Worms in humans - symptoms and signs

A rather serious problem can be helminthic infection of the human body. Invasion can manifest itself in anyone, regardless of gender, age and social status of a person.

Worms can be located in the small or large intestine, where they can penetrate in different ways.

They have a serious toxic effect on the body system as a whole, they produce products of vital activity.

All this has a negative effect on the human body's resistance to all kinds of infections.

worm parasite from the human body

Classification of worms into species

More than 300 different helminthic pathologies are known today. They are caused by nematodes and cestodes.

The former are round worms, and the latter are flat. They parasitize various organs and their tissues.

It is for this reason that specialists have worked on the classification of parasites. According to the possibility of parasitism in the human body, two groups of worms are known:

  • gut;
  • extraintestinal.

Representatives of the intestinal group are located in the small or large intestine, and the second extraintestinal ones live in the heart, liver, lungs and even muscles.

They travel through the body thanks to blood flow. As a rule, a person with a good immune system has several protective barriers that prevent worms from entering the body.

There is a special enzyme in the mouth that has a negative effect on them. If this barrier is passed by the worms, they enter the stomach, where the acidic environment kills their eggs.

It is also customary to divide worms depending on the diseases they cause. For example, liver flu fascioliasis, tapeworms in cattle - teniarynchosis, pinworms - enterobiasis, roundworms - ascariasis, etc.

Thanks to the immunity of the intestine, certain antibodies are formed that resist helminths.

Only these obstacles are not particularly important if a person is seriously ill, i. e. the immune system weakens.

Appearance of human worms

To date, a large number of helminths, which differ in appearance and have special properties, are presented. Not all of them will be described in this article, but the main features are still worth identifying.

In adults, helminths can be presented in the form of round worms, commonly called pinworm, roundworm, trichina.

The next variety is elongated individuals with pointed edges, but flukes have a flat body.

They are called that for a reason because they stick to the excretory tract area of the human body.

This is a special type of worm that does not have its own respiratory and circulatory system. Flukes feed on feces and mucous membranes, blood.

A special group should include tapeworms, they have a ribbon-like flattened body shape.

Their habitat is the intestines. Intermediate habitat can be fish and animals for tape individuals.

They have special suction cups that allow them to stick to the walls of the intestine. There the worms live and live, feed and reproduce.

Appearance of eggs of human worms

For a long time, helminths can live in humans, symptoms will not be noticeable.

Many people accidentally become aware of their pathology only when they start taking stool tests or feel worse.

It is not always possible to see them in feces with the naked eye, and even if you do not have a microscope at hand.

It is impossible to detect the presence of worm eggs in humans without the use of special laboratory tools.

If you pass the stool analysis, then the laboratory technician will be able to determine whether there are worms in the body and determine the type of these parasites.

The data will be based on the type and species of worm eggs, which look different from each other.

These are. if the question arises: "how to determine whether a person has worms or not? ", the answer to this is worth going to the hospital for a start and passing the tests prescribed by the doctor.

Ways of infection of the body

Worms enter the human body in several forms of infection. The most important is oral.

At this time, worms enter the human body through dirty hands, unwashed fruits and vegetables. The eggs of the parasites are inside the person because they live in the soil. It is for this reason that it is worth washing your hands thoroughly after gardening, and only then sit down to eat. Otherwise, only a few will be able to avoid the question of how to treat helminthic invasion.

It is also important not to eat meat and fish that have not undergone heat treatment and sanitary control.

It should be noted here that some types of helminth eggs remain alive even if the meat is cooked.

Another way to infect the body with worms is contact. These are. infection occurs through feces.

The feces of infected people or animals may contain helminth eggs. They enter the human body and begin to reproduce after becoming sexually mature individuals.

Experts identify other ways of infection. One of them is related to the skin. Helminths from the aquatic environment penetrate the human body using the epidermis.

Invasion of worms is also possible through the bite of an insect vector. This method is widespread in tropical countries.

But even in the south of our country or in exotic countries, it is very easy to prevent parasites, which will make a person wonder how to treat helminths.

The ways of transmission of worms are really countless, there is also a way from an infected person to a healthy person.

But this does not mean that if you are with an infected person, you will get helminthiasis from him.

The pathology cannot be transmitted by airborne droplets, there is only one method of contact for the transmission of worms. Here it is necessary to define other nuances.

The peculiarity of the ways of infection with worms is that the eggs of the parasites can enter the human body. They will lose the ability to develop and mature.

If they are in the environment, they will be able to grow. If the necessary nutrients are found together with the larva, the egg will begin to develop and grow.

Inactive helminth eggs will be removed from the body together with feces, if the principles of hygienic regime are not followed, a person will begin to infect himself and harm others.

The clinical picture of the presence of helminths in the human body

Many people are interested in the question of how to understand the presence of worms. This can be answered if you take care of your health.

Symptoms of worms in adults vary depending on the type of parasites present in the body.

Many of them live in the digestive tract, and therefore the symptoms of the presence of worms in humans will be as follows:

  • state of drowsiness;
  • loss of previous performance;
  • weakness;
  • intoxication of the body with helminths;
  • increased appetite or, conversely, its sharp absence;
  • weight loss with normal nutrition;
  • constipation;
  • diarrhea;
  • small amounts of bloody stool;
  • feces with worms;
  • itching sensation in the anus;
  • headache with migraine attacks;
  • disruption of healthy sleep;
  • allergic reactions to certain products, this is due to the secretion of special substances by certain types of worms.

Symptoms of worms in adults can be accompanied by symptoms similar to hepatitis.

The fact is that parasites affect the liver and gall bladder. There are trematode species that can be confused with the manifestation of pancreatitis.

In the case of pain in the muscles, excessive sweating and fever, it is worth suspecting that there may be trichinella in the body.

In very rare cases, however, cases where symptoms of worms in a person are accompanied by deterioration in the functioning of the brain, eyes and lungs have still been recorded.

After all, these parasites can settle in these places that are not typical for them. Therefore, the symptoms of worms in humans were accompanied by such pain sensations in the area where they settled.

Symptoms of the appearance of helminths in adults are different, so there are different ways to understand the presence of worms, but in fact they are ineffective.

In adults, symptoms appear only in cases of severe infection. A person can lose a lot of weight, his skin will become pale, and the itching in the anus will not stop.

As you can see, the symptoms of helminthic infestation in adults are very similar to the symptoms of other pathologies.

If the worms settle in certain organs, the deviations of some systems of the human body will be considered below.

Malfunctions of the immune system

Worms cause a strong weakening of the body's immune forces, take away all useful elements and vitamins.

A person can become seriously ill with a cold, although until recently he was not prone to such pathologies.

It is susceptible to many infectious or viral diseases, and therefore no minerals and vitamins can help restore immunity.

First of all, you need to find out if a person has worms, and then start treatment for parasites.

Respiratory disease

If the worms are in the respiratory system, they give it a cruel blow. Asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis and other pathologies of the lung organs may begin to appear.

One way to determine if a person has worms is to pay attention to the presence of a constant nasal discharge.

Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract

Helminths can settle in the intestinal tract. Symptoms in adults will manifest themselves in the form of stool disorders or problems with constipation.

Nausea and vomiting are not excluded. There is also pain in the intestines, excessive swelling.

A person may eat more than normal and not get better for a long time, or on the contrary, he may refuse food sharply.

There are cases where the treatment of mild symptoms and other types of pathologies does not give the desired results.

However, there are cases when symptoms of infection with helminths are pronounced. When helminths settle in the body, large worms block the intestinal passage, causing complete constipation, severe diarrhea can occur.

Violation of MSS

A large number of helminths in the body requires the earliest possible treatment for worms, because the central nervous system can be seriously affected.

The products secreted by the parasites are capable of severely affecting the nervous system, causing the body to malfunction and malfunction.

A person may suffer from memory loss, frequent headaches with migraine attacks, depression and fatigue.

It will not be easy for him to connect with other people, and frequent communication can lead to arguments.

Correct treatment of worms in adults is an important measure, because serious complications in the work of the central nervous system are possible.

They will be accompanied by a febrile state and an increase in body temperature up to 39 degrees.

The lack of useful elements due to parasite infection can provoke fatigue syndrome on a chronic level, initiate the process of anemia and constantly irritate a person.

Skin pathologies

If the worms enter the human body, the skin becomes worse. In many cases, acne and pimples will be observed.

No matter how hard a person tries, it is simply impossible to treat these pathologies.

Helminths provoke pathologies such as dermatitis, seborrhea and papillomas. They can be manifested by cracks on the heels, itching of the skin and lamination of the nail plate.

A person begins to suffer from serious skin allergic reactions that cannot be treated, so it is important to start a course of treatment for worms in adults. Otherwise, there is a chance of skin aging and fading.

It should be noted that the brightness of the clinical picture will mainly depend on the number of individuals in the human body, their location and immunity.

Some helminths, such as roundworms, filariasis, can cause a general disruption of normal well-being when they undergo a year-round incubation period.

The danger of worms to humans

We understood what helminths are, now it remains to understand what can harm a person.

At this time, it is necessary to show that helminths secrete active substances that poison the human body.

Helminths feed on digested food, blood, and also love different types of tissues. All this leads to the loss of iron, protein and other important vitamins for the development of the body.

Worms can cause a malfunction in the digestive system, spoil the stool, in the best case, it turns out that only a person will feel worse.

If you seek help from a doctor in time, an adult has every chance to get rid of worms. Today, many means are known that help to get rid of parasites without damaging the integrity of the body.

Diagnostic measures

During the week, the doctor will prescribe 3 tests that can detect eggs. This measure is necessary to obtain a reliable result.

It is also very important to find effective tablets for worms, for this a person should undergo a comprehensive medical examination, including:

  • general and biochemical blood tests;
  • scratching;
  • analysis of urine and feces.

It is a serious task for the specialist to interview the patient and examine him to determine the characteristic signs of worm infection.

Symptoms may include itching of the anus, sore mouth, swollen lymph nodes, joint and muscle pain.

The greater their number, the higher the risk of having worms in the human body.

Medical therapy

After carrying out the above tests, it is necessary to choose special anthelmintic agents. The attending physician will be able to explain what the antihelminthic drug is and how it works.

If the wrong one is chosen, the body has a chance to suffer more, but it will not be possible to remove the parasites.

Each patient must take medication according to a specific treatment regimen. The doctor will do this according to the patient's weight, the form of parasite infection, the patient's age and the degree of the disease.

To prevent self-infection, it is recommended to take anthelmintic drugs again a few weeks after the course of treatment. This method allows you to remove the rest of the larvae and eggs of parasites from the body.

Traditional medicine to get rid of worms

Pumpkin seeds are famous for their great effectiveness in helping to remove parasites from the body. It should be clarified that such a tool must be eaten raw with a thin film.

It is recommended to take it in the morning on an empty stomach. If necessary, you can mix them with honey or jam.

The next stage of treatment will be an enema. You can start eating only 2 hours after this event. The course of treatment with pumpkin seeds should be repeated after another 14 days.