Worms are parasitic worms that live in the intestines or tissues of humans. The vast majority of parasites have two hosts - intermediate and trailing. However, some helminths parasitize themselves in the body without leaving it and without entering the environment. Worms are ubiquitous. Their greatest number is present in countries with a hot and humid climate.
Symptoms of worms in the intestine depend not only on the type of invasion, but also on the features of its course.
The most common types of parasites
There are seven main varieties of parasitic worms:
pinworms
Pinworms are small thread-like worms belonging to the category of nematodes. The size of an adult does not exceed 1 mm. In the human body, they mainly live in the large intestine, causing irritation, damage to the mucous membranes and enteritis. Enterobiasis caused by pinworms has an incubation period of approximately 15 days. In addition, a characteristic clinical picture develops. The duration of the disease is 2 months, which is equal to the life of the worm. In fact, independent resolution of the disease does not occur, since with enterobiasis there is a mechanism of self-infection.
Note: Symptoms of enterobiasis are rarely pronounced. The disease often occurs in a fuzzy form, has no clear diagnostic signs. Suspicion of enterobiasis in children occurs if the child complains of itching in the perianal region.
Pinworm infestation occurs when personal hygiene rules are not followed. The route of transmission is fecal-oral. A person who touches a contaminated surface and then does not wash his hands, swallows helminth eggs. Similarly, reinfection with enterobiasis occurs. The patient, feeling itchy in the perianal region, scratches the disturbing area and then proceeds to eat. The worm eggs that fall on the hands are ingested. The development cycle of the parasite begins again.
Nematode
Nematodes are dioecious nematodes that live in the small intestine of humans and animals. The length of the female helminth is 40 centimeters. The size of the male is much smaller. Its length usually does not exceed 25 centimeters. The identifying feature of the male is the pointed end of the body.
The life cycle of roundworms is slightly more complex than that of pinworms. The route of infection is fecal-oral. Helminth eggs fall on a person's hands when working with earth and dirty objects. In the stomach, a young larva emerges from the egg, penetrating the bloodstream with the help of hooks. This is where it grows and migrates. When the larva enters the lungs, it reaches a state that allows it to develop into a sexually mature individual. The patient coughs up the larva, after which it is swallowed, enters the intestine, turns into an adult nematode.
Vlasoglavy
Vlasoglav is a nematode belonging to the nematode group. It is a parasite that lives in the large intestine of humans and pets. Externally, the helminth looks like a thin grayish thread of various thicknesses. The whiplash front is thin and long. The back is thickened and shortened. Here are the internal organs. The body length of the whipworm does not vary depending on the sex and is 3-5 centimeters.
Whipworm eggs, already parasitic in the host organism, enter the environment with the feces. Here they mature and become invasive. A person becomes infected by the fecal-oral route, if the rules of personal hygiene are not observed. Whipworm larvae enter the intestine, grow, feed on the microflora and develop. Subsequently, the young individuals of the helminth migrate to the large intestine. trichuriasis develops.
Chains
Tapeworms are tapeworms, which sometimes reach 25 meters in length. The most famous representatives of this genus of parasites are:
- bull tapeworm;
- pork tapeworm;
- wide ribbon.
The body structure of all tapeworms is similar. They have a head, a neck and a body consisting of many segments. The segments located closer to the end of the body have a uterus filled with eggs. They are separated from the tapeworm and come out with the feces.
As a rule, the life cycle of tapeworms implies the presence of two hosts - intermediate and final. The intermediate host can vary depending on the type of worm. A person becomes infected by ingesting the larvae contained in undercooked meat or fish.
Echinococcus
Echinococcus is the smallest solitary worm in existence. Its length is 2-8 mm. A mature individual has a scolex, neck and 3-4 segments. It lives in the intestines of carnivorous animals of the canine family. Intermediate hosts can be herbivores or humans. Helminth eggs fall on the hands upon contact with the definitive host or when harvesting berries seeded with echinococcus eggs.
When eggs are ingested, a person becomes an intermediate host. In its body, the larvae penetrate into the blood vessels, with the bloodstream they are transported to the organs and tissues, where they settle and turn into a Finn, a bubble filled with fluid and containing the parasite's scolex. In this case, the Finnish can reach a large size, which leads to compression of organs and tissues. Particularly dangerous is the localization of echinococcal cysts in the brain, liver and lungs.
schistisomy
Schistisomes are dioecious helminths belonging to the category of flatworms. They have oral and ventral suckers. The female is slightly longer than the male. The definitive host of the schistosome is humans and mammals. The helminth settles in the small vessels of the large intestine, in the small pelvis and in the bladder. The parasite's eggs are released into the bloodstream, filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.
Parasite larvae that have fallen into a freshwater tank penetrate the shellfish bodies, where they continue their development cycle. After 6-8 weeks, the embryos enter open water again, where they turn into cercariae - tailed larvae that can penetrate the human body through intact skin. As a rule, infestations in humans develop when swimming in open water, washing clothes, or other contact with open water.
Filarie
Filariae are round filiform worms. There are about 8 varieties of heartworm that parasitize in the human body. The intermediate host and carrier of the disease are blood-sucking insects. Human infection occurs when insect bites and helminth larvae enter the upper layers of the skin.
The distribution of the larvae in the body of the final host occurs by the hematogenous route. Worms spread throughout the body, settle in organs and tissues, cause allergic reactions, swelling of the affected area, lymphostasis, proliferation of endothelial cells.
How to identify worms at home
It is possible to assume the presence of worms in the body from one or another characteristic trait. In addition, for the rapid diagnosis of helminthiases, a special test was developed, consisting of several questions.
Signs of the presence of parasites in the body
The signs of worms in the body of an adult directly depend on the type of invasion.
- Enterobiosis - itching in the anus, insomnia, irritability, indigestion, diarrhea, loss of appetite, pain in the right side of the abdomen, flatulence, false urge to defecate.
- Ascariasis - vomiting, pain in the navel, dry cough, nausea, shortness of breath, roundworm eggs or roundworms in the stool, wheezing, fever.
- Trichuriasis - flatulence, vomiting, stools mixed with blood and mucus, mental retardation of the child, abdominal pain, weight loss, anemia.
- Invasion by tapeworms - for a long time it is asymptomatic. Episodes of abdominal pain, decreased hemoglobin in the blood, indigestion, diarrhea, and causeless weight loss then occur.
- Echinococcus: The symptoms of Finns-forming parasite infection depend on which organ was affected. With the development of an echinococcal cyst in the brain, neurological symptoms occur. With liver damage, patients complain of pain in the right side, yellowing of the skin, a general deterioration in well-being and a violation of digestive processes.
- Schistosomiasis - weight loss, abdominal pain, dizziness, enlarged liver, spleen, blood in the urine, fever, anemia, skin edema, urolithiasis, dry cough, impaired defecation.
- Filariasis: increased lymph nodes, hyperthermia, weakness, headache, blood in the urine, stiffness of movement, increase in some parts of the body, swelling of the skin, tearing.
Note: Most of the symptoms described are non-specific and can manifest with many other diseases.
Parasitic proof
This test allows you to assess the likelihood of helminth infection. When you pass it, you should use answer options like "yes", "no", "sometimes". For each answer "yes" 2 points are awarded, for the answer "no" - 0 points. The answer "sometimes" requires a period.
- Is there morning sickness?
- Is there fair skin, gums?
- Is there persistent anemia that does not respond to drug therapy?
- Pain or discomfort in the abdomen?
- Are indigestions common?
- Stool disorders?
- Is there heaviness on the right side?
- Frequent headaches?
- Periodic cough?
- Intermittent tingling in large joints?
- Sudden loss of vision?
- Grinding your teeth in your sleep?
- Eating large amounts of food while still hungry?
- Frequent allergies?
- Do you experience swelling?
- Reduced performance?
- Chronic diseases?
- Intermittent abdominal pain?
- Signs of inflammation in the blood?
- Itching in the anus?
- Do family members have similar symptoms?
A negative test can be considered a test in which no more than 6 points were scored. The likelihood of invasion exists in those who scored 6 to 17 points. People who scored 17 to 24 points in the test are almost certainly infected with one or the other helminth. With an indicator from 24 to 42 points, one can speak of multiple invasion by helminths of different types, which happens very rarely.
Laboratory diagnostics
For an accurate diagnosis of helminthiasis, several types of laboratory tests are used:
Fecal analysis
In the morning, biological material is sampled for analysis. A small amount of feces taken from half of the total portion is sent to the laboratory. Here, the material obtained is visually examined, trying to determine the presence of eggs in it. The eggs of some parasites are so large that they can be seen with the naked eye. If this does not happen, the biomaterial is stained using special techniques, sown on nutrient media, after which it is examined under a microscope. It is possible to talk about the absence of invasion only after three or four studies, during which no signs of the presence of worms were detected. The technique is suitable for the determination of all helminths whose eggs and segments are excreted with feces.
Scrape, swab
Signs of pinworms and roundworms can be detected by taking a scraping or swab from the patient's perianal folds. This method is relevant to the peculiarities of helminth reproduction. The egg-laying pinworm leaves the intestine and exits, where the deposition process takes place. A smear should be taken in the morning, without preliminary hygiene procedures. Otherwise, the parasite's eggs will be washed off and the analysis will be a false negative.
Blood analysis
In the diagnosis of helminthiases, a general blood test is of indirect importance. Indisputable signs of the presence of parasites in the blood with this method of research are not detected. As a rule, the long-term presence of parasitic worms in the body leads to a decrease in hemoglobin levels, the appearance of non-specific signs of the inflammatory process (increased ESR, leukocytosis).
ELISA blood test
The enzyme immunoassay method (ELISA) is based on the detection of antibodies against parasitic toxins and on the body's enzymatic response to the presence of helminths. This method of research allows you to diagnose the disease even if the helminth, for one reason or another, has not laid eggs. ELISA is most productive in the early stages of invasion, when the worm is just starting to develop in the human body.
What to do if you get infected?
If there are signs of parasitic infection, independent attempts at therapy should not be made. Regardless of the symptoms of worms in adults, the best course of action is to visit a parasitologist or gastroenterologist. He will prescribe the necessary tests, be able to correctly assess the danger of the disease, select drugs that will quickly and completely remove parasites from the body.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the disease, helminthiases can have very serious consequences. There are cases when the presence of parasites has led to perforation of the intestine, its obstruction, peritonitis and sepsis. Modern medicines allow you to get rid of worms quickly and reliably. However, almost each of them has a number of contraindications and recommendations for use, which only a specialist knows. That is why any anthelmintic drug or traditional medicine should only be used after consulting a doctor.