Any person, regardless of age, gender and status, can become a host and habitat for parasitic microorganisms. Although the word "host" is a strong word, it is the worms that live in the human body, absorb its nutrients and energy, poison the body and cause harm to the body, causes a number 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 overall there are more than 70 species that can make the human body their home.
Some people believe that parasites live only in the intestines, while everyone remembers pinworms - small and white worms. But in fact, worms can penetrate any organ or internal system, thereby disrupting their functions, which is dangerous not only for human health, but also for life. human.
It is necessary to consider what types of helminths there are and which are the most common? At the same time, find out what symptoms indicate their presence and what treatment methods will help to cope with the disease with the least harm to health?
Types of helminths, their classification
There are more than 300 species of parasites in the world, belonging to different classes and groups of microorganisms. In our country, only 70 species are found and from this number we can point out 10 species are found in the majority of cases.
Parasitic worms, depending on their parasitic 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, beef tapeworms, pork tapeworms and broad tapeworms.
The tissue group includes trematodes, trichinella, liver flukes, echinococcus and alveococcus. They can settle in any human internal organ and live there for many years.
Depending on the life cycle of the parasite (as well as the source of infection), they can be divided into the following types:
- Biological helminths - eggs and larvae of this group of parasites mature in the bodies of animals (cows, dogs, cats) or insects (mosquitoes, flies). That is, human infection occurs directly from them. And transmission from person to person is impossible.
- Earthworms - 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 types:
- Circular parasites (nematodes) come in many different sizes and shapes and are always of different sexes. These include pinworms and roundworms (as shown in the photo).
- Cestodes or flatworms (ices) are long worms that eat through their skin. These include beef and pork tapeworms (found quite frequently) and echinococcus (as shown in the photo).
- Trematodes or trematodes - opisthorchiasis, schistosomiasis and some other types of parasitic microorganisms.
Tapeworms and trematodes are always parasitic, but the roundworm group has more than 10, 000 species and only a few of them can live in the human body.
Summary characteristics of common parasites
Pinworms, entering the human body, cause a disease called enteropathy. They look like small and round worms, white or yellowish in color, with a maximum size of one centimeter.
Penetrating into the human body, they settle in the intestines. Helminths are a contact parasite, meaning they can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. At night, the female crawls out of the intestines and lays eggs. Therefore, the main symptom of this disease is uncomfortable itching in the anal area.
The life cycle of pinworms varies from 4 to 6 months. They can only be removed when the last larva dies. Parasitic eggs have incredible vitality and can adapt to any unfavorable conditions.
The most common types of parasites in the human body include the following:
- Roundworms (ascariasis).
- Toxocara (toxocariasis).
- Trichocephalus disease (trichocephalus).
- Trichinella (trichinosis).
- Tapeworm or beef tapeworm (taeniarinhoz).
- Pork tapeworm (disease – tapeworm disease, cystic disease).
Medical statistics show that the broad type of tapeworm is quite common, causing diseases such as diphtheria, as well as echinococcus (echinococcosis), catworm (opisthorchiasis) and lamblia - giardia.
All parasites in the process of their life activities 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 microorganisms, the intensity of helminth infection and the number of helminths that have entered the human body.
Roundworm, Toxocara
The human roundworm is a large, round worm with a curved head (like a hook). Size varies from 50 cm to one meter in length and about 6 cm in diameter.
The length of the male is always much smaller than the length of the female. As a rule, the size of the male parasite does not exceed 25 cm. Roundworm larvae are relatively small in size. With the intensity of helminth infection, roundworms can multiply as quickly as possible, as a result of which parasite balls form in the intestines.
Roundworms (as shown in the photo) belong to the species of helminths. Eggs can from the ground enter the small intestine, where they transform over time into larvae, which, in a favorable environment, are able to enter the circulatory system, and from there, through the blood, move to allinternal organs - lungs, heart, kidneys, cerebral hemispheres, skin, eyes.
If the larvae settle in the lungs, they destroy the alveoli and enter the bronchi, then with bronchial secretions into the oral cavity and finally again into the intestines. So, secondary infection occurs. Adults can lay several thousand eggs per day and live in the human body for several years. Symptoms of ringworm:
- General malaise, weakness.
- Increased anxiety.
- Increased body temperature.
- Difficulty breathing, cough without phlegm.
- Pain in the sternum area.
Treatment of ringworm includes preliminary cleansing of the body; Doctors recommend taking laxatives and absorbents that help remove parasite waste. Then anthelmintic drugs are prescribed, taking into account the patient's age and weight as well as the intensity of helminth infection.
Roundworms should be treated with medications to kill them.
Toxocara is a round parasite (as shown in the photo), yellow in color and up to 10 cm long. Infection occurs through contact with animals; In most cases, you can get it from 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 enter the intestines. Their life cycle can be compared to that of roundworms; they can also enter the circulatory system, then into various internal organs.
In the human body, helminth larvae are unable to develop into adults; Its maturation occurs only in the animal's intestines. In the human body, larvae can live up to 10 years. Symptoms of toxocariasis vary significantly, it all depends on the organ in which the larvae have settled. Common symptoms of the disease include:
- Allergic reactions in the form of rash, itching, redness of the skin.
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
- Ineffective coughs.
- Dry wheezing when breathing.
The acute form of the disease has more "traditional" symptoms, including weakness and lethargy, fever, elevated body temperature, joint and muscle pain, headache and dizziness.
Treatment of toxocariasis begins with etiotropic therapy, which directly affects the cause of the disease, i. e. parasite larvae. Next, medications should be taken to restore the function of affected organs and systems.
Roundworm, Trichinella
In terms of appearance, whipworm is a thin worm, about 3 to 5 cm in length, with a diameter like a human hair. It has a sharp tip, through which it is fixed in the intestinal mucosa.
Helminths can enter the human body from the soil, then move to the intestines, where larvae form. As a rule, this parasite settles in the cecum and appendix areas. Can live in the human body for 3 to 4 years.
A special feature of this parasitic infection is that the disease can be asymptomatic. However, there are "classic" signs that are often confused with respiratory diseases - cough, fever, nausea.
Ascariasis reduces the body's defenses, therefore, against the background of infection, secondary infection can occur, significantly worsening the patient's condition. The following clinical symptoms are distinguished:
- Paleness of the skin.
- Weakness, nausea.
- Gastrointestinal disorders.
- Abdominal pain syndrome.
- There is blood in the stool.
- Increased discomfort, convulsions.
- Headache and dizziness.
As a rule, it is very rare to detect parasites in the early stages of infection. However, treatment must be comprehensive. It includes narrow-spectrum anthelmintics that are effective only against whipworms, analgesics and antispasmodics.
Trichinella is a small worm no more than 5 mm long. Refers to biological worms circulating among predators and livestock. Parasites can enter the human body along with animal meat.
Female Trichinella exists in the human small intestine, where reproduction occurs and new larvae emerge. These larvae enter the circulatory system and can spread throughout the human body through the bloodstream. Trichinella's "favorite" locale is the skeletal muscle, where it can live up to 5 years. The first symptoms are observed in patients on the 8-10th day of infection:
- Feeling of pain in the abdomen.
- Frequent nausea.
- Vomiting, gastrointestinal disorders.
- Loss of appetite.
After the larvae migrate throughout the body, the symptoms described above become more pronounced, accompanied by joint and muscle pain and allergic reactions (hives, itching, rash). If treatment is not started promptly, the disease will cause complications in the cardiovascular system, central nervous system and respiratory system.
Treatment includes anthelmintic medications as well as symptomatic therapy to combat allergic manifestations. At high temperatures, antipyretics should be used. As a rule, therapy is carried out in a hospital environment.
Beef and pig tapeworms
Beef tapeworms can reach a size of thirty meters, have a small head and thousands of segments on the body. There are 6 hooks on the parasite's head. Helminth larvae develop in cattle. It can enter the human body through poorly heat-treated raw meat.
Throughout its life cycle, it remains in the small intestine, where it forms new segments. They are then formed and eggs are obtained from them. Each segment contains up to 100 thousand eggs.
The parasite eats the entire body surface and can live in the human body for up to 10 years. Common symptoms of the disease include:
- Systemic pain in the abdomen.
- Nausea.
- Loss of appetite, vomiting.
- Reduce body weight.
- Increased gas formation.
- Urge to defecate up to 5 times a day.
Treatment includes a health-promoting diet aimed at creating an environment unfavorable to the life of parasitic microorganisms, as well as antihelminthic drugs. The medicine is taken according to the regimen recommended by the doctor. After taking the medicine, the parasites will die and be excreted naturally in the stool.
Pork tapeworms are similar in shape to beef tapeworms, but differ in length - they can be no more than 5 meters long. Infection can occur through the consumption of raw meat, as well as from sick people. The life cycle of a tapeworm is 20-30 years. Parasites can cause two diseases:
- Helminth disease, when larvae enter the body.
- Infectious disease – an adult "lives" in the body.
Cyst disease occurs against the background of severe headaches, epilepsy, various rashes on the skin and pathological changes in the eyeballs are observed. Symptoms caused by adult parasites:
- Allergic reactions, difficulty breathing.
- Abdominal pain, indigestion.
- Loss of appetite, gastrointestinal disorders.
- Sleep disorders, nervousness, agitation.
Treatment of larvae is a long process. Single larvae are removed through surgery, after which anthelmintics 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. After the tapeworm leaves the body, it is examined to rule out the possibility that its body parts were found in the intestines.
As medical practice shows, curing parasitic diseases is much easier than diagnosing them at an early stage. In this situation, you should pay attention to the smallest pathological changes in the body and promptly consult a doctor for appropriate treatment. The video in this article will tell you about the types of parasites that live in humans.