Worms or helminths are a disease that masks its course quite well. Therefore, often a person does not heal a phenomenon that worsens health. Knowing the main signs of worms, you can accurately determine their presence or absence in the body.
The main thing to remember is the correct assessment of the patient's condition and the specificity of the course of the disease. In order for the treatment to proceed efficiently and in a timely manner, a detailed study of the manifestations of worms is necessary.
How can you get infected with worms?
Any adult can become a carrier of parasitic worms, and even a child is susceptible to infections.
Helminths can enter the body in several ways, namely:
- water;
- food;
- contact and family;
- self-infection;
- transmissible.
The first stream of infection is based on ingesting water, which contains worm eggs or larvae. The larvae enter the water through an intermediate host, for example, a mollusk, and only then leave its body and develop independently, attaching themselves to aquatic plants. As soon as the liquid enters the body of a living being, the worm makes its way into the digestive system and is already fixed here.
This process often occurs in rivers, ponds, lakes, springs. To avoid contamination, it is necessary to stop drinking water in open sources, especially for children. If the case forces you to absorb such water, boiling or filtering through a special filter is a prerequisite.
The route of entry of food is the main and most common principle of infection. It has a direct connection with non-compliance with basic hygiene or a violation of technologies for the preparation of meat and fish dishes. Helminth penetrates through dirty hands, vegetables, berries, fruits, etc. Anything that is grown on the ground can contain worm eggs. They appear there from the feces of patients with ascariasis and live in favorable conditions for them for quite a long time. The greatest chance of infection is where the soil is fertilized with feces with the presence of roundworm eggs in them.
The larvae found in meat and fish enter the body along with improperly cooked, not fully cooked foods. Once inside a person, the worms eventually transform into an individual capable of laying eggs on their own. It is worth knowing that in 24 hours a worm can produce several hundred thousand new eggs.
In order not to get infected and not feel the signs of worms, it is necessary to buy meat and fish only in controlled places, pay attention to the presence of veterinary control, examine the meat and especially the liver for the presence of worms. In addition, carefully boil (steam, fry) food, properly process kitchen utensils, protect the room from flies that can carry helminth eggs on their paws.
The home contact method involves the penetration of worms by contact with domestic objects, animals that have worm larvae. Statistics show that more than 70% of the entire population of the earth has been infected with worms, half of this number has been infected by contact with pets. This is dangerous because the signs of the presence of worms in animals may not appear at all. But in humans, the symptom of helminth penetration is expressed by nausea, constipation, vomiting, pain in the intestines and weight loss.
As for self-infection, children are often susceptible to it, especially those of kindergarten age and younger schoolchildren. Children do not always follow the rules of hygiene, for example after using the toilet. Helminthic invasion in children is the development of enterobiasis. Pinworms have very light eggs, so they are transferred to toys, bedding, furniture by a gust of wind, and can even get into the body with dust. When the worms inside a child or adult reach puberty, they crawl up the walls of the anus and begin the egg-laying process. Itching and itching begins, these are the main signs of worm penetration. At night, the baby can scratch his anus and then put the worms back into his mouth with his hands, in which case the cycle repeats.
As for the transmissible infection, it must be said that the infection occurs by insect bite. These can be mosquitoes, mosquitoes, fleas that have pets. Most often, infection occurs with filaments (heartworms).
Symptoms of worms in an adult
The presence of worms in the body can be recognized by special signs, but they can differ in people.
Such characteristic manifestations of severely infected patients:
- exhaustion;
- weight loss (a sharp downward weight change);
- pallor of the skin;
- severe itching in the anus.
Depending on where the helminths are located and their number, a certain symptom develops.
In the brain
The first and main symptom, which implies the presence of worms in the brain, is a general deterioration of well-being, and it is not permanent, but it is temporary and cyclical. A necessary measure is a photo taken on an ultrasound machine, so the worms in the brain look like a tumor.Additionally, symptoms should include:
- lethargy;
- feeling lightheaded;
- nausea along with vomiting;
- the disease causes seizures such as epilepsy;
- temperature rise for no apparent reason.
These symptoms are generalized; special studies will help to see the prevailing picture more clearly.
in the body
Of all the parasites of the Earth, more than 250 varieties of helminths can harm the human body. They can live in almost the whole body: heart, muscles, liver, under the skin, etc.
The symptoms of each case will be different, but there are still a number of common signs.
- weakness of the immune system;
- pain in the joints, muscles;
- nervousness;
- fatigue that has become chronic;
- underweight;
- deterioration of the skin.
In the intestine
Most often, worms settle in the intestines, it is much easier to penetrate here and multiply in such an environment. You can find out about the presence of "inhabitants" from:
- constantly recurring swelling;
- diarrhea;
- weight fluctuations;
- flatulence;
- feeling of constant hunger.
Signs of the appearance of worms, as well as how to identify worms using tests and other diagnostic methods
When a person becomes infected with worms, symptoms may not appear early on. You can see the signs of the appearance of worms at home only when they begin to multiply. The first sign begins when the body is poisoned with toxins, parasites absorb those nutrients that a person receives with food.
The manifestation of helminths can be due to symptoms such as:
- diarrhea;
- discomfort in the abdomen;
- flatulence;
- swelling;
- stagnation of bile;
- constipation;
- allergic manifestations;
- intestinal inflammation;
- joint and muscle pain;
- dermatitis, eczema;
- brittle nails, cracks in the skin, skin discoloration;
- anemia;
- weight loss;
- nervous system disorder, symptom of anxiety, restless sleep;
- grinding of teeth during sleep;
- excessive fatigue, loss of performance;
- breathing problems: inflammation, pneumonia, asthma;
- weakening of the immune system;
- oncology (if helminthiasis is not treated for a long time).
Methods for determining worms
How to determine the worms in a person, the doctor knows for sure, as a rule, for this an examination is carried out that will help determine or refute the presence of a worm. After the main stage (collection of anamnesis) is completed, diagnostic procedures are prescribed. Which studies will be prescribed will depend on the severity of the symptoms and the type of helminthiasis. But testing is imperative so as not to infect people with worms.
Blood test for para parasites
Such an analysis is prescribed to detect the presence of helminths. Preparation is required for its delivery, such a condition will allow for a more accurate diagnosis. In addition, the recommendations should be followed by both an adult and a child.
- carried out in the morning on an empty stomach;
- at least 9 hours must elapse after the last meal;
- you can drink water, exclude its carbonated version;
- 3 days it is necessary to adhere to a diet in which there should be no salty, spicy and smoked foods;
- minimize physical activity and stress;
- stop using medicines for any purpose within 14 days.
It happens that the analysis does not show an accurate result, in addition, there are signs of the appearance of worms. In this case, it is necessary to donate blood and feces again, and perhaps the next result will be positive.
Worms in the stool
The presence of worms can be determined by the most common method - the delivery of feces. Distinguish between coptogram and Kato method. The first involves visual inspection of feces and chemical research. The Kato method reveals whether there is a worm visually, while the biological material, that is, the feces, is placed on a special glass.
Other signs of worms in a child
To find out if a child has an infection, you need to pay attention to his appearance. Almost all parents know how to determine a child's worms at home. For signs of a clear appearance of worms, the following symptoms will indicate:
- dark circles under the eyes;
- pale appearance of the skin of the face;
- the body does not take food, there is a poor appetite;
- excessive salivation;
- vomiting, nausea;
- destabilization of the intestine along with constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain;
- dizziness;
- weakness;
- increased crying, moodiness;
- itching in the anal area, the worm can also creep in, can be seen with the naked eye;
- redness between the buttocks.
Helminthic invasion: symptoms by type of parasite and means of combating them
Human infection with worms can occur in various ways. Often due to poor hygiene or contact with a worm carrier. Parasitic diseases are considered dangerous because they cleverly disguise themselves as other ailments. Therefore, the symptoms may indicate a disease, a helminthic invasion, rather ambiguous.
To find out the reasons, more diagnoses are needed. As for the treatment, it is strictly individual, has an integrated approach, because it is important not only to identify the presence of helminths, but also to eliminate the consequences that they caused by their stay inside the body.
When worms enter the human body, they consume all those important components necessary for normal functioning. With all this, they also release toxic substances, have a negative effect on the immune system and damage tissues and organs. If the disease is not treated in a timely manner, this leads to disastrous consequences, up to oncology and even death.
Signs for types of worms
Depending on the case, the Helminthic invasion presents symptoms characteristic of a certain type of worm, because in nature there are hundreds of varieties. Pinworms are considered the most common, because the infection can occur all year round. Each type of worm, round or ribbon, is manifested by a decrease in the functioning of the immune system, damage to internal organs, intoxication, allergies, etc.
Spin
Roundworms or roundworms are a dangerous helminth invasion, the symptoms of which in some cases do not appear immediately. To stay comfortably in the human body, worms need oxygen, an adequate temperature regime, a certain humidity. All of this is inside the human body.
Symptoms of worms of this classification are very similar to colds:
- wandering pain;
- slight nausea;
- violation of appetite;
- weakness in the whole body;
- stool disorders;
- inflammation of the stomach walls and pain from this;
- acute allergies;
- intoxication;
- if treatment is missed, a violation of the rhythm of work of all human organs develops.
The class of nematodes is quite large, so the signs also differ. For example, with the development of enterobiasis, itching can appear in the anus, it is especially aggravated at night. With ascariasis, the larvae actively migrate with blood, so they can appear anywhere. Trichinosis disease develops along with severe fever, body aches, swelling of the face, rash of a bright red hue, and so on.
Tape
Tapeworms are also divided into types, including broad tapeworm, bovine tapeworm, echinococcus, and others. Home remedies for these types of parasites are ineffective. Helminth invasion and its symptoms are pronounced in a particular case.
So, with the development of a wide tapeworm in the body, it can be:
- pressure in the pancreas;
- decreased acidity of the stomach;
- disturbed digestion process;
- blockage of the intestine;
- lose weight;
- anemia;
- in severe cases of the course of the disease, internal organs, high fever, numbness of the extremities can be increased.
With the development of tapeworms, similar symptoms are observed, frequent headaches are added, appetite increases or decreases sharply.
In the case of echinococcosis, the lungs and liver are damaged, the muscles, brain and bones are less likely to suffer. With liver damage, pain in the right hypochondrium, heartburn, jaundice, cirrhosis are observed. If the disease develops in the lungs, a severe dry cough with impurity of the blood begins, shortness of breath. In the abdominal cavity, the development of worms of this type is especially dangerous, as it can lead to severe intoxication, allergies, peritonitis and anaphylactic shock.
Remedy for worms for humans
Means for removing worms can be divided into drugs with a narrow and wide range of effects. The first type is based on the use of protivocestodozny drugs, the second - anthelmintic. The latter are more often prescribed, they effectively fight parasites, stop their growth and reproduction, and quickly remove them from the body.
A narrow spectrum is used depending on the situation and the negligence of the case. Self-medication can be dangerous to health and life! A visit to a specialist is a must.