Symptoms that signal worms in children. Do not delay your treatment!

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

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

Types of helminthiasis in children

Helminths in children appear quite often, especially in preschool age. The risk of infection is still at a high level. The child can contract an infection in kindergarten, on the playground, in contact with animals. Also, children often neglect to wash their hands after going to the bathroom, before eating.

What are worms? Worms are a large group of parasitic worms. They can live in the intestines, liver, respiratory tract, some can affect the heart and brain. The main types of worms in children:

1. Ascaris - the most numerous class of human parasites, includes pinworms, roundworms, hookworms, trichinella.
2. Tapeworms - the class includes bovine and porcine tapeworm (tapeworm), echinococcus.
3. Trematodes are digenetic flukes, these include schistosomes, opisthorchis, flukes (liver and cat).

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

Diseases caused by parasites in children 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 nutrition for worms is digested food (most often carbohydrates), sometimes blood. Helminthiasis in children has symptoms similar to an eating disorder or gastrointestinal disease.

The most common types of helminthiasis in children

Children are much more prone to worm infestations than adults. The most common helminthiasis in children:

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

Pinworms live only in the intestines. Migratory roundworm larvae enter the respiratory tract, liver and heart. Giardia very often causes liver and gallbladder diseases, although they cannot survive inside these organs. Are these diseases contagious?

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

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

Enterobiasis

The main cause of pinworm infection is dirty hands. Also, parasite eggs can enter the baby's body when eating poorly washed fruits. Signs of worm infection appear 3-4 weeks after the date of infection. A characteristic sign of enterobiasis is itching in the anal area, which appears during sleep. Unpleasant sensations are caused by the movement of female worms, which crawl to lay eggs. With a strong infestation, you can see the worms in the feces of a child with the naked eye.

When the baby scratches the anus and then the hands go into the mouth (which is often the case in young children), reinfection occurs. Therefore, during the period of treatment of helminthiasis, children should be monitored so that they regularly wash their hands and eat only well-processed foods.

Ascariasis

Roundworm infection occurs through unwashed products, insufficiently heat-treated meat, 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 pathways. They reach the liver, the right ventricle of the heart, the lungs. These organs are regularly and abundantly supplied with oxygen, so necessary for the larvae to become adults. From the lungs, the larvae enter the bronchi, trachea, cough and are swallowed with saliva in the stomach. The cycle of movements continues until the larva grows.

With worms in children, in addition to typical symptoms, an intense cough may appear. Helminthiasis in children is detected using a coprogram and specific blood tests.

Giardiasis

Giardiasis in a child develops when more than 10 cysts enter the body. Cysts are immobile, resistant to environmental conditions, a form of existence of lamblia, from which, under favorable conditions, individuals capable of reproduction develop. Motile protists can only live under conditions created only in the human small intestine.

Stages of development of Giardia invasion in humans:

1. Oral cavity cysts enter the stomach and then the duodenum. The protective capsule is destroyed, two Giardia are released.
2. Giardia eats simple carbohydrates, multiplies by longitudinal division of the cell in two.
3. Part of the parasites pass into the large intestine, where they can only exist as cysts.
4. During the act of defecation, the cysts come out and enter the external environment.

Giardia cysts can be found in water, vegetables, fruits, meat, household surfaces. They are very tenacious, they are difficult to destroy with conventional 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 an acute or latent form. If the parasite population is small, the baby may not feel any discomfort.

The main symptoms of worms in children:

1. Pain in the abdomen of different localization and intensity, manifested by convulsions.
2. Stool disorders, diarrhea and constipation.
3. Nausea Vomiting.
4. Reduced or on the contrary brutal appetite.
5. Intestinal dysbacteriosis.
6. Loss of energy, dizziness.
7. Sleep disorders.
8. Dermatitis.
9. Pale 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 that helminths release. Harmful substances also affect the state of the nervous system. Children look tired, become irritable, capricious.

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

Tests for helminths in children

How to identify worms in a child? Worm infestations in children are difficult to determine by the clinical picture. Symptoms of different helminthiasis are similar to each other. Detection of worms is carried out using both proven and new laboratory diagnostic methods.

1. Histological analysis of feces allows you to check the presence of helminth eggs in feces.
2. Microscopic examination of scrapings from the anus (helps to recognize enterobiasis).
3. Analysis of the contents of the duodenum. In the duodenal contents, worms or protozoa can be found.
4. General blood test with leukocyte formula. Indirect signs of the presence of worms are an increase in the level of eosinophils and anemia.
5. Serological tests for antibodies against helminth antigens.
6. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis.

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

Principles of treatment of helminthic invasions

How to get rid of worms in children? The method of treatment depends on the type and degree of helminthic invasion. Usually, helminthiasis is treated conservatively (without surgery), but an operation is performed to remove echinococcus cysts.

The treatment of worms in children consists of several stages:

1. Preparing the body for treatment.
2. In fact, therapy, taking anthelmintic drugs.
3. Recovery of the body after illness and medication. It is necessary to normalize the functioning of the nervous system, increase immunity, get rid of intestinal dysbacteriosis.

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

Drug treatment of helminthiasis in children

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

1. Anthelmintic drugs. They include antiparasitic drugs that differ in spectrum and principle of action. Named according to the type of invasion. It will be more convenient for the baby to take the medicine in the form of a suspension.
2. Absorbents. Bind toxins, accelerate the elimination of worms from the body. Only strictly defined doses of absorbents can be taken, otherwise serious digestive disorders may occur.
3. Antiallergic agents. Helps relieve symptoms of helminth waste allergies.
4. Hepatoprotectors. Assign during 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 has a tendency to constipation, the doctor will prescribe baby laxatives. It is important to provide regular bowel movements so that parasites and toxins are eliminated from the body. It is impossible to take medication uncontrollably, as there is a risk of side effects.

Traditional medicine against worms

Traditional medicine is undesirable for the treatment of helminthiasis in children. They do not kill worms or help eliminate them from the body. Folk remedies can only be used in combination with drug therapy.

How to remove worms from a child with folk methods? Some of the most common recipes are:

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

2. Garlic mix. A few cloves of garlic (2-3) should be rubbed on a fine grater, mixed with a small amount of water until smooth. For a small child, garlic porridge is mixed with a spoonful of milk or orange juice, to drink before bedtime.
3. Onion in oil. 100 grams of onion is chopped, covered with a teaspoon of salt, poured with 50 ml of sunflower or olive oil. The mixture is given to the baby for five days in a row before going to bed.

Beet-carrot juice, tincture of echinacea will help increase the immunity of the child. Restore the nervous system - chamomile tea. Chamomile is also used for enemas for enterobiasis.

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

Food supplements and homeopathy for worms

The internet is full of advertisements for biologically active additives (BAAs) and homeopathic remedies that manufacturers claim will eliminate worms completely. Reviews of the funds are overwhelmingly positive.

Why can't dietary supplements be used to treat worms in a child? Biologically active dietary supplements help 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 traditional medicines.

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

Prevention of helminthiasis in children

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

1. Hygiene. Parents should make sure that the child regularly washes his hands, takes a bath or shower, does not bite his nails, does not take toys in his mouth.
2. Sufficient heat treatment of meat and fish.
3. Regular scraping for enterobiosis (this procedure is carried out in kindergarten).
4. Healthy sleep, adherence to daily routine.
5. Balanced diet.
6. Take vitamins.

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

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