When a cough appears due to parasites, almost all people think of viral or infectious diseases that affect different parts of the respiratory tract. But there are parasites that cause a cough with the same symptoms. Laboratory tests and instrumental research methods performed by a therapist or specialist in infectious diseases will help to understand the conditions.
Types of parasites that cause cough
Main types of parasitic infections:
- Giardia;
- flukes;
- taxicab;
- roundworms.
Most often, the infection is localized in the lower parts of the digestive tract, but in the absence of treatment it spreads to other organs and systems, including parts of the respiratory system.
Routes by which parasites can migrate:
- with the flow of blood through the vessels (some worms are small in size, so they penetrate the endothelial wall into the bloodstream);
- fecal-oral method (after defecation, people forget to wash their hands, so when they eat food, bacteria enter the oral cavity);
- through food or water.
Many people do not know that parasites and cough are compatible concepts. Pathogens can penetrate anywhere in the body, causing symptoms of inflammation.
flukes
The structure of the pathogen resembles a coffee bean. It has small spines on its body. There are suction cups on the bottom with which it moves and feeds. All individuals are hermaphrodites, i. e. they can reproduce independently. But there are also options for cross-fertilization.
The main stages of the life cycle go through:
- pond snail;
- larva;
- metacercariae.
The helminth takes no more than 2 days to go through all the stages, causing the infection to begin. 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. Initially, the microorganisms multiply, spreading in the tissues.
Giardia
Giardia is a parasite that most commonly causes coughs in children. In adults, pathology also occurs, but rarely.
Giardia are unicellular microorganisms that have flagella necessary for movement through tissues. Reproduction is by division; within 1 day after infection, their number increases several times.
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 exist up to 12 hours on different objects. If it is fed with dairy products, then the survival time is extended to 3 months.
The main route of entry into the human body is oral. The main carriers are animals and birds. Giardia disease is common in schools and kindergartens. Microorganisms settle on all household items, but for a short time.
Roundworms and how they affect the respiratory system
The parasite enters the host's body through the fecal-oral route through contaminated products - this can be food or water. The larva is located in the digestive tract and is not affected by gastric juice and other adverse factors. After that, eggs appear from it with growths that attach to the intestinal mucosa.
Small worms make holes in the mucous membranes, penetrating through the vascular endothelium into the blood. Through it, they spread to the heart, alveoli of the lungs and bronchi. In the respiratory tract, they go through stages of development over a period of 3 weeks.
Cause of cough:
- alveolar tissue damage;
- 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 into the pharynx and return to the digestive tract.
This is how a chronic disease is formed. Larvae constantly penetrate the respiratory and digestive tracts, forming a repeated infection.
Toxicants and their effects on the human body
Toxocara is the pathogen that causes the disease toxocariasis. The disease affects humans and animals. Children who go to school get sick more often. The epidemiological peak is observed in the summer.
The worm has a life cycle of egg, larva and adult. Parasites enter the human body through food, contaminated water, spreading in the intestines. When they migrate into the circulatory system, they travel to various organs, including the lungs. They lay eggs in the tissues from which repeated helminthic invasions are formed.
Eggs and larvae enter the environment through animal faeces and can even spread to water from there. The parasite is stable in the environment and survives in the soil. Therefore, it remains infectious for years.
The main danger of the pathogen is the possibility of penetration through the placenta from a pregnant woman to the fetus. The infection is also spread through breast milk.
enterobiosis
Enterobiosis develops as a result of the entry of helminths into 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 a weak immune system.
Nematodes, which are round worms, penetrate the child's body. The maximum length of the parasite is 1 cm. In the body, they spread in the intestines, laying eggs in the anus; The adults then die. Parasites get on the child's underwear, as well as under the fingernails when scratching the anus. A 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 appear in the anus;
- sleep disorder;
- bruxism (teeth grinding);
- urinary incontinence;
- cutting pains in abdomen like contractions;
- loss of appetite;
- periodic changes in stools (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 suppression of the immune system.
The parasite spreads not only in the digestive tract and the pulmonary system. It can penetrate the urogenital tract. Because of this, girls are often diagnosed with vulvitis and vulvovaginitis.
opisthorchosis
The causative agent is a worm from the trematode group. It penetrates through the digestive tract into the pulmonary system and liver, causing clinical symptoms.
The pathogen is not immediately transmitted to a person. The first host is shellfish and the second is fish. Only then can it migrate to mammals. Larvae enter fresh water bodies and become infected through them.
Symptoms:
- increase in body temperature;
- malaise in the form of weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, abdominal pain;
- intoxication of the body, which manifests itself as pain in the muscles and joints;
- hepatosplenomegaly;
- dyspeptic disorders;
- bronchial asthma with severe cough and asthma attacks;
- toxic-allergic brain and heart damage;
- inflammation of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, pancreas;
- pneumonia, pleurisy.
Lack of treatment leads to death.
Paragonimosis
The causative agents are trematodes. It is a lung fluke that is mainly localized in the respiratory tract (bronchi, lungs, trachea). It goes through a complex development cycle. It does not immediately reach humans, it first develops in the organs of animals. The transmission mechanism is fecal-oral. The eggs fall into the soil with the feces, then pass into the water.
Symptoms (no symptoms for the first 3 weeks):
- inflammation of the esophagus and liver;
- sharp 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, then this is accompanied by meningitis and encephalitis.
A few months after the penetration of the pathogen into the human body, the symptoms disappear. A chronic disease is formed, which can develop over many years with exacerbations.
Complications of the respiratory system due to parasitic infestations
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 accompany only a dry cough;
- if the pathogen moves to the upper parts of the respiratory tract and blocks them completely, then suffocation and death occur;
- penetration into the central nervous system, accompanied by paralysis, intracerebral hemorrhage, epilepsy;
- Intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, cholangitis and hepatitis form in the gastrointestinal tract.
Needed diagnostics
The therapist or specialist in infectious diseases determinesWhat 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 followed by microscopy;
- extended co-program;
- x-rays of light;
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.
An increased number of immune cells is found 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, which are taken in several stages.
Use symptomatic therapy using the following means:
- antihistamines;
- antipyretics;
- pain relievers;
- corticosteroids;
- bronchodilators.
After the first completion of taking anthelmintic drugs, the course is repeated. This is because 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 often wash your hands, vegetables and fruits.
Clinical picture
Most often, the patient is concerned about:
- stomach pains;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, change in stools);
- itching in the anus;
- increased body temperature;
- signs of respiratory infection with a dry or wet cough;
- rash, itchy skin.
Parasites that cause cough in children and adults show an atypical pattern of disease formation. It can easily be confused with appendicitis, intestinal infection, bronchitis, pneumonia.
What doctors say about parasites
Doctors advise to be especially careful in summer. At this time, the parasites are actively developing, getting into the soil and water. Therefore, it is recommended not to drink liquid from reservoirs and to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables.
Experts tell us what parasites cause cough: toxocara, lamblia, flukes. All of them provoke a symptom in the form of a cough when they enter the respiratory tract.