Parasitologists have their own definition of summer - the season of helminths.In the warm season, various types of parasites feel great and multiply actively.
You can meet them everywhere - in gardens, during walks and when communicating with our younger brothers.How to avoid this encounter and what to do if it happens?
Worms or helminths are parasites that affect humans, animals and even plants.In the past, it was believed that helminth infections were common among unscrupulous people, but today it is known that this is not the case.No one is safe from helminth infection.According to expert estimates, worms affect 70-95% of the world's population.
Symptoms of helminthiasis
Often there are situations where it is not easy to guess about such a neighborhood.Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body are non-specific.For some, they will cause intestinal disorders, for others - asthenia, and for others they will not feel anything at all.Experts warn that worms can live in the human body for years and go undetected.But a lot depends not only on your individual characteristics, but also on the parasites themselves.
Among the people at risk of infection with helminths are people with a weakened immune system and children under 3 years of age.The acidity of the gastric juice of a healthy adult is fatal to most worms.Parasites live in any litter box, and if the baby likes to put his fingers in his mouth, it can end sadly.
Pediatrician Maxim Pereverzentsev claims that there are at least fifty worm eggs per square meter of sandbox.In addition, young children often play with pets that carry parasite eggs in their fur or saliva.
Enterobiosis
The most common childhood parasites that cause enterobiasis are pinworms.It is not difficult to suspect their existence.At night, pinworms lay eggs in the anus area and cause severe itching in humans.Other symptoms include decreased appetite and restless sleep.Enterobiosis must be treated, and only a doctor can help in this matter.A little known fact: if a child is infected with worms, the vaccinations given to him will not be effective.
Some other symptoms that may indicate the presence of worms in the human body are: abdominal pain, skin rash, allergic reactions, increased salivation, constipation or diarrhea, nausea.
Out of the three hundred types of worms known in the world, the two most common worms in our country are pinworms and roundworms that parasitize the intestines.According to laboratory diagnostics doctor Vasili Yurasov, at least half of the population of our country has one or the other.
ascariasis
For example, it is quite easy to get infected with roundworms at the dacha - there are a lot of them in our garden.They enter the body through poorly washed vegetables and leafy greens.The life of a roundworm is measured in two years, and theoretically, as Yurasov says, ascariasis can pass by itself (the worm must be in the soil to continue its existence).But during these two years, these worms can destroy your life to a great extent, because they affect not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the respiratory system.Often, ascariasis manifests itself as skin dermatitis, muscle pain, stool disorders, and a dry cough that worsens at night.If there are many roundworms, it can lead to the development of pancreatitis, inflammation of the appendix, cholecystitis, intestinal obstruction, and liver abscess.
Toxoporosis
Toxoporosis is transmitted through domestic animals, which causes damage to the liver and mucous membranes of the eyes.Poorly fried kebabs or insufficiently smoked or salted fish (usually carp and carp) transmit tapeworms and liver flukes.
If we talk about the diagnosis of helminths, then everything is not so simple here.Each of us has been tested for eggworms at least once in our life (for example, to get a certificate for a swimming pool), but it is quite difficult to detect them in research material.For example, roundworms release eggs every few days.Therefore, in order to understand the real situation, laboratory diagnostician Vasili Yurasov says that such tests should be performed at least three days in a row.
Diagnosis and treatment of helminthiasis
In addition, if there are serious doubts about the presence of worms in the body, the doctor can prescribe an additional test - a stool test for worms.Based on the results of this analysis, a specialist will be able to understand the presence of helminths in the body based on a number of indirect signs.Another important aid for determining helminthic infestations is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent blood test, which allows determining antibodies against various types of parasites.To complete the picture, the doctor may prescribe a regular biochemical blood test to the patient.For example, if it turns out that a person exceeds the normative value of eosinophils, it is because there is something else in his body.
Parasites should be treated only under the strict supervision of a specialist.You should contact a therapist or parasitologist.As for prevention, it's pretty simple.Wash your hands as often as possible, wash the greens in your garden beds thoroughly, grill your meat and fish thoroughly, and don't let your pets eat too much.Good folk remedies for prevention include pumpkin seeds, ginger and tansy.