The prevalence of various types of worms is quite high.What are the types of helminths in humans, symptoms and treatment of the disease called helminthiasis?Different types of parasites manifest themselves differently when they enter the body.
Among the various signs of helminth infection, there may be disturbances in the digestive system, disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, and allergic skin reactions.
It is now known for sure that many diseases, which at first glance are not at all related to infection with parasites, arise due to the fact that a person has been infected by helminths.People can be treated for many years for various diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract and other pathologies, and not know about the true cause of their illness.
Treatment of helminthiasis with drugs must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, taking into account the age, weight of the patient, as well as the type of parasite to which the therapy is directed.
Types of helminths
Currently, science knows many different types of worms, all of which have a different shape and appearance.Depending on these characteristics, there are several classifications.Based on their habitat in the body, the following types of parasitic worms are distinguished: luminal and tissue.Luminal parasites live in the intestines (small and large), less often in the internal organs of humans and other animals.Tissue worms are characterized by the fact that they are usually localized in body tissue or subcutaneous fat.
Depending on the method of penetration and spread in the body, parasites are divided into 3 types: contact worms, biohelminths and geohelminths.Biohelminths include worms, which, before their full development, change many hosts (this can be fish, insects);at the end of the chain, someone becomes the host.
Geohelminths include parasites, their development is carried out directly, excluding intermediate hosts.Their eggs mature in the soil, and infection occurs when they are ingested.The most common are human roundworms, whipworms, eelworms and hookworms.
The peculiarity of contact worms is that they are transmitted from one person to another.These include pinworms and dwarf tapeworms.Pinworms cause a disease called enterobiasis, and dwarf tapeworms cause hymenolepiasis.
How can you get infected with helminths?
Infection with helminths can occur in 1 of 4 ways.Geohelminthiasis is the possibility of infection by parasites through the soil where the mature larvae are, during contact with animals, or by transferring larvae to food by flies.The 2nd method of infection with worms is contact, that is from person to person.This is how the most common parasite, pinworms, is transmitted.Biohelminths can be infected by eating contaminated fish or meat that has undergone weak heat treatment.And the last way is the penetration of larvae into the body through insect bites.
The most common route of worm infection is oral, that is, a person simply swallows worm larvae with water or food.A large number of helminth eggs fall into the soil, so one should wash their hands thoroughly after any contact with the soil.This is especially true for children who often play in the sand.
Everything that grows in the soil and is connected to it (vegetables, fruits) should be washed and treated with boiling water before eating.Pets that have free access to the outdoors are a common source of helminthiasis for humans.
The easiest way to get infected with pinworms is for preschool children.The female lays more than 5 thousand larvae near the anus, causing severe itching in this place.A child, having scratched an itchy spot, infects everything with these eggs: bedding, toys, clothes.And then hundreds of pinworm larvae settle on the hands of everyone who touches this object, so you can infect all family members.
A large number of helminth larvae are concentrated in open water bodies, so it is strictly forbidden to swallow water while swimming in it.Water in wells is also subject to pollution;it must be boiled before use or a disinfectant filter must be used.
Signs of helminthiasis
The first symptoms of helminth infection in adults or children are sudden weight loss and itching in the anus.But this is only a small part of the most common symptoms, because there may be more of them, and sometimes parasites can only be identified through special research.Symptoms of worm infection often include various disorders of the nervous system and severe general weakness of the body.
During their life cycle, worms produce a large amount of toxins, which manifests itself in severe poisoning in the human body.Patients may experience sudden headache, nausea, dizziness, possible fever, and joint pain.A person infected with helminths suffers from vitamin deficiency, which, combined with disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, eventually leads to a sense of chronic fatigue, causing severe drowsiness and apathy.
If the worms are parasitic in the intestines, and not in other organs or tissues of the human body, then the first sign of the appearance of worms is damage to the digestive system.Patients may experience diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and nausea.Pain in the right hypochondrium or increased gas formation may occur.The symptoms that appear depend on the type of helminth.General intoxication of the body contributes to a decrease in immunity in infected people, which increases the risk of infectious diseases.And because the parasite deprives the patient of some beneficial substances that he needs, the human body's immunity decreases, which in turn leads to the exacerbation of existing chronic diseases or various inflammations in the nasopharynx.
Another important and interesting symptom of parasite penetration into the body is an allergic skin reaction.Almost all patients infected with helminths experience degeneration of the dermis.Allergies, in addition to skin rashes, may have other manifestations, these include allergic rhinitis, persistent dry cough, and asthma.
Treatment of helminthiasis with drugs
Parasitic infestations can manifest in different ways.What should you do if you find any symptoms of helminthiasis?First of all, you need to conduct the necessary research and determine exactly what type of worm infection is occurring;The drug therapy prescribed by the doctor will depend on this.Today, many anthelmintic drugs are known.Among them there are both drugs that are active against certain types of parasites and those that have a broad spectrum of action.These drugs are very toxic, so they should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor and only based on test results, after identifying the exact type of helminth that has affected the person.The approach to treatment for different types of worms is different;Medicines are selected individually for each patient, taking into account the type of parasite, age and weight of the person.
Preventing the appearance of worms in adults does not require overly complex measures.It is necessary to monitor the purity of the water used, treat pets immediately, wash vegetables and fruits, and treat meat and fish with heat.To prevent the appearance of worms in children attending preschool institutions, it is necessary to carry out prevention at least once a year.
Folk remedies to get rid of parasites
Traditional medicine knows a large number of recipes to get rid of parasites.Often, garlic, pumpkin seeds, tansy flowers, wormwood, and walnuts are used for this.One of the most popular and effective recipes for getting rid of worms in folk medicine is the use of pumpkin seeds.It is better to use unpeeled seeds, and during cleaning you must keep a thin film between the seeds and the skin.You need to take seeds in the morning, 300 g each, you can grind them first.After this, it is recommended not to eat for 4 hours and do an enema.After a few weeks, this procedure can be repeated.
Tansy has a strong anthelmintic effect thanks to thujone and tancitin.Thujone is a substance contained in the essential oil of this plant that has a paralytic effect on helminths.And tancitin is a component contained in the tansy flower that increases the production of bile and gastric juice.To prepare the medicine you need 1 tbsp.l.Pour a glass of boiling water over the tansy flower and let it brew for 1 hour.Then strain, drink the resulting infusion three times a day, 1 tablespoon.l.30 minutes before eating.
Another herb, wormwood, is known to be effective in fighting parasites.For treatment, tincture of wormwood in alcohol is usually used.It should be taken three times a day, 20 drops 30 minutes before meals.
Garlic, walnut pericarp infusion, onion, and nettle have a strong antiparasitic effect.By using this recipe for infusion of plants and vegetables, you can get rid of parasites without using drug treatment.However, before doing this, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is recommended.