Worms are parasitic worms that live in the intestines or tissues of humans. The vast majority of parasites have two hosts - intermediate and final. However, some helminths parasitize in the body without leaving it and without entering the environment. Worms are ubiquitous. Their greatest number is present in countries with a warm and humid climate.
Symptoms of worms in the intestines depend not only on the type of invasion, but also on the characteristics of its course.
The most common types of parasites
There are seven main varieties of parasitic worms:
Pinworms
Pinworms are small thread-like worms belonging to the category of nematodes. The size of an adult does not exceed 1 mm. In the human body, they live mainly in the large intestine, causing irritation, damage to the mucous membrane, enteritis. Enterobiasis caused by pinworms has an incubation period of about 15 days. Further, a characteristic clinical picture develops. The duration of the disease is 2 months, which is equal to the lifetime of the worm. In reality, an independent resolution of the disease does not occur, since with enterobiasis there is a mechanism of self-infection.
Note: the symptoms of enterobiasis are rarely pronounced. The disease often occurs in a blurred form, does not have clear diagnostic signs. Suspicion of enterobiasis in children occurs if the child complains of itching in the perianal region.
Pinworm infestation occurs when the rules of personal hygiene are not followed. The route of transmission is fecal-oral. A person who touches a contaminated surface, and then does not wash his hands, swallows helminth eggs. Similarly, re-infection with enterobiasis occurs. The patient, experiencing itching in the perianal region, scratches the disturbing area, and then proceeds to eat. Worm eggs that fall on the hands are swallowed. The cycle of development of the parasite begins anew.
Roundworm
Roundworms are dioecious roundworms that live in the small intestine of humans and animals. The length of the female helminth is 40 centimeters. The size of the male is much smaller. Its length usually does not exceed 25 centimeters. The identification feature of the male is the pointed end of the body.
The life cycle of roundworms is somewhat more complex than that of pinworms. The route of infection is fecal-oral. Helminth eggs fall on the hands of a person when working with the earth and soiled objects. In the stomach, a young larva emerges from the egg, penetrating into the bloodstream with the help of hooks. This is where it grows and migrates. By the time the larva enters the lungs, it reaches a state that allows it to develop into a sexually mature individual. The patient coughs up the larva, after which it is re-swallowed, enters the intestines, turns into an adult roundworm.
Vlasoglavy
Vlasoglav is a roundworm belonging to the group of nematodes. It is a parasite that lives in the large intestine of humans and domestic animals. Outwardly, the helminth looks like a thin grayish thread of various thicknesses. The anterior part of the whiplash is thin and long. The back is thickened and shortened. Here are the internal organs. The body length of the whipworm does not differ depending on the sex and is 3-5 centimeters.
Whipworm eggs, already parasitic in the host organism, enter the environment with faeces. Here they mature and become invasive. A person becomes infected by the fecal-oral route, if the rules of personal hygiene are not observed. Whipworm larvae enter the intestines, grow, feed on microflora, and develop. Subsequently, young individuals of the helminth migrate into the large intestine. trichuriasis develops.
Chains
Tapeworms are tapeworms, sometimes reaching 25 meters in length. The most famous representatives of this genus of parasites are:
- bull tapeworm;
- pork tapeworm;
- wide ribbon.
The structure of the body of all tapeworms is similar. They have a head, a neck and a body consisting of many segments. The segments located closer to the end of the body have a uterus filled with eggs. They are separated from the tapeworm and get out with feces.
As a rule, the life cycle of tapeworms implies the presence of two hosts - intermediate and final. The intermediate host may vary depending on the type of worm. A person becomes infected by swallowing the larvae contained in undercooked meat or fish.
Echinococcus
Echinococcus is the smallest tapeworm in existence. Its length is 2-8 mm. A mature individual has a scolex, a neck and 3-4 segments. It lives in the intestines of carnivorous animals of the canine family. Intermediate hosts can be herbivores or humans. Helminth eggs fall on the hands upon contact with the definitive host or when collecting wild berries seeded with echinococcus eggs.
When eggs are ingested, a person becomes an intermediate host. In his body, the larvae penetrate into the blood vessels, with the blood flow they are carried to the organs and tissues, where they settle and transform into a Finn - a bubble filled with liquid and containing the parasite's scolex. In this case, the Finn can reach large sizes, which leads to compression of organs and tissues. Especially dangerous is the localization of echinococcal cysts in the brain, liver, and lungs.
Schistisomy
Schistisomes are helminths of a dioecious type belonging to the category of flatworms. They have oral and ventral suckers. The female is slightly longer than the male. The definitive host of the schistosome is humans and mammals. Helminth settles in small vessels of the large intestine, small pelvis and bladder. The eggs of the parasite are released into the bloodstream, filtered out by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.
Parasite larvae that have fallen into a freshwater reservoir penetrate the bodies of mollusks, where they continue their development cycle. After 6-8 weeks, the embryos again enter open water, where they turn into cercariae - tailed larvae that can penetrate into the human body through intact skin. As a rule, infestations in humans develop when swimming in open water, washing clothes in them, or other contacts with open water.
Filariae
Filariae are round thread-like worms. There are about 8 varieties of filaria that parasitize in the human body. The intermediate host and carrier of the disease is blood-sucking insects. Human infection occurs when insect bites and helminth larvae enter the upper layers of the skin.
The distribution of larvae in the body of the final host occurs by the hematogenous route. Worms spread throughout the body, settle in organs and tissues, cause allergic reactions, swelling of the affected area, lymphostasis, proliferation of endothelial cells.
How to identify worms at home
It is possible to assume the presence of worms in the body by one or another characteristic feature. In addition, for the rapid diagnosis of helminthiases, a special test was developed, consisting of several questions.
Signs of the presence of parasites in the body
Signs of worms in the body of an adult directly depends on the type of invasion.
- Enterobiosis - itching in the anus, insomnia, irritability, indigestion, diarrhea, loss of appetite, pain in the right side of the abdomen, flatulence, false urge to defecate.
- Ascariasis - vomiting, pain in the navel, dry cough, nausea, shortness of breath, roundworm or roundworm eggs in the stool, wheezing, fever.
- Trichuriasis - flatulence, vomiting, feces mixed with blood and mucus, mental retardation of the child, abdominal pain, weight loss, anemia.
- Invasion by tapeworms - for a long time it is asymptomatic. Later, episodic abdominal pain, a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood, indigestion, diarrhea, and causeless weight loss occur.
- Echinococcus - the symptoms of infection with parasites that form Finns depend on which organ was affected. With the development of an echinococcal cyst in the brain, neurological symptoms occur. With liver damage, patients complain of pain in the right side, yellowness of the skin, a general deterioration in well-being, and a violation of the digestive processes.
- Schistosomiasis - weight loss, abdominal pain, dizziness, enlarged liver, spleen, blood in the urine, fever, anemia, skin edema, urolithiasis, dry cough, impaired defecation.
- Filariasis - an increase in lymph nodes, hyperthermia, weakness, headaches, blood in the urine, stiffness of movements, an increase in certain parts of the body, swelling of the skin, lacrimation.
Note: Most of the described symptoms are non-specific and can occur with many other diseases.
Parasite test
This test allows you to assess the likelihood of infection with helminths. When passing it, you should use such answer options as "yes", "no", "sometimes". For each "yes" answer, 2 points are awarded, for the "no" answer - 0 points. The answer "sometimes" requires one point.
- Is there morning sickness?
- Is there pale skin, gums?
- Is there persistent anemia that does not respond to drug therapy?
- Pain or discomfort in the abdomen?
- Are indigestions common?
- Stool disorders?
- Is there heaviness in the right side?
- Frequent headaches?
- Periodic cough?
- Intermittent tingling in large joints?
- Sudden loss of vision?
- Grinding your teeth in your sleep?
- Eating large amounts of food while still feeling hungry?
- Frequent allergies?
- Do swelling occur?
- Decreased performance?
- Chronic diseases?
- Intermittent abdominal pain?
- Signs of inflammation in the blood?
- Itching in the anus?
- Do family members have similar symptoms?
A negative test can be considered a test in which no more than 6 points were scored. The probability of invasion exists in those who scored from 6 to 17 points. People who scored from 17 to 24 points in the test are almost certainly infected with one or another helminth. With an indicator of 24 to 42 points, one can speak of multiple invasion by helminths of different types, which happens extremely rarely.
Laboratory diagnostics
For an accurate diagnosis of helminthiases, several types of laboratory tests are used:
Fecal analysis
The sampling of biological material for analysis is carried out in the morning. A small amount of stool taken from the middle of the total portion is sent to the laboratory. Here, the obtained material is examined visually, trying to determine the presence of eggs in it. The eggs of some parasites are so large that they can be seen with the naked eye. If this does not happen, the biomaterial is stained using special techniques, sown on nutrient media, after which it is examined under a microscope. It is possible to speak about the absence of invasion only after three or four studies, during which no signs of the presence of worms were detected. The technique is suitable for the determination of all helminths whose eggs and segments are excreted with feces.
Scraping, swab
Signs of the presence of pinworms and ascaris can be detected by taking a scraping or swab from the perianal folds of the patient. This method is relevant due to the peculiarities of the reproduction of helminths. The pinworm for laying eggs leaves the intestine and exits, where the laying process takes place. A smear should be taken in the morning, without preliminary hygiene procedures. Otherwise, the eggs of the parasite will be washed away, and the analysis will be false negative.
Blood analysis
In the diagnosis of helminthiases, a general blood test is of indirect importance. Indisputable signs of the presence of parasites in the blood with this method of research are not detected. As a rule, the long-term presence of parasitic worms in the body leads to some decrease in hemoglobin levels, the appearance of non-specific signs of the inflammatory process (increased ESR, leukocytosis).
ELISA blood test
The method of enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) is based on the detection of antibodies to parasite toxins and the enzymatic response of the body to the presence of helminths. This research method allows diagnosing the disease even if the helminth, for one reason or another, did not lay eggs. ELISA is most productive in the early stages of invasion, when the worm is just beginning to develop in the human body.
What to do if you get infected?
If there are signs of parasitic infection, independent attempts at therapy should not be made. Regardless of the symptoms of worms in adults, the best course of action is to visit a parasitologist or gastroenterologist. He will prescribe the necessary tests, be able to correctly assess the danger of the disease, select medications that will quickly and completely remove parasites from the body.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the disease, helminthiases can have very serious consequences. There are cases when the presence of parasites led to perforation of the intestine, its obstruction, peritonitis and sepsis. Modern medicines allow you to quickly and reliably get rid of worms. However, almost each of them has a number of contraindications and recommendations for use, which only a specialist knows. That is why any anthelmintic drug or traditional medicine should be used only after consulting a doctor.