Parasites may well be called natural companions of humans, since these creatures cannot live outside of the host's body. At least 70% of the world's population is believed to be infected with various types of helminths. What's more, many people are at home to them almost from birth. At the same time, he ponders the question of how to determine the presence of parasites in the body, about a third of all infected. The reason for this is the low awareness of the population or the lack of interest in the state of their health.
To avoid complications caused by parasites, it is important to recognize the infection early.
According to statistics, more than 60% of people with parasitic infections find out about the problem by chance, and only about 30% look for helminthiasis symptoms on purpose and go to specialists to identify the problem.
Until recently, helminthiasis was generally called the disease of the poor, as hygiene skills are poorly instilled in these layers. However, with the growing interest in the problem by science, such a definition was found to be fundamentally incorrect, as worms can be found in both peasant farmers and respectable businessmen.
Why is living with parasites dangerous?
Many people do not understand why they need to be tested for parasites, if there are no serious health problems. Why do you need to look for disruptions in your condition if they don't interfere with your usual lifestyle? Furthermore, 8% of the population has a reasonable question: what if a person has learned to exist with parasites in his body? After all, evolution doesn't stop, and what was once considered harmful may already be the norm.
Similar questions have been asked more than once, and any doctor, even the most inexperienced, will say that a parasitic organism differs from a symbiote (a microorganism that exists peacefully in a person, which helps, for example, to process and assimilate food more efficiently). ) in that it takes more than it gives. In the human body, parasites generally behave as very unreliable and irresponsible hosts:
- clog it with toxins and slags;
- destroy natural defenses (immunity);
- remove most of the nutrients;
- damage internal organs on a physical level.
This is what is called parasitism, that is, existence in the host's body in order to extract the maximum benefit for oneself, but without providing benefit to the host.
Timely parasite detection helps prevent many problems, including serious endocrine and hormonal disorders, internal organ dysfunctions, and even mental disorders.
What signs appear with parasites?
Most of the parasitic life forms dangerous to humans live in the intestines and internal organs. They rarely go outside in their original form, and therefore, during the preliminary diagnosis, the doctor considers only the external signs of their stay. Its presence can be determined by a combination of clinical manifestations.
In 99% of cases, the host's body reacts violently to a dangerous neighborhood. The signs of infection with worms can be a variety of disorders of the functions of the body, depending on the organ in which they live. Since it can be difficult to detect parasites in their natural form, it is important to pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Sudden onset of digestive disorders. In most cases, they indicate that intestinal forms of helminths (roundworms and tapeworms, lamblia, and protozoan organisms) have begun to parasitize. This group of symptoms can be expressed by constipation or sudden diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, belching, poor digestion. Another sign of intestinal helminthiasis is vague abdominal pain, which may not be clearly localized.
- Allergic reactions in the form of rashes, peeling of the skin, the appearance of spots. In most cases, it is impossible to discover the source of such a reaction, since allergen tests return negative results. And only after the patient passes the test for the presence of parasites in the body, it becomes clear what caused the atypical immune response.
- General deterioration of well-being in the form of feverish states, fatigue, deterioration of the quality of sleep. Similar clinical manifestations of helminthiasis appear immediately after invasion, as well as with its prolonged course. Since it is not possible to identify parasites immediately, many patients try to cope with these unpleasant phenomena with the help of folk remedies and symptomatic drugs. As a general rule, they only provide temporary relief.
A certain group of signs inherent in diseases associated with worm infection can only be found in women. Then your hair and nails become dull and brittle. The skin also suffers from parasites: it turns pale, pustules appear, age spots and peeling.
A rare woman associates cosmetic problems with helminths. Most of them say to the end: "I lack vitamins, hormonal imbalance, no worms! "
If you have the slightest suspicion that parasites are in the body, how do you know what exactly caused them to appear? There are many home self-diagnostic methods, as well as specialized ways to identify worms.
How to identify helminthiasis at home
About 70% of patients who assume they have helminths do not want to go to the doctor with this problem. And the point here is not that a person does not care about their own health. Until now, people regard helminthiasis as a shameful disease that can only occur in the lower strata of the population. However, experts say that quite prosperous people can acquire an insidious settler.
Since helminths for the most part settle in the intestines, the only way to recognize their presence is to monitor the stool. This time-tested method formed the basis for the microscopic examination of the droppings, during which the doctor can detect the eggs of the worms.
This is the simplest and cheapest method, and it can be done at home. However, it will not allow you to detect worm eggs due to their microscopic size.
How does the self-test work?
There are several rules on how to determine the presence of parasites in the human body in this way:
- The stool must be examined several times, because the worms do not come out constantly, but periodically. Since different types of worms are activated at different times of the day, it is worth collecting portions of feces both in the morning and in the evening. In the morning you can find pinworms, and in the evening you often come across larger worms - pinworms and tapeworms.
- The person examining the stool for helminths should have disposable medical gloves on their hands. Most helminths actively secrete eggs which, if ingested, can lead to reinfection. It is important to protect yourself from this, even if there are already symptoms of worm infection. Throw them away after wearing gloves and wash your hands well with soap and water.
- In the course of examining the stool, it is worth using an object, since parasites can be found not only on the surface, but also in the center of the stool. It is advisable to discard the toothpick or spatula after such use.
Finally, the most important rule for self-study of stool for worms. It is advisable to collect the material in a separate container, as it is unlikely that it will be possible to check it with special care in a toilet or pot. As a last resort, you can cover the toilet bowl with plastic, empty it, and then carefully examine the stool.
Experts recommend applying a small portion of the material to the glass and then examining it from all sides in good lighting. So even the smallest parasites can be seen.
The result of the stool self-examination for worms.
It is necessary to speak of the 100% presence of helminthiasis if it was possible to find in the stool:
- small living or immobile worms;
- white or yellowish slices that look like boiled noodles with a slightly wavy edge;
- fragments that look like grains of rice that can be mobile;
- large roundworms that are white or pink in color.
All of these signs indicate an infection with dangerous worms, which can lead to serious health problems, including sudden death. But even if the stool turned out to be "clean" and there are symptoms of helminthiasis, you should urgently contact an infectious disease specialist or pediatrician (if signs of helminthiasis are noticed in a child).
Testing for worms in the clinic.
Since it is very difficult to find out on your own whether there are parasites in the body, and the results of self-diagnosis are not very accurate, you should entrust the diagnosis to professionals. A doctor or infectious disease specialist provides a referral for necessary tests. If the signs of invasion bother the child, you can seek the help of a pediatrician.
To make an accurate diagnosis, you must pass:
- microscopic stool analysis (coproovoscopy), preferably three times with an interval of one week;
- scraping for enterobiasis;
- a blood test for ELISA - a single delivery is sufficient to make a reliable diagnosis;
- stool analysis PCR - prescribed when receiving ambiguous results of microscopic examination of stool.
Also, the doctor may prescribe additional instrumental diagnostics. In most cases, this occurs when helminths are suspected in the liver parenchyma and bile ducts, or in other internal organs. In the presence of worms, the tests will be positive (the materials will contain parasite eggs, their DNA, antibodies and antigens against them).
Based on the results of the diagnosis, treatment is prescribed to the patient, which can almost always be done at home (not many parasitic infections require hospitalization). Therapy may be necessary for all members of the family of the carrier of the worms, since many species of these creatures are easily transmitted from person to person.