worms (helminths)

Worms are parasitic worms that live in the body of humans and animals. They are difficult to detect as they disguise themselves as many other diseases and conditions. Symptoms of helminth infestation range from mild malaise to fainting with severe intoxication. We will tell you where you can get infected with worms and how to get rid of them.

What is that

Worms are considered to be the most common parasites in humans. Today science knows about 300 worm diseases. The most common are intestinal worm diseases - enterobiasis and ascariasis, affecting more than 2 billion people.

The size of the worms living in the body varies from a few millimeters to several meters. For example, the length of pinworms that cause enterobiasis does not exceed 1 cm. Some tapeworms (for example, broad tapeworm) reach 12-15 meters.

Causes of helminthiasis

Helminthiasis is a disease in which worm infection occurs. Worms enter the human body and remain there. These parasites live not only in the intestine, but also in other organs and tissues.

According to the World Health Organization, one in four people on Earth is infected with worms. At the same time, WHO experts note that the real number of infected people is at least 50%. These are mainly countries with a low health culture (these are some African and Southeast Asian countries). In other countries, more than 1. 5 million cases of helminth infection are recorded annually. Most of them are children.

How can you get infected with worms?

There are 4 ways of infection:

1. Through the ground. Such diseases are called geohelminthiasis. Unwashed fruit can harbor tens of thousands of pests. Therefore, it is so important to wash vegetables, fruits and hands thoroughly before eating. Walking pets are another source of terrestrial parasites.
2. Upon contact with an infected person. Parasitic worms are incredibly prolific. In just one day, the female pinworm is capable of laying up to 5 thousand eggs in the human body. Eggs and adults can be transmitted to other people through bedding and other household items. After that, it is enough that the infected do not wash their hands and the worms will penetrate inside.
3. When eating contaminated food. Such helminthic diseases are called biohelminthiasis. You can catch the parasite with insufficient heat treatment of meat, poultry or fish.
4. Through an insect bite. This type of transmission is rare. As a rule, very small parasites can be transmitted through insect bites.

Consider the risk factors that increase the likelihood of worm infection in adults and children:

• Ignore the rules of hygiene - if you don't wash your hands after the street, using the toilet or before eating.
• The habit of biting nails - there is a lot of dirt under them with microbes and parasites. This also includes the habit of carrying pens, pencils, and other objects in the mouth.
• Poor animal care, especially for those who go out.
• Eat unwashed fruits and vegetables.
• Using water from questionable sources.
• Poor cleaning of the accommodation.
• Passion for animal food that has not undergone proper culinary processing.

Who is at risk

No one is immune from worm infection. It is enough to give respite in hygiene and the parasite larva can "break through" into the body. The following categories of people are particularly susceptible to helminthiasis:

• Children. Most often, helminthic invasions are noted in children. This is due to the fact that the child neglects the rules of hygiene. Small children put objects in their mouths and often dig in the mud on the street. In groups, children tend to contact each other more closely than adults, which also increases the likelihood of infection.
• Families with pets. Parasite eggs and larvae, which have come from the street to pet accommodation, can be anywhere. Often owners of dogs, cats and other animals are not even aware of the problem and discover the presence of worms when they contact a veterinarian for another reason.
• Gourmets. Lovers of exotic cuisine such as sushi, raw meat or fish are also at risk.
• The travelers. This is especially true for people traveling to countries with a low level of hygiene.
• Summer residents, agricultural workers. People who work in vegetable gardens, orchards or simply live in the countryside.
• People who encounter raw fish or meat in their work. For example, vendors or chefs - when processing, cutting and preparing food.

Myth 1: There are no parasites in marine fish.

Many people mistakenly believe that worms are found only in river fish and that they are not in the sea due to the salt water. In fact, sea fish are mainly affected by parasites that are not dangerous for humans. In this regard, raw river fish is more dangerous than raw sea fish. But this does not mean that sea fish is completely safe - it is always recommended to process any fish: fry it thoroughly, boil it or freeze it for 3 days.

Classification of helminthiasis

There are several classifications of parasitic worms. By localization, worms are:

• Intestinal: Lives in the small or large intestine. These include roundworms, eels, whipworms, bovine tapeworms, and others.
• Pulmonary: Lives in the tissues of the bronchopulmonary system. Most of the time it is a lung fluke.
• Tissue - parasitizes on various tissues of the body. Tissue worms include schistosomes, trichinella and toxocar.
• Parasites of the liver and gallbladder. They are liver flukes, giant liver flukes and clonorch (Chinese flukes).

There are 4 classes of helminthic diseases, depending on the pathogen:

• Roundworms - caused by roundworms. These are ascariasis, enterobiasis, trichinosis, trichocephalosis, toxocariasis, hookworms and others.
• Cestodosis: the causative agents are tapeworms. Such pathologies include hymenolepiasis, teniasis, teniarinchiasis, diphyllobothriasis and cystchercosis.
• Dystomiasis are diseases caused by flat worms. These are fascioliasis, opisthorchiasis, dichroceliosis.
• Protozosis: the causative agents are protozoa, such as lamblia, toxoplasma or amoeba.

More than 70 species of parasitic worms are distributed. The most common are the following helminthic diseases (see table).

Helminthic invasions

Illness	The causative agent and its characteristics	Transfer method
ascariasis	Called roundworms. These are roundworms that live in the gut. They can grow up to 30-40 cm Nematodes feed on almost all nutrients in food. In the process of vital activity, worms injure the intestinal walls up to perforations	Most often, roundworm eggs are transmitted by the fecal-oral route. They persist for a long time in the soil and on the surface of vegetables, fruits, herbs and berries
Enterobiasis	It develops when pinworms enter the body. These are small round worms, the size of which is 0. 5-1 cm. The main danger in enterobiasis is the toxic waste products of worms	Contact with an infected person. Pinworm eggs remain on various surfaces for some time.
giardiasis	Caused by microscopic parasites - lamblia. Pathogens produce toxic substances and damage tissues	Giardia is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, as well as through contaminated food and water
Optorchiasis	The causative agents are small worms up to 2 cm in size, most often parasitizing in the liver and bile ducts. With opisthorchiasis, poisoning with toxic substances and mechanical damage to tissues occur	Pathogens of optorchiasis are transmitted with raw fish
Echinococcosis	It is caused by echinococci - tapeworms, the size of which does not exceed 5 cm. Echinococci parasitize on various tissues, including the heart and brain. Pathogens cause serious disturbances in the functioning of organs and body systems. In some cases, they can provoke a malignant tumor process.	They spread through dirty hands and contaminated food. The carriers of Echinococcus can also be dogs and rodents.
Diphyllobothriasis	Causative agents - large tapeworms, reaching 10-15 meters. Tapeworms live in the small intestine and cause severe damage to the host's body. Worms produce toxic substances and significantly impair the functioning of the digestive system	Transmitted by eating raw fish
Trichocephalosis	Called by whipworm, a round worm that looks like a hair. Vlasoglava can reach 5-6 meters. Worms live in the intestine, penetrating the submucosal layer. It causes intoxication, inflammation and acute anemia	The invasion is carried out by swallowing the parasite's eggs

Worm infestations are also classified according to the stages:

• Acute helminthiasis: appear 2-4 weeks after infection. In this case, the symptoms of worms are observed from 1 week to several months. If therapy is not carried out, the disease becomes chronic.
• Chronic helminthiasis: manifestations depend on the type of parasite. For example, if it is a matter of parasites with larval reproduction, then prolonged allergic reactions will follow. Other chronic worm diseases may be asymptomatic or accompanied by pain, malaise, fatigue, and other symptoms.

Complications of helminthiasis

If helminthiasis is not treated, this leads to serious, sometimes life-threatening complications:

• Anemia - anemia, insufficient number of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood. This condition is due to the fact that the worms consume part of the nutrients necessary for normal hematopoietic function.
• Destruction of tissues and organs. Worms live not only in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract, but also in the thickness of tissues, for example, liver, lungs, muscles. Most of all, the tissues are affected during the migrations of worms, when they move from one department (or organ) to another - ulcers and foci of constant inflammation are formed. Against this background, the risk of developing infections and malignant tumors increases.
• Diseases of the nervous system. This is due to the toxic waste products of worms poisoning the body. Nerve tissues are the most sensitive to toxins. This can lead to irritability, headaches, insomnia, and other signs of nerve damage.
• Allergic reactions. Toxic substances secreted by worms can also act as allergens. Human immunity can respond inadequately to these substances. This leads to the typical allergic symptoms: rashes, redness of the skin, itching and sometimes nausea and vomiting.

The presence of worms in the body also leads to a lack of the following minerals:

• Zinc. With a lack of zinc, immunity decreases, a person often catches a cold and suffers from other infectious diseases. The likelihood of developing prostatitis and infertility increases, because this trace element is extremely important for the health of the reproductive system.
• Selenium. It decreases immunity and also increases the risk of malignant tumors.
• Iodine. Iodine deficiency in children leads to stunted growth and development (physical and mental). In adults, the work of the thyroid gland worsens, metabolic processes slow down.
• Manganese. With a lack of manganese, bones become brittle. A person quickly loses weight, is often troubled by cramps and dermatitis.
• Chrome. Deficiency of this element leads to developmental delay and impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

Worms and immunity

Often the worms are accompanied by other parasites - toxoplasma and chlamydia. This is due to the suppression of immunity. A healthy body is able to resist invaders, but with helminthiasis the protection is weakened. Toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous during pregnancy, as it can lead to fetal death.

Symptoms of helminthiasis

Signs of worms are different in both adults and children. The most common symptoms are:

• itching in the anus is the most common symptom of intestinal worms;
• grinding of teeth in a dream - occurs due to the toxins released by worms;
• drooling in sleep and in the morning;
• nausea when brushing your teeth in the morning;
• peeling of the skin of the hands and feet;
• allergic skin rashes;
• a strong feeling of hunger, up to fainting;
• swelling (often allergic);
• itchy skin;
• chronic fatigue;
• headache and dizziness;
• mental disorders for no known reason (stress, neurosis, depression);
• swelling;
• symptoms of intestinal disorders;
• change in body weight (both overweight and thin);
• the simultaneous course of several diseases (or the succession of one disease to another);
• cramps or pulling pains in the abdomen;
• anemia;
• retardation of physical and mental development in children;
• infantile hyperactivity or lethargy;
• swollen lymph nodes (often in the acute phase of helminthiasis).

When to see a doctor

An infectious disease therapist or specialist deals with the treatment of parasitic diseases. A doctor should be consulted if one or more of the above symptoms are encountered. Due to a rather sophisticated worm masking system, you should explain the symptoms to the doctor as accurately as possible, and also talk about your lifestyle: what food do you prefer, if you have recently traveled and where, there are pets, etc.

Diagnosis of the disease

If the doctor suspects a helminthic invasion, it is not difficult to identify it. For this, the following diagnostic procedures are used:

• Stool examination. A stool sample is delivered to the laboratory. They may contain eggs or larvae of parasites that live in the intestine.
• Scrape for enterobiasis. A swab is taken from the anus with a cotton swab. With this analysis, pinworms can be identified. Scraping should be done early in the morning, before going to the bathroom.
• A blood test for antibodies. This is a fairly informative test with which you can identify many parasites. However, even with a positive result, there is no 100% guarantee that the parasites are still in the patient's body, because the antibodies remain even after they are eliminated.
• Instrumental diagnostics. The use of radiography, magnetic resonance and CT with the use of contrast media. These diagnostic methods make it possible to identify both large worms and some pathological changes in the tissues caused by the helminthic invasion.

As a rule, the doctor prescribes several studies to increase the reliability of the data obtained. Sometimes a patient needs to be tested multiple times to make an accurate diagnosis.

Important!When helminthiasis is confirmed, it is necessary to inform other close family members. An exam is also recommended for them. If the test is positive, it is important that all infected family members receive treatment. Otherwise, the eggs of the parasites will enter the body of the healed person again and everything will have to be repeated from the beginning.

Treatment of helminths in children and adults

Despite the abundance of antiparasitic drugs in pharmacies, you cannot take them yourself. Prescribing comprehensive treatment, the doctor tries not only to remove parasites, but also to eliminate the consequences of their vital activity.

As a rule, in addition to anthelmintic drugs, the patient is also prescribed vitamins and other drugs that eliminate the symptoms of the disease. The doctor selects medications separately for each patient, because the symptoms are different for everyone.

Medicines for the treatment of helminthiasis

With helminthic invasions, patients are prescribed a complex of the following drugs:

• Anthelmintic medicines. These are anthelmintic drugs that remove or kill worms. These goals are achieved by disrupting the parasites' metabolism or paralyzing their muscles. In the latter case, they lose the ability to stay in the intestine and are expelled.
• Antihistamines. If the patient is allergic to parasites, then doctors prescribe antiallergic drugs at the time of treatment. This is extremely important, since with the mass death of worms a large number of allergens are released, which can provoke a strong allergic reaction. Antihistamines block the production of histamine, the main mediator of an allergic reaction.
• Enterosorbents. These are drugs that can bind substances in the gastrointestinal tract. During the treatment of worms, enterosorbents are used to bind and remove the toxic substances secreted by the worms.
• Vitamins and minerals. Most often, vitamins of group B (folic acid and B12) and iron preparations are prescribed. This is needed to cure anemia.
• Hepatoprotectors. These are drugs that protect the liver from toxic substances. These include preparations based on essential phospholipids or plant materials (milk thistle, artichoke, licorice, St. John's wort and other plants).
• Probiotics and prebiotics. Prescribed to restore the intestinal microflora. Probiotics are live cultures of beneficial bacteria. Prebiotics are indigestible food components (such as fiber) that are fermented only by the intestinal flora.

Surgery

In most cases, it is enough to drink a complex of medicines. However, doctors are sometimes still forced to resort to surgery. For example, a large buildup of roundworms can cause intestinal obstruction. This is an urgent condition that requires surgery.

Worms can accumulate in the bile duct, against the background of which obstructive jaundice and even liver abscess develops. The same situation can occur in the pancreas, leading to acute pancreatitis. If the worms enter the appendix, appendicitis develops. All of these conditions require prompt surgery.

Surgery is often used when organs are damaged by echinococcus. These parasites accumulate, forming echinococcal plugs in the liver, lungs, bones, kidneys, and even the brain. The danger of such a thorn is that it can rot and burst.

Folk remedies for worms

Folk remedies for worms are not as effective as anthelmintic drugs. This is only an auxiliary method - the main treatment is prescribed by a doctor.

Folk remedies include pumpkin seeds, which contain cucurbit, a substance that has an anthelmintic effect.

Myth 2: Garlic enemas eliminate worms

Worms don't really like garlic, because it contains phytoncides - antibacterial and anti-parasitic substances. However, it is not necessary to do garlic enemas for helminthiasis. In the large intestine, where the contents of the enema are injected, there are very few worms. Most parasites live in the small intestine, so this procedure is useless. Also, from such an enema, you can get severe irritation of the mucous membrane.

Prevention and precautions

In most cases, the prognosis for the treatment of helminthiasis is favorable. A timely visit to a doctor will avoid a number of complications that worms lead to.

Prevention of worms comes down to adhering to the following recommendations:

• Wash your hands with soap and water before eating, returning from the road, in the bathroom or after contact with animals.
• Thoroughly wash vegetables, fruits and herbs. Better pour boiling water over it.
• Do not use other people's hygiene items and tableware.
• Give up bad habits (smoking, alcohol).
• Avoid stress, it will have a beneficial effect on immunity.
• Regularly show your pet to the vet, vaccinate him in a timely manner.
• Every year, undergo a comprehensive preventive examination, including tests for worm eggs.
• Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs appropriately.

Myth 3: Parasites die in frozen meat.

This is only true for some worms. For example, the bovine tapeworm actually dies when the meat is deeply frozen (minus 12 and minus). And, for example, Trichinella larvae can only be eliminated after 2-3 hours of cooking.

Conclusion

The main cause of helminthic invasions is inadequate hygiene. Improving sanitation and proper cooking of animal food significantly reduces the likelihood of helminthiasis. In most cases, the worms do not pose a danger to human health if detected in time. But the lack of treatment still leads to serious consequences: anemia, nerve damage and other infections.