There are 4, 5 billion registered people in the world suffering from parasitic infections (infestations). In addition, the number of people infected with helminths (worms) is steadily increasing.
Causes of helminth infection
It is not difficult to put worms on your body. Here are just a few of the causes of infection, familiar to everyone from childhood:
- Lack of hygiene.The desire to eat unwashed fruits and vegetables, not to wear gloves when working in the garden, and not to worry about hygiene procedures leads to infection by a variety of helminths.
- Addicted to street fast food.It is no secret that vendors of these foods do not always come for a medical examination and often neglect basic hygiene. And their products are not stored in the best conditions. Fans of whites and street pastels are another risk group.
- Love for exotic cuisinescontaining raw fish and seafood dishes containing parasites. It is to the fans of sushi and rolls that the increase in the incidence of parasites, broad tapeworms, nematodes, roundworms and belt worms is due.
- Hthe ability to adequately protect themselves against infections during rest.The love for the "Turkish coasts" led to more frequent cases of infection by exotic helminthiasis - schistosomiasis, ankylostomiasis, dracunculiasis. After walking barefoot on a beach outside, you can bring not only pleasant impressions, but also dangerous worms from your trip.
- Infection of petswho usually sleep with their owners. Lovers of "kissing" a pet are at risk of catching parasites.
Which parasites live in the human body
If an adult had the opportunity to look at his body, he would be horrified:
- Round worms -pinworms, roundworms, tricurids, nematodes, toxocaras, trichinella. Large helminths cluster in huge tangles, obstructing the intestinal lumen and leading to obstructions that require surgical treatment. During the operation, doctors extract an incredible amount of parasites from the intestines of these people.
- Tapewormsappear among those who like to taste meat with blood and raw fish. They cause digestive problems, anemia, allergies. Children have seizures similar to epileptic seizures. The most dangerous helminth in this group is the echinococcus, whose larvae form huge cysts in the human body. When the parasites break, they spread throughout the body. The infection can be fatal.
- Suckersworms, worms and fascioles are dangerous parasites that suck blood from the vessels of the liver, pancreas, intestines and bladder.
- The simplest- Leishmania, amoeba, lamblia, etc. Although these tiny parasites are visible only under a microscope, they can cause dangerous complications including intestinal perforation and fatal liver abscesses.
Why "strangers" can be suspected: if the stomach is sick, it means someone lives in it
Signs of the presence of helminths:
- Stomachache- the most common sign of helminth infection. It can be constant, periodic, affecting certain areas of the abdomen. Pain in the right hypochondrium with helminthiasis indicates damage to the liver and gallbladder by worms.
- Indigestion- diarrhea, constipation, irregular bowel movements. Sometimes, in the stool, patients see crawling segments of worms or even whole parasites. Impaired absorption of food and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract lead to weight loss.
- Anemia.Worms suck blood from the body and interfere with the digestibility of food. The host does not feed, but worms do. Patients complain of weakness, fatigue, loss of strength, dizziness.
- Damage to the urinary tract,caused by parasites that live in the kidneys and bladder. Patients complain of back pain and swelling. Sometimes traces of blood are visible in the urine.
- Indolent chronic vaginitis. . . Roundworms and worms crawl from the anus to the genital tract, causing vaginal dysbiosis and causing the development of thrush. Women are treated for itching and discharge, without realizing that they are parasites.
- Cutaneous manifestations.Worm infection poisons the body and suppresses the immune system, causing allergies. Skin rashes are different - from small blisters to large focal areas.
- Inflammation of the mucosaand itching in the anus caused by irritation of crawling worms.
- General deterioration in health.Weak immunity, poor digestion and anemia weaken the body, which cannot resist infections. A person is chased by constant colds, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections.
Why ultrasound is more effective than traditional tests for worms and other parasites
Feces or residues do not always reveal worms. The fact is that parasites have a certain development cycle and do not always lay eggs. There is a whole group of extra-intestinal helminthiasis, in which the worms live outside the intestine. In that case, stool analysis will not provide any information.
Ultrasonography of the abdominal cavity shows changes characteristic of the presence of parasites in the liver, pancreas. It is harmless, non-traumatic and can be used multiple times.
If the ultrasound does not detect live helminths and 100% signs of its presence, it will suspect an infection and prescribe an additional exam. It is useful to have an ultrasound and positive tests for I / worms. The research will reveal where the parasites are lurking.
Signs of helminthiasis, determined by ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - semi-living organs and live worms
When examining the gastrointestinal tract on modern 3D and 4D devices, doctors often see live parasites in the intestines. If helminths are not found, their presence may be suspected by an enlarged, compacted pancreas in the head region. The spleen is also very large.
The liver with parasitic lesions by worms, trematodes and worms is enlarged. It contains areas of dystrophy that prevent the organ from functioning.
The gallbladder also suffers. In patients, bile stagnates, causing pain in the right hypochondrium. Sometimes the function of the bladder is so impaired that the organ on ultrasound is not determined.
The presence of parasites leads to the formation of abscesses - life-threatening purulent liver lesions. In 85% of cases, abscesses form in a lobe of the liver. Other departments are affected less often. Purulent lesions are characteristic of hepatic amebiasis - infection with the simplest - an amoeba that penetrates the liver region from the intestines.
Significant changes in the liver are seen in echinococcosis, a parasitic disease in which cavities filled with helminth larvae are formed within the organ. On ultrasound, rounded formations with clear boundaries are visible. These are cysts with parasites inside. Over time, calcium is deposited around the echinococcal foci. These formations have a dense structure, therefore, on ultrasound, they appear lighter than the surrounding tissues.
With prolonged infection, large cysts with septa are formed, resembling swirling rays or large honeycombs. Destruction of the bile ducts is observed. With a Doppler exam, there is a violation of blood flow.
For lovers of Japanese cuisine. Parasites as a gift
Fans of Asian exoticism have a wide variety of parasites, but the most common opistorchiasis is infection by the Chinese worm. The source of helminths are unprocessed fish containing parasites.
At the beginning of the disease, ultrasound in the liver and gallbladder reveals eosinophilic infiltrates - dense formations with clear boundaries. If the fight against helminths is postponed to better times, outbreaks of dead cells will appear in these organs, with the appearance of varied areas, and the hepatic ducts will lose elasticity. The situation can result in the development of liver failure.
If the urinary tract becomes a victim of parasites
The echinococcus affects not only the liver, but also the kidneys. When the parasite enters the renal tissue, a single chamber cyst (bubble) containing larvae is formed. Gradually increasing in size, the echinococcal cyst destroys the organ. Large parasitic cysts are welded to the liver, spleen and intestines.
Schistosomiasis is contracted by those who like to stroll barefoot along the warm beaches of the outside. The parasite's larvae enter the bloodstream through the skin and are carried with the blood to the bladder. Fixed there, they cause the appearance of seals - infiltrates that appear in response to irritation of the bladder walls. When the infection spreads, the kidneys are affected.
Immunoenzymatic assay - we bring helminths to clean water
This test detects infection by one or more types of parasites. It is performed for the presence of ascaris, toxocara, trichinella, opisthorchis worms, echinococci, Chinese worms, etc.
The test principle is based on the body's immune response to the presence of helminths. Infection with worms causes the production of protein antibodies, which are detected during analysis. As each parasite causes the formation of a certain immunoglobulin, the results of the analysis show which helminths are in the human body.
The analysis reacts to all forms of parasites - eggs, larvae, adult worms. Accuracy is greater than 90%. The research shows not only the presence of the infection, but also its degree.
After treatment, the analysis is repeated. A positive result can be observed for some time after the death of the parasites. The concentration of immunoglobulins will gradually decrease over a few more months. Then the analysis will be "clean". For research purposes, blood is drawn from a vein on an empty stomach in a volume of 3-5 ml. The analysis is done twice.
Ultrasound and a study for immunoglobulins can detect helminthiasis and start treatment. Thanks to its use, the number of cases of incorrect diagnosis, leading to complications, has decreased. The main thing is to see a doctor in a timely manner if you suspect a helminthic invasion.