More than one billion people are affected by helminths according to WHO statistics. This adversely affects their health, because parasites that are localized not only in the intestines, but also in any other part of the body, and also migrate through it, cause an overload of the immune system and damage the tissues of internal organs, attaching to them by hooks or gnawing openings for theirmoving. Due to the fact that in humans, both adults and children, there are several types of worms, there is no single method for treating this pathology.
It is possible to get rid of parasitic worms with the help of traditional medicines, and by domestic methods suggested by folk medicine, only for this purpose it is necessary to know which type of helminths was localized in the patient. The greatest harm to the human body is caused by three main types of worms - flukes, ribbon and roundworms. Before the therapeutic measures aimed at their destruction, it is necessary to understand how these parasites look on the photo, read their description and find out the main signs that can be caused by a certain type of parasites.
Three main types of helminths
Most often, people suffer from round worms. Among them, ankylostomas, ascarids, withers and children's pinworms are very common. Having looked at their photos, it becomes immediately clear why this type of parasites got such a name. Since they most often affect a person, it is worthwhile to consider them in more detail:
- The infection with pinworms, the presence of which is usually noted in children, is epidemiological in nature, because in the disease caused by the enterobiasis of one child, immediately all those who are in direct contact with it are infected. Description of this variety of worms can be found in many sources. Typically, their main characteristics are noted, such as small sizes( up to 10 mm in length) and greyish-white color. All this is perfectly visible in the photo of these helminths. Infection of humans with this type of round worms occurs through contact with infected people with their pets, dirty hands, poorly washed vegetables and fruits. Also, with enterobiosis, there are possible cases of self-infection that arise from combing the itching areas of the anus, where the eggs of the parasite are deposited, and then swallowing them;
- It is clear from the photo and description of the whipworm causing trichocephalosis that these helminths of pure white color can reach a length of 5 cm and parasitize a person in the large intestine, the initial part of it. Nutrition for these small worms are the tissues of the intestinal mucosa and blood. Infection with worms of this species occurs in the same way as in pinworms, alimentary through the mouth. If the parasites are in the body in a small amount, the invasion proceeds asymptomatically, and if they are large, the patient develops severe diarrhea, often provoking the prolapse of the rectum. In the event that children suffered from trichocephalosis, their growth may be delayed;
- A very widespread but rarely detected type of worm is considered hookworm. According to the description, it is similar to such a type of helminths as an incontinent. They are not only similar to each other, as seen in the photo, but also cause the same diseases. That is why it is customary to unite these parasites under the same name - hookworms. These are small worms that reach a length of 15 mm. The place of their localization is the 12-duodenum. The cycle of development of this species of worms consists in the fact that their larvae penetrate into the human body upon contact with soil contaminated with helminths through the skin. Then they begin to migrate with the bloodstream, penetrating first into the lungs, and then, together with the expectorated person, sputum, through the bronchi enter the digestive tract. The danger of hookworm is that this type of worms is attached to the intestinal wall and bites it with sharp teeth, which are clearly visible in the photo. After the blood vessel that pierces it is damaged, the helminth injects into it an anti-inverting enzyme;
- No less dangerous and invasion of ascarids. These worms are spindle-shaped and large in size. Adult individuals in length reach 25 cm( males) and 40 cm( females).This variety of worms does not have any attachments such as suckers and hooks, but they can move towards the food masses themselves. The cycle of development of these round helminths, affecting a person, is similar to that of hookworm. Infection by them occurs in an alimentary way, with the ingestion of eggs along with unpeeled water and unwashed fruits.
The second of the three main types of worms can be considered tapeworms. The photo shows that they have a ribbon-like long body, which is divided into many segments, very small in size. From the description of these helminths you can find out that they have underdeveloped nervous and digestive systems, but the genital, located in each segment, is formed very well. This feature makes them extremely persistent and prolific. The parasite is fastened to the walls of the intestine by special organs - hooks and suckers, which are equipped with its head. They can also be seen on the photo in an enlarged state. From helminths parasitizing human body to this type of worms are dwarf, swine and bovine chains, wide ribbons and echinococcus.
The third type of worm threatening human health is flukes, or, as they are called scientifically, trematodes. This species of worms has, as seen from the photo, a flat body. It looks like a tongue or a leaf. From the description of helminths it follows that their dimensions can reach 1.5 meters. They can be infected from fish or crayfish that have undergone insufficient heat treatment. Eggs and larvae of worms belonging to this variety, having got into the human body, begin to migrate intensively. As a result, adults can be found in the most unexpected organs. From the photos of these parasites it is clear that they are attached by means of suckers. Each specific type of these worms has different numbers. Also, from the description of helminths, one can find out that they have no blood and respiratory systems, and the nervous, sexual and digestive systems are well developed.
Symptoms of various types of helminths
For the most part, when a helminth infection occurs, the digestive tract is damaged and their functioning is disrupted. Some types of worms have hooks that cling to the walls of the intestine, break through it and secrete the products of their vital activity and special substances that have a negative effect on the digestive organs and provoke the appearance of such negative symptoms in people as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, bloating and flatulence. Neurological signs, sleep disturbances, and irritability may appear, due to poisoning by toxic products of vital activity of all types of worms. The severity of such manifestations depends on the duration of human invasion. For each species of helminths is characteristic of its clinical picture. In order to avoid mistakes in determining the type of parasites that affected the patient, it is worthwhile to consider in more detail what signs are most often caused by helminthic invasions:
- For most roundworms, the appearance of painful sensations that do not have an exact place of localization, nausea and vomiting, disorder of stools. This type of worms, like pinworms, which affects children more often, provokes the appearance of severe itching in the anus. From the description of this class of parasites, one can learn that the appearance of general symptoms in toxicoses and allergies is typical for the clinical picture caused by them;
- Infection of people with flatworms provokes the appearance of dysuric disorders in them. For an acute form of pathology, an increase in the size of the liver and spleen is characteristic, and in the case of the transition of this species of helminthic invasion into a chronic stage, the patients have a bright symptomatology of colitis;
- The presence of trematodea worms in the human body, which causes trematodes, is characterized by liver diseases - pancreatitis and hepatitis. They also provoke the appearance of symptoms associated with severe forms of neurological disorders.
What kinds of worms are there in children?
The most common helminths in the child, without special adaptations visible in the stool, are ascarids and pinworms. These parasites affect children more often. Knowing the symptomatology caused by them, and according to the photo exactly how their sexually mature specimens look in the feces, it is possible to suspect their presence in time and to prevent the occurrence of irreversible disturbances in the human body.
In the feces of children, not only individual representatives of these types of worms, but also tangles of parasitic worms can be found. Their larvae can migrate with a blood stream, damaging the walls of the lungs, bronchi and vessels, if they penetrate the pancreas and liver, they can cause pancreatitis or hepatitis. For accurate diagnosis of helminthiases by ascarids to children and adults, a study of feces is necessary, in which the presence of parasite eggs in it should be revealed. But this is quite difficult, since the process of reproduction in these species of worms does not occur every day.
Types and treatment of helminths
There are no universal methods of parasite destruction to date. The approach to the treatment of worms in humans is always strictly individual. Possible therapy with medications, surgery or the use of folk methods. The final therapy tactic is appointed by the doctor after a thorough diagnosis and identification of the species of parasitic worms. All therapeutic measures for the destruction of helminths, both for children and adults, should be prescribed only by a specialist. Self-medication in this case is categorically contraindicated. Therapy of helminthiases should be carried out in stages and in a complex manner. It consists of the following steps:
- Preparatory stage;
- Destruction of parasites;
- Recovery of the functions they violated.
At the initial stage, sorbents are used to help in the binding and removal of toxins from various types of worms and vegetable oils. Next, you need to start taking medications that destroy parasites. In the last place, patients are assigned enzymatic agents intended for the purification of the digestive tract. They help to remove slags, to stop the destruction of liver cells caused by certain types of worms and to speed up the restoration of its structure.
In the event that the presence of parasites is found in a child, it is necessary for all members of the family to undergo therapeutic courses to get rid of them. This will help prevent the formation of a foci of infection of any type of worms by constantly infecting each other with their eggs. Also in this situation, attention should be paid to the implementation of sanitary procedures and the observance of personal hygiene rules. Only when all the rules are fulfilled can you get rid of parasites in a short time and prevent further spread of the infection.
All information on the types of worms, a description of the signs of helminthiases and ways to treat them can be found on the video and photos available on the site. All videos on this topic give the most complete information about all the parasitic diseases of man. Also, due to video materials, one can fully understand the danger posed by helminths in the event that there is no necessary measures to destroy them.