There are 4, 5 billion registered people in the world suffering from parasitic infections (infections). Moreover, the number of people infected with helminths (worms) is constantly increasing.
Causes of helminthiasis infection
It is not difficult to fill worms in your body. Here are just a few of the causes of infection, known to everyone since childhood:
- Lack of hygiene.The desire to eat unwashed fruits and vegetables, not to wear gloves while working in the garden, and not to be bothered with hygiene procedures, leads to infection with a variety of helminths.
- Addicted to fast food on the street.It is no secret that sellers of such foods do not always come for a medical examination and often neglect basic hygiene. And their products are not stored in the best conditions. Fans of whites and street robbers are another risk group.
- Love for exotic cuisinescontaining raw fish containers and shellfish containing parasites. Tosh for fans of sushi and rolls that causes an increase in the incidence of lightning, broadband, nematodes, worms and tapeworms.
- Hthe ability to properly protect oneself from infection during rest.The love for the "Turkish coast" has led to more frequent cases of infection with exotic helminthiases - schistosomiasis, ankylosing spondylitis, dracunculosis. Once you have walked barefoot on an overseas beach, you can bring from your trip not only pleasant impressions, but also dangerous worms.
- Infection from petswho often sleep with their owners. Lovers of "kissing" a pet risk getting parasites.
What parasites live in the human body
If an adult had the opportunity to look at his body, he would be horrified:
- Round worms -worm worms, round worms, worm worms, nematodes, toxocara, trichinella. Large helminths accumulate in large clumps, blocking the intestinal lumen and leading to obstruction requiring surgical treatment. During surgery, doctors extract an incredible amount of parasites from the intestines of such people.
- Tapewormsappear among those who like to taste bloody meat and raw fish. They cause digestive problems, anemia, allergies. Children have seizures similar to epileptic seizures. The most dangerous poison of this group is the echinococcus, whose larvae form large cysts in the human body. When they break down, the parasites spread throughout the body. The infection can be fatal.
- ProgenyLightning, currents and faeces are dangerous parasites that suck blood from the vessels of the liver, pancreas, intestines and bladder.
- The simplest- Leishmania, ameba, lamblia, etc. Although these small parasites are only visible under a microscope, they can cause dangerous complications up to the intestinal holes and liver abscesses, which are fatal.
On what grounds can be suspected of the presence of "foreigners": if a stomach is sick, it means that someone lives in it
Signs of the presence of helminths:
- Stomach ache- the most common sign of helminth infection. It can be constant, periodic, affecting certain areas of the abdomen. Pain in the right hypochondrium with helminthiasis indicates damage to the liver and gallbladder by worms.
- indigestion- diarrhea, constipation, irregular bowel movements. Sometimes in the feces, patients see crawling of segments of worms or even whole parasites. Impaired food absorption and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract leads to weight loss.
- Anemia.Worms suck blood from the body and interfere with digestion. The host man does not feed, but the worms. Patients complain of weakness, fatigue, loss of strength, dizziness.
- Urinary tract damage,caused by parasites living in the kidneys and bladder. Patients complain of back pain and swelling. Sometimes traces of blood are visible in the urine.
- Chronic indolent vaginitis. . . Roundworms and tapeworms crawl from the anus to the genital tract, causing vaginal dysbiosis and provoking lung development. Women are treated for itching and discharge, without realizing they are parasites.
- Manifestations of the skin.Worm infection poisons the body and suppresses the immune system, leading to allergies. Rash is varied - from small blisters to large focal areas.
- Inflammation of the mucosaand itching in the anus caused by irritation of crawling worms.
- General deterioration of health.Poor immunity, poor digestion and anemia weaken the body, which can not resist infections. A person is followed by persistent colds, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections.
Why ultrasound is more effective than traditional examinations for worms and other parasites
Feces or scratches do not always detect worms. The fact is that the parasites have a certain developmental cycle and do not always lay eggs. There is a whole group of extracellular helminthiasis in which the worms live outside the intestines. In this case, the stool analysis will not provide any information.
Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity shows characteristic changes of the presence of parasites in the liver, pancreas. It is harmless, non-traumatic and can be used many times.
If the ultrasound doctor does not detect live helminths and signs of 100% of their presence, he will suspect an infection and prescribe an additional examination. Useful It is useful to undergo an ultrasound scan and positive I / worm tests. Research will reveal where the parasites hide.
Signs of helminthiasis, determined by ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - semi-living organs and live worms
When examining the gastrointestinal tract in modern 3D and 4D devices, doctors often see live parasites in the gut. If helminths are not found, their presence may be suspected by an enlarged, compressed pancreas in the head area. The spleen is also very large.
The liver with parasitic lesions from lightning, trematodes and lightning is enlarged. In it, there are areas of dystrophy that impede the functioning of the organ.
The gallbladder also suffers. In patients, there is stagnation of the gallbladder, causing pain in the right hypochondrium. Sometimes bladder function is so impaired that the organ on ultrasound is not defined at all.
The presence of parasites leads to the formation of abscesses - purulent hepatic lesions that are life-threatening. In 85% of cases, abscesses form in a liver lobe. Other departments are affected less frequently. Purulent lesions are characteristic of hepatic amoebiasis - the simplest infection - an amoeba that penetrates the hepatic region from the intestines.
Significant changes in the liver are observed in echinococcosis, a parasitic disease in which cavities filled with helminth larvae form within the organ. On ultrasound, rounded formations with clear borders are visible. These are cysts with parasites inside. Over time, calcium is deposited around echinococcal foci. Such formations have a dense structure, therefore, on ultrasound, they look lighter than the surrounding tissue.
With prolonged infection, large cysts with septa, resembling spikelets or large worms, form. The destruction of the bile ducts is observed. With a Doppler examination, there is a violation of blood flow.
For lovers of Japanese cuisine. Parasites as a gift
Fans of Asian exoticism have a wide variety of parasites, but the most common opisthorchiasis is Chinese cone infection. The source of helminths is raw fish that contains parasites.
At the onset of the disease, ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder reveals eosinophilic infiltrates - dense formations with clear borders. If the fight against helminths is postponed until better times, the foci of dead cells will appear in these organs, which look like diverse areas and the hepatic ducts will lose elasticity. The situation can result in the development of liver failure.
If the urinary tract becomes a victim of parasites
Echinococcus affects not only the liver but also the kidneys. When the parasite enters the kidney tissue, a cyst with a chamber (bubble) containing larvae forms. Gradually increasing in size, the echinococcal cyst destroys the organ. Large parasitic cysts attach to the liver, spleen, and intestine.
Schistosomiasis is acquired by those who want to wander barefoot along the warm beaches of overseas countries. The parasite larvae enter the bloodstream through the skin, and are then carried by the blood to the bladder. Once placed there, they cause seals to appear - infiltrates that appear in response to irritation of the bladder walls. When the infection spreads, the kidneys are affected.
Enzyme immunoassay - we bring helminths to clean water
This test detects infection with one or more types of parasites. It is performed for the presence of ascaris, toxocara, trichinella, opisthorchis flaukes, echinococci, Chinese lightning, etc.
The principle of testing is based on the body's immune response to the presence of helminths. Worm infection causes the production of protein antibodies, which are detected during analysis. Since each parasite provokes the formation of a certain immunoglobulin, the results of the analysis show which toxins are found in the human body.
The test reacts to all forms of parasites - eggs, larvae, adult worms. The accuracy is over 90%. The survey shows not only the presence of infection, but also its degree.
After treatment, the analysis is repeated. A positive result can be observed for some time after the death of the parasites. The concentration of immunoglobulins will gradually decrease for several more months. Then the analysis will be "clean". For research, blood is taken from a vein on an empty stomach in a volume of 3-5 ml. The analysis is done twice.
Ultrasound and an immunoglobulin study can detect helminthiases and begin treatment. Thanks to their use, the number of cases of misdiagnosis, leading to complications, has been reduced. The main thing is to consult a doctor in time if you suspect a helminthic infestation.