A popular habitat for worms is the intestine. In this case, helminths can settle in any of its departments: duodenum, thin and large intestine. Frequent parasites of the human intestine are round worms( ascarids and pinworms) and tapeworms.
Helminths can live in the human intestine for a long time without causing symptoms. However, most often, intestinal worms most often cause unpleasant manifestations:
- abdominal pain after eating;
- Stool disorder( constipation or diarrhea);
- nausea and vomiting;
- stirring;
- bloating and increased flatulence;
- stool with blood and mucus;
- itching in the rectum;
- weight loss.
Since intestinal helminths severely impair immunity, people, especially children, may experience frequent colds. Toxins secreted by worms in the process of vital activity can cause allergies. Often against the background of helminthic invasion, there is a decline in strength, emotional disturbances and mood swings.
Which worms live in the intestine?
Virtually all the worms of this group have hooks or suckers that help the helminths to hold on to the walls of the organ. In this case, mechanical damage to the mucosa can be manifested by bleeding, necrosis of certain zones of the gastrointestinal tract. These are common symptoms of intestinal helminthiases, but there are still specific, specific to the specific type of worms that live in man. For example:
- With enterobiosis( pinworm parasitism), the main symptom is the strongest itch of the anus at night, caused by the movement of the female, which crawls out of the large intestine to lay eggs.
- With trichocephalosis( parasitizing vagus head), helminth infestation is often accompanied by hemorrhagic colitis. In some cases, more often in children, there are cases of prolapse of the rectum.
- Ascaridosis of the rectum may be accompanied by intestinal obstruction with a large accumulation of helminths. Adult large worms coiled into a ball, blocking the movement of stool. The photo shows how it might look like. In this case, surgery or cleansing with an enema may be required.
- Cestodiasis( parasitizing tapeworms) often passes without symptoms. The disease can be suspected only by the removal of the segments of the worm, which can be found in feces.
If you have these symptoms, your doctor should suspect that you have helminthiasis and have a number of studies to identify helminthic invasion.
With regard to the localization of worms in the gastrointestinal tract, for example, ascarids and porcine tapeworm often choose the upper zones of the thin, dwarf tapeworm - the lower sections of the straight, and the pinworms - the large intestine. Siberian fluke( opisthorchiasis) parasitizes in the liver. At the same time, the organ can be affected by several species of helminths.
What tests for intestinal helminthiasis are prescribed?
Popular diagnostic methods include:
- feces study,
- Scotch test for the identification of helminth eggs,
- X-ray with barium, which allows to reveal the consequences of helminthiosis,
- blood test for antibodies,
- sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy - examination of the intestine with a probe to which mini-video is attachedcamera.
If a larva, eggs or adult worms are found after laboratory tests and auxiliary diagnostics, the parasitologist prescribes treatment. Depending on the type of helminths the doctor can prescribe anthelmintic drugs of a wide range of action or tablets from worms in the intestine of a particular species. What medicines can prescribe for intestinal helminthiasis:
- The drug Levamisol is effective for round worms of the Necator species parasitizing in the thin or duodenum. Effectively, this remedy for worms Strongyloids and hookworms, living in the upper parts of the small intestine. There are contraindications( early age, chronic blood diseases).
- Tablets or suspensions Mebendazole is prescribed to a person suffering from helminthic invasion, with enterobiosis, trichocephalosis, hookworm infection and other helminthiasis, when the worms settled in the large intestine. Children under six years are not recommended.
- Albendazole is a broad-spectrum drug. It can be prescribed if ascarids, pinworms, pork chopsticks, nematodes and other worms are found.
- In Pirantel, the spectrum of action is somewhat narrower than that of the previous preparation. This medicine is used for invasions, justified by the presence in the body of pinworms, ascarids and nectar.
In some cases, drug therapy does not give positive results, so cleaning the intestines and removing worms from the digestive tract is performed promptly.
The individual intake of drugs by a person is strongly discouraged, since it is important to determine the type of worms before proceeding with toxic treatment. The parasitologist will select the optimal drug and dosage. For information, it is not recommended to use chemical substances for the purpose of prevention, as this measure is ineffective. Especially cautiously should be treated intestinal helminthiasis in children. The best prevention of any helminthiosis is personal hygiene and quality food processing.
After worm removal, recovery and symptoms disappear. However, it is necessary to restore the intestine after worms to normalize the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and liver after helminthic invasion and reception of toxic anthelmintic drugs. Therapists most often prescribe hepatoprotective drugs( Gepabene, Hepatamin), probiotics( Bifidobacterin, Linex, Hilak-forte), which need to be drunk for at least seven days.
The simplest parasites in the intestines: lamblia
In addition to worms, single-celled parasites become frequent "inhabitants" of the intestines. The most common of these are Giardia. These protozoa, settling in the human gastrointestinal tract, cause protozoal infections, called in another way protozooses.
Protozoal invasion, which Lamblia provokes, leads to impaired functions of the small intestine, although it can be asymptomatic. The source of infection become carriers or sick people. Possible infection through pets, water from open water. Invasion occurs in the fecal-oral way. Children - through toys, dirty hands.
Prevention of the disease is constructed in the identification of patients with giardiasis by the method of protozoon analysis. At the risk of infection, it is recommended to carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene, the conditions for storing food, cooking food. Water from open sources and wells should be boiled before use.
Public prevention of intestinal parasitic diseases consists in the organization of sewerage and water supply systems, especially in rural areas, preventing sewage drains into water intake reservoirs.
It is possible to suspect the presence of Giardia by the following features:
- pain in the right hypochondrium and lower abdomen;
- flatulence, belching, heaviness in the gastrointestinal tract;
- bloating, stool disorder;
- skin allergies( a small rash that suddenly appears and also disappears).
Despite the fact that the protozoa that live in the human intestine are much smaller in size than worms( see photo), they do not cause harm to health and can cause serious pathologies.
To identify the presence of malicious protozoa in humans and to prescribe adequate treatment, there is a whole list of diagnostic measures. The most popular techniques for detecting parasites are studies of feces, urine, and blood on the background of a complete examination of the patient. Indirect methods are also used to identify pathogens of lambliasis. For example, a serological( immunological) blood test can reveal protozoosis and helminths by the presence of antibodies to parasitic antigens. This diagnosis is highly reliable and convenient for examining a large number of people.
As with worms, the therapy is carried out in several stages:
- removal from the human body( child) of toxins that appear as a result of the vital activity of protozoa;
- therapeutic phase with drugs Tiberal, McMiore, Trichopol, Furazolidone, the therapy of the child is conducted with caution.
- restoration of intestinal microflora is carried out due to the course of probiotics.
Worms living in the intestine and other parasites cause huge damage to human health. If the invasion is not treated, it can take a chronic form when long-term therapy and even surgical intervention are needed. Glistes in the intestines not only "take away" nutrients from their carrier, but also destroy the immune system. Therefore, a regular examination should be carried out to identify parasites and, if necessary, treatment.
Modern pharmacology offers a huge number of preparations from intestinal worms, but you should not self-medicate. Consultation of the parasitologist will help not only to select a medicine and its dosage, but also without special harm to health to pass a course of toxic treatment from parasites.