Symptoms that indicate the presence of parasites in a person are nonspecific.Furthermore, they differ in the acute and chronic phases of the disease.How to recognize them?
The invasion of parasites into the human body has always been one of the most pressing problems in medicine.Although people's health literacy level continues to improve, the number of people suffering from internal parasites has not decreased.In addition, new parasites that did not exist before are constantly emerging due to the development of transportation links and population migration.As a result, new symptoms emerged indicating the presence of worms in the human body.Additionally, parasites living in children require special attention.Let's try to find out when you need to pay attention to your health and consult an expert.
Classification of parasites
There are a large number of parasite species in the world, but not all are adapted to life in our climate.Therefore, in this article we will only consider the classification and symptoms of those most common parasites.Scientists divide all worms that can inhabit the human body into several categories.
According to the biological characteristics of parasites, parasites are divided into the following types:
- Roundworms or nematodes (pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, intestinal eels, trichinella spiralis).
- Tapeworms or tapeworms (solium tapeworm, bovine tapeworm, dwarf tapeworm, cysticercosis, broad tapeworm, cysticercosis, echinococcus).
- Flukes (liver flukes, lung flukes, cat flukes, lanceolate flukes, blood flukes).
- Single-celled parasites (amoebae, lamblia, balantidium).
According to the characteristics of their life cycle, parasites are of the following types:
- Biological worms require intermediate hosts to undergo different developmental stages.Sexually mature individuals are capable of reproduction and live within the body of the final host.
- Soil Worms – Eggs mature and spread through soil.
- Infectious worms are spread directly from person to person.
According to the habitat in the body, it can be divided into the following types:
- Luminal - Parasitic in the intestines and other luminal organs such as bile ducts, bladder.
- Tissue - Parasitic in parenchymal internal organs and muscles, i.e. extraintestinal.
Clinical manifestations of helminthiasis
What signs should you look out for?Generally, the course of helminthiasis can be divided into two stages: acute and chronic.The acute phase occurs immediately after the parasite "settles" in the human body and lasts from two weeks to two months.
acute phase
Symptoms at this stage are due to the body's general reaction to the penetration of foreign proteins, the allergic mechanism.The following syndromes stand out:
- poisoning;
- joint;
- skin;
- catarrhal disease;
- bronchopulmonary;
- liver and kidney;
- abdomen;
- brain.
Toxic syndrome is characterized by increased body temperature, chills, sweating, general weakness and muscle pain.Children may feel anxious, cry for no reason, and have poor sleep quality.Peripheral lymphadenopathy often occurs.
Given the nonspecific nature of symptoms, patients are not eager to see a doctor, considering the symptom complex to be the initial stage of ARVI.But even if a parent seeks advice because their child has a fever, not every pediatrician will suspect the presence of parasites at this stage.
Joint damage occurs in the form of reactive arthritis due to the presence of proteins in the human body that are structurally similar to parasite proteins.Antibodies produced in response to pathogen penetration affect not only the pathogen but also tissues that are structurally similar to it.The patient complained of severe joint pain, swelling, redness, and localized increase in body temperature.
Skin lesions manifest as allergic dermatitis, characterized by itching and the development of various rashes.In some patients, the rash is very noticeable, but others do not notice its presence.
Catarrhal syndrome is accompanied by symptoms of runny nose, conjunctivitis, and sore throat.Bronchopulmonary signs include clinical manifestations of prolonged cough with sputum production, bronchial asthma attacks, pneumonia, and pleurisy.
Almost all types of worms can cause the liver and spleen to become enlarged.But when Giardia, Echinococcus and liver flukes colonize the body, these organs are of special concern.Then the patient complains:
- bitter taste in mouth;
- Pain and heaviness in right ribs;
- Yellowing of skin and mucous membranes.
Abdominal syndrome may be evident in children of preschool or elementary school age.Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain were observed.These symptoms are often the cause of misdiagnosis when helminthiasis is treated as acute intestinal poisoning.
Cerebral symptoms are moderate and characterized by headache, dizziness, and decreased performance.
The severity of these symptoms may vary between adult patients and children.This depends on the strength of your immune system.Furthermore, the severity of the immune response depends on the form in which the parasite is present in the body.The greatest amount of antibodies is synthesized in response to larval penetration.
Over time, the intensity 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 people simply don't notice them.
Chronic phase
At this stage, symptoms, or more precisely, their severity, depend largely on the following factors:
- types of parasites that enter the body;
- Number of parasitic individuals;
- The location of the parasite in the body of an adult or child.
If the worms are equipped with suckers, hooks, spikes or cutting boards, they can mechanically damage the site of locus, causing inflammation.
Volumetric structures formed as a result of the worm's life activities can compress adjacent structures.And if this is a vital organ, such as the brain, the consequences can be catastrophic.
As the parasite feeds on substances within the host's body, the host can develop anemia, vitamin deficiencies, and protein deficiencies.
In order to survive in the human body, the parasite severely suppresses the immune system.As a result, susceptibility to viral and bacterial diseases increases; they tend to be severe, protracted, complicated, chronic, and asymptomatic.
Characteristics of some helminthiasis
Some helminthiasis have characteristic symptoms that distinguish them from other diseases.
- Children with pinworms may experience anal itching in the evening and at night.
- Massive whipworm infection can lead to hemorrhagic colitis.
- Roundworms can cause intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice, and pancreatitis.
- Hookworms feed on the blood of their hosts and are the cause of severe iron deficiency anemia.
- The presence of tapeworms can be diagnosed by very specific symptoms - parasite segments passing alone or during bowel movements.
- Urinary schistosomiasis lives in the human body and 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 flukes, patients develop chronic hepatitis, cholecystitis, and cholangitis.Such patients complain of right rib pain, heaviness, bitter taste, and yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.The same symptoms are also characteristic of giardiasis.Even after successful treatment, phenomena such as biliary dyskinesia often persist.
Echinococci, cysticercids, and cysticerci do not reveal their presence in any way until they form cysts in the affected organs.Sometimes it can reach considerable size and is often diagnosed accidentally.Central nervous system cysticercosis is characterized by a variety of symptoms due to the location of the cyst.
in conclusion
As can be seen from the above, the clinical manifestations of the presence of worms are diverse.They can easily be confused with other diseases, especially if the sufferer observes basic personal hygiene rules in daily life.If you notice suspicious symptoms that you can't explain, see your doctor immediately.Professional consultation will help you avoid a lot of trouble down the road.