Parasitic disease or the defeat of the human body by parasites, pathogenic fungi and bacteria, is the second most common after respiratory infections. The main danger is that people do not always know the presence of such lesions, and the characteristic signs of the disease may not appear for months, while parasites cause damage to health. For a long time, the symptoms of parasites in the body will be disguised as fatigue and minor pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.
Helminthiasis is not just a "dirty hand" disease. Eating poorly washed fruits, raw fish (sushi), and inadequate fried meat can lead to the emergence of worms and other protozoa. Worm eggs can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person through tactile contact.
WHO statistics are alarming - about ¾ of the entire population of the planet is infected with various parasites. The incidence rate in adults and children with pets is 99. 9%.
It is possible to get rid of helminths with the help of medicines and folk remedies, but there are difficult cases when only surgical intervention will help get rid of pests.
What human organs can be infected by parasites
There are 3 ways for worms and worms to enter the human body - through the mouth, mucous membranes and skin. Against the background of weakening of the immune system, parasites multiply without interruption in the body. Immunity decreases, secondary immunodeficiency develops, general body allergies manifest, and resistance to various types of infections decreases. Acute pathology develops into chronic, taking the severe path.
The preferred parasitic habitat is all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Of the 300 types of parasitic diseases, 70% are intestinal forms. Types of extraintestinal helminthiasis affect:
- skin and subcutaneous fat tissue;
- heart;
- muscle tissue;
- light;
- brain;
- heart tissue;
- eyeballs;
- blood;
- joint capsule.
The moment of onset of the first symptoms of a wound depends on the type of parasite, the amount, its localization location, and the current state of human health.
The main symptoms of parasites in the body are similar to all types of helminthic attacks:
- appetite is lost;
- saliva increases;
- diarrhea alternates with constipation;
- nausea and vomiting attacks;
- sleep disorders.
Tooth decay during sleep may indicate the presence of worms in the child's body.
The main symptoms of helminthiasis are general malaise, increased irritation, mild dizziness, weight loss, and the development of iron deficiency anemia. In the event of an allergic reaction (in 70% of cases), parasitic lesions are not observed and are not treated in a timely manner.
The main types of parasites and the special symptoms of their presence
Currently, 70 types of parasites have been identified that can live in humans. They are divided into the following subgroups:
- roundworm (worm);
- tapeworm (tapeworm);
- helminths subcutaneous;
- flux (flukes);
- tissue parasites;
- protozoa protozoa.
Symptoms caused by different types of parasites may vary. To understand whether the human body is affected or not, we will consider some of the most common cases.
Pinworms
Enterobius vermicularis or pinworms are ringworms. They consume the contents of the blood and intestines. This 0, 5-1 centimeter white worm causes helminthiasis - widespread enterobiasis. According to statistics, the total number of these diseases from all lesions is 65%, of which 90% are children.
Enterobiasis is contagious and spreads from person to person. The main route of parasite entry into the body is by swallowing eggs. The life cycle is 4 weeks - during this time, males and females develop from the egg, which exits through the anus and lays eggs in the surrounding skin and in the perineum. Moving and laying eggs cause a burning sensation on the skin.
Pinworms are very difficult to treat, as eggs do not just get into the skin. Parasite eggs fall on bed linen, fall off the floor, and contaminate household items and toys.
It is difficult to determine the presence of this parasite in the body, but the signs and symptoms of its presence have their own distinctive features:
- frequent urination, drowsiness;
- bloating and pain in the lower abdomen, often on the right side;
- loss of appetite;
- diarrhea;
- general muscle weakness;
- Cream worms and egg traps are visually present in the anal folds.
With a small number of colonies, diagnostics based on analysis may be negative. To identify parasites, a triple analysis of feces and residues was performed, which was repeated after a few days. In rare cases, the doctor may prescribe a blood test with an expanded number of leukocytes.
Toxocari - symptoms and treatment of toxocariasis
Refers to a group of nematodes that enter the body after contact with a dog, cat or ground. Toksokar is not spread from person to person, but can be transmitted by the mother to the fetus in the womb, or to the child with milk while breastfeeding. Parasitic diseases of this species often occur in autumn or spring.
Symptoms of toxocariasis depend on individual location.
Visceral toxicariasis
This type of lesion is detected when parasites settle in internal organs: in a person's liver, kidneys, pancreas, brain or heart. In most cases, the toxin resides in the patient's lungs. The following clinical picture is often observed:
- fever, chills, fever;
- liver thickens, spleen enlarges;
- lymph nodes increase slightly, are painful on palpation and detach from surrounding tissue;
- tuberculosis with wheezing, especially at night;
- difficulty breathing and shortness of breath;
- bronchitis and bronchopneumonia are too frequent.
Lack of therapy for this form of helminthiasis can be fatal. Parasites in the heart can cause death.
Neurological toxocariasis
Pathology occurs when parasites enter the central nervous system. Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the human body:
- children become hyperactive, fail to pass neuropsychological tests, and lag behind in their development;
- adults complain that it is difficult for them to read and cannot explain why;
- memory impaired;
- all types of neurological disorders are indicated.
If tosokar remains in the brain, seizures and epileptiform attacks, paresis and paralysis of the limbs may occur.
Toxocariasis of the skin
Symptoms will appear as localized urticaria, eczema, or papular eruptions that appear when the toxok larvae migrate. The patient complains of intolerable itching, and the affected area, in addition to rashes and blisters, swells and reddens. The softness of the skin appears around the area.
Ococariasis ocular
Lesions where parasitic larvae colonize eyeballs. Their migration is clearly visible even to the naked eye. Only one eye was affected. In most cases, only one parasite exists. However, there are other signs of the presence of parasites:
- choroid inflammation;
- purulent inflammation of the vitreous tissue;
- children have strabismus;
- On the outside of the eyeball there may be a formation in the form of a "snowball".
The main diagnostic techniques for any form of toxocariasis are anamnesis, immunological tests and detailed blood tests. Stool tests are not performed because these parasites do not live in the gut. With adequate medication intake, the prognosis for recovery is good.
Wide band
This parasite enters the human body through the consumption of raw fish or caviar. The disease is called diphyllobothriasis and does not spread from person to person.
Wide tapeworms can only exist in the small intestine. There are special symptoms of its presence, which develop in the following order:
- nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting;
- fever;
- decreased or increased appetite;
- constipation alternates with diarrhea;
- gradual increase in symptoms of B12 deficiency anemia;
- Intestinal obstruction caused by obstruction of intestinal lumen by too many worms, as well as violation of superficial and deep sensitivity;
- unstable walking style and crawling under the skin;
- Parasitic particles may be present in feces.
The diagnosis of the presence of parasites is made according to the results of blood tests and coproovoscopy.
Bull tapeworm
These tapeworms can reach a length of 7-10 meters. The parasite enters the human body in the form of larvae or eggs contained in undercooked or raw infected beef. The disease is called teniarinchiasis, adults are more susceptible to it.
Signs of parasites in the human body with teniarinchiasis appear sequentially:
- there is constant hunger, false bulimia;
- there is a decrease in appetite, sometimes becoming incomplete;
- pain in the abdomen, which may be different locations, increasing, the iliac region on the right side more pain;
- persistent bloating and recurrent diarrhea;
- inflammation of the tongue develops;
- Weak people may experience sleep disorders, fainting, and seizures.
It is easy enough to identify and examine the defeat of the tapeworm, its distinctive segment - proglottids, crawling out of the anus without defecation, especially at night.
The simplest and most effective diagnostic method is to scrape and analyze feces for proglotid egg content. The prognosis of treatment is good.
Echinococcus
Echinococcus belongs to the tapeworm class. Its main sources are wild dogs, wolves, wolves, foxes, which eat carcasses infected with echinococcus. It is possible to be infected with a parasite from a pet dog if it comes in contact with a stray relative or the feces of an infected animal.
Human infection occurs when parasitic larvae are swallowed, often with contaminated water. Variants may occur when the egg is inhaled by the wind and attaches to the mucous membranes of the nose or throat, and when the expectorant is swallowed and enters the digestive tract.
Parasitic larvae, which have entered the intestine, dull into the bloodstream and with venous blood flow to the liver, where they remain. If fixation does not occur, echinococcus can affect the lungs or other organs. Contrary to popular belief, these parasites do not live in human muscles.
After attaching organ tissue, larvae begin to grow and form cysts. In the event of his death, cyst suppuration occurs. When a person is infected with a large number of larvae, many living and dead echinococcal cysts form.
Symptoms of the presence of this type of parasite do not appear for a long time, but when the cyst grows in the liver, the following symptoms appear:
- stool violations, frequent vomiting, pain in the solar plexus;
- nodules are felt in the liver;
- if there is pressure on the cyst, jaundice develops, accompanied by characteristic symptoms, which are accompanied by very severe itching;
- when purulent cysts open, severe pain, allergic reactions, until anaphylactic shock occurs.
If the parasite attaches to the lungs, shortness of breath develops, shortness of breath, anxiety of chest pain, and cough with bleeding occur. Penetration of cysts into the pleural region is fatal. With penetration into the bronchi, shortness of breath, blue skin and severe allergic reactions.
Diagnosis is explained by serological blood tests and ultrasound confirmation. Echinococcosis can only be treated surgically! Specific antiparasitic drug treatment is performed only in the event of a massive infection. Drinking alcohol or taking other folk remedies for this parasite is useless.
Giardia
It is easy enough to be a carrier of this parasite - human infections occur with cysts from cats, dogs and mice. Once in the body, parasites are localized not only in the liver, but also in the large and small intestines. Giardiasis affects children and adults with a weakened immune system and low stomach acidity.
The disease is characterized by a wavy course with progressive neurological and allergic symptoms:
- pain cramps on the right side, especially after eating fatty foods;
- diarrhea alternates with constipation;
- dry and bitter mouth;
- at normal hemoglobin levels in the blood, there is paleness on the skin, especially the nose "whitening";
- hair loss;
- cracks and bruises on the lips appear;
- skin on palms and feet peeling, rash appearing on skin;
- there is a choking cough attack;
- enlargement of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes;
- suffers from severe apathy and general weakness.
Stools and duodenal contents are examined to clarify the diagnosis.
While detecting the signs of parasites, you can not cure yourself, you need to contact an infectious disease specialist. Only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe adequate complex treatment.