Symptoms of the presence 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 influence will not only affect its functioning, but also 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 helminthiases of the type most commonly found in children parasitize in the intestines. They live and feed in it, which is why they reproduce and release toxins. Parasitic worms also mechanically affect the intestinal walls. The consequences of the active life of worms in a child's body can be:

• Avitaminosis and weight loss. These problems are caused by a 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 child's body.
• Development of inflammatory processes in the appendix, liver, gall bladder. These are the organs next to the intestines where 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. Waste products of parasites are considered strong allergens.
• Violation of liver function. For this reason, the child must follow a diet for years and additionally ingest enzymes.
• Psychosis. Helminths tend to 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, small and large, and manifest 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 in the treatment of helminthiasis, you need to correctly determine their type. The most common types in children are:

1. Tape. This type of worm includes cestodes, tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococcus.
2. Ringed. Among them are annelids.
3. Round. Their representatives are trichinella, pinworms, whipworms, nematodes, roundworms.
4. Spiny heads. They are represented by scrapers.
5. Flat. Among them are trematodes and flukes.

Causes and methods of infection

It is possible to get infected with helminthiasis not only in an exotic country or by trying an unusual dish on the menu. Playing in the sandbox and unwashed hands are the easiest way for worms to enter a child's organism. Young children tend to touch and study everything, without thinking about the cleanliness of the object being studied. After that, they can safely lick their fingers without washing them first. Worms remain viable for a very long time (from weeks to months), remaining on the surface of various objects.

Apart from dirty hands, the main sources of infection are:

• dirty toys and surfaces;
• clothing;
• shoes;
• fences at the entrance;
• doorknobs;
• raw water;
• dirty vegetables and fruits;
• soil, earth, sand;
• contact with a sick child;
• undercooked meat;
• slightly thermally processed fish or other seafood.

Symptoms of the presence of parasites in children

Usually, in children under 1 year old, in isolated cases, any manifestations of the presence of parasites in the body are observed. The first symptoms that signal infection with helminths are recorded already at an older age (about 2-3 years) in children who attend kindergarten or other developing organizations.

Helminthiasis in children is represented by a great diversity, and each individual species has its own specific characteristics. However, there are a number of symptoms that are characteristic of any type of worm:

• irritability and moodiness for no apparent reason;
• restless sleep;
• allergy;
• itching in the anus;
• increased secretion of saliva;
• disturbed digestion, accompanied by diarrhea, constipation, nausea and flatulence;
• lack of appetite;
• weight loss with good nutrition;
• pallor of the skin.

In adult children, these symptoms may include:

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

enterobiasis (pinworms)

The disease when parasites such as pinworms enter the child's body is called enterobiasis. This type of helminth is one of the most common in young children of preschool age - from 2 to 5 years old. They differ in medium sizes, which are 5-13 mm, and minimal damage compared to other types of parasites.

Their presence causes the following symptoms to appear:

1. Violent itching in the anus. Its intensity can reach such a force that the child will not sleep well, it scratches the anus, it causes irritation and inflammation.
2. Urinary incontinence during night sleep. It is seen in girls. This happens if pinworms from the anus enter the urethra. As a result, the baby begins to develop urethritis, vaginitis or cystitis.

Pinworms are easy to get rid of and are not as dangerous as other types of worms. It is important to consult a doctor in time, when the first signs appear, and undergo the necessary tests. If pinworms are found in a child, then the parents also need treatment. All clothes, towels and other cloths should be washed and ironed, and the room washed well, because the eggs of these worms are found on all surfaces in the house of an infected person.

Ascariasis (roundworms)

The second most common in children are roundworms of large sizes up to 40 cm, which live in the small intestine - roundworms. In addition to the general symptoms of helminthosis, in the case of ascaris, the infected person in the initial stage develops an unreasonable cough in the absence of any inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract. Its appearance is due to the fact that the larvae of this type of parasite enter the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and through coughing they enter the stomach again.

Other distinctive features include:

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

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

trichuriasis (mustache)

These parasites in children are worms with a very thin body, the length of which reaches 5 cm. A female whip can lay up to 2, 000 eggs at once. Usually, such helminths are more common in adolescence, and they appear much less often in young children.

The peculiarity of trichuriasis is the almost complete absence of any signs of helminthic invasion. Possible symptoms include:

• disorders in the work of the nervous system (irritability, headache);
• problems with the digestive system, accompanied by diarrhea, nausea or vomiting;
• increase in body temperature.

Signs of other parasites

Among other types of worms that can appear in children, the following can be distinguished:

• Hymenolepiasis or tapeworm rat. He has no specific symptoms. Its presence can be recognized by nausea, loss of appetite, heartburn, diarrhea and constipation, headache, abdominal pain, increased drooling, dizziness, fatigue, skin rash, allergic rhinitis and bronchospasm.
• Opisthorchiasis or feline Siberian fluke. These worms in a child cause subfebrile fever, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, pain in the joints and right hypochondrium, pancreatitis, gastritis and other signs of digestive tract failure, permanent catarrhal syndrome and others.

• Toxocarosis. It is transmitted through animals. The main symptoms are an allergic cough with suffocation and a skin rash, which is characterized by severe itching.
• Wide band. The source of infection is not fried or uncooked fish. Symptoms include abdominal pain, allergic reaction, B12 deficiency anemia, and other common signs of intestinal disorders.

How to check if your child has worms?

In most cases, it is difficult for parents to associate specific symptoms with helminthiasis or to understand why a child suddenly vomits or has other symptoms for no apparent reason. At the slightest suspicion of the appearance of worms, you should go to a specialist and perform tests, which make it easier to verify the assumption of helminthic invasion. It will not take a lot of time and effort, but the reason for the baby's illness will be completely clear and it will be possible to carry out treatment in a timely manner.

Self-diagnosis

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

This includes:

• periodic examination of feces for the presence of worms;
• monitoring the frequency of going to the toilet;
• skin examination for rash, 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, a series of tests should be undertaken, including:

1. Analysis of feces. In it you can find eggs or parts of already mature worms. The effectiveness of the method is maximal in the period when there are already mature individuals in the intestines, i. e. approximately 3 weeks to a month after infection. Fecal material should be collected in the morning and sent to the laboratory.
2. A smear or scraping from the anus. To do this, use a dry cotton swab dipped in glycerin or adhesive tape. The analysis allows you to identify worm larvae that have settled on the skin areas in the anus.
3. General blood analysis. Patients with helminthiasis in the blood may have an increased number of immune cells, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and a reduced hemoglobin level.
4. ELISA blood test. It allows you to detect parasites at an early stage with the help of staining enzymes that attract worms, viruses and other foreign bodies.

Additional tests for parasites in a child that can be done in an outpatient setting include:

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

Features of drug treatment

The appointment of drugs to combat parasites in a child must be dealt with by a doctor after passing all the necessary tests and determining the correct diagnosis and type of worm. Among the most common drugs against helminthic invasion, the following should be highlighted:

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 from the benzimidazole group. Appointed from 2-3 years. The dosage is determined at the rate of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight.
3. Antiprotozoal and antimicrobial drug from the nitroimidazole group. Suitable for any age according to which the daily dose is determined.
4. An anthelmintic drug from the benzimidazole group. For children from 2 years old against roundworms.

What folk remedies can help?

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

The most popular products that can provide effective treatment for worms in children are:

• Garlic. It successfully destroys roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms and copes with many other types of parasites. Suitable for children from 5 years of age and a healthy stomach. 1 clove should be given before meals once a day. It can be taken with water or milk. Garlic is also an excellent antiviral agent.
• Pumpkin seeds. They should be eaten on an empty stomach and raw. Usually children like this treatment. Otherwise, they can be crushed and mixed with honey if the child is not allergic to honey.
• Sagebrush. Allowed for children from 12 years old. To simplify reception, it should be mixed with a piece of bread and salt.
• Fresh carrot juice. Enough half a cup on an empty stomach once a day for 7-10 days. You can also snack on raw carrots.
• Beet juice. It is given on an empty stomach. It is recommended to alternate it with carrots, so as not to cause a violation of the chair.
• nuts. A few pieces a day will be enough for a child.
• Pineapple. Fresh fruit, not canned, is a delicious and effective remedy.
• citrus fruits. You can add berries and sour fruits to their "company".

Prevention

Regardless of the type of worm, prevention boils down to 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, the products can be poured with boiling water.
2. Clean hands. You must wash them before eating, after walking, visiting the hospital and being in public places, after going to the toilet and playing with animals, even pets.
3. Deworming of pets. It must be done at least twice a year.
4. Boiled or filtered drinking water. It is forbidden to drink water from open reservoirs. Swimming in them should also be avoided to prevent splashed water from entering the mouth. Salt lakes and seas are an exception.
5. Regular prevention with the help of folk remedies.
6. Caring for old and new toys. Soft toys should be washed occasionally, plastic and plastic should be washed with boiled water. The new ones, before giving them to the child, must be poured with boiling water.
7. No insects! Flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches carry helminth eggs on their paws. It is important to prevent them from entering the house. To do this, you can use fumigators, adhesive tapes and special crayons.
8. Exclusion from the child's diet of fish and meat dishes that require low roasting of animal products.
9. Stool analysis once a year. This procedure will help detect worms at an early stage.