There are 4.5 billion registered people worldwide suffering from parasitic infections (infestations).In addition, the number of people infected with helminths (worms) is constantly increasing.
Causes of helminthiasis infection
It is not difficult to introduce worms into your body.Here are just a few causes of infection that are familiar to everyone from childhood:
- Insufficient hygiene.The desire to eat unwashed fruits and vegetables, not wearing gloves when working in the garden and not engaging in hygienic procedures leads to infection with various helminths.
- Addiction to street fast food.It is no secret that sellers of such food do not always pass medical examinations and often neglect basic hygiene.And their products are not stored in the best conditions.Another risk group are lovers of street whites and pastes.
- The love for exotic cuisines, including dishes made from raw fish and shellfish containing parasites.It is the fans of sushi and rolls that are responsible for the increase in the incidence of flukes, tapeworms, nematodes, roundworms and hookworms.
- Nthe ability to properly protect yourself from infection while on vacation.The love for "Turkish shores" led to an increase in cases of infection with exotic helminthiasis - schistosomiasis, hookworm and dracunculiasis.After walking barefoot on the overseas beach, you can bring from your trip not only pleasant impressions, but also dangerous worms.
- Infection from petswho often sleep with their masters.Those who like to "kiss" their pet run the risk of contracting parasites.
What parasites live in the human body
If an adult had the opportunity to look into his body, he would be horrified:
- Roundworms –pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, nematodes, toxocar, trichinella.Large helminths collect in huge balls, clog the intestinal lumen and lead to obstruction requiring surgical treatment.Doctors remove an incredible amount of parasites from the intestines of such people during surgery.
- Tapewormappear among those who like to try rare meat and raw fish.Causes digestive problems, anemia, allergies.Children experience epileptic-like seizures.The most dangerous helminth of this group is echinococcus, whose larvae form huge cysts in the human body.When they rupture, the parasites spread throughout the body.The infection can be fatal.
- flukes- flukes, flukes and fascioles are dangerous parasites that suck blood from the vessels of the liver, pancreas, intestines and bladder.
- Protozoa– Leishmania, amoeba, lamblia, etc.Although these tiny parasites are only visible under a microscope, they can cause dangerous complications, including intestinal perforation and liver abscesses, which are fatal.
By what signs can one suspect the presence of "strangers": if your stomach hurts, it means that someone lives in it
Signs of the presence of helminths:
- Abdominal pain- the most common sign of helminth infection.It can be constant, periodic, affecting certain areas of the abdomen.Pain in the right hypochondrium during helminthiasis indicates damage to the liver and gall bladder by worms.
- Digestive disorders– diarrhea, constipation, irregular bowel movements.Sometimes patients see crawling segments of worms or even whole parasites in their stools.Maldigestion and gastrointestinal dysfunction lead to weight loss.
- anemiaWorms suck blood from the body and interfere with the digestion of food.The human host feeds not itself but the worms.Patients complain of weakness, fatigue, loss of strength and dizziness.
- Damage to the urinary tractcaused by parasites that live in the kidneys and bladder.Patients complain of lower back pain and swelling.Sometimes traces of blood can be seen in the urine.
- Slow chronic vaginitis.Roundworms and pinworms crawl from the anus into the genital tract, causing vaginal dysbiosis and provoking the development of thrush.Women are treated for itching and discharge without realizing that the problem is parasites.
- Skin manifestations.Worm infection poisons the body and suppresses the immune system, leading to allergies.Rashes range from small blisters to large focal areas.
- Inflammation of the mucous membraneand itching in the anal area caused by irritation from crawling worms.
- General deterioration of health.Weak immunity, poor digestion and anemia weaken the body, which cannot resist infections.A person is haunted by constant colds, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections.
Why ultrasound is more effective than traditional tests for worms and other parasites
Stools or scrapings do not always reveal worms.The fact is that parasites have a certain development cycle and do not always lay eggs.There is a whole group of extraintestinal helminthiases in which the worms live outside the intestine.In this case, the examination of feces will not give any information.
Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity shows changes characteristic of the presence of parasites in the liver and pancreas.It is harmless, non-traumatic and can be used repeatedly.
If the doctor does not find live helminths and 100% signs of their presence on ultrasound, he will suspect an infection and prescribe an additional examination.It is also helpful to have an ultrasound if the worm tests are positive.The examination will show where the parasites are hiding.
Signs of helminthiasis determined by ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - semi-living organs and living worms
When examining the gastrointestinal tract with modern 3D and 4D devices, doctors often see live parasites in the intestines.If no helminths are found, their presence can be suspected by an enlarged pancreas, compacted in the head area.The spleen is also too large.
The liver is enlarged due to parasitic infection by flukes, trematodes and flukes.It reveals areas of dystrophy that impede the functioning of the organ.
The gallbladder also suffers.Patients experience stagnation of bile, causing pain in the right hypochondrium.Sometimes the function of the bladder is so impaired that the organ is not detected at all on ultrasound.
The presence of parasites leads to the formation of abscesses - purulent liver lesions that are life-threatening.In 85% of cases, abscesses form in one lobe of the liver.Other departments suffer less often.Purulent lesions are characteristic of hepatic amoebiasis - an infection with protozoa - an amoeba that penetrates the liver 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 organ.Ultrasound shows round formations with clear borders.These are cysts that contain parasites.Over time, calcium is deposited around echinococcal lesions.Such formations have a dense structure, so on ultrasound they appear lighter than the surrounding tissue.
In case of prolonged infection, large cysts with partitions resembling wheel spokes or large honeycombs are formed.There is destruction of the bile ducts.Doppler examination reveals a violation of blood flow.
For lovers of Japanese cuisine.Parasites - a gift
A wide variety of parasites are found in lovers of Asian exotics, but the most common is opisthorchosis - an infection with the Chinese fluke.The source of helminths is unprocessed fish containing parasites.
At the beginning of the disease, ultrasound reveals eosinophilic infiltrates in the liver and gallbladder - dense formations with clear borders.If the fight against helminths is postponed until better times, foci of dead cells will appear in these organs, which look like spots, and the liver channels will lose their elasticity.The situation can lead to 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 penetrates the kidney tissue, a one-chambered cyst (bladder) is formed, containing larvae.Gradually increasing in size, the hydatid cyst destroys the organ.Large parasitic cysts adhere to the liver, spleen and intestines.
Schistosomiasis is contracted by those who like to wander barefoot on the warm beaches of overseas countries.The larvae of the parasite enter the blood through the skin and are then carried to the bladder with the blood.After settling there, they cause the appearance of seals - infiltrates that appear in response to irritation of the bladder walls.As the infection spreads, the kidneys are affected.
Enzyme immunoassay of a blood test - we transfer helminths in clean water
This test can detect infection with one or more types of parasites.It is conducted for the presence of roundworms, toxocara, trichinella, opisthorchis, echinococci, Chinese flukes, etc.
The principle of research 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 formation of a certain immunoglobulin, the test results show which helminths are in the human body.
The analysis reacts to all forms of parasites - eggs, larvae, adult worms.Accuracy is more than 90%.The examination shows not only the presence of infection, but also its degree.
After treatment, the test is repeated.A positive result can be observed some time after the death of the parasites.The concentration of immunoglobulins will decrease gradually for several more months.Then the analysis will become "clean".For the study, blood is taken from the vein on an empty stomach in a volume of 3-5 ml.The analysis is done twice.
Ultrasound and the study of immunoglobulins can identify helminthiasis and start treatment.Thanks to their use, cases of incorrect diagnosis leading to complications are reduced.The main thing is to immediately consult a doctor if you suspect a helminth infestation.