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

Helminthiasis is a parasitic disease that is especially common in children. If worms have appeared in one of the organs or systems of the child's body, then their negative impact is not only on its functioning, but also on the work of the immune and nervous systems. Symptoms such as cough, lack of appetite, indigestion, 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 of the helminths of the species that are most often found in children are parasitized in the intestines. They live and feed in it, as a result of which they multiply and release toxins. Parasitic worms also mechanically affect the walls of the intestine. The result of the active life of worms in the 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 lag behind in development. Pathological processes can start in other organs.
• Intestinal inflammation, colitis, dysbacteriosis, bleeding. All these unpleasant and serious complications are caused by mechanical damage caused by worms in the body in children.
• Development of inflammatory processes in the appendix, liver, gall bladder. These are the organs surrounding the intestines in which parasites can move.
• Intestinal obstruction. It can be partial or complete, and sometimes there is a risk of rupture of the intestinal wall.
• intoxication of the body. When worms live and die inside a person, they release aggressive toxins.
• Allergy. Parasite residues are considered strong allergens.
• Liver dysfunction. For this reason, the child must follow a diet and additionally consume enzymes for many years.
• Psychosis. Helminths, as a rule, have a negative effect on the patient's nervous system.

Types of worms that affect the child's body

There are many types of parasites that can appear in a child's body. They differ in size, are both small and large, and are manifested in different ways and have a different incubation period, which ranges from 1-1. 5 months. In order to prescribe effective drugs that will help cure helminthiasis, it is necessary to correctly determine their type. The most common types in children are:

1. On the air. This type of worm includes cestodes, pygmy worms, tapeworms and echinococcus.
2. ringAmong them are annelids.
3. round. Their representatives are trichinella, pinworms, worms, nematodes, roundworms.
4. thorny head. They are represented by scrapers.
5. Ina. These include trematodes and flukes.

Causes and methods of infection

It is possible to get infected with helminthiasis not only in an exotic country or by tasting an unusual dish on the menu. Playing in the sandbox and unwashed hands are the easiest ways for worms to enter a child's body. Babies touch and learn everything, without worrying about the cleanliness of the studied object. After that, they can safely bless their fingers without washing them beforehand. 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 are:

• dirty toys and surfaces;
• clothing;
• shoes;
• railings at the entrance;
• door handles;
• raw water;
• dirty vegetables and fruits;
• soil, earth, sand;
• contact with a sick child;
• undercooked meat;
• Poorly thermally processed fish or other sea products.

Symptoms of parasites in children

Usually, in children under 1 year of age, any manifestation of the presence of parasites in the body is observed in individual cases. The first symptoms indicating helminth infection are recorded already at an older age (about 2-3 years) in children who attend kindergarten or other developmental organizations.

Helminthiasis in children is represented by a huge variety, and each individual 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 an unknown reason;
• restless sleep;
• allergy;
• itching in the anus;
• increased secretion of saliva;
• indigestion accompanied by diarrhea, constipation, nausea and bloating;
• lack of appetite
• Lose weight with good nutrition;
• Pale skin.

In older children, these symptoms may include:

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

enterobiasis (worms)

A disease in which parasites such as worms enter the child's body is called enterobiasis. This type of helminth is one of the most common in young children of preschool age - 2 to 5 years old. They differ in average size of 5-13 mm and minimal damage compared to other types of parasites.

Their presence causes the following symptoms:

1. Strong itching in the anus. Its intensity can reach such a force that the child does not sleep well, it causes scratching, irritation and inflammation of the anus.
2. Urinary incontinence during night sleep. seen in girls. This happens if the pins enter the urethra from the anus. As a result, the child begins to develop urethritis, vaginitis or cystitis.

Pinworms are easy to remove and are not as dangerous as other types of worms. It is important to consult a doctor and undergo the necessary tests when the first signs appear. If the child has pinworms, then the parents also need treatment. All clothes, towels and other rags should be washed and ironed, and the room thoroughly washed, as the eggs of these worms can be found on all surfaces of the infected person's house.

Ascariasis (roundworm)

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

Other characteristic features are:

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

At the same time, there is no itching in the buttocks with roundworms. Not only the intestines, but any other organ or system of the body can become a habitat.

trichuriasis (mustache)

In children, these parasites are very thin-bodied worms, the length of which reaches 5 cm. The female whip lays 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 distinctive feature of trichuriasis is the almost complete absence of signs of helminthic invasion. Possible symptoms include:

• Nervous system disorders (irritation, headache);
• 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:

• Hymenolephia or pygmy rat ribbon. It 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 cat gout. 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, constant catarrhal syndrome and others.

• Toxocariasis. transmitted through animals. The main symptoms are an allergic cough with suffocation and a skin rash characterized by severe itching.
• wide ribbon. The source of infection is not fried or cooked fish. Symptoms include abdominal pain, allergic reactions, B12 deficiency anemia, and other common signs of intestinal upset.

How to check if your child has worms?

In most cases, it is difficult for parents to relate the specific symptoms of helminthiasis or to understand why the child suddenly vomits or has other symptoms without an obvious reason. Even in the case of the slightest suspicion of worms, you should go to specialists and undergo tests, which makes it easier to check the assumption of helminthic invasion. It will not take a lot of time and effort, but the cause of the child's illness will be precisely understood and it will be possible to carry out treatment in time.

Self-diagnosis

Self-diagnosis is a careful monitoring of changes in the child's behavior, development, habits, routine and normal state - both physical and emotional-psychological.

It contains:

• periodic examination of feces for the presence of worms;
• monitoring the frequency of visits to the toilet;
• examine the skin for rashes, redness, or irritation;
• Checking the amount of food consumed.

testing

Medical diagnosis is necessary to confirm the diagnosis if worms are detected visually, or only if helminthic invasion is suspected. To find out the cause of the symptoms, you should undergo a series of tests that include:

1. Fecal analysis. You can find eggs or parts of already mature worms in it. The efficiency of the method is maximum during the period when there are already mature individuals in the intestine, i. e. i. About 3 weeks to a month after infection. Fecal material should be collected in the morning and sent to the laboratory.
2. A smear or scratch from the anus. For this, use a dry cotton swab soaked in glycerin, or an 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 blood helminthiasis may have an increased number of immune cells, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and a decrease in hemoglobin.
4. ELISA blood test. Allows you to detect parasites at an early stage with the help of staining enzymes that attract worms, viruses and other foreign bodies.

Additional baby parasite tests that may be done in an outpatient setting include:

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

Peculiarities of drug treatment

The appointment of drugs to fight parasites in a child should be considered by the doctor after passing all the necessary tests and after determining the exact diagnosis and type of worms. Among the most common drugs against helminthic invasion, it should be noted:

1. An anthelmintic drug that acts on nematodes. Acceptance is allowed from 6 months. Effective against all types of roundworms, but useless against flatworms.
2. An anthelmintic drug of the benzimidazole group. Appointed from 2-3 years. The dose is defined as 10 mg per 1 kg of body weight.
3. Antiprotozoal and antimicrobial drug from the group of nitroimidazoles. Suitable for any age, according to which the daily dose is determined.
4. An anthelmintic drug of the benzimidazole group. Against roundworms for children from 2 years.

What folk remedies will help you?

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

The most popular products that can effectively treat worms in children are:

• garlic. Successfully destroys roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms and many other types of parasites. Suitable for children from 5 years old and with a healthy stomach. He should be given 1 tooth before meals once a day. It 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. Usually children like this treatment. Otherwise, they can be ground and mixed with honey if the child is not allergic to honey.
• stable. Allowed for children from 12 years. To make it easier to take, it should be mixed with a piece of bread and salt.
• Fresh carrot juice. Half a cup on an empty stomach once a day for 7-10 days is enough. You can also roast raw carrots.
• Beet juice. It is prescribed on an empty stomach. It is advisable to alternate it with carrots so as not to disturb stools.
• nut. A few pieces a day will be enough for a child.
• Pineapple. Fresh, not canned fruit is a delicious and effective remedy.
• citrus fruits. You can add sour-tasting berries and fruits to their "company".

Prevention

Regardless of the type of worms, prevention comes from following the basic rules of personal hygiene:

1. washed food. All vegetables, fruits and berries should be washed well before eating. As an additional measure, products can be poured with boiling water.
2. clean handsYou should wash them before eating, after going for a walk, after visiting the hospital and after being in public places, after going to the toilet and playing with animals, even pets.
3. Deworming pets. This should be done at least 2 times a year.
4. Boiled or filtered water for drinking. Drinking water from open reservoirs is prohibited. Swimming in them should also be avoided to avoid splashing in the mouth. Exceptions are salt lakes and seas.
5. Regular prevention with the help of folk remedies.
6. Caring for old and new toys. Soft toys should be washed periodically, plastic and plastic - with boiled water. Before giving the new ones to the child, they must be put in boiling water without fail.
7. No insects! Flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches carry helminth eggs on their paws. It is important to avoid them at home. For this, you can use fumigators, adhesive tapes and special pencils.
8. Exclusion of fish and meat dishes from the child's diet, which require low roasting of animal products.
9. Stool analysis once a year. This procedure will help detect worms at an early stage.