Helminthiasis is a parasitic disease that is especially common in children.If worms appear in any of the organs or systems of the child's body, then their negative impact will not only affect its functioning, but also affect the functioning of the immune and nervous systems.Symptoms such as cough, lack of appetite, indigestion and allergic reaction may be accompanied by other unrelated symptoms.If you suspect a helminth infestation, it is important to contact a specialist immediately and not to self-medicate.
Why is helminthiasis dangerous?
Most helminthiasis of the types most commonly found in children are intestinal parasites.They live and feed in it, as a result of which they multiply and release toxins.Also, parasitic worms mechanically affect the intestinal walls.The consequences of the active activity of worms in the child's body can be:
- Vitamin deficiency and weight loss.These problems occur due to lack of nutrients and vitamins.As a result, children begin to lag behind in their development.Pathological processes can begin in other organs.
- Intestinal inflammation, colitis, dysbiosis, bleeding.All these unpleasant and serious complications are caused by mechanical damage caused by worms in the children's body.
- The development of inflammatory processes in the appendix, liver, gall bladder.These are organs adjacent to the intestines in which parasites can move.
- Intestinal obstruction.It can be partial or complete, and sometimes there is a risk of tearing the intestinal wall.
- Intoxication of the body.When worms live and die inside a person, they release aggressive toxins.
- Allergy.The waste products of parasites are considered strong allergens.
- Impaired liver function.For this reason, the child must follow a diet for many years and additionally take enzymes.
- Psychosis.Helminths tend to have a negative effect on the patient's nervous system.
Types of worms that affect the child's body
There are many types of parasites that can appear in a child's body.They differ in size, both small and large, and also manifest in different ways and have different incubation periods that vary from 1 to 1.5 months.In order to prescribe effective drugs that will help in the treatment of helminthiasis, you need to correctly determine their type.The most common types in children are:
- Tape.This type of worms includes cestodes, dwarf tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococcus.
- Ringed.Among them are annelids.
- Round.Their representatives are trichinella, pinworms, whipworms, nematodes and roundworms.
- Goofheads.They are represented by acanthocephalans.
- Flat.These include flukes and flukes.
Causes and methods of infection
It is possible to get infected with helminthiasis not only in an exotic country or by trying an unusual dish from the menu.Playing in the sandbox and unwashed hands is the easiest way for worms to enter the child's body.Children tend to touch and study everything without thinking about the cleanliness of the object being studied.Then they can safely lick their fingers without washing them first.Worms remain viable for a very long time (from weeks to months), remaining on the surface of various objects.
In addition to dirty hands, the main sources of infection include:
- dirty toys and surfaces;
- fabric;
- shoes;
- railings at the entrance;
- door handles;
- raw water;
- dirty vegetables and fruits;
- soil, earth, sand;
- contact with a sick child;
- meat that is not cooked well enough;
- undercooked fish or other seafood.
Symptoms of parasites in children
Usually, in children under 1 year of age, any manifestations of the presence of parasites in the body are observed in isolated cases.The first symptoms that signal an infection with helminths are registered already at an older age (about 2-3 years) in children attending kindergarten or other developmental organizations.
Helminthiasis in children is represented by a huge variety, and each individual type has its own specific symptoms.However, there are a number of symptoms that are characteristic of each type of worm:
- irritability and moodiness for no apparent reason;
- restless sleep;
- allergy;
- itching in the anus;
- increased salivation;
- disturbed digestion process, accompanied by diarrhea, constipation, nausea and bloating;
- lack of appetite;
- weight loss with proper nutrition;
- pallor of the skin.
In older children, these symptoms may be accompanied by:
- headache;
- stomach discomfort;
- vertigo;
- increased fatigue;
- poor concentration.
Enterobiosis (sedges)
A disease in which parasites such as pinworms enter the child's body is called enterobiosis.This type of helminths is most often found in small children of preschool age - from 2 to 5 years.They are distinguished by their small size, 5-13 mm, and minimal harm compared to other types of parasites.
Their presence leads to the appearance of the following symptoms:
- Severe itching in the anus.Its intensity can reach such a force that the child will sleep badly, scratch the anus, causing irritation and inflammation.
- Urinary incontinence during nocturnal sleep.It is observed in girls.This happens if the pincers from the anus enter the urethra.As a result, the baby begins to develop urethritis, vaginitis or cystitis.
Pinworms are easy to remove and are not as dangerous as other heartworm species.It is important in time, when the first signs appear, to consult a doctor and undergo the necessary tests.If the child is diagnosed with pinworms, then the parents also need treatment.All clothes, towels and other rags should be washed and ironed, and the room should be thoroughly washed, as the eggs of these worms are found on all surfaces in the home of the infected person.
Ascariasis (roundworms)
The second most common worms in children are large roundworms up to 40 cm in size that live in the small intestine - roundworms.In addition to the general symptoms of helminthiasis, in the case of roundworms, an infected person in the initial stage develops a dry cough in the absence of inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract.Its appearance is due to the fact that the larvae of this type of parasite enter the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and through coughing they again fall into the stomach.
Other distinctive features include:
- headache and dizziness;
- allergies;
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- elevated temperature;
- intestinal disorders.
At the same time, there is no itching in the buttocks due to roundworms.The habitat can be not only the intestines, but also any other organ or system of the body.
Trichocephalosis (nematode)
These parasites in children are worms with a very thin body, the length of which reaches 5 cm. A female worm can lay up to 2 thousand eggs at a time.Usually, such helminths appear more often in adolescence and much less often in young children.
A distinctive feature of trichocephalosis is the almost complete absence of signs of helminthic invasion.Possible symptoms are:
- disorders of the nervous system (irritability, headache);
- problems with the digestive system, accompanied by diarrhea, nausea or vomiting;
- increase in body temperature.
Signs of other parasites
Other types of worms that can occur in children include the following:
- Hymenolepidosis or dwarf rat tapeworm.Specific symptoms are not characteristic of him.Its presence can be recognized by nausea, loss of appetite, heartburn, alternating diarrhea and constipation, headache, abdominal pain, increased salivation, dizziness, fatigue, skin rashes, allergic rhinitis and bronchospasms.
- Opisthorchosis or Siberian cat flu.These worms in a child cause low-grade fever, skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes, pain in the joints and right hypochondrium, pancreatitis, gastritis and other signs of malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, constant catarrhal syndrome, etc.
- Toxocarosis.It is transmitted through animals.The main symptoms are an allergic cough with suffocation and skin rashes that are characterized by severe itching.
- Wide band.The source of infection is insufficiently processed or undercooked fish.Symptoms include abdominal pain, allergic reaction, B12 deficiency anemia, and other common signs of intestinal distress.
How to check if your child has worms?
In most cases, it is difficult for parents to associate specific symptoms with helminthiasis or to understand why their child suddenly developed vomiting or other symptoms for no apparent reason.At the slightest doubt about the appearance of worms, you should go to specialists and take tests that can easily confirm the assumption of helminthic invasion.This will not take much time and effort, but the cause of the baby's illness will be clearly understood and it will be possible to carry out timely treatment.
Self-diagnosis
Self-diagnosis is a careful monitoring of changes in the behavior, development, habits, daily life and normal state of the child - both physical and emotional-psychological.
It includes:
- periodic examination of feces for the presence of worms;
- monitoring the frequency of visits to the toilet;
- examining the skin for rashes, redness, or irritation;
- checking the amount of food consumed.
Taking tests
Medical diagnosis is necessary to confirm the diagnosis if worms are detected visually or only if helminthic infestation is suspected.To find out the cause of your symptoms, you should undergo a series of tests, which include:
- Stool analysis.In it you can find eggs or parts of already mature worms.The effectiveness of the method is maximum in the period when there are already sexually mature individuals in the intestines, i.e.approximately 3 weeks to a month after infection.Fecal material should be taken in the morning and sent to the laboratory.
- A smear or scraping from the anal area.To do this, use a dry cotton swab soaked in glycerin or a plaster.The analysis allows us to identify worm larvae that have been deposited on skin areas in the anus area.
- General blood test.Patients with helminthiasis may have an increased number of immune cells in the blood, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and a decreased hemoglobin level.
- Enzyme immunoassay blood test.It allows you to detect parasites at an early stage with the help of staining enzymes that attract worms, viruses and other foreign bodies.
Additional tests for parasites in a child that may be done in a clinic include:
- analysis for the presence of IgG antibodies;
- ultrasound examination;
- x-ray.
Features of drug treatment
The doctor should prescribe antiparasitic drugs for a child after passing all the necessary tests and establishing an accurate diagnosis and the type of worms.Among the most common drugs against helminth infestations, the following should be noted:
- An anthelmintic drug acting on nematodes.Allowed from 6 months.Effective against all types of roundworms, but useless against flatworms.
- An anthelmintic drug from the group of benzimidazoles.It has been appointed for 2-3 years.The dosage is determined at the rate of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight.
- Antiprotozoal and antimicrobial drug from the group of nitroimidazoles.Suitable for any age according to which the daily dose is determined.
- An anthelmintic drug from the group of benzimidazoles.For children from 2 years old against roundworms.
What folk remedies can help?
In addition to drugs, worms can also be treated with folk remedies.
The most popular products that can provide effective treatment of worms in children are:
- garlic.It successfully destroys roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms and copes with many other types of parasites.Suitable for children from 5 years of age and with a healthy stomach.Give 1 clove before meals once a day.You can drink it with water or milk.Garlic is also an excellent antiviral agent.
- Pumpkin seeds.They should be consumed on an empty stomach and raw.Children usually like this treatment.Otherwise, they can be crushed and mixed with honey if the child is not allergic to honey.
- Wormwood.Allowed for children over 12 years old.For easier acceptance, mix it with a piece of bread and add salt.
- Fresh carrot juice.Half a cup on an empty stomach once a day for 7-10 days is enough.You can also chew raw carrots.
- Beetroot juice.It is given on an empty stomach.It is recommended to alternate it with carrots so as not to provoke bowel dysfunction.
- Nuts.A few pieces a day will be enough for the child.
- Pineapple.Fresh, not canned, fruit is a tasty and effective remedy.
- citrus fruits.You can add berries and sour-tasting fruits to their "company".
Prevention
Regardless of the type of worms, prevention comes down to observing the basic rules of personal hygiene:
- Washed food.All vegetables, fruits and berries should be washed well before eating.As an additional measure, the products can be poured with boiling water.
- Clean hands.You should wash them before eating, after going for walks, visiting the hospital and in public places, after using the toilet and playing with animals, even pets.
- Deworming of pets.It is necessary to do it at least 2 times a year.
- Boiled or filtered drinking water.It is forbidden to drink water from open reservoirs.You should also avoid swimming in them to avoid splashing water in your mouth.Exceptions are salt lakes and seas.
- Regular prevention using folk remedies.
- Caring for old and new toys.Soft toys should be washed periodically, plastic and plastic ones should be washed with boiled water.New ones should be poured with boiling water before giving to a child.
- Not the insects!Flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches carry helminth eggs on their feet.It is important to keep them out of the home.To do this, you can use fumigators, adhesive tapes and special crayons.
- Exclusion from the child's diet of fish and meat dishes that require low cooking of animal products.
- Sending a stool test once a year.This procedure will help detect worms at an early stage.