Worms should be understood as parasitic worms that penetrate the human body. There are similar representatives in several animal species.
Worms appear in the human body after infection with parasite eggs.
After conducting many studies, scientists have concluded that more than 25 percent of people in the world know from their own experience what helminthiasis is.
As a rule, ringworms and pinworms are most often found. This type of worm in humans is able to find a place in any organ.
The most preferred place for helminths is the intestines. And only then do they live in the organs of the liver and lungs.
But no exception is the fact when parasites get their place in the eyeballs or muscles.
External features of worms in humans
During the diagnosis of the patient's body, the doctor must have all the knowledge about the possible invasion of worms, as well as how to remove them in the future.
Thanks to this information, it is possible to avoid complex conditions that may arise in the form of complications after infection with helminth eggs.
For this reason it is important to determine the worms in the human body at the time of infection with them, i. e. in the early stages.
One of the most popular types of helminths are ringworms and pinworms. In their appearance, they resemble white worms.
Surprisingly, their thin and oval bodies can reach up to 40 cm. Its average length is 20 cm.
But this does not mean that no parasite is more solid in size. This includes wide ribbons.
It is so named for a reason, because in appearance it resembles a ribbon. Its length varies in meters.
Division of worm classification
What are the types of worms in the human body? If this question really worries you, you should read the information below in the article.
Types of helminths are divided depending on their location in the body. It can be tissue and luminal worms.
tissue worms
Tissue worms should be understood as a type of helminths that prefer to settle in the parenchyma of the pancreas, liver, brain material, muscles, and lung tissue.
For this reason that the pathology has several names: paragonimiasis in cases of lung damage, echinococcosis with abnormalities in the liver, filariasis - lymph nodes, cysticercosis that violates the brain.
translucent worms
This type of helminth is different because it prefers to live in the intestinal lumen. These helminths include tapeworms, tapeworms, whip worms, cream worms, mine worms, tapeworms and other worms.
Worms are also divided into species according to their body structure. There can be round, flat, tape and other types. But this will be discussed in a little more detail later in the article.
A round view of a human worm
These are a fairly common variety of helminths, called nematodes.
Their bodies are presented in a round shape, the length of the worms reaches up to 40 cm in the largest cases, but there are also 5 mm.
They choose nematodes for themselves as the location of the intestine, but it is possible they will settle in other tissues or organs.
The prevalence of this type of worm is explained by the fact that the eggs are delivered during the consumption of unwashed vegetables or fruits. This type of pathology is considered a disease of dirty hands, and therefore children most often suffer from round parasites, which seek to take dirty hands into their mouths.
Other types of nematodes are also divided. There are:
Bracelet worm
Causes the development of ascariasis. This is a fairly large worm, which can reach 40 cm in length.
They differ from their counterparts in the form of spindles. Similar representatives are evident in the small intestinal area.
During life, they move to the heart, liver and lungs. Transported through the human body, they carry great danger.
The problem is that all organs and ducts suffer from worms. Their life cycle is about the same as a year, but during this time a person will face many unpleasant consequences associated with the manifestation of allergies, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as internal bleeding, obstruction of intestinal organs.
If ringworm appears in a child, this fact can negatively affect development. A child may lag far behind in development than his or her own peers.
These parasites enter a child’s body in a similar way through hands that are not washed with soap and dirty food.
cream worms
Their bodies are gray. The length of the worm is 5-10 mm. The main localization of the parasite is the intestine.
Often, cream worms affect people who have swallowed their eggs through unwashed vegetables and or fruits.
To become a sexually mature individual, an egg must survive a period of 14 days. The total lifespan of the parasite is approximately equal to several months.
They interfere with the normal functioning of the digestive tract, which makes a person tired.
Vlasoglavy
These worms differ in their habitat. They choose to settle mainly in the large intestine.
The worm has a body of 3-5 cm, it is placed on the walls of organs, absorbs blood. These worms cause trichuriasis, seriously transmitting the body.
They can exist in the human body for about 5 years. During this time, a person will experience serious violations of stool, problems with the desire to eat, i. e. there may be an increase or decrease in appetite, abdominal pain, and even anemia.
You should not leave the fact of infection with whip worms unattended, because against the background of their vital activity, the phase of acute appendicitis can begin.
This happens if the worm enters the secum. They give a merciless blow to health, and therefore efforts must be made to get rid of the whip worms quickly.
Trichinella
Another type of worm, which is not large in size. They can reach 2-5 mm, but this does not mean that the worms do not attack health.
They trigger trichinosis, which is indicated by high fever, swelling, fever and allergic reactions.
You can catch Trichinella through pork or game meat that has not been fully cooked. These worms penetrate the muscles of the respiratory tract or face, invading tissues.
For 3 weeks, the worm eggs can be encapsulated, and therefore the person recovers. But there are more difficult situations that lead to death.
Another type of roundworm is Toxocara. They are found in the body of a dog. In appearance, they look like ringworms, but the body length is 15-30 cm.
This type of worm can be in the human body. If this occurs, the development of toxocariasis is observed, accompanied by damage to internal organs, allergic reactions and other damage in the body.
It should be noted that larvae, once in the human body, cannot develop into a sexually mature individual state, this is only possible in the dog’s body.
The symptoms of a ringworm attack will vary depending on the human health condition, as well as the number of worms present in the organ.
Worm type tapes in humans
Tapeworms pose a great danger to human health. They are called cestodes. These are worms that grow up to 18 m. It is customary to divide it into 2 types:
- ribbon;
- chain.
To develop into sexually mature individuals, worms must change hosts. One of the stages of this process is its existence in the body of the cow.
The brightest representatives of this species will be presented in a detailed description below.
wide ribbon
Reaches about 10-15 m in length. He chose the small intestine as his habitat.
It is capable of triggering the development of diphyllobothriasis. Tapeworm species enter the body if a person has eaten freshwater fish that is not fully cooked, where there is invasion by parasitic larvae.
The infection is accompanied by severe pain in the abdomen, indigestion, anemia. This type of worm, like most other cestodas, looks very great.
Bull tapeworms
In length, this type of tapeworm can even reach 18 m. This species is one of the largest in the human body.
It provokes the development of pathology of teniarinhoz, which leads to physical fatigue of the body. Also, a person may experience intestinal obstruction, damage in the central nervous system.
This type of worm enters the body through beef that is affected with parasitic larvae. The worm settles in the small intestinal area, which attacks all organs of the human body.
Pig tapeworms
This type of parasite enters the human body through infected pork. The length of the worm can be 8 m.
They settle, as a rule, in the intestinal tract, where they carry out their parasitic activity.
Teniasis causes severe damage to the stomach, accompanied by allergic reactions and nerve dysfunction.
Another dangerous type of tapeworm is called echinococcus. He settled in the body of a dog, a cat.
The public is selected as an intermediate habitat. Even in a short time, it can harm the human body completely, triggering the development of echinococcosis.
Parasite eggs reach the larval stage. After that, they grow into the tissue membranes of organs, giving rise to the formation of cysts.
Only surgical methods are capable of removing the manifestations of this parasitic echinococci. For decades, these individuals lived in adult bodies, and they experienced the process of their development in the flesh.
Trematodes, they are worms. They differ from other types of tape parasites in that they have a special suction cup on the body, through which it is absorbed into the walls of human organs and tissues.
They suck blood and useful elements. Such worms can be 1. 5 m in size. At first glance, it resembles the leaves of a plant.
The main source of flukes in the human body will again be undercooked, undercooked fish or seafood.
During their developmental stages, these parasites change hosts. The main types of flukes include the following subspecies:
- liver disease;
- by chance.
Based on the above information, it is reasonable to conclude that almost all worms enter the human body through flesh.
Actually, this is not always the case; there are also types of parasites that affect the skin. They will be discussed below.
Types of worms that affect the skin in humans
Helminths called rishta are capable of infecting a person’s skin and soft tissues. They trigger dracunculiasis.
In length, they can reach 120 cm. Rishta attacks on subcutaneous tissue or muscle tissue.
Infection occurs during untreated water intake. Infections can occur during bathing, as parasites enter the intestines through fluids, and then into the fibers.
If the helminth reaches sexual maturity, it has a chance to secrete substances that have a negative effect on the human body. The skin begins to erode under this influence. At the site of damage there will be ulcers, which are used by the parasite to remove its larvae.
This phenomenon is accompanied by severe itching. Often such phenomena are recorded in the tropics. As intermediate hosts, guinea worms prefer freshwater crustaceans, i. e. cyclops.
When in contact with water, a person can get into the skin and intestinal acne. The method of infection with them is percutaneous.
Parasites cause defects in the skin and penetrate into the blood. Risk factors are cases of walking barefoot on the ground, working with the ground, swimming in a pool with dirty water.
Diagnostic measures of helminthiasis and treatment
If there is a suspicion of helminthic invasion in humans, doctors recommend taking blood and stool tests.
In the case of a general blood test, the change in the leukocyte formula indicator will shift to the right. The number of eosinophils will be stated.
Urine, phlegm and stomach contents, duodenum also play an important role. For this reason the doctor may prescribe abrasions in the anal and rectal area.
After determining the type of worms in the human body, the specialist should choose the right course of treatment with drugs, along with this, effective traditional medicine recipes can be used.
Of course, it is beneficial to understand that to prevent re-infection, it is necessary to adhere to preventive measures.
For successful treatment of an infected person, it is important that the course of deworming is carried out by the whole family, the rules of hygiene are easy to follow. It is common to repeat the course of treatment 2 weeks after the first stage of worm removal.
Folk remedies have been time -tested, and many people believe that it is better than anthelmintic drugs offered by pharmacological organizations.
Their main advantage is the absence of such contraindications and side effects.
It is important to note that without consulting a doctor, it is impossible to start using popular traditional medicine recipes.
It is important to take into account the special types of worms, their localization, the characteristics of your body. If you make a mistake in the chosen course of treatment, the condition of the infection can get worse.
Expert advice
- Treatment with folk remedies should begin with dietary therapy. It is better not to eat meat, fish for a week, i. e. stick to a vegetarian diet. This will involve a weakening of the parasite’s power, and therefore it will be easier to deal with the worm. It is only important to consider that fasting in this case will not be a successful idea. Lack of intake of food into the body will not affect the strength of helminths, but the person will feel worse.
- You need to wash your hands before eating with soap.
- It is necessary to carry out food processing.
- The timeliness of infection detection and the course of therapeutic treatment is very important. In this case, the recovery time will be reduced to a minimum.