Helminthiasis

Helminthiases are 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, waste products of helminths lead to poisoning. For humans, helminthiasis is also dangerous because it suppresses the immune system, aggravates the course of other diseases, increases fatigue, reduces the absorption capacity of the intestine, reduces the effectiveness of vaccination, etc. You can become infected with helminths by drinking dirty water or unwashed food. In rare cases, the disease is transmitted through the skin or through the air.

Helminthiasis classification

By location:

• Intestinal.These include ascariasis, strongyloidosis, whipworm, teniarinchiasis, etc.
• Pulmonary.This group includes tominxosis and paragonimosis.
• Tissue.This class includes schistosomiasis, trichinosis, toxocariasis, and filariasis.
• Hepotobiliary system.This group includes opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, and clonorchiasis.

By stage:

• Acute.Helminthiasis usually appears 2 to 4 weeks after infection. Depending on the severity of the helminthic invasion, signs of helminthiasis are observed from 1 week to several months, then the disease becomes chronic.
• Chronic.The clinical manifestations of chronic helminthiasis depend on the characteristics of the parasite species. In the presence of helminths with reproduction of larvae (filariasis or strongyloidosis), allergic manifestations persist for a long time. In other forms of the disease, symptoms depend on the number, size, and location of the parasites in the body.

Helminthiasis and micronutrient deficiencies

Having settled in the human body, parasites feed on blood and tissue juices, absorbing nutrients. For growth and reproduction, helminths, first of all, need microelements, which leads to a decrease in their content in the body. The consequence of helminthiasis can be a deficiency of the following trace elements:

Zinc deficiency.It causes prostatitis, infertility, dwarfism, parakeratosis (resembles scab or scabies), various tumors and many other pathologies.

Selenium deficiencyIt leads to a decrease in immunity, can provoke the development of malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, mammary glands, prostate.

Iodine deficiency.It causes growth retardation, impaired puberty and underdevelopment of the reproductive organs. With a lack of iodine, mental retardation is possible, up to dementia.

Manganese deficiency.It can cause brittle bones, weight loss, seizures, dermatitis, and degeneration of the genital tract.

Chromium deficiency.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;
• in children, angina, lymphadenitis;
• bronchospasm, infiltrates in the lungs, pneumonia;
• myocarditis;
• hepatitis;
• meningoencephalitis.

Symptoms (clinical picture) of helminthiasis

Acute helminthiasis.For this form of helminth infestationSigns of general allergic reactions are characteristic: itchy rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain. Acute helminthiasis often leads to the development of pulmonary syndrome, abdominal pain, and dyspeptic disorders. At the same time, the liver and spleen enlarge and central nervous system symptoms may appear.

Chronic helminthiasis. In many forms of helminthiasis, parasitism of various individuals develops without any unpleasant symptoms. The characteristic signs of helminthiasis appear in the presence of large worms (teniids, broad tapeworms, etc. ). Symptoms depend on the type and location of the parasite. With intestinal helminthiasis, pain, dyspeptic and asthenoneurotic syndromes are observed. Ascariasis can cause pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, and intestinal obstruction. Enterobiasis is characterized by itching in the anus at night. With clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis, hepatitis, cholecystocholangitis, and various lesions of the gastrointestinal tract can develop.

Helminthiasis and infectious diseases.

Worm infestations increase the risk of infectious diseases. Helminths reduce immunity and weaken the body as a whole. Thus, parasites open free access to body tissues for microbes and viruses. Helminthiasis can be accompanied by the following infectious diseases.

ToxoplasmosisIt is an infectious disease that affects humans and animals. You can become infected with toxoplasmosis through a contaminated blood transfusion, by eating foods made from thermally unprocessed meat or fish, or by coming into contact with the patient's feces. Toxoplasmosis is transmitted from mother to child during intrauterine development. The infection can lead to fetal death or miscarriage. Among newborns infected with toxoplasmosis, there is a high risk of mortality.

ChlamydiaInfectious disease that occurs in rodents, cats, and humans. It can be accompanied by fever, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and pneumonia. It affects the organs of vision, the reproductive and respiratory systems. Chlamydia is spread by airborne droplets, contact, and sex.

Toksokara.The disease is observed in humans, pets, rodents. Toxocar eggs remain viable for months in dry feces. You can get an infection through contact with animal hair or through the ground. The disease is accompanied by severe allergies and pathologies of the internal organs.

Helminthiasis diagnosis and therapy.

How to identify helminthiasis

Helminthiasis prevention relies primarily on adherence to strict hygiene rules. It is unacceptable to drink raw water and eat little processed or unfamiliar foods (fish, meat). Early detection of people infected with parasites also plays an important role in prevention. Diagnosis of helminthiasis is made by identifying helminth larvae and eggs. Most of the time they are located in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, so the most common method is stool analysis.

In some cases, standard methods for diagnosing helminthiasis are ineffective. For example, some parasites do not lay eggs for a long period of time and therefore cannot be found in feces. An innovative method allows you to identify the presence of helminths and assess the general condition of the body through the iris of the eyes. 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 state through the visceral centers of the brain. Such a diagnosis of helminthiasis allows you to detect parasites even in cases where the usual test for helminth eggs is negative.

How to get rid of helminthiasis

An effective, safe and proven means of getting rid of helminthic invasion and replenishing the necessary microelements in the body is a complex of medicines for helminths, which improves health in several main areas at once:

• improve immunity;
• normalize metabolism;
• improve the enzymatic functions of the stomach, pancreas, intestines;
• eliminate the signs of allergies;
• normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.

Antiparasitic wellness program

To eliminate helminthiasis, it is necessary to take broad-spectrum antiparasitic drugs for 3 months. Between each month of admission it is necessary to take a break of 7 days.