Symptoms indicating the presence of parasites in the human body are not specific.Furthermore, they are different in the acute and chronic phases of the disease.How to recognize them?
The invasion of parasites into the human body has always been and continues to be one of the most pressing problems in medicine.Despite the fact that the level of health culture of the population is constantly growing, the number of people suffering from the presence of parasites in the body does not decrease.In addition, due to the development of transport connections and population migration, new types of parasites that were previously absent constantly appear.Consequently, new symptoms appear that indicate the presence of helminths in the human body.In addition, parasites living in a child's body require special attention.Let's try to figure out when you should pay attention to your health and consult a specialist.
Classification of parasites.
There are a large number of parasite species in the world, but not all of them are adapted to life in our climate.Therefore, in this article we will consider the classification and symptoms of only those parasites that are most common.Scientists divide all worms that can parasitize the human body into several groups.
According to their biological characteristics, parasites are divided as follows:
- Intestinal worms or nematodes (pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, intestinal eels, trichinella).
- Tapeworms or cestodes (pig tapeworm, bovine tapeworm, dwarf tapeworm, cysticercus, broad tapeworm, alveococcus, echinococcus).
- Trematodes (liver, lung, feline, lanceolate, sanguine).
- Unicellular parasites (amoeba, lamblia, balantidium).
Depending on the characteristics of their life cycle, there are the following parasites:
- Biohelminths require intermediate hosts to go through different phases of development.In the body of the definitive host lives a sexually mature individual, capable of reproducing.
- Geohelminths: the eggs mature and spread on the ground.
- Contagious helminths are transmitted directly from person to person.
According to the habitat in the body, it can be divided as follows:
- Cavity: parasitizes in the intestines and other organs of the cavity, for example, the bile ducts and the bladder.
- Tissue: parasitizes in internal organs and parenchymal muscles, that is, outside the intestine.
Clinical picture of helminthiasis.
What signs should you pay attention to?Conventionally, the course of helminthiasis can be divided into two phases: acute and chronic.The acute phase develops immediately after the parasite "settles" in the human body and lasts from two weeks to two months.
Acute phase
The symptoms of this phase are due to the body's general response to the penetration of foreign proteins, that is, allergic mechanisms.The following syndromes come to the fore:
- poisoning;
- articulate;
- dermatological;
- catarrhal;
- bronchopulmonary;
- hepatolienal;
- abdominal;
- cerebral.
Intoxication syndrome is characterized by increased body temperature, chills, sweating, general weakness and muscle pain.The child may experience anxiety, crying for no reason, and lack of sleep.Enlargement of peripheral lymph nodes often occurs.
Given the lack of specificity of symptoms, patients are in no hurry to consult a doctor, considering the symptom complex as the initial phase of ARVI.But even if parents seek advice because their child has a high temperature, not all pediatricians will suspect the presence of parasites in the body at this stage.
Joint damage occurs as a type of reactive arthritis, due to the presence in the human body of proteins similar in structure to parasite proteins.Antibodies that are produced in response to the penetration of the pathogen affect not only it, but also tissues similar in structure.Patients complain of severe pain in the joint, swelling, redness and increased local body temperature.
Skin lesions present as allergic dermatitis and are characterized by itching and the appearance of various rashes.In some patients the rash is very pronounced, but there are others who do not notice its presence.
Catarrhal syndrome is accompanied by symptoms of a runny nose, conjunctivitis and sore throat.Bronchopulmonary signs include prolonged cough with sputum production, attacks of bronchial asthma, clinical symptoms of pneumonia and pleurisy.
In almost all types of helminths, the liver and spleen increase in size.But these organs are given special attention when Giardia, Echinococcus and liver flukes settle in the human body.So patients complain about:
- bitterness in the mouth;
- pain and heaviness in the right hypochondrium;
- yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.
Abdominal syndrome can be very pronounced in a child of preschool or primary school age.Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain are observed.These symptoms are often the cause of misdiagnosis, when helminthiasis is considered acute intestinal poisoning.
Cerebral manifestations are moderate and are characterized by headache, dizziness and decreased performance.
The severity of the above symptoms in both an adult patient and a child can vary.It depends on the strength of the immune system.Furthermore, the severity of the immune response depends on the morphological form in which the parasite is present in the body.The largest amount of antibodies is synthesized in response to the penetration of the larvae.
Over time, the strength of the immune response weakens and the disease becomes chronic.In this case it can last for years, since its symptoms are mild and many simply do not pay attention to them.
chronic phase
In this phase, the symptoms, or more precisely, their severity, are largely determined by the following factors:
- type of parasites that have entered the body;
- number of parasitic individuals;
- Location of parasites in the body of an adult or child.
If helminths are "armed" with suction cups, hooks, spikes or cutting plates, they mechanically damage the site of localization and cause inflammation.
Volumetric formations that form as a result of the vital activity of helminths can compress neighboring structures.Furthermore, if it is a vital organ, for example the brain, the consequences can be disastrous.
Since the parasite feeds on substances destined for the host's body, the host develops anemia, hypovitaminosis and protein deficiency.
To survive in the human body, parasites severely suppress the immune system.As a result, susceptibility to viral and bacterial diseases increases;They tend to have a severe and prolonged course, the development of complications, the formation of chronic forms and asymptomatic carriage.
Characteristics of some helminthiases.
Some helminthiases have characteristic symptoms that allow them to be distinguished from other diseases.
- A child suffering from enterobiasis will experience itching in the anus in the afternoon and at night.
- Massive whipworm infestation causes hemorrhagic colitis.
- Nematodes can cause intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice, and pancreatitis.
- Hookworm, which feeds on the host's blood, is the cause of severe iron deficiency anemia.
- The presence of tapeworms can be diagnosed by a very specific complaint: the passage of segments of the parasite independently or during defecation.
- Urinary schistosome, which lives in the human body, is characterized by the appearance of a drop of blood at the end of urination.
- Filariasis affects the eyes.
Due to the presence of liver fluke, the patient develops chronic hepatitis, cholecystitis and cholangitis.These patients complain of pain and heaviness in the right hypochondrium, bitterness in the mouth, yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.The same complaints are characteristic of giardiasis.Even after successful treatment, phenomena such as biliary dyskinesia often persist.
Echinococci, alveococci and cysticerci do not reveal their presence in any way until a cyst forms in the affected organ.Sometimes it can reach quite large sizes and, as a rule, is diagnosed accidentally.Cysticercosis of the central nervous system is characterized by a variety of symptoms due to the location of the cysts.
Conclusion
As can be seen from the above, the clinical picture of the presence of worms is very diverse.They are easily confused with other diseases, especially when the patient follows the basic rules of personal hygiene in everyday life.If you notice suspicious symptoms that have no explanation, do not delay in visiting your doctor.Competent consultation will help you avoid many problems in the future.