Symptoms of the presence of worms in a child's body, the causes of the appearance of parasites in children, treatment

Helminthiasis is a parasitic disease that is particularly common in children. If worms appeared in one of the organs or systems of the child's body, their negative effect will not only affect its functioning, but also affect the work of the immune and nervous systems. Symptoms such as cough, lack of appetite, indigestion, 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 kind most commonly found in children are intestinal parasites. In it they live and feed, as a result of which they reproduce and release toxins. Parasitic worms also mechanically affect the intestinal walls. The consequence of the active life of worms in a child's body can be:

• Avitaminosis and weight loss. These problems occur due to lack of nutrients and vitamins. As a result, children begin to fall behind in development. Pathological processes can begin in other organs.
• Inflammation of the intestines, colitis, dysbacteriosis, bleeding. All these unpleasant and serious complications are caused by mechanical damage caused by worms in children in the body.
• The development of inflammatory processes in the appendix, liver, gall bladder. These are organs adjacent to the intestines that parasites can move into.
• Intestinal obstruction. It can be partial or complete, and sometimes there is a risk of rupture of the intestinal wall.
• body poisoning. When worms live and die inside a person, they release aggressive toxins.
• Allergy. Waste products from parasites are considered strong allergens.
• Violation of liver function. For this reason, the child must follow a diet for many years and also consume enzymes.
• Psychosis. Helminths tend to have a negative effect on the patient's nervous system.

Types of worms affecting a child's body

There are many types of parasites that can appear in a child's body. They vary in size, are both small and large, and also manifest themselves in different ways and have a different incubation period, which ranges from 1-1. 5 months. To prescribe effective drugs that help cure helminthiasis, you need to correctly determine their type. The most common types in children are:

1. Tape. This type of worm includes cestodes, pygmy tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococcus.
2. The ring. Among them are the annelids.
3. Round. Their representatives are trichins, pinworms, whipworms, nematodes, roundworms.
4. Dotted heads. They are represented by scrapers.
5. Flat. Among them are trematodes and flukes.

Causes and methods of infection

It is possible to get infected with 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 this, 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;
• clothing;
• shoe;
• railing at the entrance;
• door handle;
• raw water;
• dirty vegetables and fruits;
• soil, soil, sand;
• contact with a sick child;
• insufficiently cooked meat;
• poorly thermally processed fish or other shellfish.

Symptoms of the presence of parasites in children

Usually, in children under 1 year of age, any manifestations of the presence of parasites in the body are observed in isolated cases. The first symptoms that signal an infection with helminths are already registered at an older age (about 2-3 years) in children attending kindergarten or other developmental organizations.

Helminthiases in children are represented by a large variety, and each type has its own specific characteristics. However, there are a number of symptoms that are characteristic of any type of worms:

• irritability and moodiness for no apparent reason;
• restless sleep;
• allergy;
• itching in the anus;
• increased secretion of saliva;
• disturbed digestion, accompanied by diarrhea, constipation, nausea and bloating;
• lack of appetite;
• weight loss with good nutrition;
• pallor of the skin.

In adult children, these symptoms may include:

• headache;
• stomach discomfort;
• dizziness;
• increased fatigue;
• poor concentration.

Enterobiasis (pinworms)

A disease when 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 size, which is 5-13 mm, and minimal damage compared to other types of parasites.

Their presence causes the appearance of the following symptoms:

1. Violent itching in the anus. Its intensity can reach such a strength that the child will not sleep well, scratch the anus, cause irritation and inflammation.
2. Urinary incontinence during night sleep. Seen in girls. This happens if pinworms from the anus enter the urethra. As a result, the child 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 in time, when the first signs appear, to consult a doctor and pass the necessary tests. If pinworms were found in a child, parents also need treatment. All clothes, towels and other cloths must be washed and ironed, and the room must be thoroughly washed, as the eggs of these worms are found on all surfaces in the infected person's house.

Ascariasis (roundworm)

The second most common in children are roundworms of large sizes up to 40 cm that live in the small intestine - roundworms. In addition to the general symptoms of helminthiasis, in the case of ascaris, an infected person develops an unreasonable cough in the initial stage in the absence of any inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract. Its appearance is due to the fact that the larvae of this type of parasite enter the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and through coughing they enter the stomach again.

Other distinctive features include:

• headache and dizziness;
• allergy;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• elevated temperature;
• intestinal disorders.

At the same time, itching in the buttocks with roundworms is absent. Not only the intestines, but also any other organ or system in the body can become a habitat.

Trichuriasis (whiskerhead)

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 thousand 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 signs of helminthic invasion. Possible symptoms include:

• disturbances in the work of the nervous system (irritability, headache);
• problems with the digestive system, 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 pygmy 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 rash, allergic rhinitis and bronchospasm.
• Opisthorchiasis or Siberian fly of the cat. These worms in a child cause subfebrile temperature, rash on the skin, swollen lymph nodes, pain in the joints and right hypochondrium, pancreatitis, gastritis and other signs of malfunction of the digestive tract, permanent catarrhal syndrome and more.

• Toxocariasis. Transmitted through animals. The most important symptoms are an allergic cough with suffocation and a skin rash, which is characterized by severe itching.
• Wide band. The source of infection is not fried or not cooked fish. Symptoms include abdominal pain, an allergic reaction, B12 deficiency anemia and other common signs of an intestinal disorder.

How to check if your child has worms?

In most cases, it is difficult for parents to associate specific symptoms with helminthiasis or understand why a child suddenly has 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 make it easy to check the assumption of helminthic invasion. It will not take much time and effort, but the cause of the baby's ailment will be precisely clear, and it will be possible to carry out treatment in a timely manner.

Self-diagnosis

Self-diagnosis is a careful monitoring of changes in behavior, development, habits, routine and normal state of the child - both physically and emotionally-psychologically.

It includes:

• periodic examination of feces for the presence of worms;
• monitoring the frequency of toilet visits;
• examination of the skin for rash, redness or irritation;
• control the amount of food consumed.

Testing

Medical diagnosis is necessary to confirm the diagnosis if the worms were detected visually or only if a helminthic invasion is suspected. To find out the cause of the symptoms, you will need to take a series of tests, which include:

1. Fecal analysis. In it you can find eggs or parts of already mature worms. The effectiveness of the method is maximum during the period when there are already mature individuals in the intestine, i. e. approximately 3 weeks to a month after infection. Faecal material must be collected in the morning and sent to the laboratory.
2. A smear or scraping from the anus. To do this, use a dry cotton swab dipped in glycerin or adhesive tape. The analysis allows you to identify the worm larvae that were deposited on the skin areas of the anus.
3. General blood analysis. Patients with helminthiasis in the blood may have an increased number of immune cells, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a reduced level of hemoglobin.
4. ELISA blood test. Allows you to detect parasites at an early stage using staining enzymes that attract worms, viruses and other foreign bodies.

Additional tests for parasites in a child that may be performed in an outpatient setting include:

• analysis for the presence of IgG antibodies;
• ultrasound procedure;
• X-ray.

Features of drug therapy

The appointment of drugs to combat parasites in a child must be handled 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 should be noted:

1. Anthelmintic drug that acts on nematodes. Acceptance is permitted from 6 months. Effective against all types of roundworms, but useless against flat parasites.
2. Anthelmintic drug of the benzimidazole group. Appointed from 2-3 years. The dosage is determined at a rate of 10 mg perkg body weight.
3. Antiprotozoal and antimicrobial drug from the group of nitroimidazoles. Suitable for any age, after which the daily dose is determined.
4. An anthelmintic drug of the benzimidazole group. For children from 2 years against roundworms.

Which folk remedies can help?

In addition to medication, worms can be treated with folk remedies.

The most popular products that can provide effective treatment of worms in children are:

• Garlic. Successfully destroys roundworms, tapeworms, needleworms and handles many other varieties of parasites. Suitable for children from 5 years and with a healthy stomach. It must be given 1 fat before meals once a day. Can be taken with water or milk. Garlic is also an excellent antiviral agent.
• Pumpkin seeds. They must be eaten on an empty stomach and raw. Usually children like this treatment. Otherwise, they can be crushed and mixed with honey if the child is not allergic to honey.
• Sagebrush. Allowed for children from 12 years. To simplify the reception, it must 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 given on an empty stomach. It is advisable to change it with carrots so as not to provoke a violation of the stool.
• Walnuts. A few a day will be 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 comes down to observing the basic rules of personal hygiene:

1. Washed food. All vegetables, fruits and berries must be washed well before eating. As an additional measure, products can be doused with boiling water.
2. Clean hands. You must wash them before eating, after walking, visiting the hospital and staying in public places, after going to the toilet and playing with animals, even pets.
3. Deworming of pets. This must happen at least twice a year.
4. Boiled or filtered water for drinking. Drinking water from open reservoirs is prohibited. Swimming in them should also be avoided to prevent splashing water from entering the mouth. Salt lakes and seas are an exception.
5. Regular prevention using folk medicine.
6. Care of old and new toys. Soft toys should be washed at regular intervals, plastics and plastics should be washed with boiled water. New ones, before they are given to a child, must be poured with boiling water without fail.
7. No insects! Flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches carry helminth eggs on their paws. It is important to prevent them from entering the house. To do this, you can use fumigators, adhesive tapes and special colored pencils.
8. Exclusion from the child's diet of fish and meat dishes that require slow frying of animal products.
9. Stool analysis once a year. This procedure helps to detect worms at an early stage.