Helminthiasis is a parasitic disease that is particularly common in children. When worms appear in any of the organs or systems of the child's body, their negative impact affects not only its functioning, but also the work of the immune and nervous systems. Symptoms such as cough, loss of appetite, indigestion and an allergic reaction may be accompanied by other unrelated symptoms. If you suspect a helminthic invasion, it is important to immediately contact a specialist and not self-medicate.
Why is helminthiasis dangerous?
Most helminthiases of the species most common in children parasitize in the gut. This is where they live and feed, which allows them to reproduce and release toxins. Parasitic worms also act mechanically on the intestinal walls. The consequence of the active life of worms in a child's body can be:
- Avitaminosis and weight loss. These problems arise from a lack of nutrients and vitamins. As a result, children lag behind in development. Pathological processes can begin in other organs.
- Inflammation in the intestines, colitis, dysbacteriosis, bleeding. All these unpleasant and serious complications are caused by mechanical damage caused in the body by worms in children.
- The development of inflammatory processes in the appendix, liver, gallbladder. These are organs adjacent to the gut where parasites can invade.
- intestinal obstruction. It can be partial or total, and sometimes there is a risk of tearing the intestinal wall.
- body poisoning. As worms live and die inside a human, they release aggressive toxins.
- Allergy. Parasite waste products are considered powerful allergens.
- Violation of the function of the liver. Because of this, the child has to follow a diet for many years, in addition to eating enzymes.
- Psychosis. Helminths tend to negatively affect the patient's nervous system.
Types of worms that affect a child's body
There are many types of parasites that can appear in a child's body. They vary in size, small and large, also manifest in different ways and have a different incubation period, which ranges from 1 to 1. 5 months. In order to prescribe effective drugs that will help cure helminthiasis, you need to correctly determine their type. The most common types in children are:
- Tape. This species of worm includes cestodes, dwarf tapeworm, tapeworm, and echinococcus.
- ringed. Among them are the annelids.
- Round. Their representatives are trichinella, pinworms, whipworms, nematodes, roundworms.
- Prickly. They are represented by scrapers.
- Even. Among them are trematodes and flukes.
Causes and methods of infection
It is possible to contract helminthiasis not only in an exotic country or by trying an unusual dish on the menu. Playing in the sandbox and unwashed hands are the easiest way for worms to enter the child's body. Toddlers tend to touch and study everything without thinking about the purity of the subject being studied. After that, they can safely lick their fingers without washing them first. Worms remain viable for a very long time (from weeks to months), remaining on the surface of various objects.
In addition to dirty hands, the main sources of infection include:
- dirty toys and surfaces;
- Dress;
- Shoes;
- railings at the entrance;
- doorknobs;
- raw water;
- dirty vegetables and fruits;
- earth, earth, sand;
- contact with a sick child;
- undercooked meat;
- poorly thermally processed fish or other seafood.
Symptoms of the presence of parasites in children
Usually in children under 1 year old, in isolated cases, manifestations of the presence of parasites in the body are observed. The first symptoms indicating infection with helminths are detected already at an older age (about 2-3 years) in children attending kindergarten or other developmental institutions.
Helminthiases in children are represented by a wide variety, and each individual type has its own specific characteristics. However, there are a number of symptoms characteristic of each type of worms:
- irritability and moodiness for no apparent reason;
- restless sleep;
- Allergy;
- itching in the anus;
- increased salivary secretion;
- indigestion, accompanied by diarrhea, constipation, nausea and flatulence;
- loss of appetite;
- weight loss with good nutrition;
- pallor of the skin.
In adult children, these symptoms may include:
- Headache;
- discomfort in the stomach;
- Dizziness;
- increased fatigue;
- bad concentration.
Enterobiosis (pinworms)
A disease in which such parasites as pinworms enter the child's body is called enterobiasis. This type of helminth is one of the most common in young children of preschool age - from 2 to 5 years. They differ in medium sizes from 5-13 mm and minimal damage compared to other types of parasites.
Their presence causes the appearance of the following symptoms:
- Violent itching in the anus. Its intensity can reach such magnitude that the child does not sleep well, scratching the anus, causing irritation and inflammation.
- Urinary incontinence during night sleep. Seen in girls. This happens when pinworms enter the urethra from the anus. As a result, the baby begins to develop urethritis, vaginitis, or cystitis.
Pinworms are easy to get rid of and are not as dangerous as other types of worms. It is important to consult a doctor in time, when the first signs appear, and pass the necessary tests. If pinworms were found in a child, then the parents also need to be treated. All clothes, towels and other rags should be washed and ironed, and the room should be washed thoroughly, since the eggs of these worms can be found on all surfaces in the infected person's home.
Ascariasis (roundworm)
The second most common in children are roundworms up to 40 cm in size that live in the small intestine - roundworms. In addition to the general symptoms of helminthiasis, in the initial stages of Ascaris, an infected person develops an inappropriate cough in the absence of inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract. Its appearance is due to the fact that the larvae of this type of parasite penetrate the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and through coughing they return to the stomach.
Other characteristic features are:
- headache and dizziness;
- Allergy;
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- high temperature;
- intestinal diseases.
At the same time, itching in the buttocks with roundworms is absent. Not only the intestine, but also any other organ or system of the body can become a living space.
Trichuriasis (beard hair)
These parasites in children are worms with a very thin body, the length of which reaches 5 cm. The female whipworm can lay up to 2, 000 eggs at a time. Usually such helminths are more common in adolescence, and in young children they appear much less often.
A characteristic feature of trichuriasis is the almost complete absence of any signs of helminthic invasion. Possible symptoms are:
- disorders in the work of the nervous system (irritability, headaches);
- Digestive system problems accompanied by diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting;
- increase in body temperature.
Signs of other parasites
Among other types of worms that can occur in children, the following can be distinguished:
- Hymenolepiasis or dwarf rat tapeworm. He has no specific symptoms. Its presence can be recognized by nausea, loss of appetite, heartburn, diarrhea and constipation, headache, abdominal pain, increased salivation, dizziness, fatigue, skin rashes, allergic rhinitis and bronchospasm.
- Opisthorchiasis or Siberian cat fluke. These worms cause in a child subfebrile temperature, skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes, pain in the joints and right hypochondrium, pancreatitis, gastritis and other signs of malfunctioning of the digestive tract, permanent catarrhal syndrome and more.
- toxocariasis. Transmitted by animals. The main symptoms are an allergic cough with retching and rashes, which are characterized by severe itching.
- wide band. The source of infection is not fried or undercooked fish. Symptoms include abdominal pain, an allergic reaction, B12 deficiency anemia, and other common signs of gut disease.
How can you check if your child has worms?
In most cases, it is difficult for parents to associate specific symptoms with helminthiasis or to understand why a child suddenly experiences vomiting or other symptoms for no apparent reason. At the slightest suspicion of the appearance of worms, one should go to specialists and take tests that will make it easy to check the assumption of a helminth invasion. It will not take much time and effort, but the reason for the baby's illness will be perfectly clear, and it will be possible to carry out treatment in a timely manner.
self diagnosis
Self-diagnosis is a careful monitoring of the child's behavioral changes, development, habits, routine and normal state - both physical and emotional-psychological.
It contains:
- regular examination of feces for the presence of worms;
- monitoring the frequency of toilet visits;
- examining the skin for rashes, redness, or irritation;
- Checking the amount of food eaten.
Testing
Medical diagnosis is required to confirm the diagnosis when the worms have been visually detected, or only when helminthic invasion is suspected. To find out the cause of the symptoms, you need to conduct a series of tests, including:
- fecal analysis. Inside you will find eggs or parts of already mature worms. The effectiveness of the method is maximum during the period when already mature individuals are in the intestines, i. e. H. about 3 weeks to a month after infection. Fecal material should be collected in the morning and sent to the laboratory.
- A swab or scrape from the anus. To do this, use a dry cotton swab dipped in glycerin or tape. The analysis allows you to identify the worm larvae that settled on the skin areas inside the anus.
- General blood analysis. Patients with helminthiasis in the blood may have an increased number of immune cells, a high RBC sedimentation rate, and reduced hemoglobin levels.
- ELISA blood test. Allows early detection of parasites using staining enzymes that attract worms, viruses and other foreign bodies.
Additional tests for parasites in a child that can be done on an outpatient basis include:
- Analysis for the presence of IgG antibodies;
- ultrasonic procedures;
- Roentgen.
Features of drug treatment
The appointment of drugs to fight parasites in a child must be carried out by a doctor, after passing all the necessary tests and establishing an accurate diagnosis and type of worms. Among the most common drugs against helminthic invasion, it is worth noting:
- Anthelmintic acting on nematodes. Acceptance is permitted from 6 months. Effective against all types of roundworms, but useless on flat parasites.
- Anthelmintic of the benzimidazole group. Appointment of 2-3 years. The dosage is determined at a rate of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight.
- Antiprotozoal and antimicrobial drug from the group of nitroimidazoles. Suitable for any age, according to which the daily dose is determined.
- An anthelmintic of the benzimidazole group. For children from 2 years against roundworms.
What folk remedies can help?
In addition to medicines, worms can be treated with folk remedies.
The most popular products that can provide effective treatment for worms in children are:
- Garlic. Successfully destroys roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms and many other types of parasites. Suitable for children from 5 years and with a healthy stomach. It should be given 1 clove once a day before meals. Can be taken with water or milk. Garlic is also an excellent antiviral.
- Pumpkin seed. They should be eaten on an empty stomach and raw. Children usually like this treatment. Otherwise, if the child is not allergic to honey, they can be crushed and mixed with honey.
- Mugwort. Approved for children over 12 years. For ease of reception, it should be mixed with a piece of bread and salt.
- Fresh carrot juice. Enough half a cup on an empty stomach once a day for 7-10 days. You can also nibble on raw carrots.
- beet juice. It is administered on an empty stomach. It is advisable to alternate it with carrots so as not to provoke a stool injury.
- Walnut. A few pieces a day is enough for a child.
- A pineapple. Fresh, not canned fruit is a tasty and effective remedy.
- citrus fruits. To their "company" you can add berries and fruits with a sour taste.
prevention
Regardless of the type of worms, prevention depends on observing the basic rules of personal hygiene:
- washed food. All vegetables, fruits and berries should be washed well before consumption. As an additional measure, products can be doused with boiling water.
- clean hands. You must wash them before eating, after walking, visiting the hospital and being in public places, after using the toilet and playing with animals, even pets.
- Deworming of pets. It must be done at least twice a year.
- Boiled or filtered water for drinking. It is forbidden to drink water from open reservoirs. Swimming in it should also be avoided to prevent splashing water from getting into the mouth. An exception are salt lakes and seas.
- Regular prevention with the help of folk remedies.
- Caring for old and new toys. Soft toys should be washed regularly, plastic and plastic should be washed with boiling water. New ones should definitely be doused with boiling water before giving them to a child.
- No insects! Flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches carry worm eggs on their paws. It is important to prevent them from entering the house. To do this, you can use incense devices, tape and special crayons.
- Exclusion from the child's diet of fish and meat dishes that require low roasting of animal products.
- Stool analysis once a year. This procedure helps to detect worms at an early stage.