How to find out if a person has worms?
Helminthiases do not have specific signs inherent only in this group of diseases. Symptoms of helminthic invasion in children and adults are disguised as signs of pathologies of the digestive, nervous and respiratory systems. In the early stages of the introduction of helminth larvae and eggs into the body, a person may not feel at all changes in his well-being until the individuals become sexually mature and begin to migrate through tissues and organs.
The complexity of diagnosis is also the variety of manifestations of parasitic invasion, since helminthology has about 240 types of worms of various sizes. For them, a person can be both an intermediate and a main owner. The life cycle of helminths takes place in the human body in whole or in part. If it is carried out outside the gastrointestinal tract, then eggs, larvae or adults cannot be found in feces.
And nevertheless, the question arises, how to find out if you have worms? Laboratory tests will help to accurately determine the presence or absence of worms in the body. To find out whether it is worthwhile to conduct an examination and consult a doctor, you need to get acquainted with the signs of helminthiasis in adults and children, which will be discussed later.
Content:
- How to find out by symptoms if there are worms?
- By what symptoms in children can you tell if there are worms?
- What diagnostic methods will help detect worms?
- Test to determine possible helminthic invasion
How to find out by symptoms if there are worms?
To suspect that you are infected with worms, it is enough to have 1-3 of the following signs:
- Disorders of the normal functioning of the digestive system: flatulence, diarrhea;
- Allergy manifestations: urticaria, pruritus, acne, eczematous epidermal lesions;
- Decreased immunity: frequent colds;
- Unmotivated fatigue that does not go away even after rest and sleep;
- Muscle and joint pain in the absence of physical activity;
- Nervousness, sleep disturbances in the form of insomnia, reduced stress resistance;
- Manifestations of depression as a result of toxic poisoning by the waste products of parasites, their spread through the circulatory system;
- Swelling of the face, eyelids (manifested in trichinosis);
- Obstructive jaundice with discoloration of the skin and sclera of the eyes (when clogged with roundworms of the bile ducts);
- Prolonged cough that does not respond to medication.
If a patient seeks a doctor with a combination of similar symptoms, and the diagnosis fails, a competent specialist will certainly suspect the presence of worms in the body.
Read more: The first signs and symptoms of worms in humans
By what symptoms in children can you tell if there are worms?
Helminths in the child's body lead to a violation of the absorption of basic nutrients, trace elements and vitamins. A growing organism does not receive the resources it needs for full growth and development. You can find out if a child has worms by symptoms.
Symptoms of helminthiasis in children:
- Pallor of the skin;
- Appetite disorders: a sharp decrease or, conversely, increased appetite, which does not affect weight at all;
- Frequent viral infectious diseases are a consequence of lowered immunity;
- Restless sleep: whims and crying at night, sleepiness during the day;
- Nervous system disorders: hyperactivity or lethargy;
- Night or evening pruritus in the anal region, scratching and inflammation of the skin around the anus;
- Craving for sweets;
- Brittle nails, peeling skin of the eyelids;
- Drooling at night or during daytime sleep;
- Subfebrile temperature;
-
Vulvovaginitis in girls when pinworms enter the vagina;
- Complaints of recurrent abdominal pain that stop without any treatment.
During the study of the child's blood for other diseases with helminthiasis, an anemic symptom is found - a decrease in hemoglobin and the number of erythrocytes.
Read more: How to remove worms from a child?
What diagnostic methods will help detect worms?
Examination for parasitic infections is prescribed by an infectious disease doctor or helminthologist.
In order to find out if there are worms, you can use the following laboratory and instrumental research methods:
-
Microscopic examination of feces for worm eggs is carried out using a preparation from a droplet of feces, processed by various methods (naive smear, Fullenborn test, Taleman test). Diagnostics, if necessary, is carried out in several stages.
- Complete blood count - helminthiasis is characterized by an increase in the level of eosinophils (norm 0-1), a change in the number of leukocytes.
- Immunological examination of blood serum - when a helminthic invasion is introduced into the body, it begins to defend itself against it by secreting antibodies, these cells are specific for each group of parasites.
- Muscle biopsy - if trichinosis is suspected, the muscle tissue is examined for the presence of Trichinella larvae.
- Sputum analysis for ascaris eggs - if ascariasis is suspected in combination with a cough, ascaris larvae may stay in the respiratory system for a short time, in particular, in the bronchi, lungs, and in the oral cavity.
- X-ray examination of the lungs - carried out when ascariasis is suspected, a characteristic symptom is the movement of darkening in the lungs on a second scan (the result of the migration of parasites through the lung tissue);
- Ultrasound, CT of the abdominal organs - helps to detect echinococcal cysts, the presence of alveococcosis.
- EGD with examination of the contents of the duodenum - allows you to detect ankylostomiasis.
- Scraping for enterobiasis - a study of the anal imprint is carried out using adhesive tape or a cotton swab. This is how the eggs of pinworms are collected, which were laid near the anus by adults during the night's sleep of an infected person.
Based on the results of the study, the doctor prescribes treatment, monitors its effectiveness.
Test to determine possible helminthic invasion
There is an informative test to find out if a person has worms on their own. It is necessary to confirm or deny the statements below, to count the positive answers.
- Periodically there are self-relieving abdominal pain;
- Allergic reactions appear: itching, runny nose and cough without signs of a viral infection;
- Joint and muscle pains are felt out of relation to the load;
- There is a complex of digestive disorders: diarrhea, bloating, flatulence, constipation, a bitter taste in the mouth;
- Hyperthermia with low values is diagnosed;
- Swelling of the eyelids, legs, face is noticeable;
- Characterized by increasing fatigue, not associated with stress and does not go away after rest;
- Sleep disorders, insomnia, children crying and screaming at night;
- From time to time there is itching in the anus;
- An increase in lymph nodes is noticeable;
- In a dream, bruxism (teeth creaking), snoring are manifested;
- There is a yellowing of the skin, eye sclera, mucous membranes;
- Weight decreased against the background of altered appetite (unmotivated decrease or increase);
- There are food habits of using dried fish, meat with blood, raw fish sushi, home-salted brisket;
- The work is related to raising animals, the presence of domestic animals;
- There is close contact with the children's team;
- The menu includes raw fruits and vegetables without thorough processing, poorly washed.
If there is a positive answer to 7 or more statements, there is a risk of helminthiasis. If the test taker answered “yes” to 15 or more statements, helminthic invasion is highly likely. In this case, a doctor's consultation is urgently needed.
Author of the article: Danilova Tatyana Vyacheslavovna | Infectionist
Education: in 2008 received a diploma in the specialty "General Medicine (General Medicine)" at the Russian Research Medical University named after NI Pirogov. Immediately passed an internship and received a diploma of a therapist.
