When a cough due to parasites appears, almost all people think about viral or infectious diseases that affect different parts of the respiratory tract. But there are parasites that cause cough with the same symptoms. Laboratory tests and instrumental examination methods conducted by a therapist or an infectious disease specialist will help to understand the conditions.
Types of parasites that cause whooping cough
The main types of parasitic infection:
- Giardia;
- laughter;
- toxocar;
- roundworms.
Often, the infection is localized in the lower digestive tract, but if left untreated, it can spread to other organs and systems, including parts of the respiratory system.
Ways parasites can migrate:
- with blood flow through the vessels (some worms are small, so they enter the bloodstream through the endothelial wall);
- fecal-oral method (people forget to wash their hands after defecation, so bacteria penetrates the oral cavity while eating);
- through food or water.
Many people do not know that parasite and cough are compatible concepts. Pathogens can penetrate anywhere in the body, causing symptoms of inflammation.
Flukes
The structure of the pathogen is similar to a coffee bean. It has small spikes on its body. At the bottom there are suction cups with which it moves and feeds. All individuals are hermaphrodites, meaning they can reproduce independently. But there are also cross-fertilization options.
The main stages of the life cycle are:
- pond snail;
- larva;
- metacercariae.
It takes no more than 2 days for the helminth to go through all the stages, leading to the beginning of the infection. This is due to the fact that the membrane of the respiratory tract is a favorable environment for the development of flukes.
When the parasite enters the body, symptoms are not immediately apparent. First, microorganisms multiply and spread to tissues.
Giardia
Giardia is the most common cause of cough in children. Pathology also occurs in adults, but rarely.
Giardia are single-celled microorganisms with flagella, which are necessary for movement in tissues. Reproduction occurs by division; their number increases several times within 1 day after infection.
If the pathogen is outside the body, its body is covered with a membrane that helps it survive in the environment. With its help, it can be available in various objects for up to 12 hours. If fed with dairy products, the survival period is extended up to 3 months.
The main way of entering the human body is through the mouth. The main carriers are animals and birds. Giardia is often found in schools and kindergartens. Microorganisms settle on all household items, but only for a short time.
Roundworms and how they affect the respiratory system
The parasite enters the body of the host through faecal-oral contaminated products - this can be food or water. The larva is located in the digestive system and is not affected by gastric juice and other unfavorable factors. Then eggs appear from it with processes that adhere to the intestinal mucosa.
Small worms make holes in the mucous membranes and penetrate the blood through the vascular endothelium. Through it, they spread to the heart, alveoli of the lungs and bronchi. They go through developmental stages in the respiratory tract for 3 weeks.
Cause of cough:
- alveolar tissue damage;
- a strong sensitizing effect, the immune system is activated, sending many lymphocytes to the site of inflammation with the formation of an infiltrate;
- bronchial obstruction, areas of infiltration and accumulation of helminths lead to blockage of various parts of the bronchi;
- During coughing, helminths spread from the bronchi to the pharynx and enter the digestive system again.
This is how chronic disease is formed. Larvae constantly penetrate the respiratory tract and digestive system, causing repeated infection.
Toxocar and their effects on the human body
Toxocarosis is the pathogen that causes toxocarosis. The disease affects humans and animals. Children who go to school get sick more often. Epidemiological peak is observed in summer.
A worm has an egg, larva and adult life cycle. Parasites enter the human body through food, contaminated water, spread in the intestines. When they move to the circulatory system, they move to various organs, including the lungs. They lay eggs in tissues, from which repeated helminthic infestations are formed.
Eggs and larvae enter the environment with animal feces and can even spread from there to water. The parasite is stable in the environment and lives in the soil. Therefore, it remains contagious for years.
The main danger of the pathogen is the possibility of penetration from the pregnant woman to the fetus through the placenta. The infection is also spread through breast milk.
Enterobiosis
Enterobiosis develops as a result of helminths entering the body. The disease occurs only in humans due to the entry of pinworm larvae into the esophagus. Children are most susceptible to the disease due to their weak immune system.
Nematodes, which are roundworms, penetrate the child's body. The maximum length of the parasite is 1 cm. In the body, they spread to all the intestines, lay eggs in the anus; After that, the adults die. Parasites get on the child's underwear, as well as under the fingernails when scratching the anus. The repeated cycle of infection occurs through contaminated hands.
Symptoms:
- anal itching, worst at night;
- redness and inflammation of the anus;
- in complicated cases, eczema and dermatitis occur in the anus;
- sleep disorder;
- bruxism (teeth grinding);
- urinary incontinence;
- cutting pain in abdomen like contractions;
- loss of appetite;
- periodic changes in stool (diarrhea, constipation);
- nausea, vomiting, weight loss;
- in severe cases - developmental disorders;
- emotional instability, increased fatigue and loss of concentration.
When the pathogen enters the respiratory tract,The condition is complicated by symptoms:
- cough, asthma attacks;
- bronchial asthma;
- frequent viral diseases due to the suppression of the immune system.
The parasite spreads not only in the digestive system and the pulmonary system. It can penetrate the genitourinary system. Therefore, girls are often diagnosed with vulvitis and vulvovaginitis.
Opisthorchosis
The causative agent of the disease is a worm from the group of trematodes. It penetrates through the digestive tract into the pulmonary system and liver, causing clinical symptoms.
The pathogen does not immediately pass to a person. The first host is shellfish and the second host is fish. Only then can it migrate to mammals. Larvae enter freshwater bodies and become infected through it.
Symptoms:
- increase in body temperature;
- discomfort in the form of weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, abdominal pain;
- intoxication of the body, manifested as pain in the muscles and joints;
- hepatosplenomegaly;
- dyspeptic disorders;
- bronchial asthma with severe cough and asthma attacks;
- toxic-allergic damage to the brain and heart;
- inflammation of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, pancreas;
- pneumonia, pleurisy.
Lack of treatment results in death.
Paragonimiasis
The causative agent of the disease is trematodes. This is a lung tumor localized mainly in the respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, trachea). It goes through a complex development period. It does not reach people immediately, it develops primarily in the organs of animals. The transmission mechanism is fecal-oral. Eggs fall into the soil with faeces, and then pass into the water.
Symptoms (no symptoms during the first 3 weeks):
- inflammation of the esophagus and liver;
- acute stomach;
- skin rash and itching;
- tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia;
- increase in body temperature to critical values;
- suffocation, cough, hemoptysis;
- increased heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia;
- if the pathogen is in the central nervous system, it is accompanied by meningitis and encephalitis.
A few months after the pathogen enters the human body, the symptoms decrease. With exacerbation, a chronic disease is formed that can develop for many years.
Complications related to the respiratory system as a result of parasitic infestation
If the cough and infection are not treated, the condition gradually worsens and complications develop:
- bleeding of the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tracts;
- tissue necrosis, empyema, cyst, abscess are possible in the lungs, which can only accompany a dry cough;
- if the pathogen moves to the upper parts of the respiratory tract and completely blocks them, suffocation and death occur;
- penetration into the central nervous system accompanied by paralysis, intracerebral hemorrhage, epilepsy;
- Intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, cholangitis, hepatitis occur in the gastrointestinal tract.
Necessary diagnostics
A therapist or infectious disease specialist prescribesWhat diagnostic methods are sufficient to make a diagnosis:
- general clinical analysis of urine and blood, blood biochemistry;
- bacteriological and PCR analysis of sputum;
- scraping from the anus observed under a microscope;
- extended coprogram;
- X-rays of light;
- Abdominal ultrasound.
An increased number of immune cells are detected in the blood. X-rays of the lungs may show lumps that can be mistaken for tuberculosis or cancer. Analysis of sputum and scrapings from the anus reveals helminths.
Treatment and preventive measures
The main method of treatment is antiparasitic drugs taken in several stages.
Use symptomatic therapy using the following agents:
- antihistamines;
- antipyretics;
- pain relievers;
- corticosteroids;
- bronchodilators.
After the first completion of taking anthelmintic drugs, the course is repeated. This is due to the fact that some eggs and larvae can survive by turning back into worms.
If parasites cause a cough, it is not recommended to use syrups to suppress it - it can cause suffocation. For prevention, you should wash your hands, vegetables and fruits often.
Clinical picture
Often the patient is worried about:
- stomach pain;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, stool changes);
- itching in the anus;
- increased body temperature;
- symptoms of respiratory infection with dry or wet cough;
- skin rash, itching.
Parasites that cause cough in children and adults show an atypical pattern in the formation of the disease. It can be easily confused with appendicitis, intestinal infection, bronchitis, pneumonia.
What doctors say about parasites
Doctors advise to be careful especially in summer. At this time, parasites enter the soil and water and actively develop. Therefore, it is recommended not to drink liquids from water bodies, and to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
Experts tell us which parasites cause cough: toxocara, lamblia, flukes. All of them cause a symptom in the form of a cough when they enter the respiratory tract.