Ascarids are parasites that, after ingestion into the human body, cause such a nematode helminth disease as ascariasis. They parasitize in the small intestine and resemble earthworms in appearance. After the ascarids get into the body, adults have various symptoms of such pathology. Basically, they depend on the stage of the disease.
Symptoms of the larval stage of ascaridosis
The larval stage of ascariasis, which occurs immediately after infection with ascarids, is characterized by 2 types of symptoms:
- toxic allergic;
- inflammatory.
To toxicoallergic features include weakness, lethargy of neuropsychic reactions and headaches. Some patients also experience episodic nausea and allergic dermatosis. Inflammatory symptoms after the ascaris enters the human body are manifested when the larvae attack the broncho-alveolar cells. These signs include coughing and fever.
Symptoms of the migratory stage of ascaridosis
In some adults, there are no signs of ascarids in the migration phase. But most patients have a dry cough with mucous or mucocutaneous mucus purulent sputum. In this case, the color of the secretion can be saturated with orange with veins of blood.
With massive admission of ascarids in the lungs, symptoms occur, such as wheezing and bronchial obstruction. Distinctive features of ascaridosis in this phase are an increase in the liver, lymph nodes and spleen and skin allergic reactions on the feet or hands. There are cases when infiltrates occur in the lungs (small accumulations of cells with impurities of blood and lymph). Usually, such changes remain for 3 weeks, and then completely disappear.
Symptoms of late stage ascariasis
When the ascarid worms enter the intestine, symptoms of dyspepsia develop. The patient's diarrhea is replaced by constipation, signs of typhoid fever appear and meteorism is observed. In this phase, patients often complain of abdominal pain, lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting. They sharply grow thin, look exhausted and sick and very quickly become tired. Pain in the abdomen, as a rule, is localized on the right in the ileum or near the navel. It has a cramping character. Simultaneously with pain, itching can occur in the anus.
From the side of the nervous system in a man, such ascarid symptoms often appear, as:
- hysterical fits;
- anxious dreams;
- insomnia;
- epileptiform convulsions;
- meningism.
Some patients experience extremely rapid mental fatigue and severe dizziness. In rare cases, changes occur on the part of the visual system:
- photophobia ;
- amblyopia;
- increased pupils;
- anisocoria.
In many patients, blood pressure drops. Sometimes the presence of ascarids leads to the development of bronchial asthma and anemia due to disruption in the process of assimilation of trace elements and other nutrients. If you do not start treatment, the symptoms listed above are complicated by recurrent stomatitis, various purulent diseases of the skin or mucous membranes.
During the migration, ascarids can mechanically injure the wall of the bowel. With massive infection at a late stage, this can lead to
- biliary colic;
- mechanical jaundice;
- purulent cholecystitis;
- granulomatous hepatitis;
- abscess of the liver;
- peritonitis ;
- intestinal obstruction.