Helminthiasis is a disease in which worms begin to parasitize the human body. They most often inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, but they can be found in tissues or other organs - liver, lungs, heart, brain. The presence of worms is signaled by characteristic symptoms, among which doctors note abnormal bowel movements, abdominal pain, allergic rash, constant weakness and itching in the anal area. Helminths will not leave the human body by themselves, because they exist exclusively at the expense of their owner, depriving him of vitality.
Traditional therapies
If signs of infection appear, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will listen to all complaints and give instructions for blood and stool laboratory tests. If research confirms helminthosis, the parasitologist will tell the patient about the best ways to remove worms from the human body. Traditionally, the most effective methods of treating infestations with the help of drugs are recognized.
Deworming products that have a complex effect work as quickly as possible. This means that the drugs remove parasites of absolutely all classes - tapeworms, flukes, roundworms. The mechanism of action of such drugs is based on the complete destruction of all helminths present in the human body at the time of administration. The chemical compounds that make up the pills for worms are involved in the metabolic processes of the parasite at the enzymatic level. The worms lose their ability to absorb nutrients from the intestinal tract of the infected patient. Eventually, the helminths die and leave the human gastrointestinal tract dead.
Products with complex action are better than others in destroying parasites, but they have their drawbacks. Mass death of worms in some cases leads to intoxication of the body with decomposition products. Children especially suffer from this, so these drugs are usually prescribed after 2 years of age. There are also restrictions for adults. Tablets are not taken for liver or kidney pathologies.
Some types of helminthiasis cannot be treated without these drugs. Tapeworms can only be removed using drugs from the benzimidazole group.
When choosing treatment tactics, the doctor will also take into account the type of parasites that live in the human intestinal tract. If laboratory tests indicate the presence of nematodes (roundworms), then there is no need to use highly toxic drugs with complex effects. In this case, it is possible to remove the worms using safe drugs from the pyrimidine group.
This group of pharmaceutical drugs is preferred for the treatment of infestations in childhood, but is also effective in cases where worms are diagnosed in adults. Parasites do not die from these tablets and suspensions, so there is no intoxication of the organism. Pyrimidines are better than many other agents in eliminating worms belonging to the nematode class, since these worms have well-developed muscles. After their ingestion, the parasites are immobilized and leave the intestines together with the feces.
The best home treatments
The optimal solution for helminthosis is deworming tablets. This is the fastest and safest, but not the only way to remove parasites from the body. Some experts are convinced that folk remedies are designed to enhance the effect of traditional medicines.
Worms in the body cause the development of unpleasant symptoms, so treatment should not be delayed. There is a proven home method to get rid of parasites and restore health. The herbal medicine helps well with helminthosis. The best herbs for fighting worms are tansy, wormwood and clove.
All dried ingredients are ground into powder and mixed in equal proportions. The resulting product is taken orally, ½ teaspoon for 20 days. You can also solve the problem with worms with medication if you buy a ready-made herbal medicine at the pharmacy. A triad containing extracts of the same plants is considered popular.
Tansy, clove and wormwood are rich in essential oils that have a harmful effect on intestinal parasites, but their use may be limited by age or other characteristics. For children under the age of 12, it is better to refrain from such treatment. These herbs are prohibited during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or if you are allergic.
Doctors list several effective recipes that are safe for both children and adults:
- Pumpkin seeds.This product is useful in any form. It is allowed to eat a small handful to prevent helminthiasis and saturate the body with minerals and vitamins. Experts advise that milk is made from pumpkin seeds. To do this, they are crushed and filled with water, and then infused for 6-8 hours. After the specified time, collect the liquid that has formed on the surface and take 100 ml orally. The course of therapy lasts at least a week.
- Vegetable juices.If a person is diagnosed with worms, fresh vegetable drinks are allowed to be taken at home as maintenance therapy. This not only strengthens the immune system and increases the body's resistance, but also creates unfavorable conditions in the intestines for parasites. The best choices for infestation are tomato, carrot and beet juices.
- Milk with garlic.Folk remedies for worms are appreciated for their ease of preparation and availability of ingredients. At home, we will implement the following recipe: peel and mash 2-3 cloves of vegetables, then mix with milk. An adult should drink a glass of the product in the evening before going to bed. For children, it is better to refrain from this method because of the high risk of mucous membrane burns.
- Enema with herbal decoction.At home, it is possible to get rid of parasites not only by applying products internally. It is no less useful to inject herbal infusions into the rectum. The use of wormwood, calamus root and nettle is allowed, but a decoction of tansy flowers helps best.
Each non-traditional method has its own contraindications and limitations. If an infestation is detected in a child, then there is no need to treat worms at home. This will only worsen the situation and cause significant damage to the baby's health. It is best to treat helminthiasis in childhood with drugs. The pediatrician will determine which medications are appropriate for the child.
Preventive measures
If worms appear in the intestines, they can be removed from the human body with drugs or traditional methods, but it is best to follow the rules of precaution to avoid infection with parasites.
Experts explain that worms will not appear in the body if a person carefully observes the rules of personal hygiene. This primarily refers to hand washing. The procedure is necessary not only before eating, but also after visiting public places, playing outside or taking care of pets. This way, you will avoid accidentally getting worm eggs on your fingers and then swallowing them.
It is important to keep your home and areas where people spend a lot of time clean. This is due to the fact that parasite eggs are not always transmitted from one person to another. Sometimes they enter the apartment on the shoes or paws of animals that have free access to the street. For this reason, it is so important to carry out wet cleaning regularly, including treating the floor and furniture with disinfectants.
The second stage in the prevention of helminthiasis is careful control of the food consumed. Any vegetables or fruit that grew on the ground should be washed with soap and water before serving, as the soil is a source of roundworm eggs. To prevent parasites from entering the body, you must monitor the quality of drinking water.
Special attention should be paid to meat dishes, because the muscle tissue of pigs or cows may contain tapeworm larvae that are dangerous for humans. They can be destroyed at home only with complete thermal processing of food.
In some cases, taking deworming tablets is justified. Prevention with the help of drugs is appropriate in childhood if the child attends a preschool educational institution where the occurrence of diseases related to parasitic worms has been recorded. The same measure is mandatory in the case when the invasion is confirmed in one of the family members. If you suspect the presence of roundworms in the body, doctors recommend taking a drug from the pyrimidine group for preventive purposes. If the risk of infection with a tapeworm or tapeworm is high, then parasitologists prefer to prescribe tablets with complex action - benzimidazoles.