Worms are representatives of the 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 rare and occurs in some segments of the population. Children are susceptible to infection with pinworms, 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 on 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, nevertheless, patients with this disease experience unpleasant and uncomfortable sensations, they are perceived as signs of other diseases. The patient has been treated for years for pancreatitis, gastritis or colitis, without suspecting that the cause of his ailments is helminthiasis.
How does the infection happen?
Helminth infection occurs as follows:
- Through unwashed hands
- In contact with the 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 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 helminthiasis infection is fecal-oral. A person swallows the eggs of the parasite with food and water. Contact and household methods of infection also occur. They occur when, after contact with earth or sand, the hands have not been washed thoroughly.
Vegetables and berries that grow in the soil and are not sufficiently washed are also a source of worm infection. Children who play with farm and domestic animals are at risk of contracting worms. Pets that roam freely on the streets can bring helminth eggs into the house. Flies and other insects, after contact with animal feces, landing on food, can easily transfer helminth eggs. Surprisingly, person-to-person transmission is also possible. It happens like this: a female pinworm can crawl out of the intestine and lay eggs directly on underwear, 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 parasitic eggs easily fall into open tanks and pits. Drinking unboiled well water is extremely dangerous.
Types of helminthiasis
Helminthiases differ in the method of penetration into the human body:
- Biohelminths
- Geohelminths
- Contagious
Biohelminths are transmitted to people through contact with animals. Geohelminth 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 adaptation to any human organ.
Stages of helminthiasis
The most destructive effect on the body is caused not by adults, but by their larvae. Adult individuals have already chosen for themselves a cozy place in the human body, and the larva travels through the organs and leaves behind their 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 lower parts of the small intestine. According to the habitat of parasites, helminth infections are:
- Translucent
- Tissue
The luminal ones are found in the lumens of the genital organs, and the tissue ones are found within the tissues. Depending on their growth, parasites can change their habitat, moving from luminal to 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 with the maturation and growth of the parasite. The disease manifests itself as allergic reactions to a foreign organism. During the chronic phase of the disease, various reactions of the body occur. During this period the parasite moves throughout the body in search of shelter. The disease is accompanied by disruptions in the functioning of organs and systems in the human body. Having integrated into the immune system of the human body, parasites consume the substances necessary for their growth and development. This leads to metabolic disorders, digestive system disorders and difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals.
In addition to this damage, parasites excrete their waste products into the human body, poisoning the body, causing 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 stimulation of cell division. Often the patient is examined by many specialists who find 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
- Nematodes
Flatworms include:
- Trematodes (opisthorchiasis, schistosomes, paragonimus)
- Tapeworms (large tapeworm, pork tapeworm, echinococcus, alveococcus)
- Nematodes or roundworms:
- Pinworms
- 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 thoroughly understand the characteristics of the structure and life cycle of parasites.
Trematodes
Another name for flukes is trematodes. These parasites have a flat or lanceolate leaf shape with two suckers. One suction cup is located in the mouth, and the second, which serves for attachment, in the peritoneum. All representatives of trematodes 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 suckers. Opisthorchiasis is a hermaphrodite that parasitizes the liver, gallbladder and pancreas in humans and some carnivorous animals (foxes, dogs, cats). Opisthorchiasis eggs pass out of the human or animal body in feces. When these eggs enter a body of water, they are swallowed by freshwater molluscs, inside which the larvae hatch and develop. The process of development and maturation of the larvae lasts two months. Then the larvae crawl out of the mollusk 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 eating contaminated fish. This worm can live in a living organism for up to 20 years. Symptoms of opisthorchiasis:
- Allergy
- Weakness
- Heachache
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Loss of consciousness
Damage caused to the body by opisthorchiasis:
- Poisoning by waste products of parasites
- Damage to liver tissue
- Damage to the gallbladder
- Impaired outflow of bile
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Secretory dysfunction
- Decreased gastric motility
- Thickening of the walls of some organs, resulting in the appearance of tumors.
The chronic course of the disease is characterized by:
- Heaviness after eating
- Ache
- Vomit
- Nausea
Prevention of infection: To avoid opisthorchiasis infection, you should not eat raw fish. Larvae die during heat treatment of products. Dried fish can only be consumed if previously salted. Additionally, the larvae die when the fish is frozen for a long time.
Schistosomes
These parasites are of different sexes, similar to needles 0. 4 to 2. 6 cm long, females are longer than males and larger and produce 3000 eggs per day. The reproduction method is the same as 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 ingests water while swimming. After a day of penetration, the larva becomes an adult and enters the peripheral veins, through which it is sent to the lungs and venous vessels. There the schistosome reaches sexual maturity.
Schistosome lays eggs in the intestine, mucous membranes and bladder. The eggs are then expelled from the human body in the urine or feces and begin their development journey all over again. Schistosome lives in the human body for several decades, causing damage and infecting new individuals. The problems that arise in case of infection with schistosomes are caused to the human body not by adults, but by their eggs. Only half of the eggs are expelled from the body, the rest accumulate 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
- Spleen changed
- 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 spontaneous 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 experience delayed growth and development and decreased academic performance. Prevention of the disease includes avoiding swimming and avoiding walking barefoot in tropical waters.
Comparison
Paragonim is a 1 cm long lung fluke with an ovoid body and red spines. This parasite multiplies in the lungs of animals and enters the human body by eating freshwater shrimp and crabs. The parasite affects the respiratory system. Patients with paragonimiasis are characterized by allergic reactions and decreased immunity. Symptoms:
- Temperature increase
- Cough
- Production of sputum from the lungs when coughing
- Dyspnea
- 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 shrimp and crabs.
Tapeworms
Representatives of tapeworms 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 stick to the intestinal walls. Tapeworms affect the entire human body; they are more dangerous for children, who quickly develop anemia.
Echinococcus
These parasites reach a length of 5 cm and are the causative agents of the disease Echinococcus. The multichambered representative of this type of worm is the causative agent of such a disease 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 the mucosa. As the parasite matures, it develops 4 sections, the last of which fills with eggs. These sections break off and spread throughout the body, infecting it. The fourth section spreads the eggs throughout the body.
The patient's infected organ becomes enlarged, such as the liver. Suppuration may form. An enlarged organ can even rupture the abdominal cavity. 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 gland
- Liver
- Lungs
- 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 with surgery. Prevention: personal hygiene in contact with animals.
Nematodes
These worms with elongated, round or cylindrical bodies very often parasitize the bodies of children. These roundworms include pinworms, roundworms, and hookworms.
Pinworms
These are small 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 anterior end of the parasite has a suction cup, with the help of which the pinworm pierces the intestine, and the sharp end gets stuck 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 pinworm infection is itching near the anus. Most often, itching is felt at night, when the female lays eggs, secreting a special substance. Symptoms:
- Itching
- Diarrhea
- Stomach ache
- Heachache
- Lack of appetite
Prevention: hand washing.
Nematodes
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. Ascaris eggs enter the human body along with unwashed fruits and vegetables, through dirty hands. The larva, entering the intestine, is selected from the shell and penetrates the intestinal walls, while migrating 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 mouth. Some of the larvae die in the open air, the rest are swallowed. Symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomit
- Jaundice
- Pancreatitis
- Frequent acute respiratory infections
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
Prevention:
- Hand washing
- Wash fruit and vegetables
- Maintain personal hygiene
- Protect food from flies, roaches and other vectors.
In conclusion, we can say that the cause of the disease is not always bacteria and viruses that have entered the body. Parasites can cause enormous damage to human health. If unclear symptoms occur, one should not exclude the possibility of a parasite entering the body; the patient should visit a parasitologist.