Helminths in humans: symptoms of the disease and its treatment

Numerous studies of modern medicine show that helminths are the cause of many diseases in humans. The invasion of parasites into the body is not immediately noticeable and often the symptoms are disguised as other diseases. For years, many people have been treated for diseases of the liver, kidneys, and gall bladder in search of the causes of the development of allergic diseases. But they don't even think about examining the body for the presence of a helminthic invasion.

Methods of infection

There are approximately 250 types of helminths in nature. In addition, each parasite causes a certain ailment with characteristic symptoms. The problem is common in both children and adults.

The defeat has several reasons:

1. Contact method - some types of parasites, including pinworms, are transmitted from person to person by shaking hands.
2. Diet - Eating raw or semi-raw meat leads to poor quality helminth-infected fish entering the body.
3. Through soil and water - when land and water are infected with helminths excreted in the feces of people or animals with helminthiasis.
4. Contact with animals infected with helminthic infestations.
5. Transmission of worms eggs to food by insects.
6. Insect bites can carry some types of parasites into the body.

Doctors note that the main mechanism of transmission is oral-fecal. In other words, human helminths are affected by eating contaminated food and water.

The reason for the spread is also often the lack of basic hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly after being outdoors, and especially after working with soil.

Children are particularly vulnerable to helminthic invasion. Walking on the street and contact with pets spreads the problem quickly. Getting infected with pinworms is very easy. Since the female pinworm is able to get out of the intestines at night to lay eggs near the anus, it causes severe itching in the child. Children involuntarily scratch this area, which leads to contamination of hands and feet, clothing and bed. Contact with children's objects, furniture that the baby could touch with unwashed hands, doorknobs and sanitary fittings are a source of infection for all residents of the apartment.

How do you spot the problem?

Helminths can cause different symptoms in humans, so a different treatment is prescribed.

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

• noticeable weight loss;
• Anemia;
• severe itching in the anus;
• Loss of appetite;
• constant fatigue.

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

But helminths often cause other symptoms in humans that are more reminiscent of signs of other diseases.

1. Problems of the gastrointestinal tract - recurring nausea, diarrhea or vomiting, flatulence and abdominal pain cannot speak of stomach problems, but of an infection with worms. This is often the case when the parasites are in the gut. Symptoms can be severe or mild. But in any case, they cause great discomfort to a person.
2. General malaise and negative effects on the nervous system. This condition is caused by toxins that parasites can release in the human body. Gradual intoxication leads to frequent headaches, dizziness, mild nausea. If the infection is severe, there is a possibility of fever and joint pain. Worms in the human body greatly reduce the amount of vitamins and nutrients. As a result, this leads to drowsiness, constant tiredness and nervousness. Children are particularly susceptible - they become moody 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, different options for allergies - rashes, hives, constant itching. Even allergic rhinitis and cough are noted among the symptoms of helminths.
4. Poor immunity, which leads to the frequent manifestation of infectious diseases. The problem arises against the background of a decrease in the amount of vitamins and nutrients in the body.

According to popular belief, the presence of worms in the body can even be determined by snoring or grinding teeth while sleeping. Such methods of determination still exist, but medicine claims that these are only assumptions. Snoring and grinding teeth can have many other causes.

Where do parasites live?

Human helminths can inhabit the body in different places.

Depending on this there are:

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

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

Diagnosis of helminths

To determine helminthiasis, modern medicine uses several methods:

• examining a person's feces for an ovarian leaf;
• scratch in the anus;
• Scraping from the vagina in girls;
• Immunological tests for antibodies.

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

How to get rid of helminthiasis

In the arsenal of doctors today there are a lot of drugs that can quickly and successfully cope with the problem of damage to the human body by parasites. But it is important to get the correct diagnosis in order to find the optimal drug. Only then is the treatment successful.

Depending on the type of parasite, they are prescribed:

1. Mebendazole-based drugs are the best option for infection with enterobiasis, trichocephalosis.
2. For the treatment of filariasis, drugs containing diethylcarbamazine are recommended.
3. Levamisole tablets are often prescribed to patients by doctors when the body is infected with trichocephalosis, ascariasis, or toxoplasmosis.
4. Preparations with albendazole - have been shown to be effective in cysticercosis and echinococcosis.
5. Tablets with praziquantel - help manage zestodosis, schistosomiasis and trimodosis.

In most cases, it is possible to cope with the prescription of pills with helminthiasis. However, in the event of re-infection or exacerbations, doctors recommend more serious treatment, which includes injections of ascorbic acid, vitamin B6, or calcium gluconate, along with drugs for high blood pressure and fever relievers.

Preventive 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 undergo numerous studies and not to poison the body with portions of medicine for the removal of helminths, it is better to prevent the occurrence of a problem.

In addition, prevention is not difficult:

• Observe the basic rules of personal hygiene - wash your hands after the walk, use personal hygiene items.
• Treat meat and fish properly.
• Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating.
• Pet owners should treat their pet for worms several times a year. Animals also need vaccination in good time.
• With frequent excursions into nature, contact with the ground once a year does not harm in order to carry out drug prophylaxis against parasites.
• Children are recommended to conduct prophylaxis with drugs twice a year.

Literally each of us has been a vector of worms at least once in our lives. In fact, no one is insured against contagion regardless of their status or position. This problem does not lead to death, but it does cause great discomfort. The sooner the parasites are noticed, the sooner the patient will undergo competent treatment and forget about the unpleasant problem.