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 among certain segments of the population. Children are susceptible to pinworm infection, 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 about 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 any unpleasant and uncomfortable sensations, they are perceived as signs of other diseases. The patient has been treated for years for pancreatitis, gastritis or colitis, not suspecting that the cause of his ailments is helminthiasis.
How does infection occur?
Infection with helminths occurs as follows:
- Through unwashed hands
- Upon contact with soil
- 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). Rare cases of the disease occur 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 methods of infection also occur. They happen when, after contact with soil or sand, hands were not thoroughly washed.
Vegetables and berries growing in the ground that are not sufficiently washed are also a source of worm infection. Children who play with yard 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, infection from person to person is also possible. It happens like this: a female pinworm can crawl out of the intestines and lay eggs directly on the underwear, causing severe itching. A person, after scratching an itchy area, may come into contact with other toilet items 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 reservoirs and wells. 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 their adaptation in any human organ.
Stages of helminthiasis
The most destructive effect on the body is not caused by adults, but by their larvae. Adult individuals have already chosen a cozy place for themselves 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 located in the small intestine, and pinworms settle in the large intestine and lower parts of the small intestine. According to the habitat of the parasites, helminth infections are:
- Translucent
- Fabric
Luminal ones are located in the lumens of the genital organs, and tissue ones are located inside the tissues. Depending on their growth, parasites can change their habitat, moving from the luminal form to the tissue form. Helminthiasis develops in two stages:
- Spicy
- Chronic
The acute stage lasts from a week to a month, and the chronic stage continues until cure. The acute stage begins with the introduction of the egg and continues as the parasite matures and grows. The disease manifests itself as allergic reactions to a foreign organism. During the chronic stage 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 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 harm, parasites spew their waste products into the human body, poisoning the body, leading to 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, a patient undergoes examination by many specialists who find a bunch of diseases in him. And in this case, all the specialists can be replaced by one single doctor - a parasitologist.
Classification of helminths
Types of worms in humans:
- Flatworms
- Roundworms
Flatworms include:
- Trematodes (opisthorchiasis, schistosomes, paragonimus)
- Cestodes (wide tapeworm, pork tapeworm, echinococcus, alveococcus)
- Roundworms or nematodes:
- Pinworm
- 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 find out in-depth characteristics of the structure and life cycle of parasites.
Trematodes
Another name for trematodes is flukes. These parasites are flat leaf-shaped or lanceolate with two suckers. One sucker is located in the mouth, and the second, which serves for attachment, is in the peritoneum. All representatives of flukes 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, gall bladder, and pancreas in humans and some carnivorous animals (foxes, dogs, cats). Opisthorchiasis eggs come out of the human or animal body in feces. When these eggs enter a body of water, they are swallowed by freshwater mollusks, within which the larvae hatch and develop. The process of development and maturation of larvae lasts two months. Then the larvae crawl out of the mollusk and penetrate the skin of carp fish. After six weeks, the larvae become full-fledged mature parasites. Opisthorchiasis enters the body of an animal or a 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
- Loss of consciousness
Harm caused to the body by opisthorchiasis:
- Poisoning by parasite waste products
- Damage to liver tissue
- Gallbladder damage
- Impaired outflow of bile
- Inflammation of the pancreas
- Secretory dysfunction
- Decreased gastric motility
- Thickening of the walls of some organs, the occurrence of tumors as a result.
The chronic course of the disease is characterized by:
- Heaviness after eating
- Pain
- Vomiting
- Nausea
Prevention of infection: To avoid infection with opisthorchiasis, you should not eat raw fish. The larvae die during heat treatment of products. Dried fish can only be eaten if it has been previously salted. Also, the larvae die when the fish is frozen for a long time.
Schistosomes
These parasites are of different sexes, similar to needles with a length of 0. 4 to 2. 6 cm. Females are longer than males and larger, producing 3000 eggs per day. The method of reproduction is the same as that of the previous type of parasite, through 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 one day of penetration, the larva turns into an adult and enters the peripheral veins, through which it is sent to 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 in urine or feces and begin their development path all over again. Schistosoma lives in the human body for several decades, causing harm 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 accumulate in the organs. The eggs of this parasite have spines that damage the internal organs of a person, often causing ulcers in the infected person. Patients with schistosomiasis experience the following symptoms:
- Appetite disturbance
- Anemia
- Enlarged liver
- Changed spleen
- 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 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 experience delayed growth and development and decreased performance at school. Prevention of the disease includes avoiding swimming and avoiding walking barefoot in tropical waters.
Paragonim
Paragonim is a 1 cm long pulmonary fluke with an ovoid body and red spines. This parasite multiplies in the lungs of animals and enters the human body by eating crayfish and freshwater crabs. The parasite affects the respiratory system. Patients with paragonimiasis are characterized by allergic reactions and decreased immunity. Symptoms:
- Temperature increase
- Cough
- Sputum production 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 crayfish and crabs.
Cestodes
Representatives of cestodes 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 adhere to the intestinal walls. Cestodes affect the entire human body; they are most 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 multi-chambered representative of this type of worm is the causative agent of a disease such as alveococcosis. The disease is carried 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 4 sections, the last of which is filled with eggs. These sections break off and scatter throughout the body, infecting it. The fourth section scatters eggs throughout the body.
The patient's infected organ becomes enlarged, for example the liver. Suppuration may form. An enlarged organ may even rupture the abdominal cavity. And this can lead to serious sepsis of the body and even death. Symptoms:
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Allergic reactions to waste products of parasites.
Echinococcus affects:
- Brain
- Spinal cord
- Eyes
- Thyroid gland
- Liver
- Lungs
- Uterus
This parasite can provoke the formation of tumors, including malignant ones. The most unpleasant thing is that treatment of this disease is only possible with surgery. Prevention: personal hygiene when in contact with animals.
Nematodes
These worms with an elongated body, round or cylindrical, parasitize, most often, in children's bodies. 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 front end of the parasite has a suction cup, with the help of which the pinworm drills into the intestines, and the sharp end hangs into the lumen and damages the walls. This disease is called enterobiasis. You can become 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. More often, itching is felt at night, when the female lays eggs, secreting a special substance. Symptoms:
- Itching
- Diarrhea
- Stomach ache
- Headache
- Lack of appetite
Prevention: hand washing.
Roundworms
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 vegetables and fruits, 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 into the mouth. A partial number of larvae die in the open air, the rest are swallowed back. Symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomit
- Jaundice
- Pancreatitis
- Frequent acute respiratory infections
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
Prevention:
- Hand washing
- Washing vegetables and fruits
- Maintaining personal hygiene
- Protect food from flies, cockroaches and other carriers.
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 harm 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.