Anyone can experience worm infestation. Children - attending kindergarten, adults - for other reasons. Despite all preventive measures, you must know the signs of worms in humans to notice the disease in time and start treating it. What are the worms, where they settle and how they manifest themselves - we will consider in more detail.
What organs can be affected by worms?
There are two types of invasions: abdominal and tissue. Depending on the species, habitats are also divided:
- The cavity worms settle in the small and large intestines. In particular, the first sections of the small intestine are affected by a broad tapeworm, hookworm, roundworm. The lower part of the small intestine is the habitat of the dwarf tapeworm, pinworm. The large intestine most often becomes the whipworm's habitat.
- Tissue helminths affect organs of any type: liver, brain, lymph nodes, bile ducts.
Important! It is impossible to determine the signs of the presence of worms in a patient at the initial stage of the development of an invasion. Although the number of worms is small, toxic poisoning with waste products is within the normal range, the body itself copes with the invasion. The appearance of characteristic or acute symptoms indicates a significant increase in the number of helminthic invasions: the maturation of individuals and their dynamic development.
types of chains
Determining the signs of worms in adults, you should understand what type of invasion we are talking about:
- Vlasoglavy. Chains were named for the filamentous body with a thickening at the posterior end. The life cycle of parasites is straightforward. Habitat - tropics, subtropics. The chains are located in the cecum, so they are difficult to record.
- nematode. A suborder of roundworms that live in nature and on the human body. The most famous representatives: roundworms, worms.
- Luck. Flat type flukes. They pose a huge threat to the wearer's body as they are able to settle in any organ, system. Representatives: schistosomiasis, opisthorchiasis worms.
- Pig tapeworm (tapeworm). Tapeworms are hermaphrodites. Having strong hooks on the head for attachment to walls, they can affect the brain, intestines, liver, eyes, muscles. Consequences of non-treatment: paralysis, death of the patient.
All types of worms are found in the human body. Having fallen ill with ascariasis, enterobiasis, diphyllobothriasis, the patient feels a lack of nutrients, the intestines fail to absorb food residues normally. Consequences of invasion: metabolic disorders, neurohumoral reaction.
Some facts about the forms of infection:
- Ascariasis - unwashed vegetables, fruits, hands;
- Raw or lightly salted fish, caviar - diphyllobothriasis;
- Pinworms - home contact method. The period of development is up to 60 days, after which there is a chronic phase of invasion, characterized by a decrease in immunity and a high incidence of infectious diseases, exacerbations of chronic processes.
Signs of worms in humans
The general symptoms of worms in adults depend on the location of the helminths. The main danger is posed by parasites that settle in vital organs. The worms appeared, the symptoms are implied: weakness, cough. And although for a complete diagnosis, examination is necessary. However, there are several signs by which you can determine: where the worms are and whether they exist.
Brain
Most of the time, there are no obvious symptoms, but if the worms live in the human brain, the patient may experience:
- persistent bouts of nausea;
- frequent vomiting;
- severe weakness;
- lethargy of consciousness;
- decreased visual acuity, hearing;
- fluctuations in body temperature for no apparent reason;
- epilepsy.
Fact that! Most of the time, parasites in the brain are found only after an autopsy.
On body
Hundreds of known species of parasites can reside in a patient's body. It is difficult to determine the presence of worms in an adult's body. Symptoms vary according to the areas of location: in the heart, liver, lungs, under the skin. Common signs of worms in an adult:
- muscle, joint pain;
- skin deterioration;
- weight jumps: decrease or set;
- severe constant fatigue;
- Immediate decrease in immunity.
Fact that! Some worms have the ability to crawl from the anus to the perineum, enter the bloodstream in other organs, appear in the abdominal cavity, and affect the nose and ears.
in the intestines
The most common worms in humans, whose symptoms are more pronounced, can be in the large and small intestines. Infection occurs through the mouth, by contact. The period of development of the larva and the adult of the egg is carried out in the intestinal mucosa. The parasite takes nutrients into itself, blocking their absorption through the intestines. Because of this, there are intestinal problems that cause helminths in adults. Symptoms:
- the stomach is often swollen;
- the stool is broken;
- flatulence appears;
- body weight changes;
- constantly and strongly wants to eat.
Of course, with worms, the symptoms can be different, covered in characteristic signs of gastric diseases, if the patient has any. That's why the correct diagnostic measures are so important. Only an expert will accurately determine: where the worm is located, the type and dynamics of the invasion's development.
Signs of helminthiasis depending on the type of parasite
Symptoms of worms in an adult may differ from childhood symptoms. Strong immunity repels invasion, but the child does not have this characteristic. Knowing the signs of the presence of worms in a person, it is easier to understand the cause of the disease, and at the first suspicion of infection, consult a doctor. An infectious disease specialist, parasitologist, helminthologist - a specialist of the necessary profile will quickly find out where worms live in the human body and how to get rid of them.
Each parasite causes the appearance of its own symptoms:
- from tapeworms there are intestinal problems: loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, flatulence;
- of round - cough, bloating, gas formation, loss of appetite.
Important! Roundworms or roundworms grow up to 40 cm in length and are able to easily move along the intestinal walls, they live in the lungs and liver. This is a very dangerous invasion that should be ruled out.
Regardless of whether tapeworms or roundworms settle in the human body, they need to be removed. Even in small amounts, the invasion can cause serious damage to the organism and, in large numbers, the parasites poison the host and often lead to the death of the patient. Knowing where worms live, do not rush to rule out frequent bloating from common indigestion, perhaps this is a sign of helminthiasis, which means that it is time to see a doctor.