Parasitic diseases or damage to the human body by parasites, pathogenic fungi and bacteria are second only to respiratory infections. The main danger is that people do not always know that there is such a lesion, and the characteristic symptoms of the disease can not be seen for months, parasites cause irreparable damage to health. Symptoms of parasites in the body will appear for a long time as fatigue and minor pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Helminthiasis is not just a disease of "dirty hands". Eating poorly washed fruits, raw fish (sushi) and insufficiently fried meat can cause the appearance of worms and other protozoa. Helminth eggs can be transmitted by touch to an infected person to a healthy person.
WHO statistics are alarming - about ¾ of the entire population of the planet is infected with various parasites. The incidence rate in adults and children with pets is 99. 9%.
It is possible to get rid of worms with the help of drugs and folk remedies, but there are cases when difficult surgical intervention will help to get rid of pests.
Which human organs can be infected by parasites
There are three ways worms and helminths can enter the human body - through the mouth, mucous membranes and skin. Against the background of weakened immune system, parasites multiply in the body without hindrance. Immunity is further depleted, secondary immune deficiency develops, the body's general allergies manifest themselves, and resistance to various infections decreases. Acute pathologies turn into chronic pathologies, which is a difficult path.
The parasites' favorite habitat is all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Of the 300 species of parasitic diseases, 70% are intestinal. Types of extra-intestinal helminthiasis are affected:
- skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue;
- liver;
- muscle tissue;
- light;
- brain;
- heart tissue;
- eyeball;
- blood;
- joint capsules.
The moment when the first symptoms of a lesion appear depends on the type and number of parasites, their location and the current state of human health.
The initial symptoms of parasites in the body are the same for all types of helminthic infections:
- appetite disappears;
- saliva increases;
- variable diarrhea with constipation;
- nausea and vomiting attacks;
- sleep disorder.
Grinding teeth during sleep may indicate the presence of worms in the child's body.
The main symptoms of helminthiasis are general weakness, increased irritability, mild dizziness, weight loss and the development of iron deficiency anemia. In the development of allergic reactions (70% of cases) parasitic lesions are not taken into account and are not treated in time.
The main types of parasites and different symptoms of their presence
Currently, 70 species of parasites that can live inside humans have been identified. These are divided into the following subgroups:
- roundworms (worms);
- ribbon worms (ribbon worms);
- subcutaneous helminths;
- pulsations (traffic jams);
- tissue parasites;
- protozoan protozoa.
The symptoms of different types of parasites can be different. To understand whether the human body is affected, we will look at some of the most typical cases.
Pinworms
Enterobius vermicularis or pinworms are roundworms. They feed on blood and intestinal contents. These 0. 5-1 cm white worms cause widespread helminthiasis - enterobiasis. According to statistics, the total share of this disease in all lesions is 65%, of which 90% are children.
Enterobiasis is contagious and spreads from person to person. The main way parasites enter the body is to swallow eggs. The life cycle is 4 weeks - during which time both men and women develop from eggs that come out of the anus and lay eggs in the surrounding skin and perineum. The stirring and laying of eggs causes a sharp burning sensation in the skin.
Needle worms are very difficult to treat because the eggs don't just stay on the skin. The parasite's eggs fall on the sheets, hang on the floor and contaminate household items and toys.
It is difficult to determine the presence of these parasites in the body, but the signs and symptoms of their presence have their own characteristics:
- frequent urination, sleeping in bed;
- swelling and pain in the lower abdomen, often on the right side;
- anorexia;
- diarrhea;
- general muscle weakness;
- female pinworms and egg clutches are visually found in the folds of the anus.
In a small number of colonies, a diagnosis based on analysis may be false negative. To identify parasites, a three-fold analysis of feces and debris is performed, which is repeated after a few days. In rare cases, your doctor may order a blood test with an enlarged leukocyte count.
Toxocars - symptoms and treatment of toxocariasis
It belongs to the subgroup of nematodes that enter the body after contact with dogs, cats or soil. Toxocars are not transmitted from person to person, but can be transmitted from mother to fetus through the uterus, or through milk to the baby. Parasitic infestations of this species often occur in autumn or spring.
Symptoms of toxocariasis depend on the location of individuals.
Visceral toxocariasis
These types of lesions are found when parasites are present in the internal organs: in the liver, kidneys, pancreas, brain or heart. In the vast majority of cases, toxocariasis is located in the patient's lungs. The following clinical picture is common:
- fever, chills, fever;
- liver thickens, spleen grows;
- lymph nodes are slightly enlarged, painful on palpation and separated from the surrounding tissues;
- mostly dry cough with a moist crunch at night;
- difficulty breathing and shortness of breath;
- Very common bronchitis and bronchopneumonia.
Lack of therapy for this form of helminthiasis can be fatal. Parasites in the heart can cause death.
Neurological toxocariasis
Pathology occurs when parasites enter the central nervous system. Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the human body:
- children become hyperactive, unable to pass neuropsychological tests and stunted;
- adults complain that they find it difficult to read and cannot explain why;
- memory decreases;
- All kinds of neurological diseases manifest themselves.
If Tosocaria remains in the brain, seizures and epileptiform seizures, paresis and paralysis of the limbs are possible.
Skin toxocariasis
Symptoms will appear as localized urticaria, eczema, or papular eruptions that appear as the larvae migrate. Patients complain of intolerable itching and the affected areas become very swollen and red, in addition to rashes and blisters. A skin gap appears around the areas.
Ocular toxocariasis
A lesion in which parasitic larvae colonize the pupil. Their migration is obvious to the naked eye. Only one eye is affected. In most cases, only one parasite is present. However, there are other signs of the presence of parasites:
- choroid inflammation;
- purulent inflammation of the tissues of the vitreous body;
- Children develop dizziness;
- Exudate of the eyeball may contain "snowball" formations.
The main diagnostic method of any form of toxocariasis is a medical history, immunological tests and a detailed blood test. Because these parasites do not live in the gut, fecal testing is not performed. When enough medication is taken, the prognosis for recovery is favorable.
Wide Ribbon
This parasite enters the human body through the consumption of raw fish or caviar. The disease is called diphyllobotriasis and does not spread from person to person.
A large tapeworm can only be found in the small intestine. Its presence has specific symptoms that develop in the following order:
- nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting;
- fiery conditions;
- decrease or increase in appetite;
- constipation with diarrhea;
- Gradual increase in symptoms of B12 deficiency anemia;
- Intestinal obstruction caused by obstruction of the intestinal lumen by an adult helminth and disturbance of superficial and deep sensitivity;
- unstable gait and crawling under the skin;
- Stool may contain parasitic particles.
Diagnosis of parasites is based on the results of blood tests and coproovoscopy.
Bull lenteworm
This tapeworm can grow up to 7-10 meters in length. The parasite enters the human body in the form of larvae or eggs in poorly cooked or raw infected beef. The disease is called teniarinchiasis; adults are more sensitive to this.
Symptoms of parasites in the human body with teniarinchiasis appear sequentially:
- has a constant feeling of hunger, false bulimia;
- there is a decrease in appetite, sometimes it disappears completely;
- abdominal pain increases, may be different localization, more severe pain in the right iliac region;
- persistent severe flatulence and recurrent diarrhea;
- tongue inflammation develops;
- Weak people may have sleep disorders, fainting, and convulsions.
It is very easy to detect and check for the defeat of a large fungal band, its individual segments - proglotids, especially often coming out of the anus without defecation at night.
The simplest and most effective diagnostic method is the breakdown and analysis of feces according to the composition of proglotid eggs. The prognosis of treatment is favorable.
Echinococcus
Echinococcus belongs to the class of tapeworms. The main sources are stray dogs, worms, jackals and foxes that feed on carcasses infected with echinococcus. It is possible to become infected with parasites when in contact with the feces of a pet dog, stray relatives or infected animals.
Human infection occurs when the larvae of parasites, in most cases, are ingested with contaminated water. It is possible for eggs to be inhaled by a wind and to adhere to the mucous membranes of the nose or throat, to be swallowed by sputum, and to enter the digestive system.
The larvae of the parasite enter the intestine, enter the bloodstream and reach the liver, where it is stabilized by venous blood flow. If fixation does not occur, echinococcus can affect the lungs or other organs. Contrary to popular belief, these parasites do not live in human muscles.
Larvae trapped in the surface tissue begin to grow and form cysts. In case of death, the cyst is washed away. When a person is infected with a large number of larvae, a large number of live and dead echinococcal cysts form.
Symptoms of this type of parasite do not appear for a long time, but as the cyst grows in the liver, the following symptoms appear:
- stool disorders, frequent vomiting, pain in the solar plexus;
- nodules are felt in the liver;
- In the case of compression of the cysts, jaundice develops, accompanied by characteristic symptoms accompanied by severe itching;
- When a purulent cyst opens, severe pain, allergic reactions, up to anaphylactic shock.
If the parasite attaches itself to the lungs, it causes shortness of breath, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough with bleeding. Throwing a cyst into the pleural region is fatal. Choking with a splash in the bronchi, blue skin and severe allergic reactions develop.
The diagnosis is confirmed by serological blood test and ultrasound. Echinococcosis is treated only with surgery! Special antiparasitic drug treatment is carried out only in case of mass infection. It is useless to drink alcohol or take other folk remedies against these parasites.
Giardia
It is very easy to be a carrier of these parasites - human infections occur with cysts from cats, dogs and rodents. After entering the body, the parasites are localized not only in the liver, but also in the large and small intestines. Giardiasis affects children and adults with weak immunity and low stomach acidity.
The disease is characterized by a wavy course with progressive neurological and allergic symptoms:
- cramps on the right side, especially after eating fatty foods;
- variable diarrhea with constipation;
- dry and bitter mouth;
- There is pallor of the skin with a normal hemoglobin level in the blood, especially the nose "turns white";
- hair falls out;
- lip cracks and bumps appear;
- The skin on the palms and soles is peeled off, rashes appear on the skin;
- have choking cough attacks;
- enlarged liver, spleen and lymph nodes;
- develops severe apathy and general weakness.
To clarify the diagnosis, the composition of feces and duodenum is examined.
When signs of parasites are detected, you should not self-medicate, you should contact an infectious disease specialist. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a fairly complex treatment.