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 certain population groups. Children are susceptible to pinworm infections, hunters - trichinae, fishermen and lovers of Japanese cuisine (raw fish in the form of sushi) suffer from diphyllobothriasis.
Paradoxically, many diseases 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 relevant. With 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 pancreatitis, gastritis or colitis for years without suspecting that the cause of his complaints is helminthiasis.
How does infection occur?
Infection with helminths occurs as follows:
- Through unwashed hands
- When in contact with ground
- After insect bites
- Because of dirty hands
- When eating raw meat and fish
- After eating unwashed fruits and vegetables
- After contact with an animal
- After contact with infected people
Mature parasite eggs can be found in soil, water and food (raw and lightly cooked meat or fish). In rare cases, the disease occurs due to insect bites. The mechanism of infection by helminthiasis is oral-fecal. A person swallows parasite eggs with food and water. Contact and household infection methods also occur. They occur when hands are not washed thoroughly after contact with soil or sand.
Vegetables and berries growing in the ground that are not washed adequately are also a source of worm infestation. Children who play with farm animals and pets run the risk of becoming infected with worms. Pets roaming freely on the street can bring worm eggs into the house. Flies and other insects can easily transmit helminth eggs after contact with animal feces and landing on food. Surprisingly, infection from person to person is also possible. This is what happens: a female pinworm can crawl out of the intestines and lay eggs directly on the underwear, causing severe itching. A person may come into contact with other toiletries and household items after scratching an itchy spot. These items fall into the hands of other family members and subsequently become infected.
Infection through water is also possible. Many parasitic eggs easily fall into open containers and wells. Drinking unboiled well water is extremely dangerous.
Types of helminthiasis
Helminthiases 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 via soil. Infectious diseases occur through 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 a human organ.
Stages of helminthiasis
The most destructive effect on the body is caused not by adults, but by their larvae. Adults have already chosen a comfortable place in the human body, and the larva migrates through the organs, leaving its lesions. The most common habitat for parasites is the gastrointestinal tract. Different types of parasites prefer different habitats. Roundworms are found in the small intestine and pinworms are found in the large intestine and in the lower parts of the small intestine. Depending on the habitat of the parasites, helminth infections are:
- Translucent
- Material
Luminal are located in the lumens of the genital organs and tissues are located in the tissues. Depending on their growth, parasites can change their habitat and transition from lumen form to tissue form. Helminthiasis develops in two stages:
- Sharp
- Chronic
The acute stage lasts between a week and a month and the chronic stage lasts until healing. The acute stage begins with the introduction of the egg and continues as the parasite matures and grows. The disease is manifested by allergic reactions to a foreign organism. In the chronic stage of the disease, the body experiences various reactions. During this time, the parasite moves through the body in search of protection. The disease is accompanied by dysfunction 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, disruption of the digestive system and difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals.
In addition to this damage, parasites introduce their waste products into the human body, poisoning the body and leading to intestinal disorders, reduced immunity and the development of bacterial infections. Parasites contribute to the risk of cancer. This happens due to the negative effects on the immune system and stimulation of cell division. Often a patient is examined by many specialists who diagnose a number 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)
- Cestodes (broad tapeworm, pork tapeworm, Echinococcus, Alveococcus)
- Roundworms or nematodes:
- Pinworm
- Ascaris
- Hookworm
- Trichinae
This classification of helminths is presented in the medical literature. To successfully solve a problem such as helminthiasis, it is necessary to find out detailed features of the structure and life cycle of parasites.
Trematodes
Another name for trematodes is fluke. These parasites are flat leaf-shaped or lanceolate with two suckers. One sucker is in the mouth, the second, which is used for attachment, is in the peritoneum. All representatives of the fluke enter the body via an intermediate host. Most of these parasites are hermaphrodites.
Opisthorchiasis
This is a coincidence – a worm up to 1. 3 cm long with two suckers. Opisthorchiasis is a hermaphrodite that parasitizes the liver, gallbladder and pancreas in humans and some carnivorous animals (foxes, dogs, cats). Opisthorchiasis eggs are excreted from the human or animal body in feces. When these eggs enter a body of water, they are swallowed by freshwater mollusks, where the larvae hatch and develop. The development and maturation process of the larvae takes two months. Then the larvae crawl out of the mollusk and penetrate the skin of carp. After six weeks, the larvae develop into adult parasites. Opisthorchiasis enters the body of an animal or 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
- unconsciousness
Damage to the body caused by opisthorchiasis:
- Poisoning by waste products of parasites
- Damage to liver tissue
- Gallbladder damage
- Impaired flow of bile
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Secretion disorder
- Decreased gastric motility
- Thickening of the walls of some organs, resulting in the development of tumors.
The chronic course of the disease is characterized by:
- Feeling of heaviness after eating
- pain
- Vomit
- nausea
Prevention of Infection: To avoid contracting opisthorchiasis, do not eat raw fish. The larvae die during heat treatment of products. Dried fish can only be eaten if it has been previously salted. In addition, the larvae die if the fish is frozen for a long time.
schistosomes
These parasites are of different sexes and resemble needles 0. 4 to 2. 6 cm long. Females are longer than males and larger and produce 3000 eggs per day. The method of reproduction is the same as the previous species of parasites by freshwater mollusks. The larva enters the human body through the skin and mucous membranes while swimming in a freshwater body. It can also enter the body of a person who accidentally swallows water while swimming. After a day of penetration, the larva transforms into an adult and penetrates the peripheral veins, through which it enters the lungs and venous vessels. There the schistosome reaches sexual maturity.
Schistosoma lays eggs in the intestines, mucous membranes and bladder. The eggs are then excreted from the human body via urine or feces and begin their developmental path 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
- Altered spleen
- Decreased intestinal motility
- stomach pain
- constipation
- Diarrhea
- weight loss
- intestinal bleeding
- Painful urination
- Allergies
- weakness
With an infection of the genitourinary system, patients experience the following:
- Menstrual irregularities and miscarriages in women
- Impotence and incomplete ejaculation in men
If eggs enter the central nervous system:
- Acute cerebral schistosomiasis
- Chronic brain damage
- Death
Infected children suffer from delayed growth and development and reduced academic performance. Preventing the disease includes avoiding swimming and avoiding walking barefoot in tropical waters.
Paragonim
Paragonim is a 1 cm long lung fluke with an egg-shaped body and red spines. This parasite multiplies in the lungs of animals and enters the human body through consumption of crayfish and freshwater crabs. The parasite attacks the respiratory tract. Patients with paragonimiasis are characterized by allergic reactions and reduced immunity. Symptoms:
- Temperature rise
- Cough
- Sputum production from the lungs when coughing
- Dyspnea
- 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 crayfish and crabs.
Cestodes
Representatives of the cestodes are tapeworms of different lengths. Some parasites reach gigantic sizes. There are suction cups, hooks or suction slits on the head of these parasites. Parasites need these devices to attach themselves to the intestinal walls. Cestodes affect the entire human body; they are most dangerous for children, who quickly develop anemia.
Echinococci
These parasites reach a length of 5 cm and are the causative agents of the disease Echinococcus. The multi-chambered representative of this type of worm is the causative agent of a disease such as alveococcosis. The disease is transmitted by cattle and domestic animals. When caring for these animals, parasite eggs fall from their fur onto people's hands. When parasites enter the human intestine, they bite into the mucous membrane. As the parasite matures, it develops four sections, the last of which is filled with eggs. These sections break off, spread throughout the body and infect it. The fourth section distributes eggs throughout the body.
The patient's infected organ enlarges, for example the liver. Suppuration may form. An enlarged organ can even cause the abdominal cavity to rupture. And this can lead to severe sepsis of the body and even death. Symptoms:
- weakness
- dizziness
- Allergic reactions to parasite waste products.
Echinococcus affects:
- Brain
- spinal cord
- Eyes
- thyroid
- liver
- lung
- uterus
This parasite can cause the formation of tumors, including malignant ones. The most unpleasant thing is that treatment of this disease is possible only through surgery. Prevention: Personal hygiene when in contact with animals.
Nematodes
These worms with elongated, round or cylindrical bodies most often parasitize in the body of children. These roundworms include pinworms, roundworms and hookworms.
Pinworms
These are little white worms. The length of the female is 1 cm, the male is 0. 5 cm. These parasites have a pointed tail, which is why they were called pinworms. The habitat of pinworms is the human intestine. The front end of the parasite has a suction cup, with the help of which the pinworm burrows into the intestine, and the sharp end hangs in the lumen, damaging the walls. This disease is called enterobiasis. You can become infected through dirty hands from a person. The disease is observed in preschool children attending kindergarten. A symptom of a pinworm infection is itching near the anus. Itching is more often felt at night, when the female lays eggs and secretes a special substance. Symptoms:
- itching
- Diarrhea
- stomach pain
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
Prevention: Wash your hands.
Roundworms
These worms are the largest. The length of the female is up to 0. 5 m. The female lays 200, 000 eggs per year, independently of the male. The mechanism of infection is fecal-oral. Roundworm eggs enter the human body through dirty hands along with unwashed vegetables and fruits. The larva entering the intestine is selected from the shell and penetrates the intestinal walls while traveling through the intestinal veins to the liver, through the hepatic veins into the heart, through the pulmonary arteries into the bronchi, then into the trachea and further into the mouth. Some of the larvae die in the open, the rest are swallowed again. Symptoms:
- nausea
- To throw up
- Jaundice
- Pancreatitis
- Frequent acute respiratory infections
- bronchitis
- lung infection
Prevention:
- Wash your hands
- Wash vegetables and fruits
- Maintaining personal hygiene
- Protect food from flies, cockroaches and other vectors.
In conclusion, the cause of the disease is not always bacteria and viruses that have penetrated the body. Parasites can cause enormous harm to human health. If unclear symptoms occur, the penetration of a parasite into the body cannot be ruled out; the patient should consult a parasitologist.