Many organisms coexist with humans on the planet, some of which are capable of parasitizing humans and animals. In people, they are called by a common word - worms. The treatment of such a problem, the signs of parasite infestation and the methods of prevention are discussed below.
Warning, parasites!
Infected with helminths, and this is the correct name for worms and similar creatures that can parasitize human organisms, animals, fish, in many ways. They significantly harm health, although often the infected person cannot even imagine that the problems that arose were a consequence of the vital activity of the parasite. What types of worms do humans have? The answer to this question will help determine the type of individuals causing the health disorder and, therefore, choose the right treatment. After all, why are worms dangerous? The release of waste into the body's systems, the absorption of nutrients, the lack of which affects the state of health. In the treatment of helminthiasis, one of the main points should be strict observance of the rules of personal hygiene.
What is the danger?
An analysis such as feces for worm eggs serves as a mandatory part of a medical examination to determine the general state of health. From the moment of admission to the nursery and until receipt of the vouchers for treatment in a sanatorium, a person must necessarily undergo such a procedure. The presence of parasites in the body is the reason for medical withdrawal in certain situations. Many people prefer to take worm prevention pills ahead of time to make sure they get the necessary negative test results. But why are helminths so dangerous that the procedure for determining their presence in the body is one of the most common during medical examinations of people of different ages and professions?
Parasites living in the human body have a detrimental effect on it, which manifests itself in different ways. Thus, immunity suffers from their vital activity - the tendency to colds, viral and bacterial infections increases. The body begins to lack useful substances - trace elements and vitamins, which affects all the processes occurring in the systems, organs and tissues, causing various diseases and pathologies. Since worms perform all the vital processes inside the human body, the toxins they release have a toxic effect and poisoning occurs. This, in turn, contributes to the development of asthma, allergies, liver and kidney disorders. Worms have a negative effect on the work of all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. They also affect the functioning of the central nervous system, causing insomnia, irritability, excessive excitability, aggressiveness, which can progress to depression. The negative consequences follow those who suffer from problems such as worms. Its treatment should be carried out competently, taking into account many aspects, starting with the type of helminths and ending with the general state of human health.
Parasites so different
Before deciding on a treatment method, you need to find out what type of worms a person has. Scientists have discovered several types. They fall into two main groups:
- roundworms nematodes (nematodes);
- flatworms.
The group of parasites is very large, because only the fluke belonging to the flatworms of trematodes, which can parasitize in the human body and cause diseases, there are about 40 species. In humans, diseases caused by the vital activity of worms are subdivided as follows:
- hookworm;
- enterobiosis;
- trichocephalosis.
What measures should be taken to prevent infection? Why are worms dangerous? Intoxication of the human or animal body by the products of their vital activity, as well as damage to the tissues and organs in which they settle.
Scientists divide the parasites that can perform vital activity in the human body, so to speak, according to their habitat:
- Luminal - this type includes worms that settle in various parts of the intestine. There are over a hundred of them, the most common are pinworms, roundworms, hookworms, bovine tapeworms, whipworms.
- Cloth. They live in other organs and tissues, in addition to the intestines, affecting the heart, lungs, liver, lymphatic system and brain.
This is why the analysis of faeces for worm eggs is not always able to give a precise answer to the question of the potential for human invasion.
Need to be on your guard?
Symptoms of a worm infestation often do not immediately suggest such a problem. General weakness and malaise, weight loss, deterioration of the skin and hair are signs of not only helminthiasis, but also many other health problems. But itching in the anus, especially at night, the appearance of white worm-like inclusions in the stool, which upon closer examination turn out to be pinworm-like helminths, should become an inducementto see a doctor and get tested for helminthiasis. in order to identify the problem and receive quality treatment. Unfortunately, these obvious signs don't appear until the infection has become widespread. The very first symptoms often go unnoticed, the parasites are assimilated, in some cases spreading to many organs, affecting not only the intestines. In what cases is it necessary to consult a doctor for the appointment of certain tests capable of detecting helminthiasis? They are divided by specialists depending on the area of manifestation:
- Gastrointestinal disorders. In the vast majority of cases, the parasites are found in the human intestine, causing a disorder of this particular system: stool disorders occur - constipation is replaced by diarrhea, heartburn and gas. intensify, painful sensations appear in the abdomen, especially in the right hypochondrium and around the navel.
- Nervous disorders. Poisoning with waste from parasites causes disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. Intoxication leads to headaches, dizziness. Often, patients infected with worms take these symptoms to develop migraines, start taking pain relievers, which, in turn, negatively affects their health. In their life, parasites use these useful substances which can be obtained in the human body. Due to this, the patient suffers from a vitamin deficiency, manifested by a constant feeling of fatigue, weakness. Such disorders due to infection of the body with worms are especially pronounced in children - babies do not sleep well, are capricious, children of school age reduce their performance in school.
- Allergic reactions and skin manifestations of helminthiasis are also common consequences of this problem. Due to the fact that parasites secrete the products of their vital activity into the human body, some reactions of the body begin to occur more actively, for example, rashes and itching appear. Also rhinitis and a dry cough may appear, the condition of the nails and hair, which suffer from intoxication, is disturbed.
- Helminths, having entered the human body and settled there, also provoke a deterioration in general health, expressed by a decrease in immunity, frequent colds. The infected person develops frequent inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, urinary tract and genital area. In addition, the presence of helminths in the human body can be manifested by bad breath and the appearance of an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
All emerging deviations in health and wellness require specialist consultation and some testing. Many who think about the potential for helminth infection seek an answer to the question of whether garlic helps against worms, believing that the available means will help to avoid such an unpleasant problem as helminthiasis. But to be sure that there are no intruders in your body, you need to undergo a thorough examination.
How to identify the problem?
In certain life circumstances, a person may be suspected of having worms. Which doctor should I contact to resolve the issue of diagnosing and adequately treating such a problem? The main specialist dealing with a disease such as helminthiasis is a doctor who specializes in infectious diseases.
A specialist can make a preliminary diagnosis of a particular type of parasite, "installed" in the patient's body, according to certain signs. So, for the invasion of pinworms, itching is characteristic, felt in the anus, which mainly intensifies at night. If the parasites are actively multiplying and there are many, they can be seen on the feces even with the naked eye. Deep dysbiosis against the background of lesions of the intestinal mucosa develops against the background of infection with helminths such as trematode, Schistosoma trematode, hookworm. If the invasion of the body is caused by a large tapeworm, a characteristic symptom, in addition to dysbiosis, will be B-12 deficiency anemia. Ascariasis can be characterized by severe weight loss, obsessive cough, weakness, sore throat. The development of jaundice, disruption of the liver and spleen may indicate infection with liver parasites.
It should be noted that the incubation period for different types of helminths can last from 3 to 4 days to 3 to 4 weeks. But for a parasite like heartworms, which causes filariasis or elephantiasis, such a time interval can be up to a year and a half.
Only a specialist can determine the presence of helminths in the body, their type and method of treatment. It is impossible to choose an effective remedy for worms for children or adults on your own!
In order to determine helminthic invasion, a person of any age is assigned three main tests:
- faeces for helminth eggs;
- blood on lamblia, a parasite in the liver;
- scratching for enterobiosis.
Under certain conditions, the patient may be assigned additional examinations, for example, during a recent visit to tropical regions, where you may be infected with parasites atypical for our country.
Risk group
Maybe no one is safe from a problem like worms. Treatment of an invasion should be chosen by a specialist only after a diagnosis has been made and the general state of health of the patient is taken into account. Maybe someone will object that in any pharmacy you can see drugs for worms with a broad spectrum of action on the shelves, which are sold without a prescription. But only a specialist can recommend this or that remedy to use. As with any disease, it is best to prevent helminthiasis. This is especially true for people at risk:
- little children;
- people in close contact with animals;
- those who eat meat or fish that has not been fully heat-treated;
- hunters.
Today, experts are researching the influence of helminths on the development of many serious diseases, including cancer. That is why the timely identified problem of invasion and high-quality prevention of infection become very relevant to modern society.
Pharmaceutical products
Pills from worms are sold in all pharmacies. Their price range is quite extensive. But before buying and taking any medicine, you should seek the advice of a specialist, since different types of parasites such as worms require appropriate treatment. Only a doctor will be able to recommend a drug capable of getting rid of uninvited guests in the human body within a certain period of time. Drugs can be roughly classified according to their action on parasites:
- paralyzing the activity of individuals;
- violating metabolic processes in the tissues of the parasite;
- blocking certain processes in the body of helminths.
What pills for the prevention of worms can be purchased? This is a common question pharmacists hear in drugstores. They work mainly to anticipate the obvious manifestation of helminthic invasion, a person assumes only infection, without observing any deviation in the state of health.
Also in pharmacies you can buy herbs for worms, which are proven by scientific research and have an anthelmintic effect.
Auxiliary plants
The treatment of worms in children, as well as the prevention of helminthiasis should become one of the points of permanent care for a child of any age. Since children, mastering the world around them, all try to 'taste and taste', the risk of contracting the same pinworms or roundworms is constantly present.
For centuries people have tried to get rid of worms with the help of plants. Currently, the antiparasitic effect of some of them is confirmed by scientific research. These are, for example, pumpkin seeds, which have laxative and, therefore, anthelmintic properties. A brittle buckthorn bark has a similar effect, which can be purchased at a pharmacy in the form of a powder to prepare an infusion or decoction.
Does Garlic Help Against Worms? Yes, in some cases this spice is capable of anthelmintic action. In addition, infusions and tinctures based on garlic stimulate the immune system, affect the body's ability to self-purify from unwanted guests - viruses, bacteria, fungi and helminths. Herbs against worms are invariably popular, especially as prophylactic agents - these are tansy, knapweed, bitter wormwood, ginger, chamomile. They are used in decoctions and infusions, have laxative, anthelmintic, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory properties. It would be very reasonable to take these traditional medicines in addition to the main therapy of an established invasion or preventive measures.
Traditional methods
Another way to get rid of intestinal worms is to eliminate them. You can use medicines and herbs that cause diarrhea. And you can use a recipe for an enema for worms. For example, this:
- 20 grams of wormwood must be chopped;
- pour 3 liters of hot boiled water into the raw material;
- to insist for half an hour;
- drain, filter, the resulting product and pass through cheesecloth;
- use a warm infusion - 25-35 degrees for a more comfortable feeling during the procedure and better action of the components.
You can only give an enema once a day. In addition, like any other medical intervention in the human body, it must be agreed with a specialist. Enemas help flush out toxins and toxins, parasite waste and themselves. But if the invasion is not a cavity, but an interstitial one, then the enema will be only an auxiliary agent that cleanses the intestines. Many herbal remedies can be used to prepare such a remedy as an enema against parasites - chamomile, St. John's wort, calendula. The proportions in this case remain unchanged - 20 grams of dry grass per 3 liters of water. They will allow you to cope with the task and not to harm the intestinal microflora.
Hygiene and prevention
For people at any time, an issue such as worms was relevant. Treatment of invasions has been carried out and is carried out by all possible means. The pharmaceutical industry is constantly releasing new drugs that are able to cope with helminthic infection of the body. But the best medicine is prevention. Since helminth infection occurs mainly through the mouth, any possibility of parasite eggs entering the oral cavity and further into the intestine should be excluded. To do this, the following rules must be strictly observed:
- wash your hands regularly with soap and water;
- keep household items such as toys that a child might put in their mouth for cleaning;
- wash vegetables and fruit thoroughly under running water;
- vaccinate and treat pets with which family members come in contact;
- heat the meat and fish well during cooking;
- follow the rules of personal hygiene (regular change of underwear, care of the intimate area with special care products);
- if you suspect an infection with helminths, or even just for the purpose of prophylaxis, you should consult a doctor for the appointment of a special examination and the selection of drugs and prophylactic drugs.
Taking precautions will help you avoid health problems such as worms. Treatment of an invasion can be quite lengthy and therefore expensive, although prevention will provide both protection against the invasion and general benefit to the body, preventing infection not only by worms, but also by worms. fungi, viruses and bacteria.