There are 4. 5 billion registered people in the world who suffer 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 settle worms in your body. Here are just a few causes of the 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 bother with hygienic procedures, leads to infection with various helminths.
- Addicted to street fast food.It is no secret that sellers of such food do not always come for a medical examination and often neglect basic hygiene. And their products are not stored in the best conditions. Lovers of street whites and pasta are another risk group.
- Love of exotic cuisinescontaining raw fish and shellfish dishes containing parasites. Fans of sushi and rolls deserve an increase in the frequency of flukes, broadworms, nematodes, earthworms and belts.
- Hthe ability to properly protect against infection during rest.The love for the "Turkish coast" has led to more frequent cases of infection with exotic helminthiasis - schistosomiasis, hookworm, dracunculiasis. After a barefoot walk on the overseas beach, you can take not only pleasant impressions, but also dangerous worms from your trip.
- Infection from petswho often sleep with their owners. Fans of "kissing" a pet run the risk of picking up parasites.
Which parasites live in the human body
If an adult had the opportunity to look into their body, they would be horrified:
- Roundworms -pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, nematodes, toxocaras, trichinae. Large helminths gather in huge intrigues, clog the intestinal lumen and lead to obstruction that requires surgical treatment. During surgery, such people extract an incredible amount of parasites from the intestines.
- Ribbonsthey appear among those who like to taste meat with blood and raw fish. They cause digestive problems, anemia, allergies. Children have seizures similar to epileptic seizures. The most dangerous helminth of this group is echinococcus, whose larvae create huge cysts in the human body. When they break down, the parasites spread throughout the body. Infection can be fatal.
- Naive people- flukes, flukes and fasciols are dangerous parasites that suck blood from the vessels of the liver, pancreas, intestines and bladder.
- The simplest- Leishmania, amoeba, lamblia, etc. Although these tiny parasites are only visible under a microscope, they can cause dangerous complications all the way to intestinal perforation and liver abscesses, which are fatal.
On the basis of which the presence of "foreigners" can be suspected: if the stomach is sick, it means that someone lives in it
Signs of helminth presence:
- Stomach pain- the most common sign of helminth infection. It can be constant, periodic and affect certain areas of the abdomen. Pain in the right hypochondrium with helminthiasis indicates damage to the liver and gallbladder by worms.
- Poor digestion- diarrhea, constipation, bowel dysfunction. Sometimes patients see creeping segments of worms or even whole parasites in the feces. Impaired food absorption and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract lead to weight loss.
- Anemia.Worms suck blood from the body and interfere with the digestion of food. The host man does not feed, but 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. Traces of blood are sometimes visible in the urine.
- Indolent chronic vaginitis. . . Worms and earthworms crawl from the anus into the genital tract, causing vaginal dysbiosis and causing thrush to develop. Women are treated for itching and discharge, not suspecting that they are parasites.
- Manifestations on the skin.Worm infection poisons the body and suppresses the immune system, leading to allergies. The rash varies from small vesicles to large focal areas.
- Inflammation of the mucous membranesand itching in the anus caused by irritation of crawling worms.
- General deterioration of health.Weak immunity, poor digestion and anemia weaken the body which cannot resist infections. Man is haunted by constant colds, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections.
Why ultrasound is more effective than traditional examinations for worms and other parasites
Feces or scrapings 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 non-digestive helminthiasis, in which worms live outside the gut. In this case, stool analysis will not provide any information.
Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity shows changes characteristic of the presence of parasites in the liver, pancreas. It is harmless, non-traumatic and can be used multiple times.
If the ultrasound doctor does not detect live helminths and 100% signs of their presence, they will suspect an infection and prescribe an additional examination. It is useful to undergo an ultrasound examination and positive tests for I / worms. Research will reveal where parasites lurk.
Signs of helminthiasis, determined by ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - semi-living organs and live worms
When examining the gastrointestinal tract on modern 3D and 4D devices, doctors often see live parasites in the gut. If helminths are not found, an enlarged pancreas may be suspected of their presence in the head area. The spleen is also too large.
The liver is enlarged with parasitic lesions of flukes, trematodes, and flukes. There are areas of dystrophy on it that interfere with the work of organs.
The gallbladder also suffers. Bile stagnation occurs in patients, which causes pain in the right hypochondrium. Sometimes bladder function is so impaired that the organ is not determined on ultrasound at all.
The presence of parasites leads to the formation of abscesses - purulent liver lesions that are life-threatening. In 85% of cases, abscesses occur in one lobe of the liver. Other wards are affected less frequently. Purulent lesions are characteristic of hepatic amoebiasis - the simplest infection - an amoeba that penetrates the liver region from the intestine.
Significant changes in the liver are observed in echinococcosis, a parasitic disease in which cavities filled with helminth larvae form inside the organs. Rounded formations with clear boundaries are visible on ultrasound. These are cysts with parasites inside. Over time, calcium accumulates around echinococcal foci. Such formations have a dense structure, so on ultrasound they look lighter than the surrounding tissues.
With prolonged infection, large cysts form with spokes-like septa or large honeycombs. Destruction of bile ducts is observed. Doppler examination leads to a violation of blood flow.
For lovers of Japanese cuisine. Parasites as a gift
Fans of Asian exotics have a wide range of parasites, but the most common opisthorchiasis is Chinese flu infection. The source of helminths is unprocessed fish that contains parasites.
At the beginning of the disease, ultrasound in the liver and gallbladder reveals eosinophilic infiltrates - dense formations with clear boundaries. If the fight against helminths is delayed until better times, foci of dead cells will appear in these organs, looking like colorful areas, and the liver channels 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 single-chamber cyst (balloon) containing larvae is formed. Gradually increasing in size, the echinococcal cyst destroys the organ. Large parasitic cysts are soldered to the liver, spleen, and intestines.
Schistosomiasis is picked up by those who like to wander barefoot on the warm beaches of overseas countries. The larvae of the parasite enter the bloodstream through the skin, and then carry the blood to the bladder. Once there, they cause the appearance of seals - infiltrates that appear in response to irritation of the bladder walls. When the infection spreads, the kidneys are affected.
Immunological test - we bring helminths into clean water
This test detects an infection with one or more types of parasites. It is carried out for the presence of ascaris, toxocara, trichinae, opisthorchiasis, fluke, echinococcus, Chinese fluke, 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 that are detected during the analysis. Since each parasite provokes the production of a specific immunoglobulin, the results of the analysis show which helminths are in the human body.
The analysis responds to all forms of parasites - eggs, larvae, adult worms. The accuracy is over 90%. Research shows not only the presence of infection, but also its degree.
After treatment, the analysis is repeated. A positive result can be noticed some time after the death of the parasite. The concentration of immunoglobulins will gradually decrease for several more months. Then the analysis will be "pure". For research, blood is taken from a vein on an empty stomach in the amount of 3-5 ml. The analysis is done twice.
Ultrasound and immunoglobulin studies can detect helminthiases and begin treatment. Thanks to their use, the number of cases of misdiagnosis has decreased, which leads to complications. The main thing is to consult a doctor in time if you suspect a helminthic invasion.