Human infection with worms is called helminthosis in medicine.Several hundred species of parasites are known to cause this disease.Some of them do not cause noticeable harm, others are a nuisance, but there are also worms that pose a threat to human life.
Helminths enter the body in the form of eggs that are covered with a protective shell and withstand harsh conditions.Worms are very prolific and lay thousands of eggs every day, increasing the likelihood of infection.Eggs come out from the carrier of parasites along with feces.When exposed to favorable conditions, the shell is shed and the egg becomes a full-fledged parasite and in a short time.Worms feed on human food or tissues, multiply rapidly and harm the body with toxins from the products of their vital activity, causing poisoning.
Causes of worms in humans
The disease can be related to lifestyle, diet or having pets.You can get infected in different ways:
- swimming in ponds used for watering livestock;
- non-observance of personal hygiene rules;
- poor heat treatment of meat and meat dishes;
- eating unwashed vegetables and fruits;
- raw, unprocessed fish;
- contact with infected animals (cats, dogs, cows);
- living with people carrying helminths;
- raw water consumption in rural areas.
It is important to know: Worms lay thousands or even hundreds of thousands of eggs every day, so any sick person or animal poses a great threat as a source of infection.
Often, children are exposed to infection because they follow little hygiene rules and are constantly in contact with each other, transmitting parasites.Pinworms and roundworms, which are found in almost every child, are especially easily transmitted.They cause a lot of anxiety and affect the child's well-being.
Symptoms and signs of worms
The presence of worms in a person is quite easy to determine even without the help of medical examinations.The main habitat for them is the intestines, where they feed on human food and are often excreted in the feces, and itching in the anus is observed as the worms excrete their waste products, thereby irritating the rectal mucosa.Pinworms, for example, crawl out of the anus at night, so redness and allergic symptoms are often observed around it, causing the desire to scratch in this place.
There are types of helminths that affect the liver and even the brain.For example, when a liver fluke (horned animal tapeworm) enters the human body, it "travels" through the body through the bloodstream until it stops in the liver or brain.It begins to develop there, eating the surrounding tissues.A person begins to experience illness and in contact with the brain, even mental disorders and eventually death.The parasite is transmitted through livestock (cows, sheep).
Another dangerous parasite is echinococcus.These worms are parasites in dogs or wolves, and are transmitted from them to humans through contact.Helminths attack the liver and lungs.At this time, headaches, dry cough and loss of appetite are observed.Moreover, this type is difficult to diagnose and can be mistaken for a tumor during examinations.Echinococci are dangerous to health and can cause serious disorders in the body, including death.
The main symptoms of helminth infection:
- headaches;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- weight loss;
- itching in the anus;
- bloating and swelling;
- diarrhea and other digestive disorders;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- increased body temperature;
- abdominal pain;
- cough for no reason;
- skin allergy.
Worms manifest themselves some time after infection.At first, there are no symptoms or they are hardly noticeable, because the amount of toxic substances released by the parasites does not cause serious problems.Then, as it develops and multiplies, the symptoms become stronger and more pronounced.General health deteriorates dramatically, so measures must be taken to detect and destroy them.
Treatment of helminthic infection
You should know that parasites will not disappear on their own.At the same time, health will constantly deteriorate due to poisoning with toxins.This weakens the body and immune system, making a person vulnerable to inflammatory infections and other diseases.
Killing worms is called deworming.The process involves the use of drugs to kill the parasites and drugs to reduce the allergic reaction.Each type of parasite is sensitive to certain substances, so in order to get rid of worms, it is necessary to identify their type.In this case, only a doctor will help, after conducting tests and other studies, he will diagnose and prescribe treatment.
In the most serious cases, doctors prescribe an operation to remove the worms.
Interesting:The length of the bovine tapeworm in humans sometimes reaches 10 meters.It consists of small units that can develop as an independent organism.Therefore, it can only be removed surgically, and if the body breaks down, they continue to develop and grow.
Prevention
Helminths enter the body in the form of microscopic eggs, so in order to prevent this, it is necessary to follow a number of recommendations:
- observe the rules of personal hygiene (before eating, after contact with animals, after visiting the toilet, etc.);
- wash vegetables and fruits with clean running water, preferably with boiled water;
- fry meat and fish thoroughly;
- if you have pets, check them regularly for helminths by a veterinarian;
- Get checked for intestinal parasites once a year.
Advice: Do not swim in water bodies where cattle graze.In this case, there is a risk of infection with bovine tapeworm, which is very dangerous.
Worms pose a great threat to human health and interfere with normal life activities.It is important to identify them as soon as possible and eliminate them with treatment, because it is easier to get rid of them in the early stages.In addition to the risk to your health, there is a possibility of infecting your loved ones with parasites, so it is recommended to consult a doctor who will diagnose and prescribe a course of treatment at the first symptoms.In addition, it is important to follow preventive measures to prevent infection.It is better to prevent the appearance of worms in the body than to get rid of them later.