When coughing due to parasites appears, almost all people think of viral or infectious diseases that affect various parts of the respiratory tract. But there are parasites that cause coughing with the same symptoms. Laboratory tests and instrumental examination methods performed by a therapist or infectious disease specialist will help understand the conditions.
Types of parasites that cause coughing
Main types of parasitic infection:
- Giardia;
- trematodes;
- toxocara;
- nematodes.
Most often the infection is localized in the lower digestive tract, but in the absence of treatment it spreads to other organs and systems, including parts of the respiratory system.
Routes through which parasites can migrate:
- with blood flow through the vessels (some worms are small in size, so they penetrate through the endothelial wall into the bloodstream);
- fecal-oral method (after defecation, people forget to wash their hands, so when eating food, bacteria enter the oral cavity);
- through food or water.
Many people don't know that parasites and coughs are compatible concepts. Pathogens can enter any part of the body, causing symptoms of inflammation.
Lucky breaks
The structure of the pathogen resembles a coffee bean. There are small thorns on its body. In the lower part there are suction cups with which it moves and feeds. All individuals are hermaphrodites, that is, they can reproduce independently. But there are also options for cross-fertilization.
The main phases of the life cycle go through:
- pond snail;
- larva;
- metacercaria.
Helminth takes no more than 2 days to go through all stages, causing the onset of infection. This is due to the fact that the respiratory tract membrane is a favorable environment for the development of flukes.
When the parasite enters the body, symptoms are not detected immediately. Initially, microorganisms multiply, spreading throughout the tissues.
Giardia
Giardia is a parasite that very often causes coughing in children. In adults the pathology also occurs, but rarely.
Giardia are single-celled microorganisms equipped with flagella necessary for movement through tissues. Reproduction occurs by division; within 1 day after infection, their number increases several times.
If the pathogen is outside the body, its body is covered with a membrane that helps it survive in the environment. With its help, it can exist up to 12 hours on various objects. If it is fed dairy products, the survival time is extended to 3 months.
The main route of entry into the human body is oral. The main vectors are animals and birds. Giardia disease is often found in schools and kindergartens. Microorganisms settle on all household items, but for a short time.
Nematodes and how they affect the respiratory system
The parasite enters the host's body via the fecal-oral route through contaminated products: it can be food or water. The larva is located in the digestive tract and is not affected by gastric juice and other unfavorable factors. Then eggs appear with processes that attach to the intestinal mucosa.
Small worms make holes in the mucous membranes, penetrating through the vascular endothelium into the blood. Through it they spread to the heart, alveoli of the lungs and bronchi. In the respiratory tract they go through stages of development over 3 weeks.
Cause of cough:
- damage to alveolar tissue;
- strong sensitizing effect, the immune system is activated by sending many lymphocytes to the site of inflammation with the formation of an infiltrate;
- bronchial obstruction, areas of infiltration and accumulation of helminths lead to blockage of various parts of the bronchi;
- During coughing, helminths spread from the bronchi to the pharynx, and then return to the digestive tract.
This is how a chronic disease is formed. The larvae constantly penetrate the respiratory and digestive tract, forming a repeat infection.
Toxocara and their effects on the human body
Toxocara is the pathogen that causes the disease toxocariasis. The disease affects people and animals. Children who go to school get sick more often. The epidemiological peak is observed in summer.
The worm has a life cycle of egg, larva and adult. Parasites enter the human body through food, contaminated water, spreading in the intestines. As they migrate into the circulatory system, they move to various organs, including the lungs. They lay eggs in the tissues, from which repeated helminth infestations form.
The eggs and larvae enter the environment through animal feces and from there they can also spread into water. The parasite is stable in the environment and survives in the soil. Therefore, it remains contagious for years.
The main danger of the pathogen is the possibility of penetration through the placenta from a pregnant woman to the fetus. The infection also spreads through breast milk.
Enterobiasis
Enterobiasis develops due to the entry of helminths into the body. The disease occurs only in humans due to pinworm larvae entering the esophagus. Children are often susceptible to the disease due to a weak immune system.
Roundworms, which are roundworms, enter the child's body. The maximum length of the parasite is 1 cm. In the body they spread throughout the intestine, laying eggs in the anus; Subsequently, the adults die. Parasites enter the child's underwear and under the nails when scratching the anus. A repeated cycle of infection occurs through contaminated hands.
Symptoms:
- anal itching, more severe at night;
- redness and inflammation of the anus;
- in complicated cases eczema and dermatitis occur in the anus;
- sleep disorders;
- bruxism (teeth grinding);
- urinary incontinence;
- sharp pain in the abdomen like contractions;
- loss of appetite;
- periodic changes in stool (diarrhea, constipation);
- nausea, vomiting, weight loss;
- in more severe cases - developmental disorders;
- emotional instability, increased fatigue and loss of concentration.
When a pathogen moves into the airways,the condition is complicated by symptoms:
- cough, asthma attacks;
- bronchial asthma;
- frequent viral diseases due to suppression of the immune system.
The parasite spreads not only in the digestive tract and pulmonary system. It can penetrate the urogenital tract. Therefore, girls are often diagnosed with vulvitis and vulvovaginitis.
Opisthorchiasis
The causative agent is a worm from the trematode group. It penetrates through the digestive tract into the pulmonary system and liver, causing clinical symptoms.
The pathogen does not transfer to a person immediately. The first host is crustaceans, the second is fish. Only then can it migrate to mammals. The larvae enter freshwater bodies and become infected through it.
Symptoms:
- increased body temperature;
- malaise in the form of weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, abdominal pain;
- intoxication of the body, which manifests itself as pain in the muscles and joints;
- hepatosplenomegaly;
- dyspeptic disorders;
- bronchial asthma with severe cough and asthma attacks;
- toxic-allergic damage to the brain and heart;
- inflammation of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas;
- pneumonia, pleurisy.
Lack of treatment leads to death.
Paragonimiasis
The causative agents are trematodes. This is a pulmonary fluke, located mainly in the respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, trachea). It goes through a complex development cycle. It does not reach man immediately; it develops first in the organs of animals. The mechanism of transmission is fecal-oral. The eggs fall into the soil with the feces, then pass into the water.
Symptoms (no symptoms for the first 3 weeks):
- inflammation of the esophagus and liver;
- acute stomach;
- rash and itching on the skin;
- tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia;
- increase in body temperature to critical values;
- suffocation, cough, hemoptysis;
- increased heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia;
- if the pathogen is found in the central nervous system, this is accompanied by meningitis and encephalitis.
A few months after the pathogen enters the human body, the symptoms disappear. A chronic disease is formed that can develop over many years with exacerbations.
Respiratory complications due to parasitic infestations
If the cough and infection are left untreated, the condition gradually worsens and complications develop:
- bleeding of the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tracts;
- in the lungs, tissue necrosis, empyema, cysts, abscesses are possible, which can only accompany a dry cough;
- if the pathogen moves to the upper parts of the respiratory tract and blocks them completely, suffocation and death occur;
- penetration into the central nervous system accompanied by paralysis, intracerebral hemorrhage, epilepsy;
- In the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, cholangitis and hepatitis are formed.
Diagnostics required
The therapist or infectious disease specialist decides thisWhat diagnostic methods are sufficient to make a diagnosis:
- general clinical analyzes of urine and blood, blood biochemistry;
- bacteriological and PCR analysis of sputum;
- curettage from the anus followed by microscopy;
- expanded coprogram;
- X-rays of light;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.
An increased number of immune cells are detected in the blood. X-rays of the lungs may show nodules that could be mistaken for tuberculosis or cancer. Analysis of sputum and scrapings from the anus reveals the presence of helminths.
Treatment and preventive measures
The main method of treatment is antiparasitic drugs, which are taken in several stages.
Use symptomatic therapy using the following agents:
- antihistamines;
- antipyretics;
- painkillers;
- corticosteroids;
- bronchodilators.
After the first completion of taking anthelmintic drugs, the course is repeated. This is because some eggs and larvae may survive by turning back into worms.
If parasites cause coughing, it is not recommended to use syrups to suppress them - this can cause suffocation. To prevent, you should wash your hands, vegetables and fruits often.
Clinical picture
Very often the patient is worried about:
- stomach ache;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, stool changes);
- itching in the anus;
- increased body temperature;
- signs of respiratory infection with dry or wet cough;
- rash, itching on the skin.
Parasites that cause cough in children and adults show an atypical pattern in the formation of the disease. It can be easily confused with appendicitis, intestinal infection, bronchitis, pneumonia.
What doctors say about parasites
Doctors recommend paying special attention in summer. At this time, pests are actively developing, penetrating the soil and water. Therefore it is recommended not to drink liquids from bodies of water and to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
Experts tell us which parasites cause cough: toxocara, lamblia, trematodes. All of them cause a symptom in the form of a cough when they enter the respiratory tract.