Helminths or parasitic worms behave very secretly in the human body.Symptoms of an immune reaction to a parasite infection can easily be confused with the flu, food poisoning, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.And you may not even be aware of infection with pork tapeworm, a tapeworm that reaches 3 meters in length, for the entire life span - 2-3 years.Today we will talk about helminthiasis, as well as anthelmintics and why you should not take them "just for prevention".
So, first let's give an introduction.Most of the helminths common in our region live in the intestines.However, some types of parasites can also settle in body tissues - muscles, lungs, brain, eyeball tissue, etc.
All helminths that parasitize the human body are divided into three categories:
- Roundworms - nematodes:roundworms, pinworms, trichinella, hookworms, etc.Nematodes are the most popular parasitic diseases.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people in the world are simultaneously infected with them (a total of more than two billion people are infected with various helminths).
- Fluke worms are trematodes.They affect the liver, bile and urinary tract, pancreas, intestines, lungs and blood.The most common trematodes are opisthorchiasis, schistosomiasis, clonorchiasis, fascioliasis, etc., and some of them can cause carcinogenesis - the development of tumors.
- Tapeworms are cestodes.There are currently 3,500 known species, and each of them can parasitize the human body.Which road they choose depends on the country in which you live.One of the main sources of infection with these parasites is fish that has not undergone full heat treatment.Echinococcosis, dirofilariasis, taeniasis, teniarynchiasis are cestodiases that affect not only humans, but also pets.
Helminths suppress immune reactions, due to which the body's defenses suffer even from severe infections.They cause allergies, indigestion and disturb the functions of internal organs.The body is poisoned by the products of metabolism and the decay of helminths, it suffers from mechanical damage and suppression of the immune and nervous systems.
In addition, the presence of parasites:
- reduces the effectiveness of vaccination;
- complicates the course of various concomitant diseases;
- negatively affects the growth and development of children and the working capacity of adults;
- causes a change in the intestinal biocenosis and activation of the growth of "bad" microflora (pathogenic and opportunistic - for example, fungi of the genus Candida, which cause candidiasis).
In general, it is really necessary to treat helminthiasis.But you must do this wisely.
Treatment of helminthiasis.Medicines for worms
In the past, mainly herbal remedies were used to combat earthworms - male fern, cypress wormwood, oil of chenopodium, etc.Today, synthetic substances are used for these purposes.Therefore, some outdated drugs (the above-mentioned herbal drugs, as well as hexylresorcinol, carbon tetrachloride, etc.) were excluded from the nomenclature of medical anthelmintics, and some remained, but are used very limitedly (wormwood and tansy flowers, thymol, sulfur, pumpkin seeds, etc.).
Modern anthelmintics are divided into groups depending on their main effect on helminths of different classes (cestodes, nematodes, trematodes).Some drugs can treat several different classes of helminths.But it is important to remember that there is no concept of "the best medicine for worms" - it all depends on the type of parasite that has invaded your body.
Today, most anthelmintic drugs are produced on the basis of six main active ingredients - albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel, pyrantel, piperazine adipate and levamisole.Let's consider their properties in more detail.
Albendazole
Albendazole preparations are effective against various parasites - both intestinal and those living in other organs.Moreover, the effect of this substance depends on the time in which it is taken:
- on an empty stomach, albendazole is not absorbed, but simply passes through the digestive tract, destroying intestinal parasites;
- Together with fatty food, albendazole is absorbed and destroys parasites outside the intestines (muscles, liver, lungs, brain, other organs).
Therefore, the use of albendazole drugs should be clearly agreed with the doctor based on the diagnosis and the results of preliminary tests.
Mebendazole
Compared to albendazole, mebendazole is less well absorbed, and its effect is mainly manifested in the gastrointestinal tract.Despite this, mebendazole can also be prescribed to control helminths living in tissues - for example, in the case of echinococcosis, when the echinococcal cyst is in such a place that it cannot be immediately removed.
According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), albendazole and mebendazole should be used in helminthiasis caused by the so-calledBoth substances belong to the same group and have a similar effect - disruption of glucose absorption in the helminth's body.If there is a lack of glucose, the parasite dies of starvation.
The drugs albendazole and mebendazole are not "budget", but they are valuable because they have relatively few possible side effects.
Praziquantel
Effective against trematodes (cat and lung flukes, schistosomes).It is used for the treatment of clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, opisthorchiasis, intestinal cestodiasis (taeniasis, taeniarhynchiasis), etc.Under the influence of praziquantel, the parasites disrupt the uptake of glucose by the body's cells, which paralyzes and kills the helminths.
Pyrantel
Pyrantel is practically not absorbed in the human body and therefore has a targeted effect only on those helminths that have settled in the intestines.It immobilizes worms that are sensitive to it and in that immobilized state they are eliminated from the body.
Pyrantel preparations are approved for use in children of 6 months and older - the drug can be given to them in the form of a suspension, because it is easier to dose (in the form of tablets, the drug is approved for use only from 3 years of age).In general, pyrantel is well tolerated, the main thing is to take it with or immediately after food.
Piperazine adipate
This substance affects the muscle and nerve cells of nematodes and roundworms, due to which the parasites are paralyzed and leave the intestines naturally (together with feces).
For ascariasis, a two-day course of taking Piperazine is usually prescribed, and for enterobiasis (pinworms) - 1-3 five-day courses with weekly breaks between them.Pinworms do not react to piperazine as quickly as roundworms - they are more resistant.Between courses, it is necessary to make an enema in order to gradually expel battalions of dead pinworms from the intestines.
Levamisole
Levamisole paralyzes the muscles of roundworms and hookworms.IMPORTANT!Alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited within 24 hours after taking Levamisole.Otherwise, expect dizziness, rapid heartbeat, general weakness and other unpleasant consequences.These are all “disulfiram-like reactions”;they are the basis for the action of drugs used in the treatment of alcoholism and cause aversion to alcohol.
In general, Levamisole differs from other anthelmintics in the most common side effects, even if it is not mixed with alcohol.These include headaches, seizures, peripheral polyneuropathy, tremors, sleep disturbances and confusion.
Another characteristic side effect of Levamisole is olfactory hallucinations.Many people who took Levamisole complained that for a few days after taking it, everything around them seemed to smell like bleach, smoke, "chemicals", etc.Of course, not all of these side effects occur in every case and depend on many individual factors, but our job is to warn you that such situations are quite possible.
Why You Shouldn't Take Dewormers "Just to Be Safe"
It is strongly not recommended to take antiparasitic drugs "just for prevention", even if you have animals at home that roam outside.The role of pets in infecting humans with parasites has been greatly exaggerated.Yes, humans and dogs have a "common" parasite - Toxocara, but in most cases people become infected with Toxocara through street dirt, which contains particles of dog feces and, accordingly, Toxocara larvae.In addition, dogs and domestic animals can be carriers of the Echinococcus parasite, which is also dangerous for humans.However, you still cannot randomly take anthelmintics.
The fact is that different drugs from this group not only act on different helminths, but also have different contraindications for use, as well as different side effects.Some of these side effects can be extremely severe, as many anthelmintics are toxic - because otherwise you cannot neutralize the worms: they are very hardy, like all other parasitic organisms.Sometimes, after taking certain anthelmintics, for example Dekaris, as well as during the treatment of opisthorchiasis, it may even be necessary to admit the patient to the hospital.
It is worth exposing your body to "toxic attacks" only when the invasion is laboratory confirmed (tested for helminthiasis and received a positive result).
Therefore, you should not follow the trail of parasitophobia, although it is constantly encouraged by aggressive advertising of various "miracle drugs" and Internet horror stories.Do not forget that the hygienic conditions in our country are, to say the least, far from those in Africa, where mass preventive deworming is completely justified.The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a list of countries where continuous helminth control is recommended.
Prevention of helminthiasis
Of course, prevention of helminth infection must be carried out.But this is not about drug prevention.To reduce the risk of catching "uninvited guests", just try to follow two main rules:
- Wash your hands.The most common nematode infections in our region (toxocarosis, ascariasis, enterobiasis) and echinococcosis are not without reason called diseases of dirty hands.Therefore, as trivial as it sounds, wash your hands often and thoroughly.Moreover, now, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, this basic rule of hygiene has taken on even greater meaning.
- Maintain food hygiene.Parasite eggs can enter the body from unwashed fruits, vegetables and herbs - so rinse them well under running water.Meat and fish that have not been sufficiently thermally processed pose an increased risk.Parasite larvae are especially common in carp species, and they can also be waiting for you in homemade salted caviar, especially in pike, where broad tapeworm larvae like to settle.Raw ground meat and rare steaks may contain beef or pork tapeworm larvae.
In addition to the usual heat treatment, there is another reliable way of disinfecting meat and fish - freezing them.A home freezer with a temperature of -20°C is suitable for this.Keep fish or meat there for at least two days - and you can be sure: the larvae of most parasites cannot withstand such a "cold test".
As you can see, the complete prevention of helminthiasis is mainly a way of life, and not the regular use of toxic drugs.So don't get carried away with medicines for no particular reason, take care of your food and personal hygiene and get yourself tested from time to time.