According to dry statistics, half of the world's population are carriers of parasitic worms. At present, scientists have more than 200 kinds of them. A person lives for many years, does not pay attention to the symptoms and does not know anything about the presence of uninvited "guests". But the opposite happens more often: an organism that is weakened by the presence of parasites becomes a simple "catch" for various types of diseases, including oncology. Some of the worms are removed with medication, but there are also some that can only be removed by surgery.
Various parasites and infection methods
For a successful fight, you must know the enemy by sight. What are the parasites in the human body and where exactly should you look for them?
- Roundwormsare the most common group. These include pinworms, roundworms, toxocara, whipworms, scratches. They live in the human digestive system. Infection occurs when people eat unwashed vegetables, fruits, or vegetables. At the same time, you need to wash all products, including those from your own garden. There is also a risk of helminths from eating salted fish, bacon, and poorly fried meat. At risk are those who have pets - cats and dogs. Some parasites do not reproduce in animals, but the latter are their active carriers.
- Adhesive tape- tapeworms and beef tapeworms, Echinococcus, broad tapeworms. These are the largest representatives of worms - tapeworms, for example, reach a length of 25 m. They have a unique ability to nourish the entire body. In addition, they can move throughout the human body, including the brain and spinal cord. Worms of this class are infected from eating poorly cooked meat and fish - a sick person can be the source of a tasty dish. Products that have undergone rigorous veterinary inspection should be purchased.
- Subcutaneous- Dirofilaria, filamentous nematode, rishta. They multiply in the host's subcutaneous tissue. The most widespread parasites of this type are found in tropical countries - India, Iraq, Africa. Infection is transmitted by blood-sucking insects - mosquitoes, flies, bed bugs. Its main symptom is a small formation that moves when pressed on it.
- Trematodes (leeches)- Fasciola (liver fluke), Schistosom, Fascilopsis. They live in the liver, biliary tract, pancreas and intestines. The infection is caused by half-baked, poorly salted, or undercooked fish. Drinking uncooked water also contributes to the acquisition of parasites.
- Tissue- trypanosomes, the Finns live in the brain and spinal cord, sarcosporidia - in striated muscles and microsporidia - in the connective tissue. This class lives in different tissues of the body. Basically the carriers are wild animals and domestic animals as well as birds - horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats. Parasites get into the human body through poorly cooked meat.
Infection symptoms
It is not always realistic to determine that "guests" have settled in the body. An infected person may be unaware of their presence for several years. Very often the signs of the presence of parasites are very similar to the symptoms of certain diseases. There is a whole list of signals that the body gives in case of danger:
- anemia - an excessive amount of protozoa leads to large blood loss, which is the cause of iron deficiency;
- Nausea, abdominal pain - worms irritate and damage the walls of internal organs, causing wounds, microcracks and inflammation.
- Alternation from constipation and diarrhea - the first symptom occurs due to the large number or excessive size of parasites in the body, which contributes to the blockage of the intestinal lumen. The appearance of diarrhea is provoked by special substances that are excreted by protozoa, which can destroy chlorides and sodium.
- Flatulence (increased gas production) and gas are the result of inflammation in the digestive tract that has been damaged by worms. Because of this, there is no absorption of fats in the small intestine, which immediately enter the large intestine.
- Bruxism (grinding of teeth) is a clear sign of infection. This is how the nervous system reacts to a certain stimulus;
- Skin problems - peeling, acne, boils, eczema, papillomas, warts, changes in the structure of hair and nails, allergic manifestations. These symptoms arise due to the fact that the protozoa secrete many toxins that the liver cannot cope with with excretion. Accordingly, they all accumulate in one person. The body tries to get rid of this dirt in some way, including removing it through the skin;
- severe weight loss or gain - "thanks" to the uptake of nutrients by worms, the human body experiences a lack of nutrients, which leads to weight loss; Weight gain occurs due to a drop in blood sugar, which increases the feeling of hunger that the patient must constantly breastfeed;
- Pain in the joints and muscles is due to the movement of parasites through the body and their formation in the muscles and synovial fluid. This symptom speaks of inflammation of the tissue;
- Deterioration in immunity, resulting in permanent diseases that are difficult to diagnose. The reason for this is the human immune system's fight with worms. With this symptom, the amount of immunoglobulin decreases and the body becomes helpless against attack by viruses and infections.
- frequent coughing, strong sputum production, runny nose, fever occur because worms get into the airways during the migration process. Parasites in the body can provoke the development of asthma and pneumonia.
- Increased fatigue, nervousness and irritability are caused by the fact that worms consume nutrients that are necessary for a person and that the body does not receive - magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron;
- When infected with pinworms, there is severe itching in the anus to the listed symptoms of the presence of parasites. This is due to the fact that female pinworms crawl out at night to lay their eggs, sometimes causing an unbearable burning sensation.
Consult a doctor
If a person experiences at least 3-4 of the above symptoms, you need to see a doctor and undergo treatment as soon as possible.
In such cases, contact the following specialists:
- parasitologist;
- helminthologist;
- specialist in infectious diseases;
- pediatrician;
- therapist.
The specialist will definitely give a referral for tests and choose the optimal therapy based on the results. Depending on the symptoms and treatment should be appropriate. Research alone is unlikely to provide a definitive answer to the presence or absence of parasites. Tests for some types of worms are done 7-8 times.
Another important nuance:If the infection is confirmed, all family members are treated and protected from parasites. Most protozoa quickly spread in everyday life: through dishes, household items.
The reason for the visit to the doctor is as follows:
- recent return from a trip abroad, especially from African or Asian countries;
- the presence of various impurities in the feces - mucus, blood;
- sudden weight loss;
- Itching on the anus;
- prolonged diarrhea or alternating constipation with diarrhea;
- frequent colds or other illnesses.
There are a number of symptoms that are associated with helminthiasis. Few people realize that mundane fatigue can be a result of helminthic invasions. A baby infected with parasites immediately loses appetite and does not even want to eat his favorite dishes, but rather eat sweets. There is pain and cramping in the abdomen, nausea (especially in the morning), diarrhea. Often a child becomes moody, irritable, his sleep is disturbed, teeth grinding can be observed in a dream (although today scientists argue whether grinding is a sign of helminthiasis), urination of the bladder, coughing (without signs of a cold). In children, worms cause a delay in physical and mental development, with helminthiasis, puberty later, memory and thinking disorders.
Lovers of dried and semi-raw meat, thermally unprocessed minced meat and fresh fish are at risk. This includes preschool and elementary school children, pet owners, veterinary clinic employees, and those who frequently work with the land for work or other activities. For example, summer residents.
In order to prevent infection with parasitic worms, you need to follow a few rules:
- Wash hands more often, especially in children and adults after contact with animals;
- kill domestic insects - flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches;
- Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly, preferably with warm boiling water.
Drug treatment
A wide range of drugs are available to combat parasites. Anyone who wants to get a good result in a fight against an enemy within must know who the war is against. This is only determined after seeing a doctor and passing tests.
Of course there are drugs that can successfully cure several types of worms at the same time. However, they not only kill parasites, but also beneficial microflora of humans. After ingestion, restorative therapy is carried out.
In no case should you heal yourself. All antiglustants are synthetic drugs that can have toxic effects on the liver, blood cells, and the immune system. For this reason, do not use them without the need and advice of a doctor. For prevention, it is better to use folk recipes for treating worms in humans.
Folk Remedies
Even if there are no symptoms of parasites, prophylaxis is carried out every six months or one year. It has long been known that worms do not tolerate fragrant herbs and plants: onions, garlic, tansy, wormwood. The oldest known remedy for helminths is pumpkin seeds. It is enough to buy a pack of this product from a pharmacy or store, carefully peel it (but so as not to remove the green peel) and eat it.
There are many popular ways to get rid of helminths. Here are the simplest:
- in spring and summer they eat several sorrel leaves on an empty stomach;
- In winter it is very good to take a bath with aniseed. This substance easily gets into the body through the pores of the skin. And since it has a pungent odor, parasites cannot tolerate it;
- a remedy that absolutely everyone can afford, including pregnant and breastfeeding women - pumpkin seeds;
- pour two hundred ml 2 tablespoons. l. Oak bark. Insist on a closed thermos - so that the water is better saturated with phytoncides;
- an art. l. Tansy flowers are poured with a glass of boiling water, and then kept under the lid for 4 hours. Then filter and drink 1 tbsp. l. 4 times a day half an hour before meals;
- mix 150 ml of alcohol and 1 tbsp. l. Wormwood. The mixture is infused for 2 weeks, after which 20 drops are taken 30 minutes before meals three times a day.
You don't have to be shy and let the problem of helminth infection sink in. If you turn to a specialist and undergo treatment when the first signs of disease appear, you can avoid many diseases. After removing the parasites, basic hygiene rules are followed - and the worms will never appear in the body again. After all, it is easier to prevent a disease than to cure it for a long time and painfully.