Symptoms that signal worms in children. Don't delay your treatment!

Most often, worms appear in children of preschool and elementary school age. Where do worms come from? The main cause of helminthic invasion in children is improper hygiene. Young children do not always wash their hands, they like to put their fingers in their mouths, chew their nails and eat unwashed fruits and vegetables. The development of a helminthic invasion occurs when a person has weakened immunity. The immune system in children is just being formed, it is not able to cope with a large number of foreign substances. Signs of worms in children resemble symptoms of intoxication or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Why are worms dangerous for a child's body? They damage the internal organs, suck out nutrients, cause inflammation. Toxins that helminths secrete affect the baby's nervous system. You can get rid of worms with the help of traditional and traditional medicine.

Types of worm diseases in children

Helminths in children are quite common, especially in preschool age. The risk of infection is always at a high level. The child can become infected in kindergarten, on the playground or through contact with animals. In addition, children often neglect to wash their hands after using the toilet before eating.

what are wormsWorms are a huge group of parasitic worms. They can live in the gut, liver, airways, some can affect the heart and brain. The main types of worms in children:

1. Roundworms - the most numerous class of human parasites, includes pinworms, roundworms, hookworms and trichinella.
2. Tapeworms - the class includes beef and pork tapeworm (tapeworm), Echinococcus.
3. Trematodes are digene flukes that include schistosomes, opisthorchis, flukes (liver and cat).

In addition, parasitic diseases are caused by protozoa (protists) - unicellular organisms; Giardia or amoebas parasitize in the human intestine.

Diseases in children caused by parasites have different degrees of danger, but have similar symptoms. The vast majority of roundworms parasitize in the gastrointestinal tract, are found in the contents of the duodenum, in feces. The source of food for worms is digested food (mostly carbohydrates), sometimes blood. Helminthiases in children have symptoms similar to those of an eating disorder or gastrointestinal disease.

The most common types of helminthiasis in children

Children are much more susceptible to worm infestation than adults. The most common worm diseases in children:

1. Enterobiasis (pinworm infection).
2. Ascariasis (Ascaris invasion).
3. Giardiasis (Giardia invasion).

Pinworms only live in the intestines. Migrating roundworm larvae invade the respiratory tract, liver and heart. Giardia very commonly causes liver and gallbladder disease, although it cannot survive in these organs. Are these diseases contagious?

Enterobiosis is transmitted from person to person through shaking hands, contact with household items used by the patient.

Ascariasis and giardiasis can also be transmitted from the baby to other family members under certain conditions.

enterobiasis

The main cause of pinworm infections is dirty hands. In addition, parasite eggs can get into the baby's body if he eats poorly washed fruit. Signs of infection with worms appear 3-4 weeks after infection. A characteristic sign of enterobiasis is itching in the anal area, which occurs during sleep. Unpleasant sensations are caused by the movement of female worms crawling out to lay eggs. With a strong invasion, you can see the worms in a child's feces with the naked eye.

If the baby scratches the anus and then gets its hands in its mouth (which is common in young children), reinfection occurs. Therefore, children should be monitored during treatment for helminthiasis so that they wash their hands regularly and only eat well-processed foods.

ascariasis

Infection with roundworms occurs through unwashed products, insufficiently thermally processed meat, through contact with animals. Parasites enter the baby's body in the form of eggs and larvae. The eggs develop in the intestines, the larvae begin to migrate through the blood and lymphatic system. They reach the liver, right ventricle, and lungs. These organs receive a regular and plentiful supply of oxygen, which is so important for larvae to grow into adults. From the lungs, the larvae enter the bronchi, the trachea, cough out and are swallowed with saliva into the stomach. The cycle of movement continues until the larva grows.

With worms in children, in addition to the typical symptoms, there may be an intense cough. Helminthiasis in children is detected using a co-program and specific blood tests.

giardiasis

Giardiasis in a child develops when more than 10 cysts enter the body. Cysts are immobile, environmentally resistant life forms of lamblia, which develop into reproductive individuals under favorable conditions. Motile protists can only live under conditions created only in the human small intestine.

Developmental Stages Of Giardia Invasion In Humans:

1. Cysts from the oral cavity pass into the stomach, and then into the duodenum. The protective capsule is destroyed, two Giardia are released.
2. Giardia eat simple carbohydrates, multiply by longitudinally dividing the cell in half.
3. Part of the parasites get into the large intestine, where they can only exist in the form of cysts.
4. During defecation, the cysts come out and get into the external environment.

Giardia cysts can be found in water, vegetables, fruits, meat, and household surfaces. They are very stubborn, they are difficult to destroy with ordinary detergents. The risk of human-to-human transmission is low.

Typical symptoms of helminthiasis in children

The first signs of worms appear 2-4 weeks after infection. Worm infestation in children can occur in acute or latent form. If the parasite population is small, the baby may not feel uncomfortable.

The main symptoms of worms in children:

1. Abdominal pain of different localization and intensity, manifested by seizures.
2. Stool disorders, diarrhea and constipation.
3. nausea, vomiting.
4. Reduced or, conversely, brutal appetite.
5. intestinal dysbacteriosis.
6. Loss of energy, dizziness.
7. Sleep disorders.
8. Dermatitis.
9. Pallor of the skin, blue circles under the eyes.
10. Girls can develop urinary incontinence.

Dermatitis (rash, redness, itchy skin) is the result of an allergic reaction to toxins released by helminths. Harmful substances also affect the state of the nervous system. Children look tired, become irritable, moody.

Acute infection is accompanied by helminth symptoms in children - fever, vomiting, diarrhea.

Tests for helminths in children

How to recognize worms in a child? Worm infestation in children is difficult to determine based on the clinical picture. Symptoms of different helminthiases are similar to each other. The detection of worms takes place with the help of well-established as well as new methods of laboratory diagnostics.

1. Histological analysis of feces allows you to check for the presence of worm eggs in feces.
2. Microscopic examination of swabs from the anus (helps to detect enterobiasis).
3. Analysis of the contents of the duodenum. Worms or protozoa can be found in the contents of the duodenum.
4. General blood test with leukocyte formula. Indirect signs of the presence of worms are an increased level of eosinophils and anemia.
5. Serological tests for antibodies to helminth antigens.
6. Analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

PCR is the most reliable and sensitive method for diagnosing helminth invasion. Blood, feces, scrapings are suitable for analysis. The study determines the presence of foreign DNA in a biological sample. The efficiency of the histological co-program is lower than that of PCR and ELISA.

Principles of treating helminthic invasions

How to get rid of worms in children? The method of treatment depends on the type and degree of helminthic invasion. Helminthiases are usually treated conservatively (without surgery), but surgery is done to remove hydatid cysts.

Treatment of worms in children consists of several stages:

1. Preparing the body for the treatment.
2. Actually therapy, taking anthelmintics.
3. Recovery of the body after illness and taking medication. It is necessary to normalize the functioning of the nervous system, increase immunity and eliminate intestinal dysbacteriosis.

The treatment usually lasts about three months. Before starting therapy, you need to accurately determine whether the child has worms. The treatment is prescribed and controlled by a doctor.

Drug therapy of worm diseases in children

An integrated approach will help to completely cure any type of helminthiasis without harming the body. You can treat worms in a child with certain medications:

1. anthelmintics. These include antiparasitics, which differ in spectrum and principle of action. Appointed depending on the type of invasion. It is more convenient for the baby to take the drug in the form of a suspension.
2. sorbents. Bind toxins, accelerate the elimination of worms from the body. Only precisely defined doses of sorbents may be taken, since otherwise severe indigestion can occur.
3. antiallergics. Help relieve symptoms of allergy to helminth waste products.
4. hepatoprotectors. Assign during the recovery period. Helps normalize liver function.
5. enzyme preparations. Restore normal digestion.

In the treatment of enterobiasis, the patient is also prescribed enemas. If the baby is prone to constipation, the doctor will prescribe baby laxatives. It is important to have regular bowel movements so that parasites and toxins are eliminated from the body. It is impossible to take medicines uncontrollably, since there is a possibility of side effects.

Traditional medicine for worms

It is undesirable to use traditional medicine to treat helminthiasis in children. They do not kill the worms or help remove them from the body. Folk remedies can only be used in combination with drug treatment.

How to remove worms from a child using folk methods? Here are some of the most common recipes:

1. Pumpkin seed. Contains components that interfere with the normal functioning of worms, remove toxins. Peeled seeds (100 g) are crushed and poured with olive oil (100 ml). The tincture is given to the child for three days before meals (three hours). The treatment is repeated after 2 days. Pumpkin seeds can be boiled in milk (15 seeds in 1 glass). The remedy is given to the baby to drink before lunch.

2. mix garlic. A few cloves of garlic (2-3) need to be grated on a fine grater and mixed with a little water until smooth. For a small child, garlic gruel is mixed with a spoonful of milk or orange juice and drunk before bedtime.
3. onion in oil. 100 grams of onion is chopped, covered with a teaspoon of salt and poured with 50 ml of sunflower or olive oil. The mixture is given to the baby at bedtime for five days in a row.

Beet and carrot juice and echinacea tincture will help strengthen the child's immunity. Restore the nervous system - chamomile tea. Chamomile is also used for enemas for enterobiasis.

Folk remedies are contraindicated in children with peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, pancreatitis, a tendency to allergies. And before you start testing "grandmother's recipes" on a child, of course, first consult a pediatrician and a parasitologist, otherwise the result of such therapy can be the most unpredictable.

Dietary supplements and homeopathy for worms

The internet is full of advertisements for biologically active additives (BAA) and homeopathic remedies that claim to completely eliminate worms. Reviews of the funds are extremely positive.

Why can't supplements be used to treat worms in a child? Biologically active dietary supplements help to normalize metabolism, increase the body's resistance, improve the functioning of internal organs, but do not get rid of parasites. They can only be used in combination with conventional medicines.

Homeopathic preparations consist of a complex of natural extracts. They also have no harmful effect on worms. But they can increase immunity, restore metabolism. In many countries it is now forbidden to prescribe homeopathic medicines because of their ineffectiveness.

Prevention of worm diseases in children

Prevention of the occurrence of helminthiasis in children includes simple measures:

1. Hygiene. Parents should ensure that the child washes their hands regularly, takes a bath or shower, does not bite their nails and does not put toys in their mouth.
2. Sufficient heat treatment of meat and fish.
3. Regular scraping with enterobiosis (this procedure is carried out in kindergarten).
4. Healthy sleep, compliance with the daily routine.
5. Balanced nutrition.
6. take vitamins.

Drug prophylaxis should be carried out if cases of infection are recorded in a kindergarten or school, or if one of the family members or a pet has become infected.

Symptoms of helminths in children are easily confused with manifestations of food poisoning, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. How to find out if a child has worms, the doctor will tell you. Children can be treated for worms after making an accurate diagnosis under the close supervision of a specialist. Caring parents should understand that the health of young children is entirely in their hands.