Worms in humans: treatment

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

Worms in humans, the treatment of which requires an integrated approach, cause their owners a lot of unpleasant sensations.Parasitic diseases caused by various helminths (worms) and/or parasitic worms are incredibly widespread among different 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 recognize the symptoms and signs of worms in people, and treatment can go the wrong way, because helminthic infestation is very similar to the symptomatic pathology of some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, with diseases of the liver, gall bladder. and other infectious diseases.

Methods of infection

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

• through the surface layer, i. e. the soil in which the parasitic worms laid their mature eggs;
• 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 ends up in open water bodies, which is also a source of infection;
• in some cases, the bite of a sting or blood-sucking insect is the source of infection.

However, the most common way of infection is human-to-human 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's determine the degree of danger that certain types of worms pose to people, and the treatment of which requires urgent therapeutic intervention. Let's look at the most common and most dangerous types of parasitic worms in the human body:

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

2. Roundworms are round dioecious helminths, whose total length can reach 40 cm. A sexually mature female produces more than 200 thousand eggs, whose favorite place is the gastrointestinal tract, especially the small intestine. Roundworms cause signs of worms in humans, the symptoms and treatment of which are defined as ascariasis - one of the types of helminthic infestation. The free movement of the parasitic worm causes irritation of the small intestine, which affects its patency. Parasitizing internal organs, roundworms affect not only the gastrointestinal tract, but are also unexpected visitors to the respiratory and/or genitourinary system. Cases of penetration of roundworms into the frontal sinus, nasolacrimal duct and external passage of the hearing aid have been recorded.
3. Trichinella is one of the variants of protostome round parasitic worms, whose larval stage begins in the elastic tissues of the muscular system, after which the mature individuals are sent to the small intestine. Infection with this type of roundworm leads to a fatal disease - trichinosis. Human muscle worms, 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 any 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 the 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. Clinging to the walls of the digestive organ, parasites feed on decomposition products. The favorite food of mature lamblia is flour and sweet food. Coming out with feces in the form of spores, the parasites enter the external environment. Often, during a biochemical laboratory examination during the treatment of worms in an adult, Giardia cysts are found, which enter the body through chlorinated tap water.

5. The provocateur of another type of helminthic infestation is whipworm, which affects the organs of the gastrointestinal system, causing trichocephalosis. A fertilized female parasitic worm releases up to 10, 000 eggs during the day. The development of the whipworm larva takes place without an intermediate host. Worms that enter the body damage the lining of the large intestine and thus cause an acute disorder. In some cases, whiplash is the provoking cause of inflammation of the appendix of the cecum, i. e. inflammation of the appendix. Prolonged presence of a parasitic worm can lead to anemia.

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of infection

When worms and parasites are identified in humans, treatment is determined based on symptomatic signs and biochemical laboratory test data. Characteristic symptomatic signs of helminthic infestation:

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

Toxic effects on the body lead to a decrease in immunity, which is why inflammatory processes in chronic diseases worsen.

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

Home test to detect helminths

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

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

• are there rashes on the body that were not there before;
• do you suffer from frequent flatulence, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation;
• is there constant itching in the anal passage;
• Do you often feel headache or dizziness during the day?
• whether there are sudden impulses of nausea or gag reflex;
• Is there interrupted sleep for no apparent reason?
• are the lymph nodes enlarged;
• did swelling appear on the legs;
• Are you worried about constant tiredness and fatigue;
• does the mucous membrane of the eyes have a yellowish tint?
• Do you feel a constant bitterness in your mouth?
• Are there allergic manifestations - cough, rhinitis, asthma;
• Do you feel constant pain or heaviness in your stomach?
• is there an unmotivated temperature change;
• whether there are children of preschool age in the family;
• whether there are any pets or birds;
• does pain occur 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 complete indifference to food;
• Do you often forget to process raw vegetables and fruits?

If, based on the results of the home test, there is a possibility of infection, contact a specialist.

Lung damage

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

Clinical symptoms of the disease are very similar to bronchopulmonary pathology, which is manifested by general symptoms:

• attacks of nausea and/or vomiting;
• difficulty breathing;
• wheezing in the lungs;
• dyspnea;
• increased body temperature;
• productive cough and so on.

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

Helminthic infestation in the organs of vision

Itching, irritation, increased sensitivity and allergic burning of the sensory organ can be caused by worms in a person's eyes; treatment of such helminthic infestation is a very laborious process. This requires certain skills from an expert, because the parasitic worm constantly migrates through the visual organ. Symptoms can be determined by constant irritation of the eyelids, which resemble chronic inflammation in blepharitis. How the worms come out in a person after the treatment of helminthic infestation of the eye can be seen in the photo.

How to get rid of helminths: treatment methods

Today, specialists in infectious diseases and parasitologists have at their disposal more than 20 anthelmintic drugs and agents whose treatment can remove worms from humans. Treatment with broad- or narrow-spectrum anthelmintic drugs enables an effective fight against parasites, provided that the diagnosis is correctly established and a laboratory examination of the helminthic pathogen is carried out. When choosing a therapeutic regimen, it is necessary to take into account the age criteria, gender and weight of the patient, because anthelmintic pharmacological treatments are highly toxic. Synthetic dosage forms have replaced traditional folk remedies - garlic, chenopodium oil, fern and so on. After determining the symptoms, the treatment of worms in humans with tablets includes a complete cleansing of the organism from helminthic infection.

The most effective dosage forms are broad-spectrum drugs that can resist most intestinal and extraintestinal helminths. The treatment of worms in humans with tablets is conventionally divided into pharmacological combinations of antitrematodous, anticestodous and antinematodous effects. Here is a list of the most popular drugs that help deal with various types of helminth infections:

1. A broad-spectrum synthetic anthelmintic from the benzimidazole group, which is widely used in the treatment of trichuriasis, enterobiosis and other manifestations of intestinal infections caused by nematodes. Active absorption of the drug into the systemic circulation enables depletion of glycogen reserves in the tissue structure of parasitic worms. The duration of treatment and dosage is determined by a consultation with an infectious disease specialist or a parasitologist.
2. The drug from the imidazothiazole group is a dosage form with anthelmintic properties that has an active immunostimulating effect. Pharmacological treatment paralyzes the muscle structure of the parasite, inhibits its fumarate reductase and weakens the bioenergetic activity of the helminth. The drug is prescribed as an anthelmintic when the following diagnoses are established: trichostrongyloidiasis, ascariasis, toxocarosis, nekatoriosis, etc. Dosage and duration of treatment is determined according to individual characteristics.
3. Pharmacological drug of the benzimidazole anthelmintic group. The action of the drug is aimed at blocking and paralyzing the nerve endings of helminthic parasites. Muscle paralysis does not allow worms to attach to the intestinal walls and feed on decay products. The emergence of parasitic worms takes place in a natural physiological way. The dosage form is freely available in pharmacies. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor before use.

The help of traditional medicine

Helminth infestation is also a psychological blow that an adult tries to hide from others for various reasons. Alternative medicine will help remove worms from people using folk remedies. Various plants are used to fight helminthic parasites, which are no less effective than drugs:

• onions;
• dandelion;
• thistle;
• nettles;
• carnation;
• tansy
• garlic;
• wormwood etc.

An equally common way to treat helminthic infestations is to consume raw pumpkin seeds. However, for complete treatment, it is necessary to consume 150-200 g of pumpkin seeds daily, with home therapy lasting 3-4 weeks.

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

1. A half-liter jar is filled to the middle with chopped onions and filled with vodka or alcohol solution. After a one-day exposure, the drug is filtered and used for its intended purpose. Take 2 tablespoons 4 times a day for one week.
2. Crushed pomegranate peel is poured into a glass of vodka or diluted alcohol. The medicine is taken daily, one tablespoon every 3-4 hours.
3. 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 one spoon an hour before meals.
4. Boil two cloves of chopped garlic in 200 ml of milk until it dissolves completely. The medicine is taken in one dose before meals.
5. A teaspoon of wormwood is boiled in 250 ml of boiling water, and after cooling, the medicinal agent is ready for use. The strained liquid should be taken one hour before meals 3 times a day.

A very effective preventive medicine is freshly squeezed carrot juice, which 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 standards, which must be strictly observed not only by adults, but also by children:

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

In addition, be sure to carry out daily ventilation of the living space and do not forget about wet cleaning.

Take care of yourself and always be healthy!