The term "allergy" refers to an altered response of the body to repeated contact with a particular provoking agent.Allergic diseases have spread, especially recently.It is believed that almost half of the world's population suffers from some type of allergy.Its manifestations can be found in people of all ages.
What causes allergies?
Heredity is of great importance in the formation of allergic diseases, but it is important to understand that it is not the disease itself that is inherited, but such features of the immune response that, under certain conditions and influences, lead to the development of allergies.
Redness, severe itching and bronchodilator spasm are considered the most common signs of allergy to parasites.
Some factors that contribute to the development of allergies:
- Pathology of pregnancy in the mother.
- Smoking and other bad habits.
- Poor nutrition.
- Frequent respiratory diseases.
- The presence of foci of chronic infection in the body.
- From the digestive system: biliary dyskinesia, reflux and also helminthiasis.
So, to the question: "Can worms provoke and cause allergies?"The answer is definitely yes.
Which parasites cause allergic reactions?It has been proven that many helminths manifest in this direction, including roundworms, pinworms and echinococci.
What's going on?
The negative impact of parasites is due to their direct effect on the intestinal mucosa and their effect on the immune system.In the acute phase of parasitic infection ─ the first two weeks ─ the body reacts to the parasite non-specifically;in the future, the body's response may vary depending on the type of helminth, its location and the intensity of the invasion.
Worm waste products and toxins cause activation of immunocompetent cells, excessive production of immunoglobulins, especially IgE, and formation of immune complexes.
Directly at the location of the worms, they cause mechanical damage and cause a local inflammatory reaction through the attachment organs: hooks, suction cups.Parasitic cysts, cysticerci ─ helminth larvae, located in internal organs, can mechanically compress the latter.Metabolic processes in the body are interrupted due to the fact that the helminth uses the nutrients of the host.Worms can neutralize digestive enzymes and interfere with absorption.
Allergies are caused by the toxic waste of parasites, which have a depressing effect on the human immune system.
Parasites have a suppressive effect on the immune system, releasing enzymes that break down antibodies or interrupting the interaction of immunocompetent cells.Immunosuppression, on the other hand, leads to chronicity of the process and even more pronounced weakening of the body.
In this case, the parasite avoids the host's immune response in any way possible.For example, some worms use the phenomenon of antigenic mimicry, when on their surface they have antigens similar to the antigens of the affected organism.Then the immune system stops detecting the presence of foreign genetic material.It can also cause the immune system to attack its own body, causing the person to develop an autoimmune disease.
Immunological data
In the acute phase, the reaction of the immune system prevails in the form of immediate hypersensitivity (atopic reaction).It develops immediately after contact with the antigen.
The first contact with worms leads to the production of IgE by B lymphocytes. These immunoglobulins have a high affinity for receptors located on the surface of mast cells and basophils.The latter contain a large amount of granules with histamine - one of the main mediators of allergic reactions - and other biologically active substances: tryptase, chymase, heparin.Immunoglobulins E attach to the surface of mast cells and basophils, sensitizing them.This happens not only at the site of invasion (in the case of helminths, in the intestines), but, thanks to the introduction of antibodies into the general blood circulation, throughout the body.
In the next contact with the allergen, degranulation of mast and basophil cells occurs - the release of the contents of their granules.
Among the main biological effects that arise are the following:
- Smooth muscle contraction.
- Expansion of blood vessels, increasing their permeability.
- Cell damage.
With the rapid entry of large amounts of these mediators into the blood, it is possible:
- Itching of the skin.
- Edema.
- Diarrhea.
- Bronchospasm.
- Drop in blood pressure.
The influence of these mediators leads to the appearance of symptoms of various allergic diseases.As helminthiasis progresses to the chronic phase, the worms change their antigenic structure.Not only IgE is produced, but also a large number of immunoglobulins of other classes, which mediate other types of body reactions, including the immune complex response - in which damage to the body's cells is caused by immune complexes circulating in the blood.The same mechanism may underlie the development of autoimmune processes.
EVENTS
Signs of allergies, in addition to the characteristic symptoms of parasitic infections:
- Increased body temperature.
- Redness of the skin.
- Edema.
- Lymphadenopathy.
- Joint and muscle pain.
- Blood tests showed leukocytosis, eosinophilia, basophilia.
- Immunological study: increased IgE and other immunoglobulins.
- Pulmonary system: cough, pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchospasm.
- Digestive organs: abdominal pain, indigestion.
- Enlargement of the spleen and liver
Diagnosing
If you have allergies or autoimmune diseases, you should consider that this can be caused by helminthic infection.For an accurate diagnosis, a well-taken allergy history is important, as well as the following:
- Coprocystoscopy.
- Bacteriological examination of stool.
- Serological studies with the search for antiparasitic antibodies.
- Intradermal diagnostic tests with parasite allergens (for example, the Kasoni intradermal test for the diagnosis of echinococcosis).
Treatment and prevention
Removing parasitosis can completely eliminate the allergic disease or ease its course.
So, if the cause of the allergy is helminths, antiparasitic treatment is very important.It is part of elimination therapy - it eliminates the allergen from the body.An exacerbation of the disease is stopped, transferred to remission and maintained with the use of the following groups of drugs:
- Glucocorticosteroids.
- Antihistamines.
- Beta agonists.
- Membrane stabilizing agents.
Exactly what products are needed and in what doses depends on the type of allergy and its severity.
At the same time, it is important to correct the accompanying changes in the body that accompany parasitosis: hypo- and avitaminosis, anemia and others, as well as follow a hypoallergenic diet.The latter consists in the exclusion of foods with many allergies: milk, eggs, smoked meat, citrus fruits, coffee, alcohol, sweets, etc. The features of the diet are determined by the clinical picture of the allergy.
The prevention of allergies caused by parasitic infection will first of all be the prevention of helminthiasis infection, its identification and treatment.