How to find out if a person has worms?

How to find out if a person has worms?

Helminthiases do not have specific features that are unique to this group of diseases. Symptoms of helminthic invasion in children and adults are disguised as signs of pathologies of the digestive, nervous and respiratory systems. In the early stages of the introduction of larvae and eggs of helminths into the body, a person may not feel any changes in his state of health until the individuals become sexually mature and begin to migrate through tissues and organs.

The complexity of diagnosis is also due to the variety of manifestations of parasitic invasion, since helminthology has about 240 types of worms of various sizes. For them, a person can be both an intermediate and a main host. The life cycle of helminths takes place in the human body in whole or in part. If it is carried out outside the gastrointestinal tract, then eggs, larvae or adults cannot be found in the feces.

And yet the question begs, how do you know if you have worms? Accurately determine the presence or absence of worms in the body will help laboratory tests. To find out whether it is worth conducting an examination and consulting a doctor, you need to get acquainted with the signs of helminthiasis in adults and children, which will be discussed further.

How to find out if there are worms by symptoms?

How to find out if a person has worms?

To suspect an infection with worms, it is enough to have 1-3 of the following signs:

  • Violations of the normal functioning of the digestive system: flatulence, diarrhea;

  • Allergy manifestations: urticaria, pruritus, acne, eczematous lesions of the epidermis;

  • Reduced immunity: frequent colds;

  • Unmotivated fatigue that does not go away even after rest and sleep;

  • Muscle and joint pain in the absence of physical activity;

  • Nervousness, sleep disturbances in the form of insomnia, reduced stress resistance;

  • Manifestations of depression as a result of toxic poisoning by the waste products of parasites, their spread through the circulatory system;

  • Edema of the face, eyelids (manifested with trichinosis);

  • Obstructive jaundice with discoloration of the skin and sclera of the eyes (when clogging the bile ducts with ascaris);

  • Prolonged cough that does not respond to medication.

If a patient goes to a doctor with a combination of similar symptoms, but the diagnosis cannot be made, a competent specialist will definitely suspect the presence of worms in the body.

By what symptoms in children can you find out if there are worms?

How to find out if a person has worms?

Helminths in the body of a child lead to a violation of the digestibility of essential nutrients, trace elements and vitamins. A growing organism does not receive the resources it needs for full growth and development. You can find out if a child has worms by the symptoms.

Symptoms of helminthiasis in children:

  • pale skin;

  • Appetite disorders: a sharp decrease or, conversely, increased appetite, which does not affect weight at all;

  • Frequent viral infectious diseases are a consequence of reduced immunity;

  • Restless sleep: whining and crying at night, daytime sleepiness;

  • Nervous system disorders: hyperactivity or lethargy;

  • Night or evening itching in the anal area, scratching and inflammation of the skin around the anus;

  • craving for sweets;

  • Fragility of nails, peeling of the skin of the eyelids;

  • Salivation at night or during daytime sleep;

  • Subfebrile temperature;

  • Vulvovaginitis in girls when pinworms enter the vagina;

  • Complaints of intermittent abdominal pain that stops without any treatment.

During a blood test of a child for other diseases with helminthiasis, an anemic symptom is detected – a decrease in hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells.

What diagnostic methods will help detect worms?

How to find out if a person has worms?

An examination for parasitic infections is prescribed by an infectious disease specialist or helminthologist.

In order to find out if there are worms, you can use the following laboratory and instrumental research methods:

  • Microscopic examination of feces for worm eggs is carried out using a preparation from a drop of feces processed by various methods (naive smear, Füllenborn test, Taleman test). Diagnostics, if necessary, is carried out in several stages.

  • Complete blood count – helminthiasis is characterized by an increase in the level of eosinophils (normal 0-1), a change in the number of leukocytes.

  • Immunological study of blood serum – when a helminthic invasion is introduced into the body, it begins to defend itself against it, releasing antibodies, these cells are specific for each group of parasites.

  • Muscle biopsy – if trichinosis is suspected, muscle tissue is examined for the presence of trichinella larvae in it.

  • Sputum analysis for ascaris eggs – if ascariasis is suspected in combination with a cough, ascaris larvae may briefly stay in the respiratory system, in particular, in the bronchi, lungs, and oral cavity.

  • X-ray examination of the lungs – is carried out if ascariasis is suspected, a characteristic sign is the movement of blackouts in the lungs in the repeated image (the result of parasite migration through the lung tissue);

  • Ultrasound, CT of the abdominal organs – helps to detect echinococcal cysts, the presence of alveococcosis.

  • FGDS with a study of the contents of the duodenum 12 – allows you to detect hookworm.

  • Scraping for enterobiosis – a study of the anal imprint is carried out using adhesive tape or a cotton swab. This is how pinworm eggs are collected, which were laid near the anus by adults during the night sleep of an infected person.

According to the results of the study, the doctor prescribes treatment, monitors its effectiveness.

Test for the determination of a possible helminthic invasion

How to find out if a person has worms?

There is an informative test to find out if a person has worms on their own. It is necessary to confirm or refute the statements below, count the positive answers.

  • Periodically there are spontaneously passing pains in the abdomen;

  • Allergic reactions are manifested: skin itching, runny nose and cough without signs of a viral infection;

  • Joint and muscle pains are felt out of connection with the load;

  • There is a complex of digestive disorders: diarrhea, bloating, flatulence, constipation, bitter taste in the mouth;

  • Hyperthermia with low values ​​is diagnosed;

  • Edema of the eyelids, legs, face is noticeable;

  • Increasing fatigue is characteristic, not associated with loads and not passing after rest;

  • There are sleep disturbances, insomnia, children crying and screaming at night;

  • From time to time there is itching in the anus;

  • Noticeable enlargement of the lymph nodes;

  • In a dream, bruxism (grinding of teeth), snoring is manifested;

  • There is yellowing of the skin, eye sclera, mucous membranes;

  • Weight decreased against the background of an altered appetite (unmotivated decrease or increase);

  • There are food habits of eating dried fish, meat with blood, raw fish sushi, home-cured brisket;

  • The work is related to the cultivation of animals, the presence of pets;

  • There is close contact with the children’s team;

  • The menu includes raw fruits and vegetables without thorough processing, poorly washed.

If there is a positive answer to 7 or more statements, there is a risk of helminthiasis. If the test subject answered “yes” to 15 or more statements, there is a high probability of helminthic invasion. In this case, a doctor’s consultation is urgently needed.

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