Worms are worms that lead a parasitic lifestyle on the body of their host - a person. Age does not matter. Both adults and children are equally susceptible to infection. The classification of helminth infections is very extensive, especially in countries with hot climates.
There are 3 kinds of parasitic worms:
- round (nematodes) - pinworms, roundworms;
- tape (cestodes) - pork tapeworm, bovine tapeworm, echinococcus;
- flatworms, trematodes (trematodes).
The most common worms in children are pinworms, which cause enterobiasis. These helminths are small in size, on average up to 1 cm, grayish-white in color with a curved body. The site of these parasites is the large intestine, but they can also penetrate the lower parts of the small intestine. Pinworms breed on the skin near the anus. At night, female pinworms hatch to lay eggs in the folds of the skin, often penetrating the lips of girls, resulting in infectious diseases of the genitals. In total, these helminths live between 1 and 1. 5 months. The process of self-infection in a child can lead to the fact that the discomfort will continue for many years. The parasites can be detected with the naked eye in the stool.
Roundworms are another type of worms most common in children. Of a characteristic species, reaching a length of 15 cm, these nematodes settle in the lumen of the loops of the small intestine, moving towards the moving food bundle. Roundworms enter feces very rarely. The females periodically release eggs, which can be found in stool analysis. But if they were not found during the study, this does not mean that the child is not infected. The life cycle of a roundworm can last several years.
The reasons
The curiosity of the baby is carried out with his fingers, the child, learning about the world, actively touches everything under his arm and immediately gets into his mouth, trying to find strength and flavor. Thus, pinworm eggs safely enter the digestive tract of their future little host.
A child becomes infected with worm eggs from the surface of unwashed fruits when he drinks contaminated water. Most often, the infection occurs when communicating with animals, or when playing on the ground, sandbox, where dogs and cats like to solve their physiological problems. After a walk, children often do not wash their hands and all the dirt, along with parasitic eggs, gets into their mouths.
Symptoms
If a child has been infected with a large number of parasitic worm eggs, acute deterioration can occur within a few days. In milder cases, the first invasion symptoms appear after several weeks or even months. Much depends on the immunity of the child. It may well cope with parasites and slow their development. But gradually the defenses are lowered and helminths infect the body, causing serious problems.
The first signs are symptoms of intoxication (poisoning). The vital activity of worms is accompanied by the release of a large number of animal toxins that can poison the child's body. In the intestines, parasitic worms use nutrients, as a result of which the baby gradually becomes deficient in protein, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins.
The boy has:
- weight loss,
- pale skin
- weakness, frequent dizziness
- increased body temperature, headache
- bad dream,
- crying,
- depressed mood.
Intestinal ailments are manifested: constipation, loose stools, noise and pain in the abdomen, episodes of nausea and vomiting, painful sensations in different parts of the abdomen and bloating. The disease can be accompanied by allergic conditions: itching, skin rashes, cough, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. The weakening of immunity leads to the addition of infectious diseases.
Diagnosis and treatment
The diagnosis of helminthiasis in stool is quite difficult. This is due to the fact that roundworm eggs or roundworms do not appear in the stool every day, and the smear microscopy technique of the analysis requires great care. To increase the reliability of stool analysis for worm eggs, it is advisable to take at least 3 days in a row.
In cases of increased risk of infection by worms (contact with animals, the child's play on the ground or in open sandboxes, the child's habit of putting things in the mouth, biting nails or licking fingers, etc. ), it is advisableundergo an in-depth examination, which includes, in addition to the triple stool test, special blood tests that detect antibodies to helminths.
In the presence of allergic manifestations of unknown origin, increased number of eosinophils in the blood test, persistent intestinal dysbiosis, it is advisable to donate blood for the determination of class E immunoglobulins (Ig E and G) to intestinal worms and other helminths. . You can look for worms in pets.
When evaluating the totality of the indirect signs and the anamnesis, the doctor may recommend anthelmintic therapy without direct evidence of the presence of worms in the child, if other pathologies that cause similar clinical manifestations are excluded. Of all family members to avoid the formation of a focus of infection with each other with helminth eggs. In this situation, in addition, it is necessary to reinforce hygiene measures, in particular, boiling and ironing bedding and personal clothes on both sides.