There are 4.5 billion people registered worldwide as suffering from parasitic infections (infections).Moreover, the number of people infected with helminths (worms) is constantly increasing.
Causes of helminthiasis infection
It is not difficult to get worms into your body.Here are just a few causes of infection that are known to everyone since childhood:
- Inadequate hygiene.The desire to eat unwashed fruits and vegetables, not to wear gloves when working in the garden and not to bother with hygiene procedures leads to infection with a variety of helminths.
- Addiction to fast food on the street.It is no secret that sellers of such foods do not always undergo medical examinations and often neglect basic hygiene.And their products are not stored in the best conditions.Lovers of street whites and pastries are another risk group.
- Love for exotic cuisines, including dishes made from raw fish and shellfish that contain parasites.It is precisely the lovers of sushi and rolls who are responsible for the increased incidence of pinworms, tapeworms, nematodes, roundworms and pinworms.
- Nthe ability to properly protect oneself from infection while resting.Love for the "Turkish shores" has led to an increase in cases of infection with exotic helminthiasis - schistosomiasis, hookworm and dracunculiasis.After walking barefoot on a beach abroad, you can bring from your trip not only pleasant impressions, but also dangerous worms.
- Infection from petswho often sleep with their owners.Those who want to "kiss" their pet, risk being affected by parasites.
What parasites live in the human body
If an adult had the opportunity to look at his body, he would be horrified:
- Roundworms -hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, nematodes, toxocara, trichinella.Large helminths collect in large balls, blocking the intestinal lumen and leading to obstruction, requiring surgical treatment.Doctors remove an incredible amount of parasites from the intestines of such people during surgery.
- Tapewormsappear among those who want to enjoy rare meat and raw fish.It causes digestive problems, anemia, allergies.Children experience seizures similar to epileptic seizures.The most dangerous helminth of this group is echinococcus, whose larvae form large cysts in the human body.When they rupture, the parasites spread throughout the body.The infection can be fatal.
- Flukes– Flukes, flukes and fasciolas are dangerous parasites that suck blood from the vessels of the liver, pancreas, intestines and bladder.
- protozoan– leishmania, amoeba, lamblia, etc.Although these tiny parasites are visible only under a microscope, they can cause dangerous complications, including intestinal perforation and liver abscesses, which are fatal.
By what signs can you suspect the presence of "strangers": if your stomach hurts, it means that someone lives in it
Signs of the presence of helminths:
- Abdominal pain- the most common sign of helminth infection.It can be constant, periodic, affecting certain areas of the abdomen.Pain in the right hypochondrium during helminthiasis indicates damage to the liver and gall bladder by worms.
- Digestive disorders– diarrhea, constipation, irregular bowel movements.Sometimes patients see crawling segments of worms or even whole parasites in their stool.Impaired absorption of food and gastrointestinal dysfunction lead to weight loss.
- Anemia.Worms suck blood from the body and interfere with the digestion of food.The human host does not feed itself, but the worms.Patients complain of weakness, fatigue, loss of strength and dizziness.
- Damage to the urinary tractcaused by parasites living in the kidneys and bladder.Patients complain of lower back pain and swelling.Sometimes traces of blood are visible in the urine.
- Chronic slow vaginitis.Roundworms and pinworms crawl from the anus into the genital tract, causing vaginal dysbiosis and provoking the development of thrush.Women are treated for itching and discharge, not realizing that the problem is parasites.
- Skin manifestations.Worm infection poisons the body and suppresses the immune system, leading to allergies.Rashes range from small blisters to large focal areas.
- Inflammation of the mucous membraneand itching in the anal area caused by irritation from crawling worms.
- General deterioration of health.Weak immunity, poor digestion and anemia weaken the body, which cannot resist infections.A person is haunted by constant colds, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections.
Why ultrasound is more effective than traditional examinations for worms and other parasites
Passing stool or scratching does 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 extraintestinal helminthiases, in which the worms live outside the intestines.In this case, the stool test will not provide any information.
Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity shows changes characteristic of the presence of parasites in the liver and pancreas.It is harmless, non-traumatic and can be used many times.
If the doctor does not find live toxins and 100% signs of their presence on ultrasound, he will suspect infection and prescribe an additional examination.It is also helpful to undergo an ultrasound if tests for worms are positive.The study will show where the parasites are hiding.
Signs of helminthiasis determined by ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - semi-living organs and live worms
When examining the gastrointestinal tract using modern 3D and 4D equipment, doctors often see live parasites in the intestines.If helminths are not detected, their presence may be suspected by an enlarged, compressed pancreas in the head area.The spleen is also very large.
The liver is enlarged due to parasitic infection by flukes, trematodes and flukes.It detects areas of dystrophy that hinder the functioning of the organ.
The gall bladder also suffers.Patients experience stagnation of bile, causing pain in the right hypochondrium.Sometimes the function of the bladder is so impaired that the organ is not detected at all on ultrasound.
The presence of parasites leads to the formation of abscesses - purulent lesions of the liver that are life-threatening.In 85% of cases, abscesses form in a lobe of the liver.Other departments suffer less often.Purulent lesions are characteristic of hepatic amoebiasis - infection with a protozoan - an amoeba that penetrates the liver region from the intestines.
Significant changes in the liver are observed during echinococcosis, a parasitic disease in which cavities filled with helminth larvae form inside the organ.Ultrasound shows round formations with clear boundaries.These are cysts that contain parasites.Over time, calcium deposits around the echinococcal lesions.Such formations have a dense structure, so on ultrasound they appear lighter than the surrounding tissue.
With prolonged infection, large cysts with compartments are formed, resembling wheel spokes or large honeycombs.There is destruction of the bile ducts.Doppler examination reveals a disturbance in blood circulation.
For lovers of Japanese cuisine.Parasites - as a gift
A wide variety of parasites are found in lovers of Asian exotics, but the most common is opisthorchiasis - infection with the Chinese disease.The source of helminths is raw fish containing parasites.
At the beginning of the disease, ultrasound reveals eosinophilic infiltrates in the liver and gallbladder - dense formations with clear borders.If the fight against helminths is postponed until better times, foci of dead cells will appear in these organs that look like mottled areas, and the hepatic ducts will lose their elasticity.The situation can result in the development of liver failure.
If the urinary tract becomes a victim of parasites
Echinococcus affects not only the liver, but also the kidneys.When the parasite penetrates the kidney tissue, a one-chamber cyst (bladder) is formed containing larvae.Gradually increasing in size, the hydatid cyst destroys the organ.Large parasitic cysts attach to the liver, spleen and intestines.
Schistosomiasis is contracted by those who like to wander barefoot along the warm beaches of foreign countries.The larvae of the parasite enter the bloodstream through the skin and are then carried in the bladder with blood.Having settled there, they cause the appearance of compressions - infiltrates that appear in response to irritation of the bladder walls.As the infection spreads, the kidneys are affected.
Blood enzyme immunoassay - we bring helminths to clean water
This test can detect infection with one or more types of parasites.It is performed for the presence of roundworms, toxocara, trichinella, opisthorchis flukes, echinococci, Chinese flukes, etc.
The principle of testing 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 the analysis.Since each parasite provokes the formation of a certain immunoglobulin, the test results show which toxins are present in the human body.
The analysis reacts to all forms of parasites - eggs, larvae, adult worms.The accuracy is more than 90%.The examination shows not only the presence of the infection, but also its degree.
After treatment, the test is repeated.A positive result can be observed for some time after the death of parasites.The concentration of immunoglobulins will decrease gradually for several more months.Then the analysis will become "clean".For the study, blood is taken from a vein on an empty stomach in a volume of 3-5 ml.The analysis is done twice.
Ultrasound examination and immunoglobulins can identify helminthiases and start treatment.Thanks to their use, the number of cases of wrong diagnosis leading to complications has decreased.The main thing is to immediately consult a doctor if you suspect a helminthic infection.