Worms in humans: treatment

Helminthic infestation is a group of diseases that reveals the presence of parasitic worms in the body.

Worms in humans, the treatment of which requires an integrated approach, cause a lot of unpleasant sensations to their owners.Parasitic diseases caused by various helminths (worms) and/or parasitic worms are incredibly widespread among various population groups. Thus, trichinosis is often detected in people whose activities are related to hunting or animal husbandry, and diphyllobothriasis is a common disease among amateur and professional fishermen.

Attention!Sometimes it is very difficult to identify the symptoms and signs of worms in a person, and treatment can go the wrong way, since helminth infestation is very similar to the symptomatic pathology of some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, with diseases of the liver, gallbladder. and other infectious diseases.

Infection methods

How do parasitic arthropods enter the human body? There are several known methods of helminth infection:

• through the surface layer, that is, the terrestrial soil in which the parasitic worms laid their mature eggs;
• through contact with infected domestic or wild animals, birds or aquatic fauna;
• through contaminated food that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment;
• a large number of helminth eggs fall into open water bodies, which is also a source of infection;
• In some cases, the bite of stinging or blood-sucking insects is a source of infection.

However, the most common method of infection is person-to-person infection.

Parasitic diversity

Today there are more than 250 different parasitic worms that are harmful to human health. The frequency of infection depends on social conditions and climatic zones. Let us determine the degree of danger that certain types of worms pose to humans, and the treatment of which requires immediate therapeutic intervention. Let's look at the most common and dangerous types of parasitic worms in the human body:

1. The pinworm is a type of parasitic, free-living nematode whose favorite habitat is the human intestine. By parasitizing the small intestine or cecum, these worms reach the ileum, where they mate. After fertilization of the female, the male ceases her vital activity, and the pregnant female, filled with eggs, continues her journey through the rectum, crawling through the lower opening of the digestive tract. Having laid eggs in the perianal folds of the anus, the pinworm dies. This movement throughout the body lasts about a month. Traveling through the gastrointestinal tract has its consequences. The appearance of worms in humans, the symptoms and treatment of which are determined by a disease called enterobiasis, is the most common type of helminthic infection.

2. Nematodes are round dioecious helminths, the total length of which can reach 40 cm. A sexually mature female produces more than 200 thousand eggs, the favorite place of which is the gastrointestinal tract, in particular the small intestine. Nematodes cause signs of worms in humans, the symptoms and treatment of which are defined as ascariasis, one of the types of helminth infestation. The free circulation of the parasitic worm causes irritation of the small intestine, which affects its permeability. By parasitizing internal organs, nematodes not only affect the gastrointestinal tract, but are also unexpected visitors to the respiratory and/or genitourinary system. Cases of nematode penetration into the frontal sinus, nasolacrimal canal and external canal of the hearing aid have been recorded.
3. Trichinella is one of the varieties of protostomous round parasitic worms, the larval stage of which begins in the elastic tissue of the muscular system, after which mature individuals are sent to the small intestine. Infection with this type of nematodes leads to a fatal disease: trichinosis. Worms in human muscles, symptoms, treatment and diagnosis are determined by facial swelling, skin rash, myalgia and blood eosinophilia. A more severe degree of clinical pathology is characterized by damage to internal organs and the central nervous system. It is very difficult to identify Trichinella in the human body. All symptoms occur without complications. Only after penetration into the central nervous system is it possible to determine the symptoms of worms in an adult; Treatment in this case is aimed at restoring a neurological disorder, for example, ataxia or paralysis of the respiratory tract.

4. Intestinal Giardia is a genus of flagellated protozoan parasites that cause protozoan invasion of the human body with primary damage to the small intestine and are the causative agent of giardiasis. By adhering to the walls of the digestive organ, parasites feed on degradation products. The favorite dish of mature lamblia is flour and sweet foods. Exiting with feces in the form of spores, parasites enter the external environment. Often, during a biochemical laboratory examination during the treatment of worms in an adult, Giardia cysts are found that enter the body through chlorinated tap water.

5. The provocateur of another type of helminth infestation is whipworm, which affects the organs of the gastrointestinal system and causes whipworm. A fertilized female parasitic worm releases up to 10, 000 eggs in a day. Whipworm larval development occurs without an intermediate host. Worms that enter the body damage the mucous membrane of the colon, thereby causing an acute disorder. In some cases, whipworm is a provoking agent of inflammation of the appendix of the cecum, that is, appendicitis. The prolonged presence of a parasitic worm can cause anemia.

Identify signs and symptoms of infection.

When worms and parasites are identified in humans, treatment is determined by symptomatic signs and biochemical laboratory test data. Characteristic symptomatic signs of a helminth infestation:

• pale skin;
• general weakness of the body;
• dizziness;
• itching in the anus;
• functional bowel disorder;
• allergic reaction;
• Phase change in body temperature.

Toxic effects on the body lead to a decrease in immunity, as a result of which inflammatory processes in chronic diseases are aggravated.

Attention!A characteristic feature of the long stay of parasitic worms is a sharp decrease in the body weight of the helminth carrier.

Home test for the detection of helminths.

With the help of simple tests, which should be performed by an infectious disease specialist or parasitologist, you can check for signs of a possible helminth infestation. Count the number of questions answered yes.

The risk of infection exists with 10 "yes" answers, and more than 15 is already the probability of developing helminthiasis:

• Is there any rash on the body that did not exist before?
• if you are bothered by frequent bloating, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation;
• Is there constant itching in the anal passage?
• Do you frequently feel headaches or dizziness during the day?
• if there are sudden impulses of nausea or gag reflex;
• Is there intermittent sleep for no apparent reason?
• if the lymph nodes are enlarged;
• if swelling has appeared in the legs;
• Are you worried about constant tiredness and fatigue?
• Does the mucosa of the eyes have a yellowish tint?
• Do you feel a constant bitterness in your mouth?
• Are there any allergic manifestations (cough, rhinitis, asthma);
• Do you feel constant pain or heaviness in your stomach?
• Is there an unmotivated temperature change?
• if the family has preschool children;
• Are there pets or birds?
• if the pain occurs in muscles and joints without the influence of physical activity;
• Do people around you complain about your snoring or grinding your teeth at night?
• Is there a total indifference towards food?
• Do you often forget to process raw fruits and vegetables?

If, according to the results of home tests, there is a possibility of infection, you should contact a specialist.

lung damage

Attention!Worms in a person's lungs are considered a very dangerous and rare disease; In such cases, the symptoms, treatment and signs must be determined at an early stage of the infection, which is quite difficult to do.

The clinical symptoms of the disease are very similar to bronchopulmonary pathology, which manifests itself in general symptoms:

• attacks of nausea and/or vomiting;
• difficulty breathing;
• wheezing in the lungs;
• dyspnoea;
• increased body temperature;
• productive cough, etc.

The causative agents of lung lesions are various types of tapeworms, pork tapeworms, and roundworms.

Helminthic infestation in the organs of vision.

Worms in a person's eyes can cause itching, irritation, increased sensitivity, and allergic-type burning in the sensory organs; Treating this helminthic infestation is a labor-intensive process. It requires certain skills from a specialist, since the parasitic worm constantly migrates throughout the visual organ. Symptoms may be determined by constant irritation of the eyelids, which resembles the chronic inflammation of blepharitis. In the photo you can see how worms come out in a person after treatment of helminthic infestation of the eye.

How to get rid of helminths: treatment methods.

Today, infectious disease specialists and parasitologists have at their disposal more than 20 drugs and anthelmintic agents, the treatment of which can eliminate worms from humans. Treatment with broad- or narrow-spectrum anthelmintic drugs can effectively combat parasites, provided that the diagnosis is correctly established and laboratory tests for the helminth pathogen are performed. When choosing a therapeutic regimen, it is necessary to take into account the age, sex and weight criteria of the patient, since anthelmintic pharmacological treatments are highly toxic. Synthetic dosage forms have replaced traditional folk remedies: garlic, chenopodia oil, fern, etc. After identifying the symptoms, treatment of worms in humans with tablets involves complete cleansing of the body from helminthic infection.

The most effective dosage forms are broad-spectrum drugs that can resist most intestinal and extraintestinal helminths. Treatment of worms in humans with tablets is conventionally divided into pharmacological combinations of antitrematodose, anticestodosis and antinematodose action. Here is a list of the most popular drugs that help get rid of various types of helminth infections:

1. Broad-spectrum synthetic anthelmintic drug from the benzimidazole group, widely used in the treatment of trichuriasis, enterobiasis and other manifestations of intestinal infections caused by nematodes. Active absorption of the drug into the systemic circulation allows the depletion of glycogen reserves in the tissue structure of parasitic worms. The duration of treatment and dosage are determined by an infectious disease specialist or parasitologist.
2. A drug from the group of imidazothiazoles is a dosage form with anthelmintic properties that has an active immunostimulating effect. Pharmacological treatment paralyzes the muscular structure of the parasite, inhibits its fumarate reductase and weakens the bioenergetic activity of the helminths. The drug is prescribed as an anthelmintic when the following diagnoses are established: trichostrongyloidiasis, ascariasis, toxocariasis, necatoriasis, etc. The dose and duration of treatment are determined based on individual characteristics.
3. Pharmacological medication from the anthelmintic group of benzimidazoles. The action of the drug is aimed at blocking and paralyzing the nerve endings of helminthic parasites. Muscle paralysis does not allow worms to adhere to the intestinal walls and feed on decay products. The appearance of parasitic worms occurs in a natural physiological way. The pharmaceutical form is available free of charge in pharmacies. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor before use.

Help of traditional medicine.

A helminthic infestation is also a psychological blow that an adult tries to hide from others for various reasons. Alternative medicine will help get rid of worms in humans using folk remedies. To combat helminthic parasites, various herbs are used, which are no less effective than medicines:

• onion;
• dandelion;
• burdock;
• nettle;
• carnation;
• tansy;
• garlic;
• wormwood, etc.

An equally common way to treat helminth infestations is to consume raw pumpkin seeds. However, for a complete treatment, it is necessary to consume 150 to 200 g of pumpkin seeds per day, provided that the duration of home therapy is 3 to 4 weeks.

The most effective traditional medicine recipes for removing worms from the body:

1. A half-liter jar is filled halfway with chopped onions and poured with vodka or alcohol solution. After a day of exposure, the medicine is filtered and used for its intended purpose. Take 2 tablespoons 4 times a day for a week.
2. Crushed pomegranate peel is poured into a glass of diluted vodka or alcohol. The medicine is taken daily, one tablespoon every 3-4 hours.
3. A decoction of green walnut shells is very useful. The product, crushed in a mortar, is poured with alcohol and infused for 2-3 days until a pronounced brown color is formed. Take a tablespoon one hour before meals.
4. Boil two cloves of chopped garlic in 200 ml of milk until completely dissolved. The medicine is taken in one dose before meals.
5. One teaspoon of wormwood is brewed in 250 ml of boiling water and after cooling, the healing remedy is ready for use. The strained liquid should be taken one hour before meals 3 times a day.

A very effective preventive remedy is freshly squeezed carrot juice, of which it is recommended to drink 200 ml on an empty stomach for two weeks.

Prevention of helminthic infestation.

Antiparasitic prevention of worms consists in observing sanitary and hygienic rules, which must be strictly followed not only by adults, but also by children:

• It is necessary to wash your hands with soap before eating, after walking and having contact with animals;
• food must undergo heat treatment before consumption;
• Street kebabs and seafood vendors should be avoided.

Also, be sure to ventilate the living space daily and don't forget about wet cleaning.

Take care of yourself and always stay healthy!