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What kind of worms do people have?

Many diseases and ill health are caused by helminth infections.Various worms can invade the human body.Their size ranges from the smallest millimeter to 16-18 meters.They are parasites in all organs and tissues and cause enormous damage to health.In order to protect against invasion (infection), it is advisable to know what types of worms exist and understand how you can become infected with each type of parasite.

parasite from the human body

Types of worms - what parasites live in the human body

Depending on where the parasite is located in the body and the characteristics of the infection, parasites are classified into several classes.

Classification of worms according to their location in the human body:

  1. Intestineworms that live in the gastrointestinal tract, especially the small intestine.Sometimes they invade other organs.This group includes tapeworms and roundworms.
  2. Extraintestinal– develops, lives and reproduces in various organs outside the intestine.They can be localized in the lungs, eyes, brain and liver.Flatworms belong to this group.
worm from the human body

Classification of worms depending on the way they enter the human body:

  1. Infectious- transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person during contact.Another source of infection is household items: towels, toys.Representatives of this species are dwarf tapeworms and pinworms.
  2. Biohelminthoses- spreads through contact with animals, as a result of eating infected meat that has not been properly heat treated.To be potentially dangerous to humans, these parasites must live in the body of an intermediate host animal for a certain period of time.Cattle and pig tapeworms belong to this species.
  3. Geohelminthiasis- part of the life cycle is spent in the human body, and part in the soil.This is an essential condition for their development.You can get infected from improperly washed vegetables and fruits.This group includes roundworms and trichinae.

Depending on their biological characteristics, intestinal worms are divided into three types: roundworms, tapeworms and worms.

tapeworm from the human body

Roundworms (Nematodes)

Cylindrical worms are so called because their bodies have a round cross-section.These parasites are most often found in the child's body.This type includes:

  1. Pinworms– they are parasites in both the large and small intestines.Their body length does not exceed 1 cm.Most often, helminthic infection caused by worms affects children.These parasites live for 1-2 months.If you strictly observe personal hygiene, you can get well even without taking medicines.If not followed, repeated self-infection is possible.
  2. Roundworms– Worms up to 45 cm long that live in the small intestine.They can move freely in the intestines.Their lifespan is 14 months.During this period, toxins are released into the blood, systematically poisoning the body.
  3. Whipworm- worms with a body length of 3-4 cm.They parasitize in the colon and cecum, digging into their mucous membranes and sucking blood.Very toxic.They live for 5 years.
  4. Trichinella– 3-4 mm long parasite that can be infected through meat that has undergone inadequate heat treatment.Helminths live in different organs, they settle in the muscles of the eyes, heart and lungs.The life expectancy is a maximum of 2 years.
  5. Hookworm and necator- have the same biological characteristics, development cycle and antiparasitic method, therefore they are combined under the same name "hookworms".These 10-15 mm long helminths are located in the duodenum.In contact with contaminated soil, they enter the human body through the skin.By biting through blood vessels, they feed on blood, which leads to iron deficiency anemia.This parasite is difficult to identify.
trichinella from the human body

Tapeworms (cestodes)

The tapeworm has a flat body that is divided into segments.As the worm grows, segments separate from the body and are passed out in the feces.These ribbon-shaped individuals can be up to 20 m long.They live in the intestines, where they stick to the wall with the help of adhesive discs.

In order to infect a person, tapeworms must go through a stage of development in the animal's body.

These parasites live in the body for years.The representatives of this group:

  1. Broad tapeworm– reaches a length of 20 m.It is a parasite in the small intestine, causing serious digestive disorders.You can become infected by eating the meat of freshwater fish and crabs that have not been heat treated.
  2. Bull tapeworm- 6-12 m long helminth.It lives in the small intestine, attached to its mucosa by adhesive discs.The source of the infection is beef that has undergone improper heat treatment.
  3. Pig tapeworm– a parasite up to 2 m long that enters the body through raw or poorly processed pork.It attaches to the wall of the small intestine.
  4. Echinococcus– a parasite that can be contracted from cats and dogs.Man is the intermediate host of this helminth, therefore, entering the body, the larvae penetrate the tissues, any organ, and form echinococcus cysts.They can only be removed surgically.
  5. Alveococcus- a type of echinococcus.Very dangerous helminths that can live in any organ, but mainly parasitize in the liver.They actively grow and develop according to the principle of cancer metastases, gradually infecting the whole body.Worms can be removed surgically.
pig tapeworm from humans

Flukes (trematodes)

Worms are a type of worms that parasitize any organ and tissue.They feed on epithelial cells.They reach a length of 1.5 m.The body is leaf-shaped.The method of infection is eating fish and seafood raw or after improper heat treatment.This type includes:

  1. Liver fluke– 7-20 mm long maggot.It parasitizes the liver and bile ducts.It provokes the development of serious diseases and functional disorders.
  2. Fluke– the 4-13 mm long worm localized in the gall bladder.
flu in the gall bladder

Symptoms - signs of worms in humans

Helminthiasis depends exactly on the type and number of worms infecting the body.The main symptoms of helminthic infection:

  • diarrhea or constipation;
  • flatulence, flatulence;
  • muscle and joint pain;
  • anemia;
  • allergic reactions;
  • dermatitis;
  • weight problems - weight loss or obesity;
  • sleep disorder;
  • nervousness, irritability, depressive state;
  • apathy, fatigue;
  • cough, respiratory inflammation;
  • weakened immunity.
insomnia as a symptom of worms in the body

How to tell if you have worms

If symptoms appear that may indicate the presence of worms, it is worth getting diagnosed.The following tests will help identify parasites:

  1. Stool examination.
  2. Blood test.
  3. Examination of the duodenal secretion.
  4. Analysis of perianal and rectal mucus.
  5. Ultrasound, tomography, endoscopy.

You can be sure of the diagnostic result if you perform the test 3-4 times at intervals of several days.One analysis is not enough to confirm the absence of helminthic infection.

The human body can be affected by one or more worms at the same time.All of them, regardless of size, cause serious health problems and are the causative agents of complex chronic diseases that cannot be cured for years.In order to eliminate the risk of infection, regular diagnostics and preventive treatment must be carried out.This is especially true for pet owners.