Symptoms that indicate the presence of parasites in the human body are non-specific.In addition, they differ in the acute and chronic phase of the disease.How to recognize them?
The invasion of parasites into the human body has always been and remains one of the most urgent topics in medicine.Despite the fact that the level of sanitary culture of the population is constantly increasing, the number of people suffering from the presence of parasites in the body is not decreasing.In addition, due to the development of transport links and population migration, new types of parasites that were previously absent are constantly appearing.Accordingly, new symptoms appear that indicate the presence of helminths in the human body.In addition, parasites living in the child's body require special attention.Let's try to understand when you need to pay attention to your health and consult a specialist.
Classification of parasites
There are a huge 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:
- Roundworms, or nematodes (pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, intestinal eels, trichinella).
- Tapeworms, or cestodes (pig tapeworm, beef tapeworm, dwarf tapeworm, cysticerc, broad tapeworm, alveococcus, echinococcus).
- Metals (hepatic, pulmonary, feline, lanceolate, blood).
- Unicellular parasites (amoeba, lamblia, balantidium).
According to the characteristics of their life cycle, the following parasites are distinguished:
- Biohelminths require intermediate hosts to pass through various stages of development.A sexually mature individual, capable of reproduction, lives in the body of the final host.
- Geohelminths - eggs mature and spread through the soil.
- Infectious helminths are transmitted directly from person to person.
Based on its habitat in the body, it can be divided as follows:
- Cavity - parasitizes the intestines and other hollow organs, for example, bile ducts, bladder.
- Tissue - parasitises in parenchymal internal organs and muscles, i.e. outside the intestine.
Clinical picture of helminthosis
What signs to look out for?Usually, 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 the result of the body's general response to the penetration of foreign proteins, i.e. allergic mechanisms.The following syndromes come to the fore:
- intoxication;
- articular;
- dermatological;
- catarrhal;
- bronchopulmonary;
- hepatolienal;
- abdominal;
- cerebral.
Intoxication syndrome is characterized by elevated body temperature, chills, sweating, general weakness and muscle pain.The child may feel anxious, cry for no reason and sleep poorly.Peripheral lymph nodes are often enlarged.
Given the non-specificity of the symptoms, patients do not rush to the doctor, considering the complex of symptoms as the initial stage of ARVI.But even if parents seek advice because their child has a high fever, not every pediatrician 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 a pathogen affect not only it, but also tissues similar to it.Patients complain of severe joint pain, swelling, redness and increased local body temperature.
Skin lesions occur 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 also those who do not notice its presence.
Catarrhal syndrome is accompanied by symptoms of runny nose, conjunctivitis and sore throat.Bronchopulmonary signs include prolonged cough with sputum production, attacks of bronchial asthma, clinical picture of pneumonia and pleurisy.
In almost all types of helminths, the liver and spleen increase.But these organs pay special attention when Giardia, Echinococcus and liver fluke inhabit the human body.Then patients complain of:
- 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 stomach pain are observed.These symptoms are often the cause of misdiagnosis, when helminthiasis is considered acute intestinal intoxication.
Cerebral manifestations are moderate and characterized by headache, dizziness and reduced efficiency.
The severity of the above symptoms in both adults and children can vary.It depends on the strength of the immune system.In addition, 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 larval penetration.
Over time, the strength of the immune response weakens, and the disease becomes chronic.In this case, it can last for years, because its symptoms are mild and many simply do not pay attention to them.
Chronic phase
In this phase, the symptoms, more precisely, their severity, are largely determined by the following factors:
- the type of parasites that entered the body;
- number of parasitic individuals;
- the location of the parasite in the body of an adult or child.
If the helminth is "armed" with rubber cups, hooks, spikes or cutting plates, they mechanically damage the site of localization, causing inflammation.
Volumetric formations that arise as a result of the vital activity of helminths can compress neighboring structures.Moreover, if this is a vital organ, for example, the brain, then the consequences can be catastrophic.
Since the parasite feeds on substances intended for the host's body, anemia, hypovitaminosis and protein deficiency develop in the latter.
To survive in the human body, parasites strongly suppress the immune system.As a result, susceptibility to viral and bacterial diseases increases;they tend to have a difficult, long-term course, development of complications, creation of chronic forms and asymptomatic bearing.
Characteristics of some helminthiasis
Some helminth infections have characteristic symptoms that can distinguish them from other diseases.
- A child suffering from enterobiasis will feel itching in the anus in the evening and at night.
- Massive whipworm infestation causes hemorrhagic colitis.
- Roundworms can cause intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice and pancreatitis.
- Hookworms, which feed on the host's blood, cause severe iron-deficiency anemia.
- The presence of tapeworms can be diagnosed by a very specific complaint - the passage of parasite segments independently or during defecation.
- Urinary schistosomiasis, which lives in the human body, is characterized by the appearance of drops 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.Such 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 remain.
Echinococcus, alveococcus, cysticercus do not reveal their presence in any way until a cyst is formed in the affected organ.Sometimes it can reach quite large sizes and, as a rule, it is diagnosed by chance.Cysticercosis of the central nervous system is characterized by different 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 observes the basic rules of personal hygiene in everyday life.If you notice suspicious symptoms for which there is no explanation, do not delay the visit to the doctor.Competent consultation will help you avoid many troubles in the future.