Ascaridosis is a serious disease caused by roundworms called roundworms. Roundworms are worm-shaped parasites reaching a length of forty centimeters. They do not have any attachment organs, and they move along the intestines towards food and can remain in it.
The carrier of these parasites and their source of distribution is man. A female roundworm, while in the intestine, lays a large number of eggs. They fall into the ground with the feces of an infected person. If the soil is well moistened, then this serves as favorable conditions for the maturation of fertilized eggs. Ascaris eggs are very viable, resistant to environmental fluctuations. But there are several factors that can destroy these eggs - this is hot water, alcohol, gasoline, essential oils and direct sunlight.
Children are infected with roundworms more often, since they are most in contact with the ground, sand, and then they can easily take their fingers in their mouths. Therefore, treatment of ascariasis in children is the most common occurrence. Infection can also occur as a result of eating poorly washed fruits and vegetables. Crawling and flying insects also carry this disease. The introduction of larvae occurs first in the intestinal mucosa, then in the blood vessels and then they enter the bloodstream and then into the liver and lungs. From the lungs through the respiratory tract, they enter the oral cavity and from there again into the intestine for complete maturation. In this way, the larvae travel through the body, so it is difficult to treat ascariasis in children.
In the human body , roundworms can live a year and a half.
If roundworms appeared in children, the symptoms do not take long. The child’s body immediately responds with fever, muscle pain, excessive sweating, pain in the joints, swelling of the eyelids, a rash and itching of the whole body. An increase in the liver and spleen may be observed. The appearance of roundworm in the lungs causes a dry cough, chest pains occur.
But the signs of ascariasis can be more pronounced: the child has a disturbed sleep, appetite, which indicates that the gastrointestinal tract is affected. The occurrence of nausea and vomiting, periodic diarrhea also indicates the presence of this disease. Moreover, when roundworms enter the respiratory tract, choking may occur. If roundworm enters the bile ducts, blockage may occur, and this is a sign of jaundice. Staying roundworm in the appendix can cause an attack of appendicitis.
Treatment of ascariasis in children is complicated by the fact that hemoglobin immediately decreases, an increase in the number of eosinophils is observed, and ESR is accelerated.
If you carefully pay attention to the child and properly monitor his development, you can immediately notice the changes taking place with him. However, some parents are not serious enough about any negative symptoms and childhood complaints.
Since ascariasis is a serious disease, it is the treatment of ascariasis in children that is associated with certain difficulties. One of the methods of treatment is the introduction of a thin elastic tube into the gastrointestinal tract to supply oxygen, and its presence immediately threatens the death of roundworms. Special anthelmintic drugs that are prescribed by the doctor based on the condition and age of the child are also widely used.
Theoretically, everyone knows about compliance with personal hygiene rules , but not all comply with them. It is necessary to accustom the child to cleanliness as early as possible, and especially to washing his hands after coming from the street. As for adults, their paramount task is the thorough processing of fruits and vegetables and the timely destruction of insects in the apartment. After all, if roundworms appeared in children, their treatment will cause a lot of trouble - both moral and material.