Helminth infection (helminthiasis) — diseases that cause human parasitic worms (worms, worms) living in the body.
What is it?
Currently, there are about 300 of parasitic diseases. They can be divided into intestinal and intestinal. As the name implies, in the first case, the worms and their larvae live in the gut, and another outside: muscles, lungs, liver, etc. the most common diseases due to intestinal parasites is considered to be: enterobiasis and ascariasis.
Enterobiasis cause tiny parasitic worms — pinworms. Length they do not exceed 1 cm One end of the worm is usually sharp and the other rounded. Color pinworms can vary from white and yellow to almost black. These worms are nocturnal: at night, the females crawl into the rectum, and there the skin around the anus, lay eggs in the folds of the skin, itself and dies.
The average life expectancy of pinworms and a half months.
Ascariasis causes larger worms, the ascarids. In length they can reach 20 cm the parasites of roundworm, mainly in the small intestine, so they can be detected in the feces quite difficult. The life expectancy of the shuttle for several years.
Infection
Usually infection with worms occurs through contaminated feces in soil. For example, if you don't wash your hands and clean your nails after working the land, eating dirty vegetables, fruits and berries. Besides, not last role the infected worms play fly. They are on their feet and body position helminth egg dishes. Also, infection with worms possible and accidental ingestion of water while swimming in the pool. Children often catch worms in Pets.
What's going on?
In the body of an adult intruder to wait a threefold protective barrier. The first — enzyme the mouth, another — in the acidic environment of the stomach, and the third local immunity in the intestine. Unfortunately, the weakened body all these barriers may not work. Then the worms still enter the intestine and develop into Mature individuals.
Over time the human body is poisoned slag worms. The patient's fatigue, weakened or, on the contrary, increased appetite, headache. Disrupted the digestive tract: abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. Can occur the anus itching. Increased sensitivity to allergens — also the result of the turbulent life of worms. The consequences can be very sad — rashes, asthma. Another negative effect of worms — they weaken the immune system.
What looks like?
Signs of parasitic diseases depend on the type and number of worms, as well as the individual reactions to the worms. The first symptoms of infection with worms: deteriorating appetite, vomiting, nausea, or drooling, paroxysmal abdominal pain. Constipation alternating with diarrhea, developed fatigue and weakness, sleep disturbances. When infected with worms (pinworms), patients worried about itching in the anus and perineum. It strengthens at night and at rest. Sometimes it is so severe that the patient wakes up.
What is dangerous?
Constipation, sharp abdominal pain and swelling, you should immediately contact your doctor. These symptoms may indicate intestinal obstruction occurred. In severe helminthiasis develop abnormalities of the nervous system: prolonged headache, dizziness, nervous tics. Ascariasis, due to the peculiarities of migration of parasites in the body can be a symptom of the presence of worms paroxysmal cough. Often signs of worms in humans is a skin-changes in the form of various skin rashes.
Diagnosis of worm infestation
When any suspicion of infection with worms, make sure to consult a specialist, not to self-medicate. The diagnosis is confirmed by usual analysis of the feces the eggs of worms. If the first stool sample helminth eggs have not been identified, but the probability of infection is high, the test is repeated several times in a row.
How to treat worms
Treating worms use a special medication against worms. The choice of cure for worms depends on the specific type of helminthes detected in the patient. The doctor prescribes pills to get rid of parasites. Treatment of worms is at home.
Criteria recovery is repeatedly negative fecal humans on helminth eggs.