Helminthiasis is a group of diseases caused by parasitic worms.
Helminths can settle in a person’s intestines, lungs, gallbladder, and bile ducts. Parasites cause mechanical damage to internal organs, and the waste products of helminths lead to poisoning. In humans, helminthiasis is also dangerous because it suppresses the immune system, aggravates the course of other diseases, leads to increased fatigue, reduces the absorption of the intestines, reduces the effectiveness of vaccination, and so on. You can get infected with helmets by drinking dirty water or unwashed food. In rare cases, the disease spreads through the skin or air.
Classification of helminthiasis
By localization:
- Intestine.These include ascariasis, strongyloidosis, trichocephalosis, teniarinchiasis, etc.
- Lungs.This group includes tominxosis and paragonimosis.
- Fabric.This class includes schistosomiasis, trichinosis, toxocariasis, and filariasis.
- Hepotobiliary system.This group includes opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, and clonorchiasis.
By section:
- Sharp.Helmintiasis usually appears 2 to 4 weeks after infection. Depending on the severity of the helminthic invasion, signs of helminthiasis are observed for 1 week to several months, after which the disease becomes chronic.
- Chronic.The clinical manifestations of chronic helminthiasis depend on the species characteristics of the parasite. In the presence of helminth samples associated with larval reproduction (filariasis or strongyloidosis), allergic manifestations persist for a long time. In other forms of the disease, the symptoms depend on the number, size and location of the parasites in the body.
Helminthiasis and micronutrient deficiencies
Once established in the human body, parasites feed on blood and tissue, absorbing nutrients. For growth and reproduction, helminth samples primarily need micronutrients, leading to a decrease in their content in the body. Helminthiasis can result in a lack of the following trace elements:
Zinc deficiency.It causes prostatitis, infertility, dwarfism, parakeratosis (reminiscent of scabies or scabies), various tumors and many other pathologies.
Selenium deficiency.It leads to a decrease in immunity, can provoke malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, mammary glands, prostate.
Iodine deficiency.It causes stalled growth, impaired puberty and immature reproductive organs. In case of iodine deficiency, mental retardation is possible up to dementia.
Manganese deficiency.It can cause brittle bones, weight loss, seizures, dermatitis, and genital degeneration.
Chromium deficiency.It causes fatigue, sugar intolerance (borderline diabetes), growth retardation, increases cholesterol levels.
Signs of helminthiasis
- fever;
- various skin rashes;
- swelling of the face, conjunctivitis;
- inflammation of the upper respiratory tract;
- loose stools;
- angina, lymphadenitis in children;
- bronchospasm, infiltrates the lungs, pneumonia;
- myocarditis;
- hepatitis;
- meningoencephalitis.
Symptoms of helminthiasis (clinical picture)
Batteries for helminthiasis.For this form of helminthic infection
signs of general allergic reactions are characteristic: itchy rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain. Acute helminthiasis often leads to lung syndrome, abdominal pain, and dyspeptic disorders. However, the size of the liver and spleen may increase and symptoms from the central nervous system may appear.
Chronic helminthiasis.In many forms of helminthiasis, parasitization of several individuals proceeds without unpleasant symptoms. Characteristic signs of helminthiasis occur in the presence of large worms (teniids, broad tapeworms, etc. ). Symptoms depend on the type and location of the parasite. Pain, dyspeptic and asthenoneurotic syndrome are observed with intestinal helminthiasis. Ascariasis can cause inflammation of the pancreas, obstructive jaundice, and intestinal obstruction. Enterobiasis is characterized by nocturnal itching of the anus. In clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis, various lesions of the hepatitis, cholecystocholangitis, and gastrointestinal tract may develop.
Helminthiasis and infectious diseases
Worm infections increase the risk of contracting infectious diseases. Helminths reduce immunity and weaken the body as a whole. Thus, parasites provide free access to body tissues for microbes and viruses. Helminthiasis can be associated with the following infectious diseases.
Toxoplasmosis.It is an infectious disease that affects humans and animals. Toxoplasmosis can be infected through contaminated blood transfusions, eating foods made from uncooked meat or fish, or contact with a patient’s feces. Toxoplasmosis ranges from mother to child during intrauterine development. The infection can cause fetal death or miscarriage. Neonates infected with toxoplasmosis have a high risk of death.
Chlamydia.Infectious disease in rodents, cats and humans. May be accompanied by fever, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and pneumonia. It affects the organs of vision, the reproductive and respiratory systems. Chlamydia is mediated by droplets in the air, contact, and sex.
Toksokara.The disease can be observed in humans, pets, rodents. Toxic arm eggs remain viable for months in dried feces. You may get an infection through contact with animal hair or through the ground. The disease is associated with severe allergies and pathologies of the internal organs.
Diagnosis and therapy of helminthiasis
How to identify helminthiasis
Heminthiasis is prevented primarily by adhering to strict hygiene standards. It is unacceptable to drink raw water and eat poorly processed or unknown foods (fish, meat). Early detection of those infected with parasites also plays an important role in prevention. The diagnosis of helminthiasis is made by identifying the larvae and eggs of helminth samples. They are most often localized in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, so the most common method is stool analysis.
In some cases, standard methods of diagnosing helminthiasis are ineffective. For example, some parasites do not lay eggs for long periods of time and are therefore not found in the feces. An innovative method makes it possible to identify the presence of helminth samples and to assess the general condition of the body with the iris of the eye. The method is based on the fact that each organ has a projection on a certain segment of the "iris" where it transmits information about its condition through the visceral centers of the brain. Such a diagnosis of helminthiasis allows the detection of parasites even in cases where the standard test for helminths is negative.
How to get rid of helminthiasis
An effective, safe and proven tool for getting rid of helminthic invasion and replacing the micro-nutrients needed in the body is a kit of helminths that simultaneously improves health in several key areas:
- improves immunity;
- normalizes metabolism;
- improves the enzymatic functions of the stomach, pancreas, intestines;
- remove signs of allergy;
- normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.
Antiparasitic wellness program
To eliminate helminthiasis, a wide range of antiparasitic drugs should be taken for 3 months. There must be a 7-day break between each month of recording.