During pregnancy, the expectant mother has many fears and feelings. The woman’s body is being rebuilt, bringing unusual reactions. This is especially true of the digestive system. When is it worth to sound the alarm and find out if worms have appeared in a pregnant woman and how to deal with it if the problem is real?
What are the symptoms of helminthiasis?
Worms during pregnancy are far from uncommon. The immune system is weakened, and the woman eats ordinary foods. Elementary oversight - and infection occurs. It is quite difficult to determine the presence of worms by symptoms. But you should pay attention if you have:
- severe itching in the anus;
- constant feeling of fatigue;
- peeling of the skin on the eyelids or fingers;
- allergic rashes of unknown etiology;
- in a dream, saliva comes out of the mouth, grit your teeth;
- constant indigestion, gases;
- weight loss;
- really want sweets.
Any of these symptoms may be one of the usual manifestations of pregnancy. The most significant is weight loss, since a fetus develops inside a woman and in the normal course of pregnancy, losing weight seems impossible. The only option for this development of events is very severe toxicosis. Although it can be a symptom of helminthiasis.
The danger of worms during pregnancy
Any disease carries danger not only to the mother, but also to the child in the womb.
Worms during pregnancy are dangerous because they can not be removed with conventional medications, because they have too strong an effect.
And if you do not deal with the treatment, then the child and mother may have allergic reactions due to contact with toxins that are released by helminths. Oxygen starvation may develop. Ascaris bear the greatest danger to the life of a child. They drill the wall of the amniotic fluid and settle in any organs of the fetus.
For women, worms during pregnancy can result in severe toxicosis, allergic rashes. Helminths are saturated with useful minerals from the host's body, so a woman will have to share not only with her future baby, but also with parasites. This will inevitably affect the condition of the skin, teeth, hair and the development of the baby, which may not have enough important elements.
What tests need to be passed?
Doctors prescribe a routine stool test. If nothing is found, then the process ends. When helminths are identified, their appearance is first determined. If roundworms are found, an ultrasound and amniotic fluid analysis are prescribed . These are mandatory procedures to exclude the presence of worms in the fetus.
Possible analyzes:
- Analysis of feces for the detection of helminth eggs.
- Scraping. It is taken with a stick or a simple adhesive tape from the skin, in the immediate vicinity of the sphincter.
- Blood from a finger and vein is checked for the amount of hemoglobin and bilirubin, the value of which changes in the presence of parasites.
- Amniotic fluid analysis if tapeworms are present in the body .
Worms during pregnancy: what to do?
Finding a helminth in itself, an already frightened woman, succumbs to panic. This must not be allowed. Also, in no case do not choose the medicine yourself - believing in advertising, the advice of friends, etc. Drugs that remove worms are toxic enough, they have a very strong burden on the liver. Self-medication can result in irreparable harm to the fetus, and even termination of pregnancy.
First, a pregnant woman should calm down and visit a doctor as soon as possible. Then take tests and follow all the doctor’s instructions. No need to worry. Although treatment is complicated by the presence of pregnancy, professionals know how not to harm either mother or baby.
How to recover from worms, bearing a child?
Pills for worms during pregnancy are prescribed only after the doctor has diagnosed. The main criteria for selecting a medication are gestational age and type of helminths. Many doctors consider treating worms during pregnancy as an unreasonable risk.
In the first trimester, it is too dangerous to take anthelmintic drugs. Their action can provoke a miscarriage. It is in the first trimester that all vital organs are formed, and such drugs can disrupt the normal course of the process, cause developmental pathologies. In the second and third trimester, treatment is still prescribed, but more gentle than in the usual state.
The decision on treatment depends on the condition of the mother and the type of helminths. So, for example, roundworm needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Having penetrated the placenta, they can settle in the brain of the child. The baby's head will become much larger, and childbirth will be very difficult.
If the expectant mother only experiences discomfort from the knowledge that parasites exist inside her, then it is recommended that treatment be postponed until the postpartum period. It should be noted that if worms are found during pregnancy, treatment is carried out with just one drug called “piperazine”.
Do I need to be treated for helminths?
Worms during pregnancy do not always require the use of so-called heavy artillery. For example, when infected with pinworms, you just need to follow the rules of prevention and after two weeks there will not be a trace of helminths, since this is the period their life span is.
To prevent re-infection, a number of rules must be observed:
- Keep your hands clean, because uncleanliness is the main source of all diseases. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after the street, before eating and after visiting the toilet.
- Attentive to food. Meat and fish should be cooked properly and properly. These products are in first place for the content of helminth eggs. Fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly washed under running water.
- After washing it is necessary to iron things. High temperature will destroy the remaining helminth eggs.
- Take care of personal hygiene. Always change your underwear every day.
- Do not bite the nails and the skin around them.
These simple rules must always be followed. Then the risk that worms appear during pregnancy is minimized.
Conclusion
The world around is full of various microbes and bacteria. Every day on Earth, many people get infected with various unpleasant diseases. And far from uncommon - worms during pregnancy. Symptoms can make a woman doubt whether it is helminthiasis or simple indigestion that arose as a result of pregnancy. But it is recommended to visit a doctor at the first suspicion. Do not be shy and embarrassed - the health of both mother and fetus depends on this.
Doctors are calm about such cases and will make every effort to help the expectant mother. In addition, postponing the time of passing tests, a woman can harm her unborn baby. Do not think that you yourself can assess the danger of the situation. Without analysis for the type of helminth, it is impossible to judge this. Therefore, at the first opportunity, you need to visit a parasitologist, share your problems and either get expert help or confirmation that fears are unfounded.