What helminth infections and how they can get sick

Diseases caused by worms, called helminths. During these diseases are different, it can occur unnoticed, or as the hardest forms fatal depending on the type of agent, the general state of health and so on. Helminth infections usually occur chronically.

The most important human helminth infections are caused by parasitic worms, flukes belonging to the class (opistorhoz, fascioliasis), tapeworm (taeniasis, hydatid disease) and round (ascariasis, enterobiasis) worms.

The source of infection is a human helminthiasis, and since some cases, domestic and wild animals. Depending on the transmission paths helminth infections are divided into two major groups:

• geohelminthiasis in which the eggs and larvae of worms are allocated to patients with faeces into the environment where they mature and become a source of contamination; geohelminthiasis to include most helminth infections caused by roundworms: ascariasis, trichuriasis (called whipworm), and so on; People infected with these worms through the kidney, water, food, dirty hands and household items;
• biogelmintozy - of pathogens in addition to its development of the final host (human) in need of intermediate and sometimes additional host organism in which its parasitic larval stages; in the body as the main host such worms reach sexual maturity; for example, in the definitive host of helminthiasis, the called bovine chain, a person, intermediate - cattle; animal, bovine tapeworm eggs swallowed with food or water in the muscle larvae develop, the person gets infected by eating undercooked meat processed.

Ascariasis

Ascariasis - a worm infestations caused by roundworms Ascaris. Ascaris - large dioecious worms, the length of the females can reach 40 cm, the males are smaller. The head end of the roundworm has three big lips, around the mouth. Adults roundworm live in the small intestine, where held, curled up, eat food gruel and superficial layers of the shell of the small intestine. Females separated eggs are released into the environment with faeces and developed in the soil, after which the larvae can get back to the person, it penetrates through the intestinal mucosa into the circulatory system and spread it on various internal organs, where they eventually die. Those larvae which fall with the saliva in the gastro-intestinal tract, develop into adult parasites.

The incubation period (time from entering the body of the larvae until the first symptoms of the disease), ascariasis is two-three days. In the early stage (when the larva is circulating in the blood) or ascariasis does not manifest or manifests common disorders: malaise, slight rise in temperature, dry cough, allergic skin rash, and so on.

The most frequent complications of ascariasis is a blockage of the lumen of the intestine worms (intestinal obstruction). Sometimes roundworm penetrate into the gallbladder Gall bladder: structure and function   and bile ducts, while there are attacks of acute-drilling pain in the right upper quadrant, vomiting, and if the bile duct becomes blocked, it may appear jaundice. The penetration of ascarids in the pancreas Diabetes and pancreas - the things you need to know   resulting in acute pancreatitis in the appendix - to appendicitis.

Ascariasis diagnosis is made by laboratory testing of sputum and blood in the stool, and the larval stage - in the intestinal stage.

A special treat in the early stages of the disease does not exist, prescribe medications that can reduce the allergy of the body. The intestinal stage appointed anthelmintic drugs such as Vermoxum.

The most common worm infestation

Among all known helminthisms allocated diseases which occur with the greatest frequency. One such disease is ascariasis. The foci of helminthic infestation prevalence may exceed more than 20%. The causative agent is ascariasis roundworm Ascaris, which has the ability to parasitize the small intestine only human. Females ascarid little more size male (reach a length of up to 35 cm). The pathogen has a life span of 9-10 months. The cycle of development occurs in the human intestine, while the female released into the environment to 200,000 eggs in crude form.

Once in the human body, the larvae emerge from the eggs, and penetrating into the intestinal wall, begin their migration. Through blood they reach the liver where cause damage to the vascular wall and liver cells. Further along the inferior vena cava are larvae in the lungs, where vascular damage occurs as the capillary walls, as well as apparatus and alveolar walls of the bronchioles. These defects lead to the fact that the characteristic feature is the formation of hemorrhages in the liver and lung.

The system of ascarids lung larvae develop within two weeks .  Due to this the process of human self-infection - with expectoration larvae fall into the pharynx, are swallowed, enter the gut, where they become sexually mature individuals .  Due to repeated infections ascariasis occurs long parasitism of the pathogen in the body .  Keep in mind that a person can be observed migrating larvae of animals (pigs, dogs, horses), but there is no development of their mature forms .  The main source of helminthic invasion in ascariasis is an infected person, and the transmission factor is the soil, rarely open water .  According to some eggs can survive in the soil for two to five years and more .  In soil, the eggs are stored for a long time, but they can only grow with the access of oxygen .  In the external environment, the eggs are highly resistant to various adverse factors, as covered by the system containments .

The causes of inflammatory bowel diseases

Studies have shown that the formation of inflammatory bowel disease is influenced by several factors, including:

• An overactive immune system: the human immune system produces chemicals recognizing foreign objects - such as viruses, bacteria, fungus digest food - and protecting the intestinal system against any threats. Excessive production of these chemicals can cause inflammation of the tissue tract leading to swelling and the appearance of inflammatory bowel disease.
• Heredity: In some cases, inflammatory bowel disease can be inherited.
• Physiological factors: factors such as stress How to beat stress? Create an oasis Depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood , The environment, that affect appetite and preferences of the person eating habits can also lead to inflammatory bowel disease.

Types of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease can be subdivided into two main types depending on the location of inflammation / swelling and specific course of the inflammatory process.

• Crohn's disease: this type of inflammatory bowel disease can damage both the large and small intestine. Inflammation affects all layers of the intestinal wall. With the development of the disease tissue are peeled off, causing perforation of the intestine.
• Ulcerative colitis: ulcerative colitis or inflammation of swelling observed in the colon and rectum. This type of inflammatory bowel disease very rarely affects the small intestine.

Although inflammatory bowel diseases are different, they are characterized by a number of common symptoms:

• Painful cramps / pain sensation in the stomach Abdominal pain: Types and Symptoms : Crohn's disease pain observed in the lower right part of the abdomen, whereas ulcerative colitis is similar sensations occur in the left abdomen.
• Anorectal bleeding or blood in the stool: all diseases of the intestine is one of the symptoms of anorectal bleeding or blood in the stool.
• Dehydration and weight loss: due to diarrhea and constant nausea

Inflammatory bowel disease can lead to several other ailments - including arthritis, spondylitis liver disease, skin rash, swelling of the eyes and so on. In particularly serious cases, inflammatory bowel disease can lead to cancer of the colon Bowel cancer: there is hope .

In addition to monitoring the characteristic symptoms, gastroenterologists are some of the main methods for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease:

• Endoscopy: A study of the intestine with the help of long narrow tubes with cameras, allows you to track the redness and the character of the inflammatory process.
• Analysis of stool: stool analysis is conducted to determine the presence of blood, pus, and pathogenic bacteria in the stool.
• Blood tests: an increase in the level of white blood cells in the blood makes it possible to note the presence of inflammation in the body.
• Chest X-ray: with the help of X-ray to determine the degree of damage of the intestinal wall.