Many people do not understand why they are asked to pass the "worm egg" test when applying for a job. Even more often, patients admitted with serious symptoms - vomiting, pain in the abdomen, heart or lungs, constipation, allergies or headaches - are surprised by the diagnosis of helminthic infestation. It turns out that parasites are not safe for humans, and the above symptoms are only the beginning. Let's get to know them better?
Parasites are everywhere: outside and inside
The word "parasite" comes from the Greek word "parasite" which means parasite. These organisms live and multiply in the host's organs and tissues, causing severe illness and even death. Such an infection is called an infestation. Parasites are divided into several groups depending on their structure and "habitat", and all of them are very dangerous.
Ectoparasites
This group includes parasitic organisms that live on or in the skin. They cause itching, dermatitis, allergies and carry dangerous infections.
- Head, body and pubic lice use their mouthparts to pierce the host's skin and drink blood. Infection with them is called pediculosis. Insects carry dangerous diseases - typhus and relapsing fever.
- Demodex mite (mite) is the causative agent of the disease called demodicosis. The length of the parasite is 0. 48 mm, so it is invisible to the naked eye. The mite lives in human hair follicles, causing inflammation (folliculitis) and dermatitis. Damage to eyebrows and eyelashes also causes eye infections.
- The scabies mite, as the name suggests, causes scabies. The female parasite, which is 0. 25-0. 38 mm long, bites the epidermis (layers of skin) to lay eggs. Itching occurs in the thickness of the skin. Parasitism causes itching, rash and allergic reactions. Affected: armpits, groin, abdomen, interdigital spaces. The disease spreads quickly, because the female lays 3-4 eggs every day, from which the larvae hatch 2-3 days later.
Endoparasites
Internal parasites live in host organs (intestines, kidneys, liver) and blood, causing infection (invasion). There are more than 25 species of endoparasites. Because of their guilt, 15-16 million people die every year.
Endoparasites include worms (worms) and protozoa. The number of infestations has increased in recent years. Hidden forms of parasitism prevail, in 80% of cases the owner does not know that uninvited "guests" are living in his body. Deaths from parasitic diseases have also increased. The development of tourism with trips to exotic countries has led to infection with tropical parasites that are difficult to identify and destroy in the conditions of our country.
Helminths
The most common of these parasites are:
- Roundworms are round worms up to 40 cm long that live in the small intestine. The female lays up to 200, 000 eggs per day. Worms weaken the body, cause anemia and indigestion. After gathering in a ball, the worms close and obstruct the intestinal lumen. Sometimes large balls of entangled roundworms are removed from a person during surgery.
- Tapeworms are tapeworms that do not show symptoms for a long time after entering the human body. The helminth, growing, causes swelling, anemia, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal obstruction. People get tapeworm by eating undercooked fish.
- Pig and cattle tapeworms enter the body when eating undercooked meat containing worm cysts (larvae). Parasites multiply rapidly by filling the host's body. A case of parasitization of one person by 104 pig tapeworms with a total length of 128 meters is described. Sometimes tapeworm larvae begin to "walk" throughout the body, causing tissue swelling, high fever and muscle pain.
- Pinworms are small worms that live in the intestines. They are not as harmless as they seem. Infection causes allergic reactions, helminths crawl into appendages and cause inflammation.
- Nematodes are a group of roundworms that parasitize the intestinal tract. Worms cause irritation of the intestinal wall and blockage of the bile ducts. 45 types of nematodes live in the human body. The most common are the eels and the whip.
Some worms live outside the gastrointestinal tract, causing extraintestinal helminthoses (flukes, exinococcus, pig tapeworm cysts). They damage the nervous system, brain and internal organs. Patients have fever, swelling, and blood in the urine. Dirofilariasis is dangerous, there are parasites in the heart. The parasite causes pain similar to the manifestation of ischemic heart disease.
Protozoa
In recent years, protozoan parasites affecting various organs and tissues have become widespread:
- Giardia is an organism that affects the small intestine and causes peristalsis. The disease is often asymptomatic.
- Trichomonas and chlamydia are protozoa that cause inflammation of the genitourinary system.
- Blastocysts are intestinal parasites that irritate the mucous membrane and reduce immunity.
- Dysenteric amoebae are protozoa that cause the protracted form of ulcerative colitis. A person experiences abdominal pain, loose stools and fever. The disease is dangerous due to intestinal perforation.
How to get infected with helminths: raw water, exotic cuisine and unwashed hands
There is no need to think that parasites live only in people who do not take care of themselves and lead an antisocial lifestyle. Anyone can get infected, because a person is not immune to communication with sick people and "parasite carriers". Uninvited "guests" enter the body through food, water from pets, dirty hands and insect bites.
Infection is fueled by people buying home-made lard, raw meat, dried and smoked fish in unauthorized markets. If sanitary conditions are not provided in the cafeteria or cafe, you can get infected. Undercooked meat and fish dishes are dangerous.
Parasites have also benefited from the craze for Japanese cuisine, where non-thermally processed fish are added to dishes. Not all sushi bar chefs follow proper sanitation. As a result, a person becomes infected with helminths.
How to suspect a parasite infection
In the presence of external parasites (lice, itch mite, demodex), skin itching occurs, worse at night. Irritation, redness, blisters and pustules appear on the skin. Sometimes allergies occur and the temperature may rise.
When infected with helminths, the clinical picture changes, but in all cases there are digestive problems (diarrhea or constipation), anemia and weakness. People lose weight even with an increase in appetite, some people's taste preferences change - a person likes fatty, salty, etc. wishesThis is how the body tries to replenish the loss of vitamins and trace elements caused by worm parasitism.
Helminth infections are accompanied by swelling of the abdomen, pain in its various parts, and itching around the anus. Sometimes, during bowel movements, worms fall out of the anus or come out in the stool. With severe infestation, vomiting occurs with the release of helminths. In a sick person, the liver and spleen are enlarged, pain occurs in the right or left hypochondrium.
Neurological manifestations caused by poisoning with waste products of parasitic organisms with helminths are frequent: insomnia, irritability, constant fatigue, bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep).
Parasites weaken the body, weaken the immune system, cause allergies. Manifestations of bronchial asthma are often associated with the presence of helminths (pinworms, whipworms, echinococci).
How to identify dangerous parasites
It is impossible to identify and treat dangerous residents alone, especially since they can exist in a complex, and by eliminating some, you will only make room for others. Each clinic has a parasitologist who treats infections. If there is no such specialist, you can make an appointment with a therapist.
The doctor will prescribe a number of tests:
- Blood for clinical analysis. With helminthosis, acceleration of ESR, decrease of hemoglobin and increase in the number of eosinophils are observed.
- Biochemical blood test for ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, thymol test, amylase. An increase in these indicators is characteristic of infection with nematodes.
- Analysis of bile, mucus, sputum, muscle tissue.
Worm infestations are often disguised as other diseases. People undergo operations where an eaten pancreas or liver is discovered. It is not always possible to treat a patient with an advanced form, so you should not hope for a miracle - you should give the same test for "worm eggs" in time. An endoscopy of the intestines and stomach is prescribed to make a diagnosis.
Diseases caused by parasitic protozoa are difficult to detect. The infection continues in secret and destroys the body until the patient shows serious organ changes.
Treatment of helminthiasis
To cure the patient, he is freed from parasites and their metabolic products. For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used, which are selected taking into account the type of parasite and the patient's condition. This should be done by a doctor, because all anthelmintic tablets contain dangerous substances.
The patient is prescribed a siphon enema to remove large worms. At the same time, make sure that the head of the helminth does not remain in the body, otherwise the parasite will grow again. To prevent re-infection, anthelmintic treatment is carried out in several courses.
After removing the worms, drip infusions of solutions, restoratives and vitamins are prescribed. Restore the functions of organs affected by parasites.
Pediculosis is treated with special sprays and mercury ointment. If pubic lice are found, the hair in the pubic area is shaved.
For the treatment of scabies, sulfur ointment, benzyl benzoate and a number of other preparations are used. Demodicosis is treated with complex external agents consisting of mercury, tar, zinc and sulfur.
Prevention of parasitic infections
To avoid "catching" exo- and endoparasites, you need:
- wash your hands, vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating;
- remove dirt under the nails;
- do not use other people's combs, shoes and household items;
- do not walk barefoot in public places, wear a hat when swimming in the pool;
- do not buy food in "spontaneous" markets and eat in questionable catering facilities;
- to boil or fry meat or fish;
- control the health status of pets by timely deworming;
- use insect repellent when traveling;
- Coming from an exotic country, undergo a full examination and undergo tests.
Parasites infect people quickly, so when they are detected, people living with the patient are checked, and if necessary, they are also treated.
In a modern clinic, you can undergo tests for the presence of worms and consult a general practitioner to quickly treat parasites.