Helminthiasis 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, helminth waste leads to poisoning. For humans, helminthiasis is also dangerous because it suppresses the immune system, worsens the course of other diseases, leads to increased fatigue, reduces the absorption capacity of the intestine, reduces the effectiveness of vaccination, etc. You can get infected with helminths by drinking dirty water or unwashed food. In rare cases, the disease is transmitted through the skin or through the air.
Classification of helminthiasis
By location:
- Intestinal.These include ascariasis, strongyliasis, trichocephalosis, tapeworm, etc.
- Pulmonary.This group includes tominxosis and paragonimiasis.
- Fabric.This class includes schistosomiasis, trichinosis, toxocariasis and filariasis.
- Hepotobiliary system.This group includes opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis and clonorchiasis.
By step :
- Sharp.Helminthiasis usually appears 2 to 4 weeks after infection. Depending on the severity of the helminthic 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 reproduction of larvae (filariasis or strongylosis), allergic manifestations persist for a long time. In other forms of the disease, symptoms depend on the number, size and location of the parasites in the body.
Helminthiasis and micronutrient deficiencies
Having settled in the human body, the parasites feed on blood and tissue juices, absorbing nutrients. For growth and reproduction, helminths first of all need microelements, which leads to a decrease in their content in the body. The consequence of helminthiasis can be a deficiency of the following trace elements:
Zinc deficiency.Causes prostatitis, infertility, dwarfism, parakeratosis (resembling scabies 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, prostate.
Iodine deficiency.It causes growth retardation, impaired puberty and underdevelopment of reproductive organs. With a lack of iodine, mental retardation is possible, up to dementia.
Manganese deficiency.May cause weak bones, weight loss, seizures, dermatitis and degeneration of the genital tract.
Chrome deficiency.Causes fatigue, sugar intolerance (borderline diabetes), growth retardation, increases cholesterol levels.
Signs of helminthiasis
- fever;
- various rashes;
- swelling of the face, conjunctivitis;
- inflammation of the upper respiratory tract;
- loose stools;
- in children, angina, lymphadenitis;
- bronchospasm, infiltrates in the lungs, pneumonia;
- myocarditis;
- hepatitis;
- meningoencephalitis.
Symptoms (clinical picture) of helminthiasis
Acute helminthiasis.For this form of helminthic infestation
signs of general allergic reactions are characteristic: itchy rash, fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain. Acute helminthiasis often lead to the development of lung syndrome, abdominal pain, and dyspeptic disorders. At the same time, the size of the liver and spleen increase, and symptoms of the central nervous system may appear.
Chronic helminthiasis.In many forms of helminthiasis, the parasitism of several individuals proceeds without any unpleasant symptoms. The characteristic signs of helminthiasis appear in the presence of large worms (tapeworms, large 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 bowel 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.
Helminthiases and infectious diseases
Worm infestations increase the risk of contracting infectious diseases. Helminths reduce immunity and weaken the body as a whole. Thus, the parasites open free access to the tissues of the body for microbes and viruses. Helminthiasis can be accompanied by the following infectious diseases.
Toxoplasmosis.It is an infectious disease that affects humans and animals. You can get infected with toxoplasmosis through contaminated blood transfusion, eating unprocessed meat or fish foods, or contacting the patient's stool. Toxoplasmosis is passed from mother to child during intrauterine development. Infection can lead to fetal death or spontaneous miscarriage. Among newborns infected with toxoplasmosis, the risk of mortality is high.
Chlamydia.An infectious disease that occurs in rodents, cats and humans. May be accompanied by fever, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and pneumonia. Affects the organs of vision, reproductive and respiratory systems. Chlamydia is transmitted by airborne droplets, by contact and by sex.
Toksokara.The disease is observed in humans, pets, rodents. Toxocar eggs remain viable for months in dried feces. You can get an infection through contact with animal hair or through the ground. The disease is accompanied by severe allergies and pathologies of internal organs.
Diagnosis and treatment of helminthiasis
How to identify helminthiasis
The prevention of helminthiases is done above all 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 therefore cannot be found in the stool. An innovative method makes it possible to identify the presence of helminths and to assess the general condition of the body through the iris of the eyes. The method is based on the fact that each organ has a projection on a certain segment of the "iris", where it transmits information about its condition through the visceral centers of the brain. Such a diagnosis of helminthiasis allows you to detect parasites even in cases when the usual test for helminth eggs is negative.
How to get rid of helminthiasis
An effective, safe and proven way to get rid of helminthic invasion and replenish the necessary microelements in the body is a complex of helminth drugs, which improves health in several main areas at once:
- improve immunity;
- normalize metabolism;
- improve the enzymatic functions of the stomach, pancreas, intestines;
- eliminate signs of allergies;
- normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.
Pest control wellness program
To eliminate helminthiasis, it is necessary to take broad-spectrum antiparasitic drugs for 3 months. Between each month of admission, it is necessary to take a 7-day break.