The cause of many diseases and poor health is helminth infections. Many different types of worms can enter the human body. Their size varies from the smallest millimeter to 16-18 meters. Parasites in all organs and tissues, they cause enormous harm to health. To protect yourself from an infestation (infection), you should know what worms are and understand how you can become infected with parasites of each species.
Worms - parasites that live in the human body
Depending on the location of the parasite in the body and the characteristics of the infection, parasites are divided into several classes.
Classification of worms according to the location in the human body:
- IntestinalThese are worms that live in the digestive tract, mainly in the small intestine. Sometimes they invade other organs. This group includes tapeworms and roundworms.
- gastrointestinal- grow, live and multiply in various organs other than the intestine. They can be localized to the lungs, eyes, brain, and liver. This group includes flatworms.
Classification of worms according to the mode of entry into the human body:
- contagious- is transmitted to a healthy person from an infected person on contact. Another source of infection is household items: towels, toys. Representatives of this species are dwarf tapeworms, pinworms.
- Biohelminthiases- transmitted by contact with animals, by eating infected meat that has not been adequately heat-treated. To become potentially dangerous to humans, these parasites must live for a certain period of time in the body of an animal that is an intermediate host. This species includes beef and pig tapeworms.
- Geohelminthiases- part of the life cycle is carried out in the human body, and part - in the soil. This is a necessary condition for their development. You can become infected by washing vegetables and fruits poorly. This group includes roundworms and trigonids.
Depending on biological characteristics, helminths are divided into three types - roundworms, tapeworms, as well as flukes.
Roundworm (roundworm)
Roundworms are so called because their bodies are round, cross-sectional. These parasites are most commonly found in a child's body. This category includes:
- PinwormThey live in the large and small intestines. Their body length does not exceed 1 cm. Usually, pinworm infestations caused by pinworms affect children. These parasites live for 1-2 months. If you strictly follow personal hygiene, you can recover from the disease even without taking medicine. If it is not observed, reinfection is possible.
- Roundworm- Worms up to 45 cm long, parasitic in the small intestine. They can move freely inside the intestine. Their lifespan is 14 months. During this period, they release toxins into the bloodstream, systematically poisoning the body.
- Vlasoglav- Worms have a body length of 3-4 cm, parasitic in the cecum and cecum, burrowing into the mucosa to suck blood. Very toxic. Live up to 5 years.
- Trichinella- the parasite has a groove 3–4 mm long, which can be infected through meat that has not been sufficiently heat-treated. Worms live in different organs, settling in the muscles of the eyes, heart and lungs. Lifespan - up to 2 years.
- hookworm and gangrene- Having the same biology, development cycle and parasitic method, they are grouped under the name "hookworm". These helminths are 10–15 mm long and reside in the duodenum. 12. Enter the human body through skin contact with contaminated soil. They feed on blood by biting through blood vessels, leading to iron-deficiency anemia. This parasite is difficult to identify.
Tapeworms (code)
Tapeworms have a flattened body that is divided into several segments. As the worm grows, the stools separate from the body and are excreted in the feces. These ribbon-like individuals grow up to 20 m in length. They parasitize the intestines, where it attaches to its walls with the help of suckers.
To infect humans, tapeworms must go through one of the stages of development in the animal's body.
These parasites live in the body for many years. Members of this group:
- wide band- Up to 20 m in length, parasitic in the small intestine, causing serious dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. You can become infected by eating raw meat from freshwater fish and crayfish that have not been heat-treated.
- Beef tapeworm- a helminth 6–12 m long. Lives in the small intestine, attached by suckers to its mucous membranes. The source of infection is beef that has not been properly heat-treated.
- Pork tapeworm- a parasite up to 2 m long, entering the body through raw or poorly processed pork. Attached to the small intestine.
- Echinococcus- a parasite that can be infected from dogs and cats. Humans are the intermediate host of this helminth, so when entering the body, the larvae will penetrate into tissues, any organs and form cysts. They are completely removed by surgery.
- Alveococcus- a type of echinococcus. The worm is very dangerous, can live in any organ, but mainly parasitizes the liver. They actively grow and develop according to the principle of cancer metastasis, gradually infecting the whole body. Worms can be removed surgically.
Leaf fluke (fluke)
A fluke is a worm that lives in any organ or tissue. They feed on epithelial cells. They reach a length of 1. 5 m, the body is shaped like a leaf. The route of infection is through eating raw fish or seafood or after inadequate heat treatment. This category includes:
- liver fluke- a worm 7–20 mm long. It is parasitic in the liver and biliary tract. It provokes the development of serious diseases and dysfunctions.
- Fluke- a worm 4-13 mm long, localized in the gallbladder.
Symptoms - signs of worm disease in humans
Exactly how helminthiasis manifests itself depends on the type of worms that have affected the body and their number. The main symptoms of a roundworm infestation:
- diarrhea or constipation;
- bloating, flatulence;
- muscle and joint pain;
- anemia;
- allergic reaction;
- seborrheic dermatitis;
- weight problems - weight loss or obesity;
- sleep disorders;
- anxiety, irritability, depression;
- lethargy, fatigue;
- cough, inflammation of the respiratory tract;
- weakened immunity.
How to determine if there are worms?
If symptoms appear that may indicate the presence of worms, then a diagnosis should be made. The following tests will help identify the parasite:
- Fecal study.
- Blood tests.
- Examine the secrets of the duodenum 12.
- Analysis of mucus around the anus and rectum.
- Ultrasound, tomography, endoscopy.
You can be sure of the diagnostic results if you pass the analysis 3-4 times with an interval of several days. One analysis is not sufficient to confirm the absence of helminthic invasion.
The human body can affect one or more types of worms at once. All of them, regardless of size, cause serious health problems, are the agents of complex chronic diseases that cannot be cured for many years. To eliminate the risk of infection, it is necessary to carry out routine diagnosis and preventive treatment. This is especially true for pet owners.