Worms in children: symptoms, treatment, prevention

Helminthic invasion infection 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 look at the statistics of just one country, more than two million cases of worms have been recorded. But in reality, these figures are much higher, since people often do not seek help from doctors, but try to get rid of worms on their own.

And some of the patients simply do not know their condition, as the disease is almost asymptomatic. If we draw a parallel between the annual sale of anthelmintic drugs and the population of the country, then there are about 22 million patients, and of which nearly 80% are young children.

To date, medicine is known for more than three hundred varieties of worms. Affecting the body, worms, the symptoms of which depend on the type of parasite and the number of penetrated larvae, do not always give a vivid image indicating the nature of the disease. To suspect a helminth infection, it is necessary 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 generally classified into three main groups, these are:

• Nematodes (round worms). . . The class of parasites most often diagnosed in children. The group is represented by types such as:
  • nematodes,
  • pinworms,
  • trichina,
  • whipworms.
• Cestodes (flat web pests), are represented by types such as:
  • wide ribbon
  • echinococcus (pork tapeworm),
  • dwarf tapeworm (rat),
  • bovine tapeworm (tapeworm).
• 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 parasites 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, gnawing on the walls of the intestines and blood vessels and with the bloodstream to reach their preferred habitat.

Factors contributing to the infection of children with roundworms

• Lack of the habit of constantly washing hands after using the toilet, after walking, before eating. Cookies and candy should also not be given to a child without first asking him to wash his hands.
• Rare change of underwear. Especially in the summer, it is necessary to ensure that the child has a clean change of linen at least twice a day. It is important to teach him to take a bath in the morning after sleep and in the evening before going to bed.
• The habit of taking everything in your mouth, sucking your fingers, licking toys, pencils and markers.
• The presence of pets in the house that take a walk on the street. Even if the dog is brought on a leash and strictly monitored so that he does not take anything in his mouth, the eggs of the worms can stick to his fur.
• Badly washed vegetables and fruit before serving.
• Low standard of living, lack of cleanliness in the house, presence of flies, bedbugs and cockroaches.

Causes and mechanism of infection of children with worms

Of all the types of worms that can inhabit the human body, roundworms are predominant. Basically, worms in children, the symptoms of which are well distinguishable, are pinworms and roundworms, whipworm is diagnosed much less often. Cases of infection with other species do not exceed 3%. This is because flukes and tapeworms are more common in tropical climates, and the infestation occurs mainly when visiting countries located in tropical or subtropical areas.

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

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

The pinworm species has also increased reinvasion. This means that reinfection often occurs, which is done like this:

• pinworms cause severe itching of the anus,
• child, combing itchy skin,
• as pinworm eggs fall on the patient's fingers and underwear,
• in addition, touching doorknobs, taps and other surfaces, the patient leaves pinworm eggs on them,
• eggs freely penetrate the body of people living with the carrier and back into the patient himself.

The most dangerous places for nematode and pinworm infection are:

• nurseries,
• playgrounds,
• entertainment centers for children.

There is no escape from the fact that every baby in the first few years of life tries to taste almost everything. This is a natural process of cognition of the surrounding world. And by touching surfaces in crowded places, the baby will certainly bring his hands to his mouth, which will cause worms to enter the body.

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

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

Analysis of feces for worm eggs and scraping for enterobiasis also does not always provide a true picture of the disease. In feces, helminth eggs can be located unevenly, and in order to catch them, you need to follow the rules for taking material for analysis, which not everyone knows. Scraping can also show a negative result, as females do not lay eggs every day, and to get a reliable image, scraping should be done at least three times at regular intervals.

Common symptoms and signs of all helminths

The penetration of helminthic invasions 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 the negative effects of the environment,
• poor nutrition.

Not so long ago, there was a scientific theory about the effect of worms on the occurrence of many internal diseases. Which, however, has not found the right support, but has not been denied either.

But today it has been reliably established that every person is a carrier of a certain amount of bacteria, viruses, fungi, including helminths. And parasites don't always behave like a good neighbor towards the owner. The constant release of their waste products, which are toxic to humans, gradually leads to a deterioration of the condition and the development of various diseases.

Indicators for suspicion of active worm activity are symptoms such as:

• Increased appetite with significant weight loss or loss of appetite and persistent bouts of nausea.
• Recurrent abdominal pain, violation of stool formation, expressed in constipation or diarrhea, bouts of nausea, ending with vomiting, headache and dizziness, which are constant or intermittent.
• Hypersensitivity of the body to various substances and products.
• Deterioration of the condition 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 irritability and crying, insomnia and restless interrupted sleep, nightmares and unmotivated outbursts of anger, distracted attention and constant anxiety - all this indicates the entry into the blood of a large amount of toxic substances produced by worms.
• Persistent anemia (low hemoglobin) and high eosinophil counts in a clinical blood test should alert parents and force them to check the baby for worms. One of the most dangerous negative manifestations of the disease is developmental delay.
• Increased allergic reaction to prophylactic vaccinations.

Specific symptoms of pinworms

Small, but very rapidly multiplying and tenacious worms - pinworms, 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, pinworm eggs quickly spread to surrounding objects, they wear toys, clothes, dishes, and everything else the baby touches. Pinworms feel great outside the human body and are able to resist the effects of many disinfectants. It is guaranteed to destroy pinworm eggs only by boiling and irradiating with ultraviolet rays.

Enterobiasis infection occurs only through the mouth, when a child takes dirty hands in his mouth or licks infected surfaces. Through the esophagus, pinworms quickly penetrate the intestine and settle there, growing in two weeks into sexually mature adult individuals.

Severe itching, characteristic of enterobiasis, occurs due to the irritation caused by pinworm eggs. Its nocturnal strengthening is explained by the fact that in a dream the anal sphincters relax a little and do not represent an insurmountable obstacle for an adult female, who lays eggs, crawling exclusively on the surface. In one sortie, pinworm can leave up to 5, 000 eggs on the skin of the anus.

Irritating the skin, pinworms force the skin to be combed, penetrating at this time under the nails, on the skin of the hands, on clothing and bedding. In addition to severe itching, when infected with pinworms, the symptoms in children are as follows:

• Disturbed and restless sleep, often insomnia, nightmares.
• Stop growth and gain weight, or even lose weight.
• Increased fatigue, nervousness, overexcitation.
• Decreased attention and poor assimilation of new things, which leads to a delay in learning.
• Girls can develop enuresis with irritation of the urethra. This results in involuntary urination during the night.
• In addition, pinworms are able to penetrate the internal genital organs, colonize the vaginal cavity (vulvovaginitis), even reach the uterus and fallopian tubes, bringing with them infections and causing inflammation.
• The accumulation of a large colony of pinworms in the caecum cavity can result in appendicitis.
• An unconfirmed symptom is teeth grinding at night.
• Reproduction of pinworms contributes to the development of diseases such as:
  • intestinal dysbiosis,
  • enterocolitis,
  • pains of unclear etiology in the abdomen,
  • diarrhea,
  • constipation.
• Due to constant intoxication, the intestinal walls cease to normally absorb nutrients, vitamins and other substances, which ultimately affects the decreased functioning of the immune system. Because of this, children with pinworm worms get sick not only often, but also severely.

Specific symptoms of roundworm (ascariasis)

According to statistics from recent surveys, the picture of worm infection is rather alarming. The results show that over 80% of preschool children have been infected with various types of worms at least once.

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

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

• on the liver,
• in the pancreas,
• on the heart,
• in the tissues of the brain,
• in the gallbladder,
• in the lungs.

Nematodes enter the body only from the ground, but the provoking factors remain the same as pinworms, these are:

• non-compliance with hygiene rules,
• careless processing of vegetables, berries and herbs,
• non-compliance with safety rules when working on personal land,
• unhealthy living conditions.

After entering the body, the nematodes adapt for a long time (3 months), mature into motile larvae, gnaw the walls of the small intestine and blood vessels, and only then begin their migration to the preferred organs of the human body.

This period is characterized by manifestations such as:

• an increase in body temperature in the evening up to 37. 5 ° С;
• frequent weakness and malaise;
• dry cough, sometimes accompanied by poorly separated sputum streaked with scarlet blood;
• the 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 rash like hives, localized on the hands and feet.

Further development of the disease, in which roundworms return to the intestine, is characterized by such ailments as:

• diarrhea or constipation
• abdominal cramps,
• frequent bouts of nausea, which sometimes lead to vomiting,
• flatulence,
• 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 roundworm processing products leads, as a result, to disorders of the nervous system and mental disorders, these are:

• insomnia,
• nightmares,
• Seizures,
• hypotension.

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

• intestinal blockage,
• 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, often leading to dehydration and anemia. Children with such injuries usually lag far behind in mental growth and development.

2. Toxocariasis- in most cases, children up to 4 years are taken with frequent contact with infected dogs or cats. Allergic reactions manifest as itchy formations on the skin, fever and chills, allergic cough (reaching choking), swelling of the face, lung masses, swollen lymph nodes, and eye disease.

3. Dwarf tapeworm (rat)- causes hymenolepiasis, which is characterized by a latent course without any symptoms. With the development of helminth colonies, the child develops dyspeptic disorders, pain syndrome, increased salivation and frequent headaches. And gradually all of this results in diseases such as:

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

4. Siberian fluke (cat)- opisthorchiasis, characteristic symptoms: fever, swollen lymph nodes, 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 or undercooked meat. It is characterized by intestinal disorders, pain syndrome and B.₁₂- deficiency anemia.

Methods for removing worms in children

The pharmaceutical industry today supplies pharmacies with a variety of anthelmintic 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.

In addition, 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.

Of 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 complete cure. Therefore, to exclude a relapse, it is better to take a drug prescribed by a doctor and fix the result with any popular anthelmintic drug, otherwise the question of how to remove worms will be constantly repeated.

Preventive measures against worm infection

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

• Thoroughly rinse the raw vegetables, berries, herbs and fruits under running water, then pour boiling water over them.
• Subject fish and meat dishes to prolonged heat treatment.
• Do not allow flies, cockroaches, bedbugs and mosquitoes to appear in the apartment or house.
• All pets should regularly receive anthelmintic drugs for prophylaxis.
• Ask the child to wash their hands after any contact with animals.
• Allow the child to play and use only toys and treated items.
• From the very first steps, teach your child to wash their hands with soap and water after bathing, returning from a walk, after playing outdoors and before each meal.
• Never put toys or other objects into your mouth or lick your fingers.
• Monitor the condition of the baby's nails.
• At night, put your baby on tight nightwear to prevent the spread of pinworms.
• It is recommended not only to boil children's underwear, but also to iron it on both sides.
• Teach your baby to change underwear in the morning and in the evening. It is advisable for the child to have a separate shelf in the closet where only his things will be stored.