Many will be surprised to learn that a person lives "not alone" all the time. On themselves, as well as in their body, microorganisms constantly exist and without this mutually beneficial cohabitation a person would be seriously ill and unable to survive. Thus, there is a normal microflora on the surface of healthy skin that protects it from the multiplication of harmful microbes. In the vagina in women, there are lactobacilli or Dederlein sticks that make up a normal acidic environment. Finally, there are hundreds of billions of microorganisms in the colon and feces of a healthy person that are involved in food digestion, vitamin production, and protecting a person from disease.
But,except microbes, all other random organisms — protozoa as well as worms — are parasites. . . Some begin to multiply, "poisoning" our body. How to detect parasites in the human body?
This question is far from idle. Of course, if the doctor points a finger and says which parasites live in a particular person’s body, then this patient will go for tests right away. The same will happen if, for example, small worms happen to be found in fresh feces. The question is clear: helminthic invasion is evident. It only remains to clarify the diagnosis and begin treatment.
But parasites have learned to "keep their nose out, " and often their existence in the body causes incomprehensible changes that a sick person does not associate at all with the presence of parasites. What are these symptoms? How can chronic helminthiasis be suspected, for example?
Common signs of parasites
The whole variety of parasitosis, starting from accidental (transient), and ending with those parasites that constantly live in the human body, is manifested by some symptoms. They can be divided into two groups:
- specifically(characteristic of a particular type of parasite), for example, swelling and pain in the muscles with trichinosis, the development of acute appendicitis when crawling into the appendix ascaris or painful itching in the perianal region in the presence of pinworms.
But it is good if there is such a symptom that accurately indicates the cause of the invasion (in medicine it is called pathognomonic). But how to determine the presence of parasites in the human body if there are no such direct signs?
To do this, check for other symptoms common to parasitosis - nonspecific.
- nonspecificsymptoms are signs that indicate poisoning of the body by waste products of worms and protozoa.
In turn, these signs most often appear in the form of two syndromes:
- allergic reaction of the body to the parasite;
- intoxication or poisoning syndrome.
How to recognize parasites in the human body and what symptoms do they cause?
The most common symptoms of parasitosis
- gradual but constant progressive weight loss, which is not associated with chronic stress, increased level of physical activity;
- occurrence of insomnia. It can be caused by itchy skin and the release of toxins, for example, during larval migration. In this case, the person simply experiences a worsening of well-being in the evening and at night.
- nausea and vomiting, sometimes due to food aversion;
- anorexia or marked decrease in appetite, until its complete absence. For example, in giardiasis, children often have a morning aversion to food;
- there is marked weakness, weakness, decreased performance;
- daytime drowsiness occurs;
- temperature rises to subfebrile numbers (37, 1-37, 5);
- there is a cephalic syndrome: a headache that is not related to physical and mental stress occurs.
Allergic manifestations of helminthiasis can be different. Urticaria may occur, unexplained itchy skin, allergic Quincke's edema, bronchospasm may appear and disappear.
In that case,if you or your loved ones have the above symptoms, see your doctor. . .
Of course, this does not limit the range of symptoms, but they are the most common.
About laboratory signs
How to recognize parasites in the human body using simple tests? For example, when studying the results of a general blood test, the following findings indicate helminthic invasion:
- anemiaor decreased hemoglobin and color index levels;
- eosinophilia. . . Typically, the number of eosinophils does not exceed 5%, and their number increases with parasitic diseases.
Of course, you should not take all the tests in a row on your own, the doctor knows better what to prescribe in each specific case.
About random findings
Sometimes a random finding helps recognize the presence of parasites in the human body. How does this happen?
- for example, fluorography reveals an unusual darkening in the pulmonary field, which may turn out to be a parasitic cyst;
- during an MRI of the brain it is also possible to detect one or more cysts, often without any symptoms.
In conclusion, it must be said thatafter the detection of these symptoms, a specific diagnosis is made: Immune reactions are set up, feces are analyzed, duodenal contents are taken if necessary. Of course, life history is very important. So, if a person rested the day before in the hot countries of Asia and Africa and swam where it is not recommended or used water of dubious quality or unwashed fruit, then the presence of helminthic invasion is more than probable.
In the same way, if a child has similar symptoms after attending school, kindergarten and parents are sure that the cause is not stress due to the influence of an organized team, then there is more than enough reason to visit a pediatrician for infectious diseases.
Treatment of identified helminthiasis is carried out in a special helminthology (parasitology) room that usually exists in each regional center in the main infectious disease hospital.