Helminthiases are a group of diseases caused by parasitic worms.
Helminths can settle in a person's intestines, lungs, gallbladder, and bile ducts. Parasites cause mechanical damage to internal organs, the waste products of helminths lead to intoxication. For humans, helminthiasis is also dangerous because it suppresses the immune system, aggravates the course of other diseases, leads to increased fatigue, reduces the absorption capacity of the intestine, reduces the effectiveness of vaccination, etc. You can get infected with helminths by drinking dirty water or unwashed food. In rare cases, the disease is transmitted through the skin or the air.
Classification of helminthiasis
By location:
- Intestinal.These include ascariasis, strongyloidosis, trichocephalosis, teniarinchiasis, etc.
- Pulmonary.This group includes tominxosis and paragonimosis.
- Fabric.This class includes schistosomiasis, trichinosis, toxocariasis and filariasis.
- Epotobiliary system. This group includes optorchiasis, fascioliasis and clonorchiasis.
By phase:
- Acute.Helminthiasis usually appears 2-4 weeks after infection. Depending on the severity of the helminthic invasion, signs of helminthiasis are observed from 1 week to several months, then the disease becomes chronic.
- Chronic.The clinical manifestations of chronic helminthiasis depend on the species characteristics of the parasite. In the presence of helminths with reproduction of larvae (filariasis or strongyloidosis), allergic manifestations persist for a long time. In other forms of the disease, the symptoms depend on the number, size and location of the parasites in the body.
Helminthiasis and micronutrient deficiencies
Having established themselves in the human body, parasites feed on blood and tissue juices, absorbing nutrients. For growth and reproduction, helminths, first of all, need microelements, which leads to a decrease in their content in the body. The consequence of helminthiasis can be a deficiency of the following trace elements:
Zinc deficiency.It causes prostatitis, infertility, dwarfism, parakeratosis (resembles scab or scabies), various cancers and many other pathologies.
Selenium deficiency.Leads to a decrease in immunity, can provoke the development of malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, mammary glands, prostate.
Iodine deficiency.It causes stunted growth, impaired puberty and underdevelopment of the reproductive organs. With a lack of iodine, mental retardation is possible, up to dementia.
Manganese deficiency.It can cause brittle bones, weight loss, seizures, dermatitis and degeneration of the genital tract.
Chromium deficiency.It causes fatigue, sugar intolerance (borderline diabetes), growth retardation, increased cholesterol levels.
Signs of helminthiasis
- temperature;
- various skin rashes;
- swelling of the face, conjunctivitis;
- inflammation of the upper respiratory tract;
- loose stools;
- in children, angina, lymphadenitis;
- bronchospasm, infiltrates in the lungs, pneumonia;
- myocarditis;
- hepatitis;
- meningoencephalitis.
Symptoms (clinical picture) of helminthiasis
Acute helminthiasis.For this form of helminthic infestation
signs of general allergic reactions are characteristic: itchy rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain. Acute helminthiasis often leads to the development of pulmonary syndrome, abdominal pain and dyspeptic disorders. At the same time, the liver and spleen increase in size, and symptoms from the central nervous system may appear.
Chronic helminthiasis.In many forms of helminthiasis, parasitism of several single individuals proceeds without unpleasant symptoms. The characteristic signs of helminthiasis appear in the presence of large worms (teniids, tapeworms, etc. ). Symptoms depend on the type and location of the parasite. With intestinal helminthiasis, painful, dyspeptic and asthenoneurotic syndromes are observed. Ascariasis can cause pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, and intestinal obstruction. Enterobiasis is characterized by itching in the anus at night. With clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis, hepatitis, cholecystocolangitis and various lesions of the gastrointestinal tract can develop.
Helminthiasis and infectious diseases
Worm infestations increase the risk of contracting infectious diseases. Helminths reduce immunity and weaken the body as a whole. Thus, parasites open free access to the tissues of the body for microbes and viruses. Helminthiasis can be accompanied by the following infectious diseases.
Toxoplasmosis.It is an infectious disease that affects humans and animals. You can become infected with toxoplasmosis through contaminated blood transfusions, eating unheated meat or fish foods, or contacting the patient's stool. Toxoplasmosis is passed from mother to child during intrauterine development. The infection can cause fetal death or miscarriage. Among infants infected with toxoplasmosis, there is a high risk of mortality.
Chlamydia.An infectious disease that affects rodents, cats and humans. It can be accompanied by fever, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and pneumonia. It affects the organs of vision, the reproductive and respiratory systems. Chlamydia is transmitted by airborne droplets, contact and sex.
Toksokara.The disease is observed in humans, pets, rodents. Toxocar eggs remain viable for months in dried stool. You can get an infection through contact with animal hair or through the ground. The disease is accompanied by severe allergies and pathologies of the internal organs.
Diagnosis and therapy of helminthiasis
How to identify helminthiasis
Prevention of helminthiasis is mainly in compliance with strict hygiene rules. It is unacceptable to drink raw water and eat poorly processed or unfamiliar foods (fish, meat). Early detection of parasite-infected people also plays an important role in prevention. Diagnosis of helminthiasis is made by identifying helminth larvae and eggs. Most often they are localized in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, so the most common method is the analysis of feces.
In some cases, standard methods for diagnosing helminthiasis are ineffective. For example, some parasites do not lay eggs for a long time and therefore cannot be found in feces. An innovative method allows you to identify the presence of helminths and assess the general condition of the body from the iris of the eyes. The method is based on the fact that each organ has a projection on a certain segment of the iris, where it transmits information about its state through the visceral centers of the brain. Such a diagnosis of helminthiasis makes it possible to detect parasites even in cases where the normal test for helminth eggs is negative.
How to get rid of helminthiasis
An effective, safe and proven means of getting rid of the helminthic invasion and replenishing the necessary microelements in the body is a complex of drugs for helminths, which improves health in several main areas at once:
- improve immunity;
- normalize metabolism;
- improve the enzymatic functions of the stomach, pancreas, intestines;
- remove signs of allergies;
- normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.
Antiparasitic wellness program
To eliminate helminthiasis, it is necessary to take broad-spectrum antiparasitic drugs for 3 months. Between each month of admission, it is necessary to take a 7-day break.