Worms are representatives of lower worms that live in the human body. The disease associated with human infection by various types of worms is called helminthiasis. This disease is not uncommon and occurs among certain segments of the population. Children are susceptible to pinworm infection, hunters - trichinella, fishermen and lovers of Japanese cuisine (raw fish in the form of sushi) suffer from diphyllobotriosis.
Many diseases, paradoxically, can appear in the human body due to helminthosis. Today, the theory about the connection between cancer and parasitic infections is one of the most relevant. In the presence of helminthiasis, symptoms do not always appear, and if patients with this disease still experience 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 ailments is helminthiasis.
How does the infection occur?
Helminth infection occurs as follows:
- Through unwashed hands
- In contact with the earth
- 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 the parasite 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 helminthosis infection is oral-fecal. A person swallows parasite eggs with food and water. Both contact and domestic methods of infection occur. They occur when hands are not properly washed after contact with soil or sand.
Vegetables and berries growing in the ground that have not been sufficiently washed are also a source of hookworm infection. Children who play with farm animals and domestic animals are at risk of hookworm infection. Pets that roam the streets freely can bring helminth eggs into the house. Flies and other insects, after contact with animal excrement, land on food, can easily transfer helminth eggs. Surprisingly, person-to-person infection is also possible. It happens like this: the female pinworm can crawl out of the intestine and lay eggs directly on underwear, causing severe itching. A person, after scratching the itchy place, 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.
Waterborne infection is also possible. Many parasite eggs easily fall into open tanks and wells. Consuming unboiled well water is extremely dangerous.
Types of helminthiasis
Helminthiasis differ in the way they penetrate the human body:
- Biohelminths
- Geohelminths
- Contagious
Biohelminths are transmitted to humans through contact with animals. Geohelminths can be infected through the soil. They are contagious 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 in any human organ.
Stages of helminthiasis
The most destructive effect on the body is not caused by adults, but by their larvae. The adults have already chosen a comfortable place for themselves in the human body, and the larva travels through the organs and leaves behind its lesions. The most common habitat of parasites is the gastrointestinal tract. Different types of parasites prefer different habitats. So, roundworms are found in the small intestine, and pinworms settle in the large intestine and the lower parts of the small intestine. According to the habitat of the parasite, helminth infections are:
- Translucent
- Factory
Luminal are located in the lumen of the genital organs, and tissue within the tissue. Depending on their growth, parasites can change their habitat, passing from a luminal form to a tissue form. Helminthiasis develops in two stages:
- Spicy
- Chronic
The acute phase lasts from a week to a month, and the chronic phase lasts until healing. The acute phase begins with egg ingestion and continues as the parasite matures and grows. The disease manifests itself as an allergic reaction to a foreign organism. During the chronic stage of the disease, various body reactions occur. During this period, the parasite moves throughout the body in search of shelter. The disease is accompanied by disorders in the functioning of organs and systems in the human body. 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 difficult absorption of vitamins and minerals.
In addition to this damage, parasites expel their waste products 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 the patient is examined by many specialists who find a lot of diseases in him. And in this case, all specialists can be replaced by only one doctor - a parasitologist.
Classification of helminths
Types of worms in humans:
- Flatworms
- Roundworms
Flatworms include:
- Trematodes (opisthorchiasis, schistosomes, paragonimus)
- Cestodes (broad tapeworm, pig tapeworm, echinococcus, alveococcus)
- Roundworms or nematodes:
- Pinworm
- Ascaris
- Hookworm
- Trichinella
This classification of helminths is presented in the medical literature. To successfully solve a problem such as helminthiasis, it is necessary to find out the in-depth characteristics of the structure and life cycle of the parasite.
Trematodes
Another name for trematodes is fluke. These parasites are flat-shaped or spear-shaped with two nipples. One teat is in the mouth, and the other, which serves for attachment, is in the peritoneum. All fluke representatives enter the body through an intermediate host. Most of these parasites are hermaphrodites.
Opisthorchiasis
This is a fluke - a worm up to 1. 3 cm long with two teats. Opisthorchiasis is a hermaphrodite that parasitizes the liver, gall bladder and pancreas in humans and some carnivores (foxes, dogs, cats). Opisthorchizia eggs come out of the human or animal body in feces. When these eggs enter a body of water, they are swallowed by freshwater molluscs, within which they hatch and develop into larvae. The process of larval development and maturation takes two months. Then the larvae crawl out of the mollusks and penetrate the skin of the carp. After six weeks, the larvae become full-fledged mature parasites. Opisthorchiasis enters the body of an animal or person after consuming contaminated fish. This worm can live in a living organism for up to 20 years. Symptoms of opisthorchizia:
- Allergy
- Weakness
- Headache
- Vertigo
- Depression
- Loss of consciousness
Damage caused to the body by opisthorchiasis:
- Poisoning by waste products of parasites
- Liver tissue damage
- Gallbladder damage
- Disturbed outflow of bile
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Secretory dysfunction
- Decreased motility of the stomach
- Thickening of the walls of some organs, resulting in the appearance of tumors.
The chronic course of the disease is characterized by:
- Weight after eating
- Pain
- Vomiting
- Nausea
Prevention of infection: To avoid infection with opisthorchiasis, one should not eat raw fish. The larvae die during the heat treatment of the product. Dried fish can only be eaten if it has been previously salted. 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 longer than males and larger, they produce 3000 eggs per day. The method of reproduction is the same as with the previous type of parasite, via freshwater molluscs. The larva enters the human body through the skin and mucous membrane while swimming in a freshwater body. It can also enter the body of a person who accidentally swallows water while swimming. After one 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, schistosis reaches sexual maturity.
Schistosoma lays its eggs in the intestines, mucous membranes and bladder. The eggs are then excreted from the human body in urine or faeces and begin their developmental journey anew. Schistosoma lives in the human body for several decades, causing damage and infecting new people. The problems that arise when the human body is infected with schistosomes are not caused by the 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 have the following symptoms:
- Appetite disorder
- Anemia
- Enlarged liver
- Changed spleen
- Decreased intestinal motility
- Stomach pain
- Prison
- 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 the eggs enter the central nervous system:
- Acute cerebral schistosomiasis
- Chronic brain damage
- Death
Infected children have stunted growth and development and reduced success in school. Disease prevention includes avoiding swimming and avoiding walking barefoot in tropical waters.
A paragon
Paragonimus is a lung fluke 1 cm long with an egg-shaped body and red spines. This parasite reproduces in the lungs of animals and enters the human body by eating crustaceans and freshwater crustaceans. The parasite affects the respiratory system. Patients with paragonimiasis are characterized by allergic reactions and reduced immunity. Symptoms:
- Increase in temperature
- Cough
- Production of sputum from the lungs when coughing
- dyspnoea
- In severe cases, blood and parasite eggs are present in the sputum
- Wheezing can be clearly heard in the patient's lungs
Prevention: Avoid eating raw crabs and crustaceans.
Cestodes
Representatives of cestodes are tapeworms of different 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 entire human body, they are most dangerous for children who quickly develop anemia.
Echinococcus
These parasites reach a length of 5 cm and are the causative agents of Echinococcus disease. A multichamber representative of this type of worm is the cause of diseases such as alveococcosis. The disease is transmitted by cattle and domestic animals. When these animals are cared for, parasite eggs fall from their fur onto human hands. When parasites enter the human intestine, they bite the mucous membrane. As the parasite matures, it develops 4 parts, the last of which is filled with eggs. These parts break off and spread throughout the body, infecting it. The fourth part scatters the eggs all over the body.
The patient's infected organ becomes enlarged, for example the liver. Suppuration may occur. An enlarged organ can even rupture the abdominal cavity. And this can lead to serious sepsis of the body and even death. Symptoms:
- Weakness
- Vertigo
- Allergic reactions to parasite waste products.
Echinococcus affects:
- The brain
- Spinal cord
- Eyes
- Thyroid glands
- Liver
- Lungs
- Uterus
This parasite can cause 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 body, round or cylindrical, parasitize, most often, in children's bodies. These roundworms include pinworms, roundworms and hookworms.
Pinworms
These are little white worms. The length of the female is 1 cm, the male 0. 5 cm. These parasites have a pointed tail, which is why they are called pinworms. The habitat of pinworms is the human intestine. The front end of the parasite has a suction cup, with which the pinworm pierces the intestines, and the sharp end hangs into the lumen and damages the walls. This disease is called enterobiosis. You can get infected from a person through dirty hands. The disease is observed in preschool children who attend kindergarten. A symptom of pinworm infection is itching near the anus. Itching is felt more often at night, when the female lays eggs, secreting a special substance. Symptoms:
- Itching
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Lack of appetite
Prevention: hand washing.
Roundworms
These worms are the largest. The length of the female is up to 0. 5 m. The female lays 200 thousand eggs per year, regardless of the male. The mechanism of infection is fecal-oral. Ascarid eggs enter the human body along with unwashed vegetables and fruits, through dirty hands. The larva, entering the intestine, is selected from the shell and penetrates through the intestinal walls, while migrating through the intestinal veins into the liver, through the hepatic veins into the heart, through the pulmonary arteries into the bronchi, then into the trachea and into the mouth. A partial number of larvae die in the open, the rest are swallowed back. Symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Jaundice
- Pancreatitis
- Frequent acute respiratory infections
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
Prevention:
- Hand wash
- Washing vegetables and fruits
- Maintaining personal hygiene
- Protect food from flies, cockroaches and other vectors.
In conclusion, we can say that the cause of illness is not always bacteria and viruses that entered the body. Parasites can cause enormous damage to human health. If vague symptoms appear, the possibility of parasites entering the body should not be ruled out, the patient should visit a parasitologist.