Worms or worms are parasites on the host's body and release toxins that affect internal organs and systems. The most common groups are pinworms and roundworms, which are most commonly found in young children and interact with the external environment in the most unsanitary way. Worms can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins because they use them all their lives, and the poisoning in the products they release can damage the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Without timely intervention, muscles, lungs, and eyes, Brain and other difficult situations.
Ways of infection with worms:
- Contact with land and water containing parasite eggs (bunkers and puddles are no exception);
- Use products that have not been properly processed-plant foods, meat, fish may contain worm eggs;
- Neglect of hygiene;
- Worms are passed from mother to child during childbirth;
- Frequent contact with animals, especially street animals, or animals that go out;
- Visit a room with insects;
- Contact with children who are already infected;
- Immunocompromised;
- Moving to another country is related to physical stress and incomplete adaptation.
According to the cause of the disease, it is not difficult to develop a minimum prevention system-teach children to wash their hands frequently, feed him only properly processed foods, and ensure hygiene control in the home. Despite this, no one canceled contact with street animals and licking the swing, and the result was that the parasites caused damage to the intestines. Not all worms become active immediately-they can live in the body in a "sleep" mode for many years, so regular check-ups, especially for children, are very important.
Parasite classification
Different types of worms affect the body in different ways, and each has its own characteristics in terms of development cycle, appearance and harm. There are three most common types of worms-nematodes, tapeworms, and flukes.
The first group are primary cavity worms. They live in soil and water, so they are easily infected in sandpits and usually when walking. This group includes the most common pinworms and roundworms, but also hookworms, trichinella, and rishta. According to the parasites that cause the infection, ascariasis, ascariasis, trichomoniasis, etc. can be separated.
Cestodoses are tapeworms that can live both in the intestine (the most common variant is tapeworm) and organs (usually, tapeworm, hydatid, alveolar larvae). According to which of these types of worms are found in children, echinococcosis, hydatid disease, hydatidosis, etc. can be distinguished.
The last of the three epidemic groups is trematodiasis caused by flukes. These are several types of flatworms-schistosomiasis, cat/liver fluke, white chlorella. They can cause posterior testicular disease (transmitted by carps) and fasciasis (damage of the liver and biliary system, infection through plants or water).
symptom
There are many symptoms, and the private manifestation depends on which worm's eggs have entered the body. Next, we will discuss the common symptoms of all parasitic infections, followed by ascariasis, ascariasis, and 5 other infection types.
Common symptoms:
- Irritability, restless sleep, decreased perseverance and concentration, frequent tantrums and anger;
- Increased appetite associated with active weight loss;
- Digestive system symptoms-diarrhea, constipation, nausea, pain in the right side;
- Dizziness and headache;
- food allergy;
- From the nose
- Reproductive system diseases and infections;
- Fragile nails/hair;
Pinworm disease is helminthiasis in which pinworms infect the body. The larvae emerge from the eggs in 4-6 hours and become adults in 2-4 weeks-5-10 mm long gray or white roundworms. They settle in the cecum and appendix and lay eggs outside the anus-at night, female pinworms fly into the air for this purpose. This mechanism of reproduction can cause severe itching at night-so insomnia, tossing and turning, screaming.
Other special symptoms:
- Urinating at night;
- molar;
Ascariasis is helminthiasis in which the body is colonized by roundworms. These worms are already more prominent-the average length of the adults is 25-30 cm, and the larvae and eggs enter the human body with inadequately disinfected fresh fruits and vegetables. The developmental stage occurs in the intestines, after which they enter the lymphatic and blood vessels, and with the flow of blood and lymph, they settle in the whole body-the liver, heart, and lungs. Then they enter the mouth and are swallowed again. From this moment, adult roundworms begin to develop. This will take approximately 3 months.
How to suspect the presence of worms in children:
- Enlarged liver, spleen, and lymph nodes;
- The temperature rises, sometimes as high as 38 degrees;
- Discomfort and weakness;
- Development of respiratory diseases-pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchial asthma;
- Pressure drop
- The appearance of gastrointestinal symptoms-constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, pain in the form of contractions;
- Afraid of light
- Nightmares at night
- Dry cough-sputum with orange tones and blood splashes.
Roundworms are more difficult to reproduce than pinworms because female roundworms lay nearly 250, 000 eggs every day. Under no circumstances should you rely on folk methods or buy the first available medicine in a pharmacy-be sure to contact an expert.
These are not all worms that colonize children. There are more than 300 kinds of worms in the world, and more than 70 kinds have been found in our country alone. In addition to the two types listed, five other types are becoming common:
- Trichoderma-is characterized by delayed physical and mental development, but generally has almost no symptoms;
- opisthorchiasis-the temperature rises, the nodes of the lymphatic system increase, and a rash appears;
- Hymen dermatosis-the main consequence is rhinitis;
- Toxoplasmosis-there are many symptoms that distinguish it from other helminthiases: keratitis, choking cough, ophthalmia, chorioretinitis, facial swelling;
- Wide tapeworm-is characterized by anemia, intestinal disease, abdominal pain.
If babies get eggs and worm larvae from their mothers, for example during childbirth, they may develop symptoms a few weeks after birth. Usually, the symptoms are insufficient weight gain, salivation, skin rash, pale face, blue under eyes and constipation. The child is always worried, screaming, sleeping and eating poorly. The screams may be unbearable, and the child will turn blue in the process.
Worms are usually the cause of the development of lung lesions and are diagnosed using ultrasound or X-rays. Parasites, especially the tapeworm Echinococcus, not only damage the respiratory system, but also further transfer to the brain and heart. In the areas where worms develop in the lungs, scars and adhesions appear, and the shape of the lungs begins to change. This change can cause many diseases-asthma, fibrosis, bronchitis, pleurisy, emphysema, etc. When tapeworms enter the lungs, echinococcosis develops, and the parasites develop in the form of cysts.
Symptoms depend to a large extent on the worms that enter the body, but parents should be reminded of the children’s concerns and the existence of the above-mentioned general symptoms. If you have signs of worms, please make an appointment with your pediatrician or gastroenterologist for timely examination.
diagnosis
The diagnosis of worms in children is done in different ways-depending on the worm that the child is infected with, the habitat, the location of the eggs, and the toxins found in the body.
For diagnosis, you can assign:
- Blood test-shows the levels of anemia, hemoglobin and eosinophils;
- Parasite analysis-in 99% of cases, it helps to detect helminthiasis, and in most cases-accurately determine the type (biological material used for research-blood from the vein);
- Stool examination-there may be no eggs in the stool, even if there is an infection, to determine whether there is a worm, the diagnosis should be performed 3 times, which takes time;
- Smear-especially effective for pinworm infections, because their eggs are just outside the anus;
- Analyze the ecological imbalance of excrement;
- If you suspect an internal organ infection, not just the gastrointestinal tract-CT, X-ray, ultrasound.
Diagnosis allows you to accurately identify the type of parasite and prescribe specific treatments. The doctor will prescribe medication, diet, additional auxiliary procedures, and provide advice on care and hygiene.
In some cases, parents are more concerned about helminthiasis and continue to worry about their children being infected. This leads to regular "prevention" courses of severe deworming drugs, which will not bring any benefit to the baby's body. If the child has not lost weight, feels good, eats well, has a healthy complexion, and has no itching in the anus, he is likely to be healthy. If you want to believe in this, it is better to take the test instead of taking unnecessary courses.
treat
The treatment process of worms in children involves several stages-preparation, treatment and cleaning. During the whole treatment process, repair prevention should be carried out, and hygiene should be paid attention to avoid re-infection or infection of a family member. Certain types of worms, such as tapeworms or echinococcus, can only be removed surgically.
The preparation phase involves absorbing toxins and cleansing the body with adsorbents. The second is antihistamines, which can relieve itching all over the body and prevent allergic reactions to drugs.
The main stage of the treatment of helminthiasis in children is the direct administration of deworming drugs in the form of tablets, suppositories or suspensions. The choice of drugs depends on the type of worm, individual indications and contraindications. Some anthelmintics work in two steps:
- The first dish will kill the already developed individuals;
- The second course helps to deal with larvae and eggs (specified 2 weeks after the first course).
Purification aims to remove the residual parasites in the body. At this stage, adsorbents, enemas, and choleretics are used. You can help your baby by adding raw carrots, dairy products, rough bread, fruits, vegetables, fish oil, nuts, especially walnuts and peanuts to your diet.
In addition, vitamin complexes, iron, minerals, and a special diet can restore the body in case of severe disease, which will increase hemoglobin, restore liver function, and enhance the integrity of the body. The doctor describes the treatment plan in detail to avoid side effects. Control testing is mandatory. Self-administration and deviation from the plan are not allowed.
Consequences of untreated parasitic infections
Helminthiasis is full of serious dangers; if left untreated, everything can end in death or serious health problems. Infected children are a danger to the entire family and the environment because it can spread diseases.
Complications of worms in children:
- Inflammation of appendicitis worsens;
- Seizures;
- Several types of visual impairment;
- Allergic reactions to a large amount of nasal discharge;
- Development lags behind peers;
- Genital infections, most commonly in girls-vulvovaginitis;
- Various pulmonary manifestations, up to bronchial asthma;
- In difficult situations-damage to the brain and heart.
prevention
In order to not need to treat worms in children at all, it is necessary to actively participate in prevention, including daily prevention and hygiene procedures, as well as taking medication.
How to protect your baby from parasitic infections:
- Pay attention to hygiene-wash your child's hands regularly and give him a bath;
- Take care of toys regularly-wash and clean (all toys must be disinfected after diagnosis);
- Cut your nails as often as possible and clean them every day;
- Ironing clothes after washing;
- Get rid of bad habits-sucking fingers, sucking pens, biting nails;
- Drink only boiling water and explain the reason;
- Avoid swimming in natural reservoirs;
- Use insect repellent (insects usually carry worm eggs) to eliminate all insects that enter the house;
- Regularly check pets for parasites;
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, and adequately heat treat meat and fish.
Certain types of helminthiasis are difficult to cure, so we recommend prevention to avoid infection. When parents contact the clinic, they will be given comprehensive advice on how to prevent problems in the future.