Official site NEOflorax
Switzerland (en)
Flag (Switzerland)

What types of worms do humans have?

The cause of many diseases and poor health is helminth infection.Many different types of worms can enter the human body.Their size varies from the smallest millimeter to 16–18 meters.Parasitic on all organs and tissues, they cause great harm to health.To protect yourself from infestation (infection), you should know what types of worms there are and understand how you can become infected with each type of parasite.

parasites from the human body

Types of worms - what kind of parasites live in the human body

Depending on the location of the parasite in the body and the characteristics of infection, parasites are divided into many types.

Classification of worms depending on their position in the human body:

  1. intestinal tractis a type of worm that lives in the digestive tract, mainly in the small intestine.Sometimes they invade other organs.This group includes tapeworms and roundworms.
  2. Outside the intestines– Develop, live and reproduce in many different organs outside the intestine.They can be localized in the lungs, eyes, brain and liver.This group includes flatworms.
worms from the human body

Classification of worms according to the way they enter the human body:

  1. infectious- Transmitted from sick person to healthy person through contact.Another source of infection is household items: towels, toys.Representatives of this species are dwarf tapeworms and pinworms.
  2. Biological helminths– transmitted through contact with animals, by eating contaminated meat that has not been adequately heat treated.To become dangerous to humans, these parasites must live for a certain period of time in the body of an animal that is an intermediate host.This species includes beef and pig tapeworms.
  3. Helminth disease– part of the life cycle is spent in the human body and part in the soil.This is a necessary condition for their development.You can get infected by improperly washing vegetables and fruits.This group includes roundworms and trichinae.

Depending on their biological characteristics, helminths are divided into three types - roundworms, tapeworms and flukes.

tapeworms from the human body

Roundworms (nematodes)

Roundworms are so called because their bodies are round in cross section.These parasites are most commonly found in children's bodies.This category includes:

  1. Pinworms– parasitic in the large intestine and small intestine.Their body length does not exceed 1 cm.Most often, pinworm infections affect children.These parasites live for 1–2 months.If you strictly follow personal hygiene, you can recover even without medication.If you do not comply, you can self-infect yourself many times.
  2. Roundworm– Worms up to 45 cm long, parasitic in the small intestine.They can move freely in the intestines.Their lifespan is 14 months.During this period, they release toxins into the blood, systematically poisoning the body.
  3. roundworm- worms, with a body length of 3–4 cm.They parasitize the colon and cecum, burrowing deep into the mucous membrane to suck blood.Very toxic.They live up to 5 years.
  4. Trichinella– a parasite 3–4 mm long, which can be infected through meat that has not been sufficiently heat-treated.Helminths live in many different organs, residing in the muscles of the eyes, heart and lungs.Lifespan up to 2 years.
  5. Hookworm and negator– have similar biological characteristics, development cycles and parasitic methods, so they are grouped under the same name "hookworm".These helminths are 10–15 mm long, localized in the duodenum.They enter the human body through the skin when exposed to contaminated soil.They suck blood by biting into blood vessels, leading to iron deficiency anemia.This parasite is difficult to identify.
trichinella from the human body

Tapeworms (cestodes)

Tapeworms have flat bodies, divided into many segments.As the worm grows, the worm segments separate from the body and are excreted in the stool.These ribbon-shaped individuals can grow up to 20 m long.They are parasitic in the intestines, where they attach to the intestinal wall with suction cups.

To infect humans, tapeworms must go through one of several stages of development in the animal's body.

These parasites live in the body for many years.Representatives of this group:

  1. Broad tapeworm- reaches a length of up to 20 m.It parasitizes in the small intestine, causing serious dysfunction of the digestive tract.You can become infected by eating meat from freshwater fish and crayfish that have not been heat-treated.
  2. Beef tapeworm- a worm 6–12 m long.Lives in the small intestine, attached by suction cups to its mucous membrane.The source of infection is beef that has not been properly heat treated.
  3. Pork tapeworm– a parasite up to 2 m long, entering the body through raw or poorly processed pork.Attaches to the wall of the small intestine.
  4. Echinococcus– a parasite that can be transmitted by dogs and cats.Humans are the intermediate hosts of this type of helminth, so when entering the body, the larvae will penetrate tissues, any organs and form Echinococcal cysts.They can only be removed surgically.
  5. alveoli- a type of Echinococcus bacteria.This very dangerous type of helminth can live in any organ but is mainly parasitic in the liver.They actively grow and develop according to the principle of metastatic cancer, gradually infecting the entire body.Worms can be removed surgically.
pork tapeworm from humans

Trematodes (trematodes)

Trematodes are a type of worm that parasitizes any organ and tissue.They eat epithelial cells.They reach a length of 1.5 m.The body is shaped like a leaf.The route of infection is eating fish and seafood raw or after insufficient heat treatment.This category includes:

  1. Liver flukes– a worm 7–20 mm long.Parasites in the liver and bile ducts.Stimulates the development of serious diseases and dysfunctions.
  2. Fluke– a worm 4–13 mm long, located in the gallbladder.
flukes in the gallbladder

Symptoms - signs of worms in humans

How exactly helminthiasis manifests itself depends on the type of worms that have infected the body and their number.Main symptoms of helminth infection:

  • diarrhea or constipation;
  • bloating, flatulence;
  • muscle and joint pain;
  • anemia;
  • allergic reaction;
  • dermatitis;
  • weight problems - weight loss or obesity;
  • sleep disorders;
  • nervousness, irritability, depressed state;
  • lethargy, fatigue;
  • cough, respiratory tract infection;
  • weakened immunity.
Insomnia is a symptom of worms in the body

How to determine if there are worms

If symptoms appear indicating the presence of worms, you should see a doctor.The following tests will help identify parasites:

  1. Stool examination.
  2. Blood test.
  3. Study of duodenal secretions.
  4. Analysis of mucus around the anus and rectum.
  5. Ultrasound, CT scan, endoscopy.

You can be confident in the diagnostic results if you carry out the test 3-4 times with an interval of several days.One analysis is not enough to confirm the absence of helminths.

The human body can be affected by one or more types of worms at the same time.All of them, regardless of size, cause serious health problems and are contributors to complex chronic diseases that cannot be cured for many years.To eliminate the risk of infection, it is necessary to periodically carry out diagnostics and preventive treatment.This is especially true for pet owners.