When a cough appears due to parasites, almost everyone thinks about viral or infectious diseases that affect various parts of the respiratory tract. But there are parasites that cause coughing with the same symptoms. Laboratory tests and methods of instrumental examination carried out by a therapist or infectious disease specialist will help to understand the conditions.
Types of parasites that cause cough
Main types of parasitic infections:
- Giardia;
- moat;
- toxocara;
- roundworms.
Most often, the infection is localized in the lower digestive tract, but if left untreated, it spreads to other organs and systems, including parts of the respiratory system.
Routes by which parasites can migrate:
- with blood flow in the vessels (some worms are small in size and therefore penetrate through the endothelial wall into the bloodstream);
- fecal-oral method (after defecation, people forget to wash their hands, so when eating food, bacteria enter the oral cavity);
- through food or water.
Many people don't know that parasites and cough are compatible concepts. Pathogens can enter anywhere in the body, causing symptoms of inflammation.
Moat
The structure of the pathogen resembles a coffee bean. There are small thorns on its body. At the bottom there are suction cups with which it moves and feeds. All individuals are hermaphrodites, meaning they can reproduce independently. But there are also cross-fertilization options.
The main stages of the life cycle go through:
- pond snail;
- larva;
- metacercariae.
It takes no more than 2 days for helminths to go through all the stages, causing the infection to appear. This is because the airway membrane provides a favorable environment for flukes to develop.
When the parasite enters the body, symptoms are not immediately detected. Initially, the microorganisms multiply and spread throughout the tissues.
Giardia
Giardia is a parasite that most commonly causes coughs in children. In adults, pathology also occurs, but rarely.
Giardia are single-celled microorganisms with flagella necessary for movement in tissues. Reproduction is done by division; within a day after infection, their number increases several times.
If the pathogen is outside the body, its body is covered in a membrane that helps it survive in the environment. With its help, it can exist up to 12 hours on various objects. If fed dairy products, survival time is extended up to 3 months.
The main route of entry into the human body is the oral route. The main carriers are animals and birds. Giardia disease is common in schools and kindergartens. Microorganisms settle on all household items, but for a short time.
Roundworms and How They Affect the Respiratory System
The parasite enters the host's body through the fecal-oral route via contaminated products - this can be food or water. The larva is located in the digestive tract and is not affected by gastric juice and other adverse factors. Then eggs with processes come out of them, which attach to the intestinal mucosa.
The small worms make holes in the mucous membranes and enter the bloodstream through the vascular endothelium. Thanks to it, they spread to the heart, to the alveoli of the lungs and to the bronchi. In the respiratory tract, they go through stages of development over a period of 3 weeks.
Cause of cough:
- damage to alveolar tissue;
- strong sensitizing effect, the immune system is activated, sending numerous lymphocytes to the site of inflammation with the formation of an infiltrate;
- bronchial obstruction, areas of infiltration and accumulation of helminths lead to blockage of various parts of the bronchi;
- During a cough, helminths spread from the bronchi to the pharynx, eventually returning to the digestive tract.
This is how a chronic disease is formed. The larvae constantly enter the respiratory and digestive tracts, forming a repeated infection.
Toxocara and their effects on the human body
Toxocara is the pathogen responsible for toxocariasis. The disease affects humans and animals. Children who go to school get sick more often. The epidemiological peak is observed in summer.
The worm has a life cycle consisting of eggs, larvae and adults. Parasites enter the human body through food, contaminated water and spread through the intestines. As they migrate through the circulatory system, they travel to various organs, including the lungs. They lay eggs in the tissues, from which repeated helminthic infestations are formed.
Eggs and larvae enter the environment through animal feces and can even be spread through water. The parasite is stable in the environment and survives in the soil. It therefore remains contagious for years.
The main danger of the pathogen is the possibility of penetration through the placenta of a pregnant woman to the fetus. The infection is also spread through breast milk.
Enterobiosis
Enterobiasis develops as a result of the penetration of helminths into the body. The disease occurs only in humans due to the penetration of pinworm larvae into the esophagus. Children are most often susceptible to illness due to a weakened immune system.
Nematodes, which are roundworms, enter the child's body. The maximum length of the parasite is 1 cm. In the body, they travel through the intestines and lay eggs in the anus; After that, the adults die. The parasites settle on the child's underwear, as well as under the nails when they scratch their anus. A repeated cycle of infection occurs from contaminated hands.
Symptoms:
- anal itching, more intense at night;
- redness and inflammation of the anus;
- in complicated cases, eczema and dermatitis occur in the anus;
- sleep disorder;
- bruxism (teeth grinding);
- urinary incontinence;
- cutting pain in abdomen like contractions;
- loss of appetite;
- periodic changes in stools (diarrhea, constipation);
- nausea, vomiting, weight loss;
- in severe cases - developmental disorders;
- emotional instability, increased fatigue and loss of concentration.
When a pathogen enters the respiratory tract,the disease is complicated by symptoms:
- cough, asthma attacks;
- bronchial asthma;
- frequent viral diseases due to suppression of the immune system.
The parasite does not only spread in the digestive tract and pulmonary system. It can enter the urogenital tract. Therefore, girls are often diagnosed with vulvitis and vulvovaginitis.
Opisthorchiasis
The causative agent is a worm from the trematode group. It enters through the digestive tract to the pulmonary system and liver, causing clinical symptoms.
The pathogen is not immediately transmitted to humans. The first host is shellfish and the second is fish. Only after this can it migrate to mammals. The larvae enter fresh water bodies and become infected there.
Symptoms:
- increased body temperature;
- malaise in the form of weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, abdominal pain;
- intoxication of the body, which manifests itself as pain in the muscles and joints;
- hepatosplenomegaly;
- dyspeptic disorders;
- bronchial asthma with severe cough and asthma attacks;
- toxic and allergic damage to the brain and heart;
- inflammation of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas;
- pneumonia, pleurisy.
Lack of treatment leads to death.
Paragonimiasis
The causative agents are trematodes. It is a pulmonary fluke, located mainly in the respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, trachea). It goes through a complex development cycle. It does not immediately reach man; it first develops in the organs of animals. The mechanism of transmission is fecal-oral. The eggs fall into the soil with the droppings, then pass into the water.
Symptoms (no symptoms for the first 3 weeks):
- inflammation of the esophagus and liver;
- acute stomach;
- rash and itching on the skin;
- tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia;
- increase in body temperature to critical values;
- choking, cough, hemoptysis;
- increased heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia;
- if the pathogen is in the central nervous system, this is accompanied by meningitis and encephalitis.
A few months after the pathogen enters the human body, the symptoms disappear. A chronic disease forms that can develop over many years with exacerbations.
Respiratory system complications due to parasitic infestations
If the cough and infection are not treated, the condition gradually worsens and complications appear:
- bleeding from the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tract;
- in the lungs, tissue necrosis, empyema, cysts, abscesses are possible, which can only accompany a dry cough;
- if the pathogen moves to the upper parts of the respiratory tract and completely blocks them, suffocation and death occur;
- penetration into the central nervous system accompanied by paralysis, intracerebral hemorrhage, epilepsy;
- Intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, cholangitis and hepatitis form in the gastrointestinal tract.
Necessary diagnostics
The therapist or infectious disease specialist determinesWhat diagnostic methods are sufficient to make a diagnosis:
- general clinical analysis of urine and blood, blood biochemistry;
- bacteriological and PCR analysis of sputum;
- scraping of the anus followed by microscopy;
- expanded co-program;
- X-rays of light;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.
An increased number of immune cells is detected in the blood. Chest X-rays may show lumps that could be confused with tuberculosis or cancer. Analysis of sputum and anal scrapings reveals the presence of helminths.
Treatment and preventive measures
The main method of treatment is the use of antiparasitic drugs, which are taken in several stages.
Use symptomatic treatment using the following agents:
- antihistamines;
- antipyretics;
- pain relievers;
- corticosteroids;
- bronchodilators.
After the first end of taking anthelmintic drugs, the course is repeated. This is because some eggs and larvae might survive by turning into worms.
If parasites cause cough, it is not recommended to use syrups to suppress it - this can cause suffocation. As a preventative measure, you should frequently wash your hands, vegetables and fruits.
Clinical image
Most often, the patient worries about:
- stomach ache;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, stool changes);
- itching in the anus;
- increased body temperature;
- signs of respiratory infection with dry or wet cough;
- rash, itching on the skin.
Parasites that cause cough in children and adults show an atypical pattern in disease formation. It can easily be confused with appendicitis, intestinal infection, bronchitis, pneumonia.
What doctors say about parasites
Doctors advise being especially careful in summer. At this time, parasites actively develop and penetrate into soil and water. It is therefore recommended not to drink liquids from bodies of water and to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
Experts tell us which parasites cause cough: toxocara, lamblia, flukes. All of them cause a symptom in the form of coughing when entering the respiratory tract.