Parasitologists have their own definition of summer - the season of worms.In the warm season, various parasites feel good and reproduce actively.
You can meet them everywhere - in country gardens, at picnics and interacting with our younger brothers.How to avoid this kind of meeting and what to do if it happens?
Worms or worms are parasites that affect humans, animals and even plants.Previously, it was widely believed that parasitic infections were the preserve of the unscrupulous, but now we know this is not the case.No one is immune to parasitic infections.Experts estimate that worms affect 70 to 95 percent of the world's population.
Signs of helminthiasis
In some cases, it is difficult to guess such communities.Symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body are nonspecific.For some people, they cause intestinal disturbances, for others they cause weakness, and for others they won't feel anything at all.Experts warn that worms can live in the human body undetected for years.However, a lot depends not only on your personal characteristics, but also on the type of parasite itself.
People at risk for worm infection include people with weakened immune systems and children under 3 years old.The acidity of gastric juices in healthy adults is often fatal to worms.Parasites live in any sandbox, and if a baby likes to put their fingers in their mouth, this can end tragically.
Pediatrician Maxim Pereverzentsev claims that there are at least 50 worm eggs per square meter in the sandbox.In addition, young children often play with pets, which can carry parasite eggs in their fur or saliva.
pinworm disease
The most common parasite in children is pinworms, which cause pinworm disease.It is not difficult to suspect their existence.At night, pinworms lay eggs in the anal area, causing severe itching in humans.Other symptoms include decreased appetite and restless sleep.Pinworm disease must be treated, and only a doctor can help.A little-known fact: If a child is infected with worms, the vaccines given to him will not be effective.
Here are some other symptoms that may indicate the presence of worms in a person's body: abdominal pain, rash, allergic reaction, increased salivation, constipation or diarrhea, nausea.
Among the 300 known species of worms in the world, the two most common ones in my country are pinworms and roundworms, which are parasitic in the intestines.According to laboratory diagnostician Vasily Yurasov, at least half of the population of our country suffers from one of them.
Ascariasis
For example, it's easy to get roundworms in the cottage - we had a lot of them in our garden beds.They enter the body through unwashed vegetables and leafy greens.The lifespan of roundworms is two years, and as Yurasov said, in theory, ascariasis can disappear on its own (in order to continue to exist, the worms must be underground).However, during those two years, these worms can drastically ruin your life as they not only affect the gastrointestinal tract but also the respiratory system.Most commonly, ascariasis manifests as cutaneous dermatitis, muscle pain, bowel disturbances, and a dry cough that worsens at night.If there are too many roundworms, it can lead to pancreatitis, appendicitis, cholecystitis, intestinal obstruction, liver abscess, etc.
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is transmitted through livestock and causes damage to the liver and mucous membranes of the eyes.Poorly fried kebabs or inadequately smoked or salted fish (usually carp and carp) can spread tapeworms and liver flukes.
If we talk about the diagnosis of worms, then everything is not so simple.Each of us has been tested for eggworms at least once in our lives (e.g., getting a swimming pool certificate), but detecting them in research material is quite difficult.For example, roundworms lay eggs every few days.Therefore, in order to understand the real situation, laboratory diagnostician Vasily Yurasov said that such tests need to be carried out for at least three consecutive days.
Diagnosis and treatment of helminthiasis
Additionally, if there is serious suspicion of the presence of worms in the body, the doctor may prescribe an additional test - a fecal worm test.Based on the results of the analysis, experts will be able to know whether worms are present in the body based on many indirect signs.Another important aid in determining worm infection is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent blood test, which allows you to identify antibodies against various parasites.To get a complete picture, doctors may order routine biochemical blood tests.For example, if a person has higher than normal eosinophils, the cause is likely due to the presence of something else in his body.
Parasites can only be treated under the strict supervision of a specialist.You should contact a therapist or parasitologist.As for prevention, it’s actually very simple.Wash your hands as often as possible, rinse vegetables in your garden beds thoroughly, fry meat and fish well, and don't let your pet eat too much.Good preventative folk remedies include pumpkin seeds, ginger and tansy.