Roundworms are large, spindle-shaped parasites that belong to the class of roundworms (nematodes). Widely distributed throughout the globe, except in polar countries. Roundworms are the most common cause of human worm infection throughout the world, and children are especially affected. The eggs enter the body through contaminated food and develop into worms. Without treatment, people die from complications. Here you will read all the most important things about roundworms.
Content
How do roundworms develop?
Roundworms transform into sexually mature individuals in the body of their host. Different types of roundworms have different hosts. They can infect marine animals, dogs, cats, and pigs. The table below shows which worms live in which organism.
| Ascaris | Main owner |
|---|---|
| Ascaris lumbricoides | Human |
| Ascaris suum | Pig |
| Anisakis marina | Sea creatures |
| Toxocara canis | Dog |
| Toxocara cati | Cat |
However, a person can become infected with any type of these roundworms. And although they will not turn into adults, they can cause harm to health.
The body length of the male roundworm reaches 15-25 cm, and the female 24-40 cm. Their thickness is approximately the size of a pencil; these worms are colored yellowish-pink.
Adult roundworms are found in humans in the small intestines, mainly in the ileum, feeding on the contents of the intestines, especially absorbing a lot of vitamins. The female lays over 200 thousand eggs per day in the intestines. Eggs do not develop in the body. Together with the patient's feces, they come out. Eggs can only develop in soil or water under favorable external factors (optimal temperature 30 degrees, presence of oxygen and humidity). Therefore, direct infection from person to person is impossible. In the external environment, they mature to a stage capable of causing human infection.
The egg shell is multilayered. This makes them resistant to external influences. Eggs remain viable for months in a 3% formaldehyde solution, 15% sulfuric acid solution. In the external environment they can remain viable for up to 7 years. Ultraviolet rays have a detrimental effect on the larvae.
If a ripe egg enters the intestines with food or drink or through dirty hands, a larva emerges from it. It drills through the intestinal wall and enters the intestinal veins.
Together with the blood, the larva enters the liver, then reaches the heart and from there is carried into the lungs by the blood flow. At about one week of age, it settles in the alveoli. There it sheds its skin once or twice, pierces the alveoli and moves up the respiratory tract, ending up in the mouth. In the oral cavity, it irritates the mucous membrane and causes reflex swallowing.
Only after this, being swallowed with saliva and again entering the intestine, the larva turns into an adult.
From the moment a person swallows a ripe roundworm egg until the eggs appear in his feces, 10-15 weeks usually pass. Roundworms live in the human intestines for about a year. The number of simultaneously parasitic worms ranges from one to several hundred individuals.
What is ascariasis?
This is a disease caused by parasitic roundworms in the human body. These worms, developing in the intestines, secrete harmful substances that act mainly on the human nervous system.
Every year, 60-100 thousand patients with ascariasis are registered in the Russian Federation. The incidence in children is 5 or more times more common than in adults.
Symptoms
The first few days, while roundworms move with the blood through the liver and heart to the lungs, the human immune system is activated. During this period, as a rule, ascariasis occurs without noticeable painful manifestations.
Symptoms of roundworms in the lungs
Sometimes, when larvae pass through the respiratory tract, bronchopulmonary diseases (pneumonia, bronchitis) develop. A hives-like rash may appear on the skin or small blisters on the hands and feet that go away quickly.
When the larvae settle in the lungs, the body's defense reactions can sharply increase. The formation of mucus in the lungs increases. The bronchi may become irritated and bronchospasm may develop due to their narrowing.
With this development of the disease, the patient complains of:
- dry cough,
- labored breathing,
- feeling of pressure behind the sternum.
In severe cases, symptoms such as:
- asthma attacks,
- increase in body temperature,
- allergic reactions in the form of a rash,
- swelling of the face.
As a rule, all these symptoms disappear in adults within one to two weeks.
Ascariasis in children can lead to both mild pneumonia and life-threatening forms.
Symptoms of roundworms in the intestines
When adults appear in the small intestine (usually in the upper section, jejunum), the following symptoms are observed:
- loss of appetite,
- abdominal pain, colic,
- bowel disorder,
- nausea (sometimes vomiting),
- headache,
- mild fainting,
- bad dream,
- increased irritability,
- apathy,
- disability,
- chronic fatigue syndrome,
- anemia (lack of microelements), as worms disrupt the absorption process.
When there are large numbers of worms, they gather in the intestines in balls and can cause intestinal obstruction. In addition, obstruction can also develop due to intestinal spasm, which is caused by a high concentration of harmful substances secreted by roundworms. Sometimes there is perforation of the intestine.
Roundworms in the bile ducts
If roundworms enter the biliary tract, they can cause so-called biliary ascariasis there. They block the bile ducts and prevent the flow of bile from the liver.
The consequence of this is inflammation of the bile ducts (cholangitis) or the appearance of foci of inflammation in the liver (abscesses).
This type of ascariasis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- severe attacks of pain in the right hypochondrium that occur without an external cause, fever,
- If left untreated, a yellowish color of the skin and whites of the eyes appears.
The disease becomes similar to hepatitis. When worms enter the pancreas, symptoms of pancreatitis occur.
Ascaris eggs and immature specimens often cause the formation of gallstones.
In more rare cases, roundworms can even penetrate the sinuses, middle ear, eyes, or female genital organs.
How to detect worms?
If roundworm is suspected, the study is aimed at detecting the worms themselves, their eggs or their larvae in the body.
Once the worms are in the intestines, their typical round oval eggs can be seen in stool samples under a microscope. Sometimes adult helminths are excreted in feces or vomit.
In some cases, roundworms are discovered accidentally during gastro- or colonoscopy .
Roundworms are visually detected during an ultrasound (ultrasound examination) or during an X-ray examination with a contrast agent. Ultrasound reveals roundworms in the bile ducts.
In the first days after infection, it is difficult to detect roundworms in the body. An increased number of protective cells (eosinophils) can be found in the blood or saliva. However, their presence does not prove the presence of roundworms.
Sometimes larvae can be found in saliva or gastric juice. If you cannot obtain such results, then you should wait until the roundworms reach the gastrointestinal tract.
Treatment
Ascariasis is treated with medications. The most popular drugs are:
- albendazole (nemazole),
- mebendazole,
These two drugs kill roundworms with a single dose.
Other drugs:
- dekaris,
- vermox,
- medamin,
- combantrin (pyrantel),
- piperazine adipate.
All of these medications should not be used during pregnancy, as they can harm the fetus.
However, all these drugs kill only adults and do not destroy larvae. Therefore, treating the disease with medications at an early stage is useless.
Severe allergic reactions can be treated with corticosteroids.
The development of intestinal obstruction is an extremely dangerous situation and requires surgical treatment.
Blockage of the bile ducts is treated with special medications. Together with antihelminthic therapy, complete cure can be achieved.
Only in rare cases does it become necessary to remove worms using endoscopic or surgical methods.
Treatment of roundworms with folk remedies
There are many recipes for decoctions and infusions to expel worms. It is recommended to use them as preventive methods against roundworms. If a diagnosis of worm infection is made, it is better to listen to the doctor’s recommendations.
Treatment of roundworms with tansy
- Infusion of tansy inflorescences and leaves: pour three tablespoons of the herb into 1 cup of boiling water, cover the bowl with a lid and a towel, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
- Infusion from a mixture of herbs: 1 part tansy inflorescences, 1 part chamomile inflorescences, 1 part yellow gentian root, 2 parts wormwood herb, 3 parts brittle buckthorn bark mixed in a common container. Brew 1 tablespoon of the mixture in a thermos overnight with 1 glass of boiling water. Strain in the morning. Drink 1 glass on an empty stomach in the morning and evening for 3 days in a row.
Treatment of roundworms with citvar seed
This remedy was used to treat worms before medications were developed.
Mix the crushed citvar seed with honey, jam or syrup. On the eve of taking the seed, follow a diet and take a laxative at night. Then, for 2 days in a row, take citvar seed 3 times a day 1.-2 hours before meals.
On the second day of use, drink a laxative at night.
Cytvar seed dosage:
- adults 4-5 grams per dose;
- children - 1-3 years old, 0.25-0.75 grams,
- 4-6 years 1-1.5 grams,
- 7-9 years 1.75-2.25 grams,
- 10-14 years 2.-3.5 grams
- 15-16 years old, 4 grams each.
Routes of infection
- You can become infected with roundworms through dirty hands, vegetables, berries, fruits and other products that are used without heat treatment.
- Ascaris eggs can also be found in contaminated drinking water.
- The source of infection is flies that carry worm eggs on their legs.
- Children often become infected with roundworm eggs while playing on the floor, in dust, or by putting a contaminated toy in their mouth.
Course of the disease and prognosis
The nature of the disease is determined by the life cycle of the worms. They can develop in different parts of the body, causing a variety of symptoms. If there are few worms, then they may not be noticed. Roundworms multiply quickly and as they grow in size, more severe symptoms and complications arise.
Intestinal obstruction or lung infection can result in death without treatment. Children are especially at risk for these complications.
Although ascariasis can be cured with a one-time medication, it kills about 20,000 people worldwide every year. Humans and worms cannot exist together.
Prevention measures
Roundworm eggs are very hardy and can survive in moist, warm soil for many years. Only high temperatures above 40 degrees, direct sunlight or extreme dryness can destroy the eggs.
When a patient is identified, it is necessary to treat him and observe hygiene measures. In addition, all feces and worms that come out must be doused with boiling water or burned.
Observing simple hygiene measures helps to avoid infection:
- wash your hands before eating,
- Wash fruits, vegetables, etc. well,
- protect food from flies.
In summer cottages and rural areas, it is necessary to organize the disposal of sewage from latrines and the availability of clean drinking water.
Sewage should not be used as fertilizer.
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