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Parasites in children

According to medical statistics, 2 million have a history of parasitic infestation. Sales statistics of the means to treatment suggests that in fact the parasite affects at least 22 million people in Russia. Approximately 80% of this number is children of preschool and younger school age. Medicine 342 known species of parasites, of which about 70 are found in the territory of our country. The danger of this disease is that it is not always possible to put the child an accurate diagnosis according to the existing symptoms.

The content of the article:


The types of parasites affecting man

Pathogens invasion, for which the person is an intermediate or primary host:

  • Nematodes or roundworms – pinworms (enterobiasis pathogens), roundworm (ascariasis pathogens), Trichinella (causative agents of trichinosis), whipworm (trichuriasis causative agent), they are more likely than other types, are diagnosed in children.

  • Cestodes, or tapeworms – beef tapeworm (pathogen teniarinhose), pork tapeworm (the causative agent of teniasis), dwarf or rat tapeworm (the causative agent of gimenolepidoz), a tapeworm (the causative agent of difillobotrioz), Echinococcus.
  • Flukes, or worms-flukes – cat or Siberian Fluke (the causative agent of opisthorchiasis), shistosoma, the liver Fluke (the causative agent of fascioliasis).

Localization of all these parasites in children – not only the intestines but also the liver, lungs, muscle, heart, brain, gall bladder. In the body, they migrate through the blood vessels with blood flow.


How is the infection and why?

Most often in Russia and in Ukraine recorded cases of infection by nematodes (pinworms, Ascaris), whipworm less. The disease caused by tapeworms andworms-flukes, not typical for this region. From 2 to 5 % of reported cases of infestation with these parasites account for the effects of travel to exotic countries, contacts with infected animals, eat not fried and boiled meat and fish, as well as for gross violation of sanitary rules. A large proportion of the diseases in this group have a wide lentetsa infestation through consumption of fried river fish.

Pinworms and roundworm enter the body from dirty hands, not well washed after contact with animals, visiting the toilet, before eating and after contact with the digestive system of particles of soil from poorly washed vegetables, fruit, greens. Dangerous contact with infected nematodes man, using together with him the same household items. The eggs of these parasites can enter the body of healthy people with bills and coins, door handles and seats of public transport.

Even after careful treatment enterobiasis there is a risk of samsarajade. Reinvite happens after the cured carrier pinworms once again brings their eggs in the oral cavity after the contact with everyday objects, where they were with his own hands after scratching the anal area.

The younger preschoolers due to their age up to 5-6 years may not be able to comply with the rules of personal hygiene, but they are extremely active. Kindergartens, playrooms in shopping malls, playgrounds outdoor areas of concentration neg. An additional factor of the lung infestation of children– increased susceptibility of the child's body due to the imperfections of the protective barriers of the digestive system.

The wide spread of this disease among children is due to delayed and imperfect diagnosis of parasitic infestations. Softly expressed symptoms of infection, their similarity with other diseases, prevent the parents time to determine the real cause of poor health of the child.

When pinworms female pinworms not every day descends into the rectum in order to lay eggs. Therefore, scraping on enterobiasis in some cases, it may be falsely negative even in the presence of pinworms in the intestine. To detect the disease when a minor infestation, requires a three-fold analysis: first, every night, for the third time - after 2 weeks.

The factors of increased risk of ascariasis and enterobiasis in children:

  • A rare change of underwear (that is, not to change it daily, better to do it 2 times a day, it's important to change panties in the morning);
  • Unsanitary living conditions, flies and cockroaches in the house, wherethe child is held.
  • The child's contact with animals – possible carriers of eggs and larvae on wool;
  • The lack of habit to wash hands after a walk, before eating, after using the toilet;
  • Negative addictions child to nibble nails, sucking a pencil, toys, household items;
  • If the child has a long and dirty nails;
  • Lack of hygienic handling of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and the use of these products in food.

Common signs of parasites in the body

Some species of parasites in children for many years might not show noticeable symptoms manifest only at decrease in immunity. The researchers involved in their study, in the last century put forward the theory that these pathogens are the cause of many pathologies, including cancer.

It is difficult to find the child, free from carriers of viruses, larvae and eggs of parasites, pathogens. They damage vital activity of the child with toxins, physical damage to tissues and organs, causing serious illness.

Common symptoms of intoxication appeared in adults and children due to parasitic infestation:

  • Headache, dizziness;

  • Nausea, increased salivation;
  • Alternation of constipation and diarrhea;

  • Various allergies;
  • Excessive appetite, weight gain, or, conversely, his absence;
  • Abdominal pain or right hypochondrium of varying intensity;
  • Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx (sinusitis, adenoids, sinusitis, nasal polyps), diseases of the genital organs;
  • Brittle nails and hair, as a consequence of vitamin deficiency and iron deficiency anemia;
  • Nervous system disorders (irritability, insomnia or drowsiness, cognitive impairment, memory impairment) due to increased concentration of toxins;
  • Symptoms of anemia (reduced hemoglobin levels, increased number of eosinophils), recorded in the results of blood tests;
  • Allergy and intoxication, increasing after vaccination.
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Pinworms – enterobiasis pathogens having a small size (not more than 1 cm). Media enterobiasis can carry the eggs of pinworms on clothes, door handles, household items, toys. The viability of the pinworm is quite large. For them fatal exposure to ultraviolet radiation, boiling. Disinfectants are not always able to produce complete disinfection of the infected pinworms objects. The path of human infection by enterobiasis – fecal-oral. From the oral cavity of the eggs of pinworms get into the digestive tract for 2 weeks reach sexual maturity. After this the female starts to lay eggs.

The characteristic symptom of enterobiasis is itching in the area of the anus. He appears at night when the baby keeps warm under a blanket, and his muscles relax. Due to this, the female freely enters the anus of the baby, lays in skin folds to 5 thousand eggs. The child unconsciously scratching at irritated skin, while the eggs get under fingernails, on clothes, underwear and bed linen, the skin of the hands.

Additional symptoms of enterobiasis in children:

  • Itching in the anus leads to violations of children's sleep (anxiety, insomnia, intermittent, restless sleep);
  • Weight loss differences between indicators of body weight of the child from age norms;
  • Fatigue, irritability, anxiety, moodiness, body dysmorphic disorder, lack of focus;
  • Enuresis, often manifested in girls, caused due to irritation of the urethra pinworm;
  • Vulvovaginitis other inflammatory diseases of the vagina provoked by the penetration of pinworms, the possible infection and inflammation of the fallopian tubes;
  • Acute appendicitis, the cause of which is the concentration of pinworms in the cecum;
  • Presumably gnashing of teeth in young children at night;
  • Dyspeptic symptoms are alternating constipation and diarrhea, enterocolitis, prolonged, nausea, pain in the navel area;
  • A significant drop in the immune system in children due to impaired absorption of nutrients and vitamins, decrease in hemoglobin levels, frequently recurring infectious and viral diseases with a protracted course;
  • Symptoms of intoxication – weakness, frequent dizziness and headaches,nausea, drop of body weight.


Signs of ascariasis in a child

According to statistics of laboratory investigations for the presence of parasitic infections, we can conclude that about 80% of preschool children were treated or are currently undergoing treatment for infestation by parasites. Infection of this kind is a very serious problem, because the growing organism is deprived of the most part, so the necessary nutrients, affects the internal organs of the child, he is exposed to intoxication.

With such a dangerous infestations like ascariasis, his agents are striking in almost all the organs: the brain, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, liver and gall bladder, heart and pancreas. Ascariasis is transmitted by the fecal-oral route, when the eggs from the soil fall into the mouth and further to the digestive system. Predisposing factors – contact with soil and sand, poor hygiene, the consumption of greens, vegetables and fruits with the food particles, flies as carriers of eggs.

Eggs of Ascaris caught in the mouth and then into the small intestine, develop in it and become larvae. Through the blood Ascaris larvae migrate to liver, lungs, heart. Ascariasis is manifested in children low grade fever (up to 38°C), weakness, cough with blood, malaise, symptoms of obstructive bronchitis, asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia. X-ray examination diagnoses moving pulmonary infiltrates.

At the initial stage of the disease in children is diagnosed swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver and spleen. The characteristic symptom of ascariasis allergic urticaria on the skin of the hands and feet, dermatitis.

In the intestinal phase of ascariasis, beginning 3 months after the introduction of the infection, roundworm moves into the intestine. This occurs when children swallow phlegm from the lungs, containing a huge number of larvae. Symptoms of contact with parasites in the intestine disorders of the digestive system (spasmodic abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, alternating constipation and diarrhea, skin irritation of the anus). At the lower long-term result of this disease the immune system can resist infections, purulent processes of skin and mucous membranes, recurrent stomatitis.

The toxic effect of waste products of Ascaris affects the nervous system. Children have mental disorders andnervous system: sleep disturbance, seizures, type of epileptic seizures. Can manifest themselves symptoms such as drop in blood pressure, photophobia, enlarged pupils. Complications of ascariasis are characterized by severe course. This peritonitis, acute appendicitis, mechanical jaundice, and bowel obstruction, resulting from the fact that roundworm close the lumen of the intestine and bile ducts.


Other signs of parasitic infestations

Opisthorchiasis (the causative agent of cat or Siberian Fluke) – disorders of digestive system, hepatitis, enlarged liver, abdominal pain in the right hypochondrium, skin rash, Allergy, myocardial dystrophy, swollen lymph nodes, catarrhal syndrome, joint pain, low grade fever, disorders of the blood (increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, eosinophils, decreased hemoglobin).

Trihozefalez (pathogen – whipworm) symptoms in children minimum, may occur dyspepsia, diarrhea mixed with blood, alternating with constipation, bloating, vomiting, massive prolonged infestation is diagnosed the backlog of children in physical and mental development.

Difillobotrioz (pathogen – Diofillobotrium a tapeworm latum), provoked by eating fish, not held a full heat treatment is manifested intestinal disorders, allergies, anemia with deficiency of vitamin B12.

Gimenolepidoz (pathogen – rat, or dwarf tapeworm) – has no specific symptoms, may be manifested by disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (pain, indigestion, alternating diarrhea and constipation, nausea, reduced appetite), allergic and vasomotor rhinitis, fatigue.

Toxocariasis (pathogen – Toxocara transmitted to children of infected cats and dogs) – pronounced Allergy symptoms (cough, dyspnea, facial edema, fever, skin rashes), injuries of the eye (keratitis, ophthalmic, horioretinit), enlarged liver, lymph nodes, x-ray images – lung infiltrates.

How you get rid of parasites in a child?

For the removal of parasites in children the pharmaceutical industry produces a large number of anti-parasitic drugs high degreeefficiency. Almost all of them have a toxic effect on the body child, they are admitted solely on the recommendation of an infectious disease physician, parasitologist. Treatment is based on diagnosis, which determines the kind of infection. Despite the fact that there are means of complex action, to expel a specific type may require specific medications.

For the relief of toxic effect of waste products of parasites in children, manifested as allergic reactions, the doctor prescribes antihistamines. In Pediatrics this purpose shall be subject to effective and safe medicines in the form of drops or suspension (the side effects of the drug, Cethrin, Zyrtec, Loratadin).

Effective treatment for infestations of nematodes children:

The name of the medication

Features,models and price

Pyrantel

Parvini, Helmintox (90-130 rubles), Nemocid, Pyrantel-Combantrin - this group of drugs are less toxic for children.

Albendazole

Albendazole - Worm, Nematol (130-150 rubles), Elmodel-VM

Mebendazole

Mebendazole - Vermoxum (90-100 rubles), Vermeer, Mebex, Thermax, Vero Mebendazole, Vermin (20-30 rubles) - preparations, effectively acting as adults and their eggs and larvae, are used to treat severe infestations;

Piperazine

Has a minimum of contraindications;

Levamisole

Dekaris (80-100 rubles).

In most cases, the enterobiasis to prevent samsarajade conducted a second course of therapy. Periodicity of courses of treatment – 2 weeks.

Popular recipes eliminate the parasites in children (the use of garlic andpumpkin seeds) can serve as ancillary or preventive remedy. The main treatment of infestation is carried out medicines.


Prevention of infestation with parasites

  • Prolonged heat treatment of meat and fish dishes.
  • A thorough wash of greens, berries, fruits, vegetables.
  • The insect vector control eggs and larvae (flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes).
  • Preventive treatment against parasites that are regularly held in domestic animals.
  • Washing hands with soap after contact with animals, soil, sand, after visiting the toilet, before eating.
  • Treatment of nipple toys before giving them to the baby and after falling on the floor, on the ground.
  • Struggle with bad habits: sucking pencils, pens, fingers, biting nails.
  • Careful nail care, a timely reduction in the content of their purity.
  • When the disease enterobiasis – use tight panties to prevent the spread of pinworms in bed at night.
  • Ironing children's underwear with a hot iron after washing.
  • In enterobioze often change underwear (2 times a day), hygienic wash with soap and water the anus and the area around it.

3 myths about parasites

The first myth: all Pets – vectors. With this statement I do not agree pet owners. They believe that their pet is perfectly healthy, and the treatment he needs.

Reality: Any animal, even outwardly healthy in appearance, can become a carrier of the disease (cats, dogs, rodents, decorative).

Myth two: the Prophylactic treatment of parasitic infections in domestic animals is only possible before vaccinations.

Reality: to fully be sure that the pet is quite good, the need to conduct such prevention at least 4 times a year, i.e. quarterly.

Attention: veterinary drugs against parasites cannot be applied to treat a man!

Myth three: To provide cats and dogs with nutrients and uplift the mood of yourpet it is necessary from time to time to feed raw meat.

Reality: the Nutrients in the modern animal feed is balanced and provides all of needs of Pets. Raw meat and fish as a risk factor for infestation.