Symptoms of the presence of worms in a child's body, causes of the appearance of parasites in children, treatment

Helminthiasis is a common parasitic disease in children. If worms appear in one of the organs or systems of the child's body, then the negative effects will not only affect its function, but also affect the work of the immune and nervous systems. Symptoms such as cough, lack of appetite, indigestion, allergic reactions may be accompanied by other unrelated symptoms. If you suspect helminthic invasion, it is important to immediately contact a specialist, and not self-medicate.

Why is helminthiasis dangerous?

Most of the species helminthiases most often found in children are parasitic in the intestine. In it they live and eat, as a result they reproduce and release toxins. Parasitic worms also mechanically affect the intestinal wall. The consequences of the active life of worms in a child's body can be:

• Avitaminosis and weight loss. This problem arises due to a lack of nutrients and vitamins. As a result, children begin to lag behind in development. The pathological process can start in other organs.
• Inflammation in the intestines, colitis, dysbacteriosis, bleeding. All these unpleasant and serious complications are caused by mechanical damage caused by worms in children in the body.
• The development of the inflammatory process in the appendix, liver, gall bladder. This is an organ adjacent to the intestine where the parasite can move.
• Intestinal obstruction. It can be partial or complete, and sometimes there is a risk of rupture of the intestinal wall.
• body hangoverWhen worms live and die inside a person, they release aggressive toxins.
• Allergies. Parasite waste products are considered strong allergens.
• Violations in liver function. For this reason, children have to follow a diet for years and also take enzymes.
• Psychosis. Helminths tend to have a negative effect on the patient's nervous system.

Types of worms that affect the body of children

There are many types of parasites that can appear in a child's body. They vary in size, both small and large, and also show themselves in different ways and have different incubation periods, which range from 1-1. 5 months. To prescribe an effective drug that will help cure helminthiases, you need to correctly determine the type. The most common types in children are:

1. Tape. These types of worms include cestodes, pygmy tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococcus.
2. Sounded. Among them are annelids.
3. Round. Their representatives are trichinella, pinworms, whipworms, nematodes, roundworms.
4. Spiny head. They are represented by scrapers.
5. flatAmong them are trematodes and flukes.

Causes and methods of infection

It is possible to contract helminthiasis not only in exotic countries or by trying unusual dishes on the menu. Playing in the sandbox and unwashed hands is the easiest way for worms to enter a child's body. Young children tend to touch and study everything, without thinking about the purity of the studied subject. After that, they can safely lick their fingers without washing them first. Worms remain viable for a very long time (from weeks to months), remaining on the surface of various objects.

In addition to dirty hands, the main sources of infection include:

• dirty toys and surfaces;
• clothes;
• shoes;
• fence at the entrance;
• doorknob;
• raw water;
• dirty vegetables and fruits;
• earth, soil, sand;
• contact with sick children;
• not good enough meat;
• non-thermally processed fish or other seafood.

Symptoms of the presence of parasites in children

Usually in children under the age of 1 year, any manifestation of the presence of parasites in the body is observed in isolated cases. The first symptoms indicating infection with helminths are recorded at an older age (about 2-3 years) in children who attend kindergarten or other developing organizations.

Helminthiases in children are represented by different types, and each individual type has its own specific characteristics. However, there are some symptoms that are characteristic of any type of worm:

• irritability and depression for no apparent reason;
• restless sleep;
• allergies;
• itching in the anus;
• increased secretion of saliva;
• disturbed digestion, accompanied by diarrhea, constipation, nausea and flatulence;
• lack of appetite;
• weight loss with good nutrition;
• pale skin.

In older children, these symptoms may include:

• Headache;
• discomfort in the stomach;
• dizziness;
• increased fatigue;
• poor concentration.

Enterobiasis (worms)

A disease when parasites such as pinworms enter a child's body is called enterobiasis. This type of helminth is one of the most common in small children of preschool age - from 2 to 5 years. They differ in medium size, which is 5-13 mm, and minimal danger compared to other types of parasites.

Their presence causes the appearance of the following symptoms:

1. Violent itching in the anus. Its intensity can reach such strength that the child will not sleep well, scratching the anus, causing irritation and inflammation.
2. Urinary incontinence during night sleep. Seen in women. This happens if pinworms from the anus enter the urethra. As a result, the baby begins to experience urethritis, vaginitis or cystitis.

Pinworms are easy to get rid of and are not as dangerous as other types of worms. It is important in time, when the first signs appear, to consult a doctor and pass the necessary tests. If pinworms are found in children, then parents also need treatment. All clothes, towels and other rags should be washed and ironed, and the room thoroughly washed, as the eggs of this worm are found on all surfaces in the house of an infected person.

Ascariasis (roundworm)

The second most common in children are large round worms up to 40 cm in size, living in the small intestine - roundworms. In addition to the general symptoms of helminthiasis, in the case of ascaris, the infected person in the early stages develops an unreasonable cough in the absence of any inflammatory process in the respiratory tract. Its appearance is due to the fact that the larvae of this type of parasite enter the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and through coughing they enter the stomach again.

Other characteristic features include:

• headache and dizziness;
• allergies;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• high temperature;
• intestinal disorders.

At the same time, itching on the back with roundworms is not present. Not only the intestines, but any other organ or body system can be a habitat.

Trichuriasis (whisker head)

The parasite in this child is a worm with a very thin body, reaching 5 cm in length. Female whipworms can lay up to 2 thousand eggs at a time. Usually, such helminths are more common in adolescence, and in small children they appear more rarely.

A characteristic feature of trichuriasis is the almost complete absence of any signs of helminthic invasion. Possible symptoms include:

• disturbances in the work of the nervous system (irritability, headache);
• problems with the digestive system, accompanied by diarrhea, nausea or vomiting;
• increased body temperature.

Other signs of parasites

Among other types of worms that can occur in children, the following can be distinguished:

• Hymenolepiasis or pygmy rat tapeworm. He has no specific symptoms. Its presence can be recognized by nausea, loss of appetite, heartburn, diarrhea and constipation, headache, pain in the stomach, increased salivation, dizziness, fatigue, skin rash, allergic rhinitis and bronchospasm.
• Opisthorchiasis or feline Siberian fluke. This worm in children causes subfebrile temperature, rash on the skin, swollen lymph nodes, pain in the joints and right hypochondrium, pancreatitis, gastritis and other signs of digestive tract dysfunction, permanent catarrhal syndrome and more.

• Toxocariasis. Contagious through animals. The main symptoms are allergic cough with choking and skin rash, which is characterized by severe itching.
• Wide ribbon. The source of infection is not fried or undercooked fish. Symptoms include abdominal pain, allergic reactions, B12 deficiency anemia, and other common signs of intestinal disorders.

How to check if your child has worms?

In most cases, it is difficult for parents to associate certain symptoms with helminthiasis or to understand why the child suddenly vomits or other symptoms for no apparent reason. At the slightest suspicion of the appearance of worms, one should go to a specialist and take a test, which makes it easier to check the assumption of helminthic invasion. It will not take much time and effort, but the cause of the baby's illness will become clear and it will be possible to carry out timely treatment.

Self diagnosis

Self-diagnosis is a careful monitoring of changes in behavior, development, habits, routines and normal conditions of children - both physical and emotional-psychological.

It includes:

• periodic examination of feces for the presence of worms;
• monitor the frequency of visits to the toilet;
• checking the skin for rash, redness, or irritation;
• check the amount of food taken.

Testing

Medical diagnosis is necessary to confirm the diagnosis if worms are detected visually, or only if helminthic invasion is suspected. To find out the cause of the symptoms, you need to take a series of tests, which include:

1. Stool analysis. Inside, you can find eggs or parts of ripe worms. The effectiveness of the method is maximum in the period when there are mature individuals in the intestine, i. e. about 3 weeks to a month after infection. Feces should be collected in the morning and sent to the laboratory.
2. Smears or smears from the anus. To do this, use dry cotton dipped in glycerin, or adhesive tape. The analysis allows you to identify the worm larvae deposited on the skin area in the anus.
3. General blood analysis. Patients with helminthiasis in the blood may have an increased number of immune cells, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a reduced hemoglobin level.
4. ELISA blood test. Allows you to detect parasites at an early stage with the help of enzyme staining that attracts worms, viruses and other foreign bodies.

Additional tests for parasites in children that can be done on an outpatient basis include:

• analysis for the presence of IgG antibodies;
• ultrasound procedures;
• x-ray.

Features of drug treatment

The appointment of drugs to combat parasites in children must be handled by a doctor after passing all the necessary tests and establishing an accurate diagnosis and type of worms. Among the most common drugs against helminthic invasion, it is worth noting:

1. Anthelmintic drugs act on nematodes. Acceptance is allowed from 6 months. Effective against all types of roundworms, but useless in the case of flat parasites.
2. Anthelmintic drugs of the benzimidazole group. Appointed from 2-3 years. The dose is determined at the rate of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight.
3. Antiprotozoal and antimicrobial drugs from the group of nitroimidazoles. Suitable for any age according to the daily dose determined.
4. Antihelminthic drugs of the benzimidazole group. For children from 2 years old against roundworms.

What folk remedies can help?

In addition to drugs, worms can be treated with folk remedies.

The most popular products that can provide effective treatment for worms in children are:

• Garlic. Successfully destroys roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms and overcomes many other types of parasites. Suitable for children aged 5 years and have a healthy stomach. It should be given 1 review before eating once a day. Can be taken with water or milk. Garlic is also an excellent antiviral agent.
• Pumpkin seeds. They should be eaten on an empty stomach and raw. Usually children like this treatment. Otherwise, it can be crushed and mixed with honey if the child is not allergic to honey.
• Sagebrush. Allowed for children from 12 years. To facilitate acceptance, it should be mixed with a piece of bread and salt.
• Fresh carrot juice. Just half a cup on an empty stomach once a day for 7-10 days. You can also bite into raw carrots.
• Beet juice. It is given on an empty stomach. It is advisable to replace it with carrots, so as not to provoke stool violations.
• walnutA few pieces a day will be enough for children.
• a pineapple. Fresh fruit, not canned, is a delicious and effective remedy.
• citrus. To their "company" you can add berries and fruits with a sour taste.

Prevention

Regardless of the type of worm, prevention is to follow the basic rules of personal hygiene:

1. Washed food. All vegetables, fruits and berries should be washed well before eating. As an additional step, the product can be doused with boiling water.
2. Clean hands. You need to wash it before eating, after walking, visiting hospitals and staying in public places, after going to the toilet and playing with animals, even pets.
3. Deworming pets. It must be done at least 2 times a year.
4. Boiled or filtered water for drinking. It is forbidden to drink water from open reservoirs. Swimming in it should also be avoided to prevent splashes of water from entering the mouth. Salt lakes and seas are exceptions.
5. Regular prevention with the help of folk remedies.
6. Keeping old and new toys. Soft toys should be washed regularly, plastic and plastic should be washed with boiled water. The new one, before giving it to the child, should be poured with boiling water without fail.
7. No insects! Flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches carry helminth eggs on their legs. It is important to prevent them from entering the house. To do this, you can use a fumigator, sticky tape and special crayons.
8. Exclusion from the children's diet of fish and meat dishes that require low roasting of animal products.
9. Stool analysis once a year. This procedure will help to detect worms in the early stages.