One of the species of worms-parasites in the human body is pinworms. These small round worms enter the gastrointestinal tract in the form of eggs by the oral route. Rebirth in the stomach in the larvae, and then in adult individuals, pinworms cause various intestinal disorders by their activity, can cause allergies, and provoke severe itching in the anus. In women, infection with pinworm can cause inflammation of the genitals.
In medicine, the disease caused by pinworms is called enterobiosis. Most cases of this disease are observed in children, much less often this disease is noted in adults. As practice shows, the symptoms of pinworms are, as weakly expressed, and sharp, significantly reducing the quality of life.
The main symptoms of
pinworms The only host of these helminths is the class of roundworms is a man. Invasion occurs when swallowing eggs of this type of parasites first into the oral cavity, later - into the stomach. Pinworm - worm up to 1 cm with pointed tips. The photo shows how the egg of the pinworm looks under the microscope. It is impossible to see the egg or larva of the helminth because of its small size with the naked eye. That is why infection in everyday life occurs unnoticed.
The larvae live for some time in the stomach, feeding on its contents. In rare cases, the larvae can trigger inflammatory processes in the digestive tract by their actions and the products of activity. More often this cycle of development of pinworms passes for the patient imperceptibly, and the symptomatology is not expressed.
After 2-4 weeks, when the larvae grow to adult individuals, the fertilized female from the stomach descends toward the rectum for reproduction. It can carry up to 15 thousand eggs.
Having reached the anus, the female pinworm is selected outside and lays eggs in the skin folds around the anus, then it dies. Mature eggs remain viable, even if they fall on bed, underwear, household items and even toys for more than 20 days. In themselves, the eggs of worms can not move.
When laying eggs, the female releases a colorless, corrosive liquid, which causes irritation of the skin. The process is accompanied by a symptom such as the strongest itching of the anus and the skin around it. Irritation can be so strong that the patient often does not cope with the desire to comb the affected area. This is the main symptom of pinworms in humans. So, a strong itch is the main sign of enterobiosis.
The laying of eggs by the female pinworm occurs at night, but with the advanced stage of the disease and the non-observance of the hygienic rules of the personal toilet, the main symptom of enterobiasis can bother a person around the clock.
Secondary and indirect symptoms of pinworms
After the penetration of helminth worms, the first symptoms of enterobiasis appear only after 14 days. The indicator of the signs of helminthiasis directly depends:
- from the total number of eggs of worms caught in the intestine,
- from individual characteristics of the body,
- of the presence of any current diseases and lifestyle,
- of the individual organism reaction to the antigen of pinworms.
Usually in adults, pinworms appear as follows:
- If a large number of eggs of these helminths has penetrated the intestines, their activity is high, several females lay eggs simultaneously, itching can be felt not only in the anus, but also in the perineum, and in women in the area of the external genitalia. This is due to the fact that with a high degree of invasion the risk of migration of pinworms from the anus to the external genitalia is great, and thence to the vagina.
- One of the symptoms is urinary incontinence at night, caused by irritation of the urethra.
- Abdominal pain - permanent or intermittent - also refers to common symptoms of enterobiasis. They are not permanent and are resumed after a meal, as food caught in the stomach is also a food for pinworms. Helminths show activity, and the patient feels painful symptoms in the navel, in the right hypochondrium.
- One of the indirect symptoms of pinworm is constipation or diarrhea, depending on the clinical picture of helminthiosis. Quite often a symptom is a mushy stool or feces with mucous elements.
- Irritable behavior and insomnia - a symptom caused by mental depression, which occurs as a result of toxic effects on cells of the products of life and activity of helminths.
- In women, the symptom of infection with pinworms is the pain that occurs during sexual intercourse, excessive discharge and itching of the genitals. These symptoms do not necessarily represent an indication that the pinworm has penetrated the vagina. Severe itching, accompanied by combing the damaged area, can cause entry into microscopic wounds of the skin and mucous infection. Various kinds of allergic reactions accompany enterobiosis. Allergies are caused by pinworm antigens. This attribute is indirect. But doctors pay attention to it, since prolonged dermatitis or urticaria may indicate the presence of helminths. If the treatment of skin allergies does not work, check for the pinworm.
Clinical manifestations of enterobiasis
Frequent infection or self-infection with pinworms causes chronic helminthiasis. In addition to anal itching, it manifests itself in the following clinical symptoms:
- with a growing and long-lasting headache, the treatment of which with traditional methods does not yield results;
- bloating and frequent false urges to cleanse the intestines;
- dizziness, including with fainting;
- in adults there are cases of memory disorder;
- on the right side of the abdomen there is so much pain that quite often such a patient is placed in the surgical department of the clinic with the diagnosis of "acute appendicitis" and perform an operation to remove the appendix.
Treatment for symptoms of pinworms
When a person has symptoms of pinworms and the necessary tests are made, which confirmed the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes a course of treatment. In order for the treatment of symptoms to be effective, an integrated approach is needed to prevent re-invasion. The measures provide for strict observance of personal hygiene rules not only for the sick person, but also for his surroundings. Often the whole family, in children's institutions - the entire collective undergo simultaneous dehelminthization.
Against the backdrop of medical treatment, the following rules must be observed:
- cleanliness of nails, washing hands with soap after any employment with pets, before meals, after walking and visiting the bathroom;
- underwear should be tight fitting, it should be changed to clean and ironed daily;
- should definitely be washed with soap in the morning, after emptying and before going to bed;
- with the manifestation of intolerable itching can resort to soda cleansing enema;
- as well as underwear, and the bed should be regularly changed.
At unconditional execution of these rules the adult person can independently get rid of pinworms as inside of an organism these worms do not breed. But, as practice shows, it is almost impossible for a number of reasons. Treatment of enterobiasis is faster and more effective if compliance with sanitary and hygienic regimens is performed against the background of drug therapy.
Popular drugs for the treatment of helminthiosis of this type are: Pirantel, Vermox, Medamin, Vormil. The photo shows antihelminthic drugs for the treatment of pinworms in various forms.
The procedure for treatment of enterobiasis does not cause any special problems. As a rule, a single dose of the drug with a repetition of the course in two weeks is enough.