What do worms look like in humans and their types?

According to statistics, more than one billion people have been proven to be infected with worms, commonly known as worms. However, these indicators are conditional, as they are based on the number of people seeking help from specialists diagnosed with worm infections.

Everyone will encounter worms at least once in their lives (regardless of age and gender), but many people simply don't realize they are infected and continue to spread the worms to others. In the initial stages of infection, they cause no discomfort, but in cases of mass infection, they can cause poisoning or even death. Therefore, you should understand what worms are, what they look like in the body and how to overcome acquired diseases.

Doctors have studied many of the "uninvited guests" in animals and people that overload the immune system and can create holes in blood vessels by chewing through them. This can lead to serious consequences of erosions and other diseases, so the worm infection must be treated first.

Type of worm

Among the many types of worms, three types of worms are most harmful to the body: flukes, roundworms and tapeworms. Let's see what these worms look like in humans.

roundworms

The class Ascaridae are commonly known as nematodes. This is one of the most common types of worms that infect humans. However, in addition to parasitic nematodes, there are also free-living nematodes, so they are not found in the human body.In the photo you can see the body of the nematode, which is characterized by a round shape, which is why they were added to the roundworm class. Their bodies are elongated and pointed at both ends.The following types of worms are most commonly found in humans during examination: whipworms, roundworms, trichinella spiralis, and pinworms. These types of worms can be seen in humans in photos.Male roundwormThe body length is shorter than that of females. Females can grow up to 40 cm. Roundworms concentrate in the intestines and poison the body with toxic substances. When large numbers of parasites are present in this cavity, they can close the intestinal lumen and prevent patency. If treatment is refused, the invasion can lead to death, since unnecessary substances will no longer be eliminated from the body and intoxication with toxic substances will reach its limit.PinwormTheir calls are smaller in size compared to roundworms. Their body length does not exceed 1 cm. These representatives breed actively, since they live in the small intestine and rectum, can reach the anus, and crawl out of it, the female lays her larvae in the intrafemoral part, between the anus and buttocks. A single pinworm can lay up to 15, 000 eggs at a time, causing skin irritation. The infected person then begins scratching at the irritation, thereby spreading the parasite to others. Pinworms are most common in children, so egg testing is required in pre-school and school settings, as well as in facilities with large crowds.Whipwormis an equally dangerous parasite, as females of this worm lay 3, 000-4, 000 eggs per day. When sexually mature, the front end is linear, accounting for 2/3 of the body length, and the rear end is thick, gray-pink, and has horizontal stripes. The average length of worms is 3-5 cm. The tails of female and male representatives differ: the tail of the female is characteristically curved, while that of the male is spiral.

The danger of whipworm infection is that the worms can penetrate mucous membranes and deep layers. Can affect smooth muscle and feed on tissue fluid.

Trichinella spiralisis a particularly dangerous parasite that lives in the muscles and intestinal walls of humans. Visually, the worm looks like a long, twisted thread with diameters reaching 4. 5 mm and 1. 6 mm. If treatment is not taken promptly, the worm's life activities can lead to death of the carrier.

Fluke

Many people are interested in what human parasites called flukes (pictured) look like. In medical practice, they are called flukes, but the most interesting thing is that they do not suck anything out of the body, but feed on mucus, blood, and what the worm passes through the affected area. Flukes can grow up to 1. 5 meters in length and are found not only in the intestines but also in other organs (even the conjunctival sac). However, worms from the class Flukes are able to adhere to the intestinal wall, thereby resisting accidental excretion with feces. These parasites have functional digestive tracts and reproductive systems, but respiratory and circulatory systems are at a minimal level.

tapeworm

tapeworm- A class of flatworms divided into tapeworms and tapeworms. These individuals rarely enter the human body directly. Infections most commonly occur when people eat fish infected with these parasites, but in animals they occur only in the larval stage and mature in individuals with backbones.The body of this type of parasite has a special anatomy, so that the head of the worm is used only to attach to the intestinal wall, and the worm obtains nutrients through the entire body. The host's food is the tapeworm's food, but the worm is not digested by gastric juices because a substance called antikinase is released.Although these worms have similarities, they must be distinguished when diagnosing so that the correct treatment can be prescribed.

The heads of tapeworms have 2 suckers that allow them to firmly adhere to the intestinal wall, unlike representatives of tapeworms, which have 4 adhesive teeth. Tapeworms can reach 18 meters in length and occupy the entire length of the small intestine.

How do you get infected with these worms?

The spread of worms begins with the first stage, which is characterized by the entry of worm eggs into the human body. They then hatch, become larvae (second stage), and move throughout the body until they settle in an organ or system, but most commonly they remain in the intestines. In the third stage, the worms are no longer able to migrate throughout the body, but they are very capable of multiplying and infecting healthy people.Although the types of worms and their characteristics vary, infestations can be mixed. This suggests that different types of worms can live in the digestive tract or organs at the same time without interfering with each other.Worm infection can occur in three ways:

1. From one person to another.
2. through the ground.
3. When following a raw food diet and consuming poorly processed foods, especially vegetables, fruits, herbs.

signs of infection

Symptoms of worm infection can vary widely, but the infection stage should start first:

• acute. The duration does not exceed 20 days. In this case, widespread unexplained allergic reactions were observed. This is due to the immune system's response to stimulation. Allergies can cause skin rashes and clinical blood tests show higher than normal levels of eosinophils.
• acquired. This stage of the disease may develop over 2-3 years. In this case, symptoms depend on the organ in which the parasite resides, its number, and the degree of damage to the tissue wall or body system. In severe cases, they can cause inflammation, and fast-growing species can have fatal consequences.

It's important to know what any type of parasite looks like because sometimes dead adult worms can be passed on in the feces, and then based on the description of their appearance, you can expedite diagnosis and quickly choose a treatment.

Prompt detection of worms plays an important role in human life, since not all parasites can survive almost harmlessly in the body. It is recommended that the whole family get checked by a doctor at least 1-2 times a year, wash hands before meals, eat only well-processed foods, and use folk anthelmintics for prevention: clove or mugwort powder, walnut bark tincture.