Symptoms indicating the presence of parasites in the human body are nonspecific.In addition, they differ in the acute and chronic phases of the disease.How do you recognize them?
The invasion of parasites into the human body was and is one of the most pressing problems in medicine.Despite the fact that the level of hygienic culture of the population is constantly growing, the number of people suffering from parasites in the body does not decrease.In addition, due to the development of transport connections and population migration, new types of parasites that previously did not exist are constantly appearing.Accordingly, 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 need to pay attention to your health and consult a specialist.
Classification of parasites
There are a variety of parasite species in the world, but not all of them are adapted to life in our climate.Therefore, in this article we will only consider the classification and symptoms of the most common parasites.Scientists divide all worms that can parasitize the human body into several groups.
According to their biological characteristics, parasites are classified as follows:
- Roundworms or nematodes (pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, intestinal worms, trichinae).
- Tapeworms or cestodes (pork tapeworm, beef tapeworm, dwarf tapeworm, cysticercus, broadband worm, alveococci, echinococci).
- Leeches (liver, lung, cat, lanceolate, blood).
- Single-celled parasites (Amoeba, Lamblia, Balantidium).
According to the characteristics of their life cycle, there are the following parasites:
- Biohelminths require intermediate hosts to go through different development phases.A sexually mature, reproductively capable individual lives in the body of the definitive host.
- Geohelminths – Eggs mature and spread in the soil.
- Infectious helminths are transmitted directly from person to person.
Based on the habitat in the body, it can be divided as follows:
- Cavity – parasitized in the intestines and other cavity organs, for example, bile ducts, bladder.
- Tissue – parasitize in parenchymal internal organs and muscles, i.e. outside the intestine.
Clinical picture of helminthiases
What signs should you look out for?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 two weeks to two months.
Acute phase
The symptoms of this phase are due to the body's general reaction to the penetration of foreign proteins, i.e. to allergic mechanisms.The following syndromes come to the fore:
- intoxication;
- articular;
- dermatological;
- catarrhal;
- bronchopulmonary;
- Hepatolienal;
- Belly;
- cerebral.
Intoxication syndrome is characterized by increased body temperature, chills, sweating, general weakness and muscle pain.The child may suffer from anxiety, crying for no reason, and poor sleep.Enlargement of peripheral lymph nodes often occurs.
Due to the nonspecificity of the symptoms, patients are in no hurry to see a doctor, considering the symptom complex to be the initial stage of ARVI.However, even if parents seek advice because their child has an elevated 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 of proteins in the human body that are similar in structure to the proteins of parasites.Antibodies produced in response to the invasion of the pathogen affect not only it, but also tissues with a similar structure.Patients complain of severe joint pain, swelling, redness and increased local body temperature.
Skin lesions appear as allergic dermatitis and are characterized by itching and the appearance of various rashes.In some patients the rash is very pronounced, but in others it is not noticeable at all.
Catarrhal syndrome is accompanied by symptoms of a runny nose, conjunctivitis and sore throat.Bronchopulmonary symptoms include a persistent cough with sputum, attacks of bronchial asthma, pneumonia and pleurisy.
Almost all types of helminths cause the liver and spleen to enlarge.But these organs pay special attention when Giardia, echinococci and liver flukes colonize the human body.Then 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 viewed as acute intestinal poisoning.
The cerebral manifestations are moderate and characterized by headache, dizziness and reduced performance.
The severity of the above symptoms can vary in both an adult patient and a child.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 the invasion of larvae.
Over time, the strength of the immune response decreases and the disease becomes chronic.In this case, it can last for years because the symptoms are mild and many simply do not pay attention to it.
Chronic phase
In this phase, the symptoms, or more precisely their severity, are largely determined by the following factors:
- type of parasites that have invaded the body;
- number of parasitic individuals;
- Localization of parasites in the body of an adult or child.
When the helminth is “armed” with suckers, hooks, spines or cutting plates, they mechanically damage the site of localization and cause inflammation.
Volumetric formations formed as a result of the vital activity of helminths can compress neighboring structures.If it involves a vital organ, for example the brain, the consequences can be catastrophic.
Since the parasite feeds on substances intended for the host's body, the latter develops anemia, hypovitaminosis and protein deficiency.
In order to survive in the human body, parasites strongly suppress the immune system.This increases susceptibility to viral and bacterial diseases;They are prone to a severe, protracted course, the development of complications, the formation of chronic forms and an asymptomatic course.
Features of some helminthiasis
Some helminthiasis have characteristic symptoms that make it possible to distinguish them from other diseases.
- A child suffering from enterobiasis feels 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, are the cause of severe iron deficiency anemia.
- The presence of tapeworms can be diagnosed by a very specific complaint - the passage of parasite segments independently or during bowel movements.
- The urinary schistosome, which lives in the human body, is characterized by the appearance of a drop of blood at the end of urination.
- Fillariasis affects the eyes.
Due to the 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 persist.
Echinococcus, Alveococcus and Cysticercus do not show their presence in any way until a cyst forms in the affected organ.Sometimes it can reach quite large proportions and is usually diagnosed incidentally.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 can easily be confused with other diseases, especially if the patient follows basic rules of personal hygiene in everyday life.If you notice any suspicious symptoms that have no explanation, do not hesitate to see your doctor.Expert advice will help you avoid many problems in the future.