Worms in children: symptoms, treatment, prevention

Infection with helminthic invasions is a fairly common problem in all countries of the world. Almost every third inhabitant of the planet is a carrier of worms, and worms in children are even more common. If we consider the statistics of just one country, more than two million cases of worms have been recorded. But in fact, these figures are much higher, as people often do not seek help from doctors, but try to get rid of worms themselves.

And some of the patients just do not know about their condition, as the disease is almost asymptomatic. If we draw a parallel between the annual sales of anti-helminthic drugs and the population of the country, then there are about 22 million patients and of whom almost 80% are young children.

To date, medicine is known for more than three hundred species of worms. Worms that affect the body, the symptoms of which depend on the type of parasite and the number of larvae that have penetrated, do not always give a vivid picture that shows the nature of the disease. To suspect a helminth infection, you need to know the signs of worms and their manifestations, which may indicate the introduction of parasites into the child's body.

Types of worms

All known worms are usually classified into three main groups, these are:

• Nematodes (roundworms). . . The class of parasites most commonly diagnosed in children. The group is represented by species such as:
  • round worms,
  • pliers worms,
  • trikinela,
  • whipworms.
• Cestode (flat tapeworm parasite), are represented by species such as:
  • wide strip
  • echinococcus (swine tapeworm),
  • dwarf tape (mouse),
  • bovine tape (tape).
• Trematodes (sucking parasites), the main representatives of this class:
  • liver stroke,
  • Siberian fluke (cat).

According to another classification, worms are divided into intestinal and extraintestinal parasites. The first group parasitizes only in the intestinal cavity, the second prefers other organs of the human body, for example, liver, heart, lungs, muscles, brain. Extraintestinal worms have the ability to penetrate the bloodstream, eroding through the walls of the intestines and blood vessels and with the flow of blood reaching their preferred habitat.

Factors contributing to the infection of children with nematodes

• Lack of habit of constant hand washing after using the toilet, after walking, before eating. Even cookies and sweets should not be given to the child without asking him to wash his hands first.
• Rare change of underwear. Especially in summer, it is necessary to ensure that the child has a change of clean linen at least twice a day. It is important to teach him to do the toilet in the morning after bed, and in the evening before going to bed.
• The habit of taking everything in the mouth, sucking on fingers, licking toys, pencils and pens.
• Presence of pets in the house going out for walks on the street. Even if the dog is pulled out with a leash and strictly monitored so that it does not take anything in the mouth, worm eggs can stick to its fur.
• Badly washed vegetables and fruits before serving.
• Low standard of living, lack of cleanliness in the house, the presence of flies, bugs and cockroaches.

Causes and mechanism of infection of children with worms

Of all the types of worms that can inhabit the human body, nematodes are predominant. Basically, worms in children, whose symptoms are well discernible, are worms and roundworms, whipworm is diagnosed much less frequently. Cases of infection with other species account for no more than 3%. This is because shingles and tapeworms are more common in tropical climates, and infection occurs mainly when visiting sites located in tropical or subtropical areas.

In addition, since tapeworms are able to withstand fairly high temperatures, they are mainly infected by lovers of uncooked or raw meat and fish dishes. And, of course, it is easy to catch worms if the sanitary norms and rules of personal hygiene are not observed.

The mechanism of infection with roundworms and needles is much simpler, but also more common. Ignoring regular hand washing, careless handling of raw vegetables, herbs and berries. As well as direct contact with stray animals or worm carriers.

Breastworm type has also increased re-invasion. This means that re-infection often occurs, which is carried out in this way:

• breast worms cause severe itching of the anus,
• children, combing itchy skin,
• while the worm eggs fall on the patient's fingers and underwear,
• further, touching the door handles, taps and other surfaces, the patient leaves worm eggs on them,
• the eggs penetrate freely into the body of people living with the carrier and back into the patient himself.

The most dangerous places for infection with roundworms and needles are:

• gardens,
• play corners,
• children's entertainment center.

There is no escape from the fact that every child in the first years of life tries to enjoy almost everything. This is a natural process of knowing the world around you. And by touching the surfaces in crowded places, the baby will surely pull his hands into his mouth, which will cause the worms to enter the body.

In addition, an incompletely formed immune system of children and weak protective barriers of an immature digestive tract contribute to infection. The only way to reduce the risk of infection is to force your child to wash their hands constantly, as this can become a habit in a child only at the age of four, and even then not for everyone.

To a large extent, the increase in morbidity in children is facilitated by the vague manifestation of symptoms and complex diagnostic methods. The clinical picture of the disease may be unclear, short-term or completely absent. Noticing a slight discomfort in a child, few parents will suspect worms and will immediately consult a doctor. Most will decide that they know enough to independently diagnose and prescribe treatment, which eventually leads to the widespread spread of parasites and infection of others.

Even fecal analysis for worm eggs and itching for enterobiasis does not always give a realistic picture of the disease. In the feces, helminth eggs can be placed unevenly, and to catch them, it is necessary to follow the rules for obtaining material for analysis, which not everyone knows. Scratching can also show a negative result, as females do not lay eggs every day, and to get a reliable look, itching should be performed at least three times at regular intervals.

Common symptoms and signs of all helminths

Penetration of helminthic infestations into the body is not always accompanied by external symptoms. And in most cases, up to a certain point, a person does not notice the presence of parasites in the body at all. Some types of worms can live inside a person for years without exerting any negative effect on his well-being and activating their vital activity only under favorable conditions. This could be:

• weakening of the body from other diseases,
• a decrease in the activity of the immune system due to adverse environmental effects;
• poor nutrition.

Not so long ago, there was a scientific theory about the effect of worms on the emergence of many internal diseases. Which, however, did not find the right support, nor was it rejected.

But today it has been reliably proven that every person is a carrier of a certain amount of bacteria, viruses, fungi, including helminths. And not always parasites behave with good neighborliness to the owner. The constant release of their waste, toxic to humans, gradually leads to a deterioration of the condition and the development of various diseases.

Indications for suspected active worm activity are symptoms such as:

• Increased appetite with significant weight loss or loss of appetite and persistent periods of vomiting.
• Recurrent abdominal pain, stool formation disorders, expressed with constipation or diarrhea, mixed periods ending in vomiting, headache, and dizziness, which are persistent or intermittent.
• Hypersensitivity of the body to various substances and products.
• Worsening of teeth and nails, increased hair loss due to iron deficiency anemia and chronic vitamin B deficiency₁₂. . .
• Low resistance to respiratory diseases (adenoids in children) and inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system.
• Increased nervousness and tears, insomnia and disturbed sleep disturbances, unfounded nightmares and outbursts of anger, distraction and constant anxiety - all this indicates the entry into the bloodstream of a large amount of toxic substances produced by worms.
• Persistent anemia (low hemoglobin) and high levels of eosinophils in a clinical blood test should alert parents and force them to check the child for worms. One of the most dangerous negative manifestations of the disease is developmental delay.
• Increased allergic reaction to prophylactic vaccines.

Specific worm symptoms

Small worms, but very fast and persistent multipliers - needles, provoke the development of enterobiasis in a child. This is an unpleasant disease, the main symptom of which is severe, unbearable itching in the anus, which intensifies at night.

When a baby gets sick, worm eggs quickly spread to surrounding objects, getting into toys, clothes, dishes and anything the baby touches. Worms feel good outside the human body and are able to withstand the effects of many disinfectants. It is guaranteed to destroy worm eggs only by boiling and irradiating with ultraviolet rays.

Infection with enterobiasis occurs only through the mouth, when a child gets dirty hands in the mouth or licks the infected surfaces. Through the esophagus, worms quickly penetrate the intestines and settle there, growing within two weeks in sexually mature adult individuals.

Severe itching, characteristic of enterobiasis, occurs due to irritation caused by worm eggs. Its strengthening at night is explained by the fact that in the dream the anal sphincters rest a little and do not represent an insurmountable obstacle for an adult female, which lays eggs, crawling exclusively on the surface. In one flight, the worm can lay up to 5, 000 eggs in the skin of the anus.

By irritating the skin, needle worms force the skin to comb, penetrating at this time under the nails, on the skin of the hands, on clothes and bedding. In addition to severe itching when infected with worms, the symptoms in children are as follows:

• Restless sleep, restlessness, often insomnia, nightmares.
• Stopping growth and weight gain, or even weight loss.
• Increased fatigue, irritability, over-excitement.
• Decreased attention and poor assimilation of new things, which leads to a delay in learning.
• Girls may develop enuresis with irritation of the urethra. This results in involuntary urination at night.
• In addition, breastworms are able to penetrate the internal genital organs, colonize the vaginal cavity (vulvovaginitis), and even reach the uterus and fallopian tubes, bringing with them infection and causing inflammation.
• Accumulation of a large colony of worms in the cecal cavity can provoke appendicitis.
• An unconfirmed symptom is gnashing of teeth at night.
• Worm reproduction contributes to the development of diseases such as:
  • intestinal dysbiosis,
  • enterocolitis,
  • pain of unclear etiology in the abdomen,
  • diarrhea,
  • constipation.
• Due to constant intoxication, the intestinal wall ceases to normally absorb nutrients, vitamins and other substances, which ultimately affects the functioning of the immune system. For this reason, children with pinworm worms get sick not only often but also severely.

Specific symptoms of ascaris (ascariasis)

According to statistics from recent surveys, the appearance of worm infestation is quite alarming. The results show that more than 80% of preschool children are infected with different types of worms at least once.

Unfortunately, many parents do not perceive worms as a serious disease and are extremely unserious about it. But established parasites not only deprive the body of essential nutrients, but are also capable of infecting many internal organs.

Representatives of these parasites are roundworms, which cause ascariasis, the symptoms of which are much more severe than those of worms. Despite the fact that roundworms and worms belong to the same class of worms, roundworms can penetrate and cause serious damage not only to the intestines but also to other organs, for example:

• in the liver,
• in the pancreas,
• in heart,
• in brain tissue,
• in the gallbladder,
• in the lungs.

Roundworms enter the body only from the ground, but the provocative factors remain the same as in red worms, these are:

• non-observance of hygiene rules,
• careless processing of vegetables, berries and herbs,
• non-compliance with safety rules when working on a personal plot,
• unsanitary living conditions.

After entering the body, roundworms adapt for a long time (3 months), mature with motile larvae, erode through the walls of the small intestine and blood vessels, and only then begin their migration to the body's favorite organs. human.

This period is characterized by manifestations such as:

• an increase in body temperature in the evening up to 37. 5 ° С;
• weakness and frequent weakness;
• dry cough, sometimes accompanied by poorly separated saliva, stained with flame red blood;
• development of obstructive bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia or pleurisy is possible;
• swelling of the lymph nodes;
• enlargement of the pancreas and liver.

And the main symptom of primary ascariasis is skin rash like urticaria, localized on the hands and feet.

The further development of the disease, in which roundworms return back to the intestines, is characterized by disorders such as:

• diarrhea or constipation
• cramping abdominal pain,
• frequent periods of nausea, sometimes leading to vomiting,
• bounce,
• irritation of the anus,
• significant weight loss.

At this stage, against the background of general intoxication, stomatitis and purulent lesions of the skin and mucous membranes often occur. Long-term poisoning by ascaris processing products leads, as a result, to nervous system disorders and mental disorders, these are:

• insomnia,
• nightmare,
• epileptic seizures,
• hypotension.

As a complication of ascariasis, such serious and dangerous pathologies develop as:

• intestinal obstruction,
• acute appendicitis,
• obstructive jaundice
• peritonitis.

Specific signs of damage from other types of worms

1. Vlasoglav (trichocephaly)- characterized by mild symptoms. Indicators of infection are diarrhea mixed with blood streaks, prolonged constipation, frequent vomiting, which often lead to dehydration and anemia. Children with such lesions usually lag far behind in growth and mental development.

2. Toxocariasis- In most cases, infants up to 4 years old come into frequent contact with an infected dog or cat. Allergic reactions manifest as itchy formations on the skin, fever and chills, allergic cough (reaching choking), swollen face, lung masses, swollen lymph nodes and eye diseases.

3. Dwarf tape (mouse).- causes hymenolepsia, which is characterized by a latent course without any symptoms. With the development of helminthic colonies, the child develops dyspeptic disorders, pain syndrome, increased saliva, and frequent headaches. And gradually all this translates into diseases such as:

   • koshere,
   • vasomotor or allergic rhinitis,
   • bronchospasm.

4. Siberian fluke (cat).- opisthorchiasis, characteristic symptoms: fever, swollen lymph nodes, skin rash, pain in the right hypochondrium and joints. Complications: dystrophic myocarditis, hepatitis, pneumonia, pancreatitis, severe gastritis.

5. Wide ribbon- diphyllobothriasis, a disease caused by tapeworm infection, the eggs or larvae of which may remain alive in raw meat or in poorly cooked meat. Characterized by intestinal disorders, pain syndrome and B₁₂- deficiency anemia.

Methods for removing worms in children

The pharmaceutical industry today supplies pharmacies with a range of anti-helminthic agents of various types. These can be targeted or broad-spectrum drugs. Unfortunately, most of them have a long list of negative side effects on the body. Therefore, if worms are found in a child, only a parasitologist should prescribe treatment, after a thorough examination and all necessary tests.

Moreover, the treatment of most diseases caused by worms requires not only the treatment of worms in children with anthelmintic drugs, but also the appointment of a course of antihistamines, vitamin therapy and probiotics.

Antihistamines are needed to normalize the immune response. Vitamins and probiotics restore the loss of essential acids and normalize the intestinal microflora.

From the drugs with the least toxic effect, a drug with hexahydropyrazine is isolated. Therefore, it is most often recommended when the question is how to get rid of worms in young children. The drug is specially produced not in tablets, but in the form of a suspension or syrup.

Many parents prefer traditional medicines. Indeed, pumpkin seeds and garlic enemas have an anthelmintic effect and are often used, for example, to treat ascariasis. But their use does not guarantee a complete cure. Therefore, to rule out a relapse, it is better to take a medicine prescribed by a doctor and adjust the result with some popular anthelmintic medicine, otherwise the question of how to remove the worms will be constantly repeated.

Preventive measures against worm infection

The inevitability of worms penetrating the child's body cannot be taken as an axiom. There are a number of rules for preventing worms, following which you can easily protect your child from this infection:

• Rinse vegetables, berries, herbs and raw fruits well under running water and then pour boiling water over them.
• Subject fish and meat dishes to prolonged heat treatment.
• Do not allow flies, cockroaches, bugs and mosquitoes to appear in the apartment or house.
• All pets should be given regular anthelmintic drugs for prophylaxis.
• Allow the baby to wash his hands after any contact with the animals.
• Let the child play and use only handled toys and objects.
• From the first steps, teach your child to wash their hands with soap and water after going to the toilet, after returning from a walk, after outdoor games and before every meal.
• Never pull toys or other objects into your mouth and do not lick your fingers.
• Monitor the condition of the baby's nails.
• At night, dress your baby in tight nightgowns to prevent the spread of worms.
• It is advisable not only to boil the children's underwear, but also to iron it on both sides.
• Teach your child to change underwear in the morning and in the evening. It is advisable for the child to have a special shelf in the closet where only his things will be stored.