Worms are representatives of lower worms that live in the human body. A disease associated with human infection by various types of worms is called helminthiasis. This disease is not uncommon and occurs in some segments of the population. Children are susceptible to worm infection, hunters - trichinella, fishermen and lovers of Japanese cuisine (raw fish in the form of sushi) suffer from diphyllobothriasis.
Many diseases, paradoxically, can occur in the human body due to helminthiasis. Today, the theory about the connection between cancer and parasitic infections is one of the most important. In the presence of helminthiasis, symptoms do not always appear, and if, however, patients with this disease experience any unpleasant and unpleasant sensations, they are perceived as signs of other diseases. The patient has been treated for years for pancreatitis, gastritis or colitis, not suspecting that the cause of his illness is helminthiasis.
How does infection occur?
Infection with helminths occurs as follows:
- Through unwashed hands
- In contact with the ground
- After insect bites
- Because of dirty hands
- When you eat raw meat and fish
- After eating unwashed fruits and vegetables
- After contact with an animal
- After contact with infected persons
Mature eggs of parasites can be found in soil, water and food (raw and lightly cooked meat or fish). Rare cases of the disease occur due to insect bites. The mechanism of infection by helminthiasis is oral-fecal. A person ingests the eggs of the parasite with food and water. Contact and household methods of infection also occur. They occur when, after contact with soil or sand, hands are not washed properly.
Vegetables and berries growing in soil that has not been sufficiently washed are also a source of worm infection. Children who play with pets and yard animals are at risk of getting worms. Pets that roam freely on the street can bring helminth eggs into the house. Flies and other insects, after contact with animal feces, sitting on food, can easily transfer helminth eggs. Surprisingly, person-to-person infection is also possible. It happens like this: a female worm can crawl out of the intestines and lay eggs directly in the intestines, causing severe itching. A person, after scratching an itchy area, may come into contact with other toiletries and household items. These items fall into the hands of other family members, after which they become infected.
Infection through water is also possible. Many parasite eggs easily fall into reservoirs and open wells. Drinking unboiled well water is extremely dangerous.
Types of helminthiasis
Helminthiases differ in the way they penetrate the human body:
- Biohelminths
- Geohelminths
- Adhesive
Biohelminths are transmitted to humans through contact with animals. Geohelminths can be infected through the soil. Contagious ones arise due to contact with an infected person. The disease manifests itself differently depending on the method of infection, the number of worms and the degree of their adaptation to each human organ.
Stages of helminthiasis
The most destructive effect on the body is not caused by adults, but by their larvae. Adults have already chosen a comfortable place for themselves in the human body, and the larvae travel through the organs and leave behind their lesions. The most common habitat of parasites is the gastrointestinal tract. Different types of parasites prefer different habitats. So roundworms are located in the small intestine, and worms are located in the large intestine and the lower parts of the small intestine. According to the habitat of the parasites, helminthic infections are:
- Transparent
- Cloth
The luminal ones are located in the lumen of the genital organs, and the tissue ones are located inside the tissues. Depending on their growth, parasites can change their habitat, moving from the luminal form to the tissue form. Helminthiasis develops in two stages:
- spicy
- chronic
The acute phase lasts from a week to a month, and the chronic phase continues until recovery. The acute phase begins with the introduction of the egg and continues as the parasite matures and grows. The disease is manifested as allergic reactions to a foreign organism. During the chronic phase of the disease, different reactions of the body occur. During this period, the parasite moves throughout the body in search of shelter. The disease is associated with interruptions in the functioning of organs and systems in the human body. By integrating into the immune system of the human body, parasites consume substances necessary for their growth and development. This leads to metabolic disorders, disorders of the digestive system and difficulties in absorbing vitamins and minerals.
In addition to this damage, parasites throw their waste into the human body, poisoning the body, leading to intestinal disorders, decreased immunity and the development of bacterial infections. Parasites contribute to the risk of developing cancer. This happens due to the negative impact on the immune system and the stimulation of cell division. Often a patient is examined by many specialists who find a multitude of diseases in him. And in this case, all specialists can be replaced by a single doctor - a parasitologist.
Classification of helminths
Types of worms in humans:
- Flatworms
- Roundworms
Flatworms include:
- Trematodes (opisthorchiasis, schistosomes, paragonimus)
- Cestoda (broad tape, pig tape, echinococcus, alveococcus)
- Roundworms or nematodes:
- Penworm
- Ascaris
- Breast worm
- Trichinella
This classification of helminths is presented in the medical literature. To successfully solve a problem such as helminthiasis, it is necessary to discover the deep characteristics of the structure and life cycle of parasites.
Trematodes
Another name for trematodes is flukes. These parasites are flat leaf or lanceolate in shape with two suckers. One pinworm is located in the mouth and the second one used for attachment is in the peritoneum. All representatives of the fluke enter the body through an intermediate host. Most of these parasites are hermaphrodites.
Opisthorchiasis
This is a shot - a worm up to 1. 3 cm long with two suckers. Opisthorchiasis is a hermaphrodite that parasitizes the liver, gall bladder, and pancreas in humans and some carnivores (foxes, dogs, cats). Opisthorchiasis eggs are released from the human or animal body in feces. When these eggs enter a body of water, they are ingested by freshwater molluscs, within which the larvae hatch and develop. The process of larval development and maturation takes two months. Then the larvae crawl out of the mollusk and penetrate the skin of the carp fish. After six weeks, the larvae become fully mature parasites. Opisthorchiasis enters the body of an animal or a person after eating contaminated fish. This worm can live in a living organism for up to 20 years. Symptoms of opisthorchiasis:
- allergy
- weakness
- Headache
- Dizziness
- DEPRESSION
- Loss of consciousness
Damage caused to the body by opisthorchiasis:
- Poisoning by the remains of parasites
- Liver tissue damage
- Gallbladder damage
- Impaired bile flow
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Secretory dysfunction
- Decreased gastric motility
- Thickening of the walls of some organs, the appearance of tumors as a result.
The chronic course of the disease is characterized by:
- Importance after eating
- Pain
- Vomiting
- nausea
Prevention of infection: To avoid infection with opisthorchiasis, you should not eat live fish. Larvae die during heat treatment of products. Dried fish can only be eaten if it has been salted before. Also, the larvae die when the fish is frozen for a long time.
Schistosomes
These parasites are of different sexes, similar to needles with a length of 0. 4 to 2. 6 cm. Females are taller than males and larger, producing 3, 000 eggs per day. The mode of reproduction is the same as that of the previous type of parasite, via freshwater molluscs. The larva enters the human body through the skin and mucous membranes while swimming in a body of fresh water. It can also enter the body of a person who accidentally swallows water while swimming. After a day of penetration, the larva turns into an adult and enters the peripheral veins, through which it is sent to the lungs and venous vessels. There the schistosome reaches sexual maturity.
Schistosoma lays eggs in the intestines, mucosa and bladder. The eggs are then excreted from the human body with urine or feces and begin their developmental journey again. Schistosoma lives in the human body for several decades, causing damage and infecting new individuals. The problems that arise when infected with schistosomes are caused to the human body not by adults, but by their eggs. Only half of the eggs are excreted from the body, the rest accumulates in the organs. The eggs of this parasite have spines that damage a person's internal organs, often causing ulcers in the infected person. Patients with schistosomiasis experience the following symptoms:
- Appetite disorder
- Anemia
- Enlarged liver
- Changed spleen
- Decreased intestinal motility
- Stomach ache
- Constipation
- diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Intestinal bleeding
- Pain during urination
- Allergies
- weakness
When the genitourinary system is infected, patients experience:
- Menstrual irregularities and abortions in women
- Impotence and incomplete ejaculation in men
If eggs enter the central nervous system:
- Acute cerebral schistosomiasis
- Chronic brain damage
- DEATH
Infected children experience delayed growth and development and reduced school performance. Prevention of the disease includes avoiding swimming and avoiding walking barefoot in tropical waters.
Parable
Paragonim is a 1 cm long lungfish with an ovoid body and red spines. This parasite multiplies in the lungs of animals and enters the human body by eating lobsters and freshwater crabs. The parasite affects the respiratory system. Patients with paragonimiasis are characterized by allergic reactions and reduced immunity. Symptoms:
- Increase in temperature
- cough
- The production of sputum from the lungs during coughing
- dyspnoea
- In severe cases, blood and parasite eggs are present in the sputum
- Wheezing is clearly heard in the patient's lungs
Prevention: Avoid eating raw lobster and crab.
Cestodes
Representatives of cestodes are tapeworms of various lengths. Some parasites reach gigantic sizes. On the head of these parasites there are suckers, hooks or suction slits. Parasites need these devices to attach to the intestinal walls. Cestodes affect the whole human body, they are the most dangerous for children, who quickly develop anemia.
Echinococcus
These parasites reach a length of 5 cm and are the cause of Echinococcus disease. The multichambered representative of this type of worm is the causative agent of such a disease as alveococcosis. The disease is carried by cattle and domestic animals. When you care for these animals, parasite eggs fall from their fur onto people's hands. When parasites enter the human intestine, they bite into the mucosa. As the parasite matures, it develops 4 sections, the last of which is filled with eggs. These sections break off and spread throughout the body, infecting it. The fourth section distributes the eggs throughout the body.
The patient's infected organ enlarges, for example the liver. Suffocation may form. An enlarged organ can even rupture the abdominal cavity. And this can lead to serious sepsis of the body and even death. Symptoms:
- weakness
- Dizziness
- Allergic reactions to parasite waste products.
Echinococcus affects:
- Brain
- Spinal cord
- The eyes
- Thyroid gland
- Liver
- The lungs
- Mithras
This parasite can provoke the formation of tumors, including malignant ones. The most unpleasant thing is that the treatment of this disease is possible only with surgery. Prevention: personal hygiene in contact with animals.
nematodes
These worms with an elongated, round or cylindrical body, parasitize, most often, in the body of children. These roundworms include roundworms, roundworms, and hookworms.
Red worms
These are small white worms. The length of the female is 1 cm, the male is 0. 5 cm. These parasites have a sharp tail, which is why they were called worms. The habitat of worms is the human intestine. The front part of the parasite has a suction cup, with the help of which the worm pierces the intestines, and the sharp end hangs in the lumen and damages the walls. This disease is called enterobiasis. You can get infected from a person through dirty hands. The disease is observed in preschool children attending kindergarten. A symptom of a worm infection is itching near the anus. Most often, itching is felt at night, when the female lays eggs, secreting a special substance. Symptoms:
- scratching
- diarrhea
- Stomach ache
- Headache
- Lack of appetite
Prevention: hand washing.
Roundworms
These worms are the largest. The length of the female reaches up to 0. 5 m. The female lays 200, 000 eggs per year, regardless of the male. The mechanism of infection is fecal-oral. Ascaris eggs enter the human body along with unwashed vegetables and fruits, through dirty hands. The larva, entering the intestine, is separated from the shell and penetrates the intestinal walls, while migrating through the intestinal veins to the liver, through the hepatic veins to the heart, through the pulmonary arteries to the bronchi, then to the trachea and to the mouth. A partial number of larvae die in the open air, the rest are swallowed again. Symptoms:
- nausea
- Vomiting
- Jaundice
- Pancreatitis
- Frequent acute respiratory infections
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
Prevention:
- Hand washing
- Washing vegetables and fruits
- Maintaining personal hygiene
- Protect food from flies, cockroaches and other carriers.
In conclusion, we can say that the cause of the disease is not always the bacteria and viruses that have entered the body. Parasites can cause great damage to human health. If unclear symptoms appear, the possibility of a parasite entering the body should not be excluded; the patient should see a parasitologist.