Roundworms are a type of
roundworm of the nematode class. Being very tenacious parasites, they are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions of the middle zone, therefore ascariasis (ascaris infection) is one of the most common parasitic pathologies today. Worms are actively manifesting themselves. Roundworms, the symptoms of infection of which are manifested always distinctly, require immediate treatment.
The defeat of a person by parasites: causes
Any damage to the body by parasites, whether protozoa or helminths, begins with contact with the carrier. Ascarids can be carriers of absolutely all vertebrates. Nematodes are the oldest creatures that have managed to adapt to any conditions. They usually inhabit the digestive tract. With bowel movements of an animal or human, ascaris eggs go outside. Symptoms of infection manifest themselves in different ways, since after penetration into the body, worms are localized in various organs. A person becomes infected with roundworms only from infected people. It is extremely rare that parasites pass from animals, this happens with extremely weak immunity. Eggs of nematodes are found in the stool. From there, they reach the surface of the skin or food. The larvae in the eggs are quite tenacious; they can easily survive drying. The only prevention is washing hands with soap and quality food processing.
Roundworm: what is it
Ascaris is a round worm of red-yellow color. Dead individuals become pale yellow. Females reach a diameter of up to 6 mm.
The length of an adult is sometimes equal to 45 cm. Females are extremely mobile, in contrast to small infantile males. Roundworms, pinworms and other nematodes develop best in the middle lane. Why do not they live in other places? The Arctic and tundra zones do not have suitable conditions; there, the nematode larvae do not survive outside the host organism.
Where roundworms live
The most common location of parasites is the human gastrointestinal tract. Penetrating through the oral cavity, the worm enters the stomach, then into the intestines. There, small mobile individuals penetrate the bloodstream, passing through the walls of small vessels. This period lasts from a few days to two weeks. With the flow of blood, parasites are introduced into the liver and alveoli of the lungs.
Roundworms, pinworms and other helminths because of their size in the adult state live in the intestines. At the age of three months, they travel throughout the body. There are cases when they lived in the pleura, brain and eyeballs.
How parasites enter the human body
The only way to get infected is to allow the penetration of larvae or an adult into the digestive tract. Inattentively, food pieces containing roundworm eggs are swallowed. Infection occurs in the absence of the habit of washing hands before eating. Therefore, the best treatment in this matter is, of course, prevention.
Risk groups
Ascarids most often infect children, grabbing food with unwashed hands or eating dirty vegetables and fruits. The risk is many times higher in rural areas. It is important to cultivate a food culture in children and pay sufficient attention to hygiene. You can also catch roundworms in humans. Symptoms are not always obvious, but on the hands there are probably enough eggs and larvae of parasites. Adults are less likely to suffer from this disease, but the route of infection is the same. Prevention measures remain the same: wash hands, fruits and vegetables thoroughly. It is important to remember that infected animals are extremely rare, but they can still be carriers, especially if they themselves were infected by humans. Therefore, it is important to carry out anthelmintic prophylaxis regularly, regardless of the presence of symptoms.
What is dangerous parasite infection
Ascaridosis is not only unpleasant, but also very dangerous. Traveling through the body, the larvae make through holes in the vessels and walls of the internal organs. They feed at the expense of man and throw waste products into our body, which causes severe intoxication. In the late stages of the disease, the patient’s immunity is so depleted that the worms can grow and multiply uncontrollably. They are woven into balls, many die and decompose. At this stage of development, treatment becomes extremely difficult. Blood flow is disturbed,
bowel obstruction is added to everything else
. Worms penetrate other organs and accumulate in them. Running cases in children can be fatal.
Roundworm: symptoms
Everyone should know about these signs, since no one is safe from infection with parasites. At the stage of penetration into the body of roundworm, the symptoms of the disease are practically absent. The period of puberty in larvae lasts up to three months. During this time, they may not manifest themselves in any way, but may make themselves felt by weight loss, itching, and a sudden allergy. Such mild symptoms are due to the small size of the worms and their small number. Getting rid of them at the initial stage is easier, but this is only possible with early diagnosis. As a rule, people seek medical help after the appearance of abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation or severe intoxication. Such symptoms indicate a prolonged illness. As a rule, in such patients, a large number of adult parasites in the intestine, serious erosive lesions of the walls of the small intestine, are subsequently found. Roundworms are often concentrated in the lungs. Quite large individuals can be found in the eyeball, in the brain. A living worm destroys the surrounding tissue, after death it begins to decompose and causes sepsis. The neurotoxic substances secreted by these parasites cause nervous breakdowns. Treatment should be prescribed by a specialist.
Stages of the disease
The first stage is from the moment of infection to the onset of the first symptoms. It is impossible to detect any deviations from the norm with external observation, sometimes laboratory analysis reveals eggs in the stool or sputum. The immunity of a healthy adult, who adheres to the habit of eating properly, may well cope with them on their own. It is important that the mucous membranes of the intestines and duodenum are healthy, then the penetration of roundworms outside the intestines will be difficult, and they will be destroyed in the digestive tract even at the egg stage.
If the immunity in the early stages can not cope, and the larvae still begin their journey through the bloodstream, then here the roundworm human symptoms of the disease are already more noticeable.
At the larval growth stage, they linger in the portal vein, throwing out products of their vital activity into the liver. Worms penetrate the bile ducts and cause their blockage. Dyskinesia leads to severe intoxication, accompanied by vomiting. One of the favorite places for the growth of roundworms are the lungs. Curling up in the alveoli, they cause a dry cough, similar to the manifestations of an allergy. Later, bronchitis may develop with abundant sputum, which also contains roundworm eggs.
The later stages are characterized by serious damage to the internal organs. Perhaps the development of appendicitis, perforation of the intestinal wall or its obstruction. If roundworms penetrated into other organs, then the pathologies are the same: destruction of the walls of the organ, blockage of the ducts and blood vessels. Everything else is joined by severe exhaustion, intoxication and endless bacterial infections against a background of weakened immunity.
Diagnostic Methods
In the early stages, the diagnosis is only laboratory, since there are no symptoms in the anamnesis. In this case, only a blood test can detect the presence of an immune response to the penetration of the parasite. With more serious lesions in the feces, red-yellow or whitish worms can be detected with the naked eye. Human roundworms, the symptoms (photo in the article) of the appearance of which have been studied for a long time, are recognizable, and they are difficult to confuse with other types of nematodes. A smear during microscopic examination shows the presence of helminth in the body only in the late stages, when the adult has already begun to breed. In some cases, immature larvae are visible on x-rays in the alveoli of the lungs.
Traditional medicine: how to treat roundworms?
As a rule, treatment begins with the manifestation of visible symptoms. At the age of three weeks to three months, just ascarids begin to show symptoms. Treatment in children is more difficult than in adults. Not only have the protective functions not yet been strengthened, so also the children are not fully observing the hygiene rules. The treatment in most cases is medication. Prescribed drugs that increase the motor activity of parasites. For example, the medicine "Mebendazole", which is used in the form of tablets, penetrates the nematodes into the body within two to five hours. How does it work? The drug causes metabolic disorders in the worms, blocks the absorption of glucose. The parasite perceives the environment as unfavorable and increases mobility to leave the human body. Within one to three days, roundworm dies from exhaustion and the inability to synthesize glucose.
If the parasites lived only in the digestive tract, and their number was moderate, then over the next days they are excreted in the feces. In uncomplicated cases, treatment shows one hundred percent effectiveness, provided that the person follows the precautionary measures. The treatment with Mebendazole has a drawback: if the nematodes have populated the lungs, when they try to get out of there, they cause a strong cough, with sputum the larvae enter the gastrointestinal tract and cause re-infection.
With small amounts of roundworm symptoms in the body, the treatment will be slightly different. "Levamisole" - a drug that paralyzes Ascaris. In addition, it has a pronounced immunostimulating effect. In complex cases, with the formation of tangles in the intestine, hardware treatment is indicated: the introduction of oxygen through a probe - directly into the cluster of worms. After their death and elimination, the use of drugs is possible. If parasites managed to form clusters in other organs and tissues, surgical intervention cannot be avoided.
Treatment with folk remedies
Ascaridosis has long been known. And methods of treatment with folk remedies have proven themselves well. There are cases when medications are contraindicated - early childhood, pregnancy and feeding. Here are some proven folk recipes:
Mix tansy and wormwood evenly, pour a tablespoon of the dry mixture with a glass of boiling water, warm in a water bath for 20 minutes. For a week, morning and evening, take this decoction on an empty stomach. Decoctions from the root of elecampane, centaury and blueberries also have a pronounced anthelmintic effect.
Enema with garlic. In a glass of milk, boil the head of garlic until soft, cool, filter and make enemas for the night. Garlic is extremely toxic to roundworms, and milk softens it, not allowing damage to the intestinal mucosa. The volume depends on the weight of the patient. Ascarids die within a week, the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Decoctions of flax seeds, carrots, walnut leaves are consumed for one to two weeks throughout the day.
Folk remedies have proven effective when taken regularly, in addition, they are safe. But a specialist consultation before and after treatment is required. Recovery must be confirmed by laboratory tests to avoid relapse.
Precautions
Hygiene and thorough heat treatment of food before cooking make it possible to exclude ascarids from entering the human body. Symptoms in adults appear quite late, when the disease has already become chronic. Treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a physician, regardless of the method chosen. In complicated cases, self-medication is fraught with serious consequences. An irresponsible approach to the treatment of young children, in whom the disease itself and its complications develop rapidly, is especially dangerous.
How to prevent the entry of roundworm into the body
In the modern world, becoming infected with parasites is as easy as in the old days. Uncleaned hands and undigested food contribute to the appearance of roundworms in the body. Symptoms, treatment and complications can be of varying severity, so prevention should come first. It is always easier, more effective and safer than any, even the most gentle treatment. Maintaining immunity, an active lifestyle and a healthy diet have the most beneficial effect on the body and prevent the development of any parasitic diseases.