Helminths in humans: symptoms of the disease and its treatment

Numerous studies of modern medicine prove that helminths in humans are the cause of many diseases. The penetration of parasites into the body is not felt immediately and often the symptoms are disguised as other diseases. Many people have been treated for years for diseases of the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, looking for the causes of allergic diseases. But they don't even think about checking the body for helminth infestation.

Methods of infection

There are about 250 species of helminths in nature. In addition, each parasite causes a specific disease with characteristic symptoms. The problem is widespread in both children and adults.

There are several reasons for the defeat:

1. Contact method - some types of parasites, including pinworms, are transmitted from person to person by shaking hands.
2. Nutrition - eating raw or semi-raw meat, poor quality fish infected with helminths, causes them to enter the body.
3. Through soil and water - if the land and water are infected with helminths, which are excreted in the feces of humans or animals with helminthiasis.
4. Contact with animals infected with helminth infestation.
5. Transfer eggs of insect worms to food.
6. Insect bites can carry certain types of parasites into the body.

Doctors note that the main mechanism of spread is considered to be oral-fecal. In other words, human helminths are affected by the consumption of contaminated food and water.

Also often the reason for the spread is the lack of basic hygiene. Once you are outdoors and especially after working with your finger, you should wash your hands thoroughly.

Children are particularly susceptible to helminth infestation. Walking on the street, contact with pets lead to the rapid spread of the problem. Shingles infection is very simple. Because the female squirrel is able to come out of the intestines at night to lay eggs near the anus, which causes severe itching in the child. Children inadvertently scratch this place and this leads to contamination of hands and feet, clothes and bed. Contact with children's belongings, furniture that the baby could handle with unwashed hands, door handles and plumbing fixtures is a cause of infection for anyone living in the apartment.

How to identify the problem?

Helminths in humans can cause different symptoms, so different treatments are prescribed.

But there are also typical signs that are most common in people infected with parasites:

• noticeable weight loss;
• anemia;
• severe itching in the anus;
• Lack of appetite;
• constant fatigue.

For these symptoms, most people immediately begin to suspect a worm infection.

But often helminths in humans cause other symptoms, more reminiscent of other signs of disease.

1. Gastrointestinal problems - recurrent nausea, diarrhea or vomiting, flatulence and abdominal pain may not be a sign of stomach problems, but a worm infection. This often happens if the parasites are in the gut. Symptoms can be severe or mild. But in any case, they bring great discomfort to a person.
2. General malaise and adverse effects on the nervous system. This condition is provoked by toxins that are able to release parasites in the human body. Gradual intoxication leads to frequent headaches, dizziness, mild nausea. With a severe infection, fever and joint pain are likely. Due to worms in the human body, the amount of vitamins and nutrients decreases sharply. As a result, it leads to drowsiness, constant fatigue and nervousness. Children are especially susceptible - they become capricious and irritable, sleep restlessly at night, become inattentive.
3. Allergic reactions on the skin - the waste products of parasites desensitize the body and therefore proteins that are similar to them when ingested are perceived as allergens. Hence the different options for allergies - skin rashes, hives, constant itching. Symptoms of helminths include even allergic rhinitis and cough.
4. Weak immunity, which leads to the frequent occurrence of infectious diseases. The problem arises against the background of reducing the amount of vitamins and nutrients in the body.

According to popular belief, the presence of worms in the body can be detected even by snoring or gnashing of teeth during sleep. Such methods of determination still exist, but medicine claims that these are only assumptions. Snoring and gnashing of teeth can be caused by many other reasons.

Where do parasites live?

Human helminths can inhabit the body in different places.

Depending on this there are:

1. Cavity - colonizes the small and large intestines. There are about a hundred species of such worms.
2. Tissue - occupy tissues and organs. They can be found in the liver, muscles, lungs, brain, lymph vessels.

Some types of worms, such as roundworms, are both cavities and tissues. They, in the form of larvae, can infect organs, and worms infect the intestines.

Diagnosis of helminths

To determine helminthiasis, modern medicine uses several methods:

• examine a person's stool for an ovarian leaf;
• scrape the anus;
• scraping of the vagina in girls;
• immunological tests for antibodies.

In addition, the doctor may send for tests of urine and blood, bile and sputum. In severe infection, ultrasound, biopsy, computed tomography are used. These research methods help to determine the location of colonies of parasites in the human body.

How to get rid of helminthiasis?

There are many drugs in the arsenal of doctors today that can quickly and successfully deal with the problem of damage to the human body by parasites. But it is important to make the right diagnosis to find the optimal cure. Only then will the treatment be successful.

Depending on the type of parasites are prescribed:

1. Mebendazole-based drugs are the best option for infection with enterobiosis, trichocephaly.
2. Diethylcarbamazine drugs are recommended for the treatment of filariasis.
3. Levamisole tablets are often prescribed by doctors to patients when the body is infected with trichocephaly, ascariasis, toxoplasmosis.
4. Albendazole preparations - have been shown to be effective in cysticercosis and echinococcosis.
5. Praziquantel pills - will help you cope with cestodes, schistosomiasis, trimodosis.

Most often, it is possible to deal with helminthiasis by prescribing pills. But in case of re-infection or exacerbation, doctors recommend more serious treatment, which includes injections of ascorbic acid, vitamin B6 or calcium gluconate, as well as medicines for high blood pressure and antipyretics.

Prevention measures

It's so easy to get infected with worms. And it takes a long time to get rid of parasites. In order not to be subjected to numerous tests and not to poison the body with portions of drugs to remove helminths, it is better to prevent the problem.

In addition, prevention is not difficult:

• Follow the basic rules of personal hygiene - wash your hands after a walk, use individual hygiene items.
• Work properly with meat and fish.
• Wash vegetables and fruits well before eating.
• Pet owners should treat their pet for worms several times a year. Animals also require timely vaccination.
• During frequent trips to nature, contact with the ground does not hurt once a year to carry out drug prophylaxis of parasites.
• Children are recommended to undergo prophylaxis with medication twice a year.

Literally every one of us has been a worm carrier at least once in our lives. In fact, no person is insured against infection, regardless of their status and position. This problem does not lead to death, but creates great discomfort. Therefore, the earlier the parasites are spotted, the sooner the patient will undergo competent treatment and forget about the unpleasant problem.