Any person, regardless of age, sex and status, can become a host and habitat for parasitic microorganisms. Although the word "host" is a strong word, because it is worms that live in the human body, absorb its nutrients and energy, poison the body and damage it, causing a series of negative symptoms.
According to statistics from the World Health Organization, the vast majority of people live with at least one type of parasite. And in general, there are more than 70 species that can choose the human body as their home.
Some people think that parasites live exclusively in the intestines, while everyone remembers pinworms, small white worms. But in reality, worms can penetrate any internal organ or system, thereby disrupting its functioning, which is dangerous not only for human health, but also for his life.
Is it necessary to consider what types of helminths exist and which are the most common? At the same time, find out what symptoms indicate its presence and what treatment will help to cope with the disease with the least harm to health.
Types of helminths, their classification.
In the world there are more than 300 species of parasites, which belong to different classes and groups of microorganisms. In our country there are only 70 species, and of this number we can highlight 10, which are found in the vast majority of cases.
Parasitic worms, according to their parasitism characteristics, can be divided into two groups: intestinal and tissue.
The first group chooses the human intestine as its home and can include pinworms, roundworms, lamblia, hookworms, whipworms, bovine tapeworms, pig tapeworms, and broad tapeworms.
The tissue group includes trematodes, trichinella, liver flukes, echinococci, and alveococci. They can settle in any internal human organ and live there for years.
Depending on the life cycle of parasites (as well as the source of infection), they can be divided into the following types:
- Biohelminths: the eggs and larvae of this group of parasites mature in animal organisms (cow, dog, cat) or insects (mosquitoes, flies). That is, human infection occurs directly from them. And transmission from one person to another is not possible.
- Geohelminths: the eggs and larvae of this group of parasites mature exclusively in the soil, that is, outside the human body.
- Contact parasites: Infection occurs directly from a sick person to a healthy person (through a handshake, household items, bedding, etc. ).
Types of worms, depending on the class, are divided into the following varieties:
- Round parasites (nematodes) come in different sizes and appearances and are always of different sexes. These include pinworms and roundworms (as in the photo).
- Cestodes or flat helminths (ribbons) are long worms that feed on their own integument. These include bovine and porcine tapeworms (found quite frequently) and echinococci (as in the photo).
- Trematodes or trematodes: opisthorchiasis, schistosomiasis and some other types of parasitic microorganisms.
Tapeworms and flukes are always parasites, but the group of intestinal worms has more than 10, 000 species and only some of them can live in the human body.
Brief characteristics of common parasites.
Pinworms, which penetrate the human body, cause a disease called enterobiasis. They look like small, round worms, white or yellowish in color, with a maximum size of one centimeter.
Penetrating the human body, they settle in the intestines. Helminths are a type of contact parasite, that is, they can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. At night, the female emerges from the intestine and lays eggs. As a result, the main symptom of this disease is unbearable itching in the anal area.
The life cycle of pinworms varies from 4 to 6 months. It is possible to get rid of them only when the last larva dies. Parasite eggs have amazing vitality and can adapt to any unfavorable conditions.
The most common parasites in the human body include the following types:
- Intestinal worms (ascariasis disease).
- Toxocara (toxocariasis disease).
- Trichocephalosis (trichocephalosis disease).
- Trichinella (trichinosis disease).
- Tapeworm or bovine tapeworm (taeniarinhoz).
- Pork tapeworm (diseases – taeniasis, cysticercosis).
Medical statistics say that broad tapeworm, which causes a disease such as diphyllobothriasis, is quite common, as well as echinococcus (echinococcosis), cat fluke (opisthorchiasis) and lamblia - giardiasis.
All parasites, during their vital activity, negatively affect the human body and the symptoms of each disease differ significantly.
It is worth noting that treatment also depends on the type of parasitic microorganism, the intensity of the helminth infestation and the number of helminths that have penetrated the human body.
Ascaris, Toxocara
The human roundworm is a large roundworm that has a curved end (like a hook). Sizes vary from 50 cm to a meter long and about 6 centimeters in diameter.
The length of males is always much shorter than that of females. As a rule, the size of the male parasite does not exceed 25 centimeters. Ascaris larvae are relatively small in size. With the intensity of the helminthic infestation, the nematodes can multiply as quickly as possible, which is why parasite balls form in the intestines.
Ascaris (as in the photo) belongs to geohelminths. The eggs can reach the small intestine from the soil, where over time they transform into larvae that, in a favorable environment, can penetrate the circulatory system and from there, through the blood, pass to all internal organs: the lungs. . heart, kidneys, cerebral hemispheres, skin, eyes.
If the larvae settle in the lungs, they destroy the alveoli and fall into the bronchi and then, together with bronchial secretions, into the oral cavity and again end up in the intestines. Therefore, a secondary infection occurs. Adults can lay a couple of thousand eggs a day and live in the human body for several years. Symptoms of ascariasis:
- General malaise, weakness.
- Greater nervousness.
- Increased body temperature.
- Shortness of breath, non-productive cough.
- Pain in the sternum area.
Treatment of ascariasis involves preliminary cleansing of the body; The doctor recommends taking laxatives and sorbents that help eliminate parasite waste products. Anthelmintic medications are then prescribed, taking into account the age and weight of the patient and the intensity of the helminth infestation.
Treatment of intestinal worms is advisable with medications aimed at destroying them.
Toxocara is a round parasite (as in the photo), yellow in color and reaching a length of up to 10 centimeters. Infection occurs through contact with animals; In the vast majority of cases, you can be infected through cats and dogs.
The female parasite is capable of releasing up to 250 thousand eggs per day. Helminth eggs enter the human body through the oral cavity and then end up in the intestines. Its life cycle can be compared to that of nematodes; They can also enter the circulatory system and then various internal organs.
In the human body, a helminth larva is not capable of developing into an adult; Its maturation occurs exclusively in the intestines of animals. In the human body, larvae can live up to 10 years. The symptoms of toxocariasis vary significantly, it all depends on which organ the larva has settled in. Common symptoms of the disease include:
- An allergic reaction in the form of a rash, itching, redness of the skin.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Unproductive coughing fits.
- Dry wheezing when breathing.
The acute form of the disease has more "traditional" symptoms, including weakness and apathy, fever, increased body temperature, joint and muscle pain, headaches and dizziness.
Treatment of toxocariasis begins with etiotropic therapy, which directly affects the causes of the disease, that is, the larvae of the parasite. Next, medications are recommended that restore the functionality of the affected organs and systems.
Trichinella, whipworm
In appearance, whipworm is a thin worm, the length of which is approximately 3 to 5 centimeters, the diameter is about the same as a human hair. It has a sharp end through which it is fixed to the intestinal mucosa.
The helminth can penetrate the human body from the soil and then pass into the intestines, where larvae are formed. As a rule, this type of parasite settles in the area of the cecum and appendix. Able to live in the human body for 3 to 4 years.
The peculiarity of infection with this parasite is that the disease can be asymptomatic. However, there are "classic" signs that are often confused with respiratory diseases: cough, fever and nausea.
Whipworm reduces the body's defenses, as a result of which, against the background of its infection, secondary infections may occur, significantly worsening the patient's condition. The following clinical symptoms are distinguished:
- Paleness of the skin.
- Weakness, nausea.
- Digestive tract disorders.
- Pain syndrome in the abdominal area.
- There is a mixture of blood in the stool.
- Increased irritability, convulsive states.
- Headaches and dizziness.
As a rule, it is quite rare to detect a parasite at an early stage of infection. However, the treatment must be comprehensive. It includes narrow-spectrum anthelmintic drugs that act exclusively on whipworms, analgesics and antispasmodics.
Trichinella is a small worm no more than 5 millimeters long. It refers to biohelminths that circulate among domestic animals and predators. The parasite can enter the human body along with animal meat.
The female Trichinella ends up in the human small intestine, where the reproduction process takes place and new larvae appear. These larvae enter the circulatory system and can spread throughout the human body through the bloodstream. Trichinella's "favorite" local area is skeletal muscles, where it can live up to 5 years. The first symptoms are observed in the patient between day 8 and 10 of infection:
- Painful sensations in the abdominal area.
- Regular nausea.
- Vomiting, alteration of the digestive tract.
- Loss of appetite.
After the larvae travel throughout the body, the symptoms described above become more pronounced, with additional joint and muscle pain and an allergic reaction (hives, itching, rash). If treatment is not started in time, the disease causes complications in the cardiovascular system, central nervous system and respiratory system.
Treatment includes anthelmintic medications, as well as symptomatic therapy that combats allergic manifestations. At high temperatures, antipyretic drugs are recommended. As a rule, therapy takes place in a hospital.
Bovine and porcine tapeworm
The bull tapeworm can reach a size of thirty meters, has a small head, and there are thousands of segments on the body. There are 6 hooks on the head of the parasite. Helminth larvae develop in livestock. It can enter the human body through poorly thermally processed raw meat.
Throughout its life cycle it remains in the small intestine, where it forms new segments. Later they are formed and eggs are obtained from them. Each segment contains up to 100 thousand eggs.
The parasite feeds on the entire surface of its body and can live in the human body for up to 10 years. Common symptoms of the disease include:
- Systematic pain in the abdomen.
- Nausea.
- Loss of appetite, vomiting.
- Loss of body weight.
- Greater gas formation.
- Need to defecate up to 5 times a day.
Treatment involves a diet that improves health and creates an unfavorable environment for the life of the parasitic microorganism, as well as anthelmintic drugs. The tablets are taken according to the regimen recommended by the doctor. After taking the medicine, the parasite dies and passes out naturally along with the feces.
The pork tapeworm is similar in appearance to the bovine tapeworm, but differs in length: it cannot measure more than 5 meters. Infection can occur from the consumption of raw meat, as well as from a sick person. The life cycle of the tapeworm is 20 to 30 years. The parasite can cause two diseases:
- Cysticercosis, when the larvae enter the body.
- Taeniasis - an adult "lives" in the body.
Cysticercosis occurs against the background of an acute headache, epileptic seizures, various skin rashes, and pathological changes in the eyeball are observed. Symptoms caused by an adult parasite:
- Allergic reactions, difficulty breathing.
- Pain in the abdomen, discomfort in stool.
- Loss of appetite, alteration of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Sleep disturbance, nervousness, excitability.
Treatment of larvae is a long process. Individual larvae are removed by surgery and then anthelmintic medications are prescribed.
To remove an adult from the human body, a narrow-spectrum antiparasitic drug is prescribed, which has a detrimental effect on a specific type of parasite. Once the tapeworm leaves the body, it is examined to rule out the possibility of parts of its body being found in the intestines.
As medical practice shows, curing parasitic diseases is much easier than diagnosing them at an early stage. In view of this circumstance, it is recommended to pay attention to the slightest pathological changes in your body and immediately consult a doctor for appropriate treatment. The video in this article will tell you about the types of parasites that live in humans.