Helminthiases are a group of diseases caused by parasitic worms.
Helminths can settle in a person's intestines, lungs, gallbladder, and bile ducts. Parasites cause mechanical damage to internal organs, waste products from helminths lead to poisoning. Helminthiasis is also dangerous for humans because it suppresses the immune system, aggravates the course of other diseases, leads to increased fatigue, reduces the absorption capacity of the intestines, reduces the effectiveness of vaccinations, etc. You can become infected with helminths by drinkingdirty water or unwashed food. In rare cases, the disease is transmitted through the skin or air.
Classification of helminthiasis
After localization:
- Intestines.These include ascariasis, strongyloidosis, trichocephalosis, teniarinchiasis, etc.
- Lungs.This group includes tominxosis and paragonimosis.
- Tissue.This class includes schistosomiasis, trichinosis, toxocariasis, and filariasis.
- Hepotobiliary system.This group includes opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, and clonorchiasis.
According to level:
- Sharp.Helminthiasis usually occurs 2-4 weeks after infection. Depending on the severity of the helminth invasion, signs of helminthiasis are observed from 1 week to several months, then the disease becomes chronic.
- Chronic.The clinical manifestations of chronic helminthiasis depend on the characteristics of the species of the parasite. In the presence of helminths with larval reproduction (filariasis or strongyloidosis), allergic manifestations persist for a long time. For other forms of the disease, symptoms depend on the number, size, and location of the parasites in the body.
Helminthiasis and micronutrient deficiency
After parasites settle in the human body, they feed on blood and tissue juices and absorb nutrients. For growth and reproduction, helminths primarily need microelements, which leads to a decrease in their content in the body. Helminthiasis can result in a deficiency in the following trace elements:
Zinc deficiency.Causes prostatitis, infertility, dwarfism, parakeratosis (similar to scab or scabies), various tumors and many other pathologies.
Selenium deficiency.Leads to a decrease in immunity, can provoke the development of malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, mammary glands and prostate.
Iodine deficiency.It causes stunted growth, impaired puberty and underdevelopment of the reproductive organs. In the case of iodine deficiency, intellectual disabilities up to dementia are possible.
Manganese deficiency.May cause brittle bones, weight loss, seizures, dermatitis, and genital tract degeneration.
Lack of chrome.Causes tiredness, sugar intolerance (borderline diabetes), growth retardation, increases the cholesterol level.
Signs of helminthiasis
- Fever;
- various rashes;
- Swelling of the face, conjunctivitis;
- inflammation of the upper respiratory tract;
- loose chairs;
- in children, angina, lymphadenitis;
- Bronchospasm, pulmonary infiltrates, pneumonia;
- Myocarditis;
- Hepatitis;
- Meningoencephalitis.
Symptoms (clinical picture) of helminthiasis
Acute helminthiasis.With this form of helminth infestation
Signs of general allergic reactions are characteristic: itchy rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain. Acute helminthiasis often leads to the development of pulmonary syndrome, abdominal pain, and dyspeptic disorders. At the same time, the liver and spleen gain weight, and central nervous system symptoms may appear.
Chronic helminthiasis.In many forms of helminthiasis, the parasitism of several individual individuals proceeds without unpleasant symptoms. The characteristic signs of helminthiasis appear in the presence of large worms (teniids, wide tapeworm, etc. ). Symptoms depend on the type and location of the parasite. With intestinal helminthiasis, pain, dyspeptic and asthenoneurotic syndromes are observed. Ascariasis can cause pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, and intestinal obstruction. Enterobiasis is characterized by itching in the anus at night. With clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis, hepatitis, cholecystocholangitis, and various lesions of the gastrointestinal tract can develop.
Helminthiasis and infectious diseases
A worm infestation increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases. Helminths reduce immunity and weaken the body as a whole. Thus, parasites give microbes and viruses free access to the tissues of the body. Helminthiasis can be accompanied by the following infectious diseases.
Toxoplasmosis.It is an infectious disease that affects humans and animals. You can become infected with toxoplasmosis from contaminated blood transfusions, consuming foods made from thermally unprocessed meat or fish, or coming into contact with the patient's stool. Toxoplasmosis is transmitted from mother to child during intrauterine development. The infection can lead to fetal death or spontaneous miscarriage. Newborn babies infected with toxoplasmosis are at high risk of death.
Chlamydia.An infectious disease that occurs in rodents, cats, and humans. May be accompanied by fever, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and pneumonia. Acts on the organs of sight, the reproductive and respiratory organs. Chlamydia is transmitted through droplet infection, contact, and sexual intercourse.
Toksokara.The disease is seen in humans, pets, and rodents. Toxocar eggs remain viable for months in the dried feces. You can get infected through contact with animal hair or through the soil. The disease is accompanied by severe allergies and pathologies of the internal organs.
Diagnosis and therapy of helminthiasis
How to recognize helminthiasis
Helminthiasis prevention is primarily carried out in compliance with strict hygiene standards. It is unacceptable to drink raw water and eat poorly processed or unfamiliar foods (fish, meat). Early detection of people infected with parasites also plays an important role in prevention. The diagnosis of helminthiasis is carried out by identifying the larvae and eggs of helminths. Most often they are localized in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, so the most common method is stool analysis.
In some cases, standard methods of diagnosing helminthiasis are ineffective. For example, some parasites do not lay eggs for a long time and are therefore not found in the feces. An innovative method allows you to identify the presence of helminths and assess the general condition of the body based on the iris of the eyes. The method is based on the fact that each organ has a projection on a specific segment of the "iris" where it transmits information about its condition through the visceral centers of the brain. Such a helminthiasis diagnosis allows you to identify parasites even in cases where the usual test for helminth eggs is negative.
How to get rid of helminthiasis
An effective, safe and proven means of getting rid of the invasion of helminths and replenishing the necessary microelements in the body is a complex of drugs for helminths, which improves health in several main areas at the same time:
- Improving immunity;
- normalize metabolism;
- improve the enzymatic functions of the stomach, pancreas, intestines;
- Remove signs of allergies;
- normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.
Anti-parasitic wellness program
To get rid of helminthiasis, it is necessary to take broad-spectrum antiparasitic drugs for 3 months. A break of 7 days is required between each month of admission.