples of such cases:
Infectious diseases as a result of reduced immunity
Parasites, being in the human body, consume many nutrients and release toxic substances. Such circumstances significantly reduce the patient's immunity. An exacerbation of chronic diseases, various inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx can begin. Treating sinusitis or stomatitis in the typical way is pointless. It is important to rule out the cause. In girls and women, inflammation of the uterine components can often begin, vaginitis, vaginitis of various origins.
General malaise as a result of poisoning of the body
The more severe the helminth infestation on the patient, the more harmful substances the parasites release. This has a detrimental effect on the well-being and nervous system of adults and children. An example of this is migraine, dizziness, joint pain. Overcoming nausea, the person takes painkillers, but the pain returns after a short time: the cause of the condition was ignored. The more severe the helminth infestation on the patient, the more harmful substances the parasites release.
In children, nervous system disorders are accompanied by irritability, apathy and aggression. If your child is starting to sleep poorly, talking in a dream, having nightmares or slipping into school, then it is time to start preventing helminthiasis.
Allergic reactions, skin pathologies
Worm waste is perceived as an activator for allergens. Skin reactions (rash, itching, rash, flaking of the skin) are the few symptoms that can occur when an allergy starts. There is a possibility of general reactions of the body: exacerbation of asthma, rhinitis, cough. Sometimes helminth infestation is accompanied by fragility and hair loss, cracking of the skin on the heels and peeling of the nails.
Gastrointestinal disorders
Depending on the severity of the infection, the symptoms can range from mild to severe. From mild nausea and diarrhea, to chronic flatulence, constipation, vomiting, umbilical cord and hypochondriac pain. Tissue worms do not affect the gastrointestinal tract as much as intestinal parasites.
In which organs can parasites live?
Worm parasites are divided into two categories, which correspond to the place of activity in the donor's body.
- Cavity - worms that live in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. There are about 100 varieties of intestinal parasites and there are several dozen species for each part of the intestine. The small intestine is ready to accept roundworms, antilostomy, wide strips and other less common "brothers". The small intestine "will share living space" with pin worms, nano tape and more. The medical literature describes cases where a person became infected with several types of parasites at the same time.
- Tissue - worms found in organs, tissues and even in the blood. Modern medicine successfully treats infertility (lungs), cysticercosis (brain), echinococcosis (liver) and filariasis (lymph vessels). Some worm larvae move through the body through the circulatory system and attach randomly to any organ. If too many eggs are ingested, the whole body can become infected.
Symptoms of worms depending on the type of parasite
Symptoms will vary for different types of worms in humans. It is also worth considering the duration and duration of the parasitic infection, the general condition of the patient prior to infection. The following table summarizes the main symptoms of the presence of worms in humans depending on their type.
| Type of parasite (disease) | Method of infection | Symptoms | Time of onset of symptoms |
| Pinworms (enterobiosis) | With foods of plant origin. | Nocturnal itching around the anus, presence of parasites in the stool, acute short-term pain in the navel. | 2-3 days after infection |
| Vlasoglav (hair) | With contaminated food prepared in unhealthy conditions. | Symptoms are expressed only with severe invasion: diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, inflammation of the appendix. In children, the growth of the body can be delayed and even prolapse of the rectum can occur. | A few weeks |
| Wide film (bifurcation) | When you eat infected river fish. | This parasite can live up to 25 years in the patient. Mechanical damage to the intestines, vitamin deficiency, intestinal obstruction, intoxication of the body, allergies. | A few weeks |
| Round worm (hookworm) | When walking barefoot on charged soil. | Itching, swelling of the feet and legs at the points where the parasite enters. Cough, phlegm, damage to the bronchi and lungs. Weakness, dizziness. The menstrual cycle in women is disturbed. Men have impotence. | Some days |
| Ascaris (ascarisation) | With foods of plant origin. | Intestinal pain, peritonitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, liver disease, pancreas. It can cause suffocation by crawling from the gastrointestinal tract to the esophagus or airway. | About 3 months |
| Trichinella (Trichinosis) | Poorly processed meat, lard. | Nausea and heartburn, diarrhea. | 2 days |
| Liver and giant hole (fasciolysis) | Plant food and water. | Fever, dry cough, loss of appetite, abdominal pain. | 2-4 weeks |
The symptoms of helminthiasis are as diverse as the pathogens of the infestation, their life cycle, routes of entry, migration and favorite localization differ from each other.
The general symptoms of parasitic diseases are explained by the fact that with helminth infestations, parasites suppress a person's immunity, contribute to the development of inflammatory and autoimmune processes. General symptoms are related to intoxication, parasite death, vital activity and reproduction, manifested as weakness, instability and mood swings, decreased academic performance, memory and learning ability in children.
Pain in the right hypochondrium, bitterness, jaundice may indicate that the parasitic disease is located mainly in the hepatoduodenal zone (the area of the liver and ducts). At the same time, the patient may notice nausea, episodes of reflux (vomiting).
Symptoms associated with damage to the liver and ducts related to the hepatobiliary system are observed, for example, when infected by the flatworm - posterior. This helminth enters the body of the final host - a human - when it eats poorly processed fish of certain breeds (carp). Symptoms associated with liver damage and pores associated with the hepatic system are observed, for example, when infected with a level of worm - posterior
The disease is endemic and has specific areas of spread. To transmit the pathogen, the parasite larva must go through a complex cycle with a change of hosts (a specific species of mollusk, a carp family fish).
Often, with many parasitic diseases, there are certain skin manifestations in the form of itchy skin, various rashes, scratches, atopic dermatitis, eczema and other skin diseases develop. Dermatological processes are not always associated with helminthic invasion and are unsuccessfully treated by dermatologists.
It is important that helminthiasis can affect any organs and tissues, patients often worry about headache, arthralgia (joint syndrome), there are complaints from the upper and lower respiratory tract. Often, prolonged cough, frequent ARVI, pharyngitis, laryngitis, difficulty breathing are associated with inflammation, a major part of the pathogenesis of which is parasitic infection (helminths).
Giardiasis and its characteristics
Giardiasis is a protozoan disease in which the pathogen is present in stem form and in the form of cysts. Giardia infection occurs when swallowing cysts, which are very persistent in the environment and can persist for a long time in the environment (soil, food, water, various objects).
1 ml of feces can contain millions of lamblia cysts, which, when placed in a favorable environment, can be transformed into plant forms. In the human intestine, a vegetative, mobile form of cysts is formed for several hours with whips attached between the cells of the intestinal epithelium, where the pathogen finds a favorable environment for itself with a sufficient amount of carbohydrate food, which is a favorite substrate. for lamps. Giardia in a favorable environment are divided binarily (in two parts) and soon their number increases several times. In addition to the intestines, the stem forms of the lamblia affect the hepatobiliary system (bile ducts, gallbladder).
Symptoms of jaundice are associated with weakness, poor academic performance, weakness, in combination with signs of damage to the intestine and hepatic duct. The course of jaundice and other parasitic diseases is largely related to the characteristics of the immune response. Intestinal form, gastroenteritis - a common form of diarrhea. Pathogen endotoxins can affect the nervous system, which explains the presence of many common extraintestinal symptoms.
Ascaris
Another common and ubiquitous parasitic disease is ascariasis. This helminthiasis is more common in children, but in adult patients it often causes numerous complaints and symptoms. Many chronic inflammatory diseases, as well as physical pathology, can begin with a parasitic invasion and intensify in the presence of various parasites (including roundworms).
Often, children and adults who are carriers of roundworm develop chronic colitis, enteritis, bronchitis, and even such a serious disease as bronchial asthma, other allergic processes can be supported (atopic dermatitis, eczema, rhinitis).
Ascaris enters the stomach when eggs are swallowed. After entering the upper parts of the digestive tract (stomach), the larvae, releasing themselves from the capsule, migrate to the blood vessels, with the flow of blood entering the alveoli of the pulmonary system, thus causing coughing, coughing and other cough phenomena. .
This condition is often thought of as a viral infection, a worsening of chronic bronchopulmonary disease, and is usually associated with the movement of parasitic larvae.
After the ascaris larvae cough and enter pathogens with phlegm in the pharynx, they are swallowed with saliva and re-enter the stomach and then pass into the intestines, where there are favorable conditions for the further growth and development of the parasite. After the ascaris larvae cough and enter pathogens with phlegm in the pharynx, they are swallowed with saliva and re-enter the stomach and then pass into the intestines, where there are favorable conditions for further growth and development of the parasite.
In the human gut, roundworms, which feed on its contents, are transformed into sexually mature individuals (female 50 cm, male 20 cm). During the process of development and vital activity, as well as as a result of the migration of larvae, the parasite has a negative toxic and mechanical effect on the human body.
In the process of growth, vital activity, spawning and maturation, the pathogen has a suppressive effect on the body's immunity, can cause diseases of the lungs, intestines and other parts of the digestive tract, anemia. Ascaris can live in the human gut for up to a year.
Remedies for helminths
Medical treatment of a person with pills is possible with the help of a large number of modern means.
Since some funds do not work on worm larvae and eggs and there is also a high risk of re-infection (self-infection with pin worms), the course of treatment is repeated after 2-3 weeks. Among the popular methods, the most effective are the old tried and tested methods - the use of pumpkin seeds and tansy herb. Medical treatment of a person with pills is possible with the help of a large number of modern means.
The fact that pumpkin seed is a good anthelmintic has been known for a long time, it is better to buy unpeeled seeds, peel them yourself, keep and eat a thin film between the seed and the peel and consume 300grams in the morning. . within an hour, previously chopped and mixed with honey or jam. Then do not eat for 3-4 hours and make an enema, you can repeat this treatment after 2 weeks.
Interesting facts about human parasites
- According to the WHO, about 3 billion people are infected with helminths each year. 1, 2 billion suffer from enterobiasis, 0, 9 billion from hookworm disease, 0, 7 billion from hair loss. And these are only official statistics!
- In European countries, every third resident carries intestinal parasites in the body.
- With severe invasions, a person loses up to 500 ml of blood per day. This is where diseases and chronic fatigue come from.
- Some parasites are found in the brain, eyeball, bone marrow and can live there for up to 30 years. For example, cytisterk. ;
- Female Ascaris lay 240, 000 eggs a day. Continuous re-infection will not allow a person to be cured the first time. Repeated treatment cycles are required.
- Waste pests - poisons and toxins - undermine human health 24 hours a day.
- Some types of tape can reach up to 12 meters in length. Sometimes it threatens to block the human intestine.
- Pumpkin seeds contain zucchini, which helps to cure worm infestations without resorting to drugs. Pumpkin seeds are often given to children for prevention.
- It is best to treat pets every 3 months. This will save you and your children from parasites.
- Worm eggs can wait in the wings on the door handles for up to 6 months.
- An infected dog scatters the eggs of the parasites by breathing within a radius of 5 meters.
- In order not to be assimilated in the stomach and intestines, worms and their eggs release protective anti-enzymes.
- Trichinella does not lay eggs, but produces ready-made worms. Therefore, under laboratory conditions, it is impossible to detect the presence of this parasite.
- The most effective assay for detecting invasion is considered to be enzyme immunoassay. Coatings, stool analysis may not provide reliable information.
In summary, regular prevention of helminth infections, even with cheap medicines (they are also considered the mildest), helps to protect the whole family. Be responsible for hand and body hygiene and carefully prepare food for use. Children and pets need constant monitoring for parasites.