Helminths or parasitic worms behave very mysteriously in the human body.Symptoms of an immune response to parasite infection can easily be confused with flu, food poisoning, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.And you may not be aware of infection with a pork tapeworm, a tapeworm that reaches 3 meters in length, throughout its lifespan (2-3 years).Today we'll talk about helminthiasis as well as anthelmintics and why you shouldn't take them "just for prevention."
First, let's give an introduction.Most helminths found in our area live in the intestines.However, some types of parasites can also colonize 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, trichinae, hookworms, etc. Nematodes are the “most popular” parasitic diseases.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a billion people worldwide are infected with them at the same time (in total, 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 cestode your body chooses depends on which country you live in.One of the main sources of infection with these parasites are fish that have not undergone full heat treatment.Echinococcosis, dirofilariasis, taeniasis, teniarinchiasis are cestodiases that affect not only people but also pets.
Helminths suppress immune reactions, which impairs the body's defenses even in severe infections.They cause allergies, indigestion and disrupt the functioning of internal organs.The body is poisoned by metabolic products and decay of helminths, suffers from mechanical damage and suppression of the immune and nervous systems.
In addition, the presence of parasites:
- reduces the effectiveness of vaccinations;
- complicates the course of various concomitant diseases;
- negatively affects the growth and development of children and the ability of adults to work;
- provokes a change in 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, treatment of helminthiasis is really necessary.But you have to do this carefully.
Treatment of helminthiasis.Medicines against worms
Previously, to combat worms, mainly herbal remedies were used - worm fern, cypress wormwood, chenopodia oil, etc. Nowadays, synthetic substances are used for these purposes.Therefore, some outdated drugs (the above-mentioned herbal medicines, as well as hexylresorcinol, carbon tetrachloride, etc.) are excluded from the nomenclature of medical anthelmintics, others remain, but are used only to a very limited extent (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 medications can treat different classes of helminths.However, it is important to remember that there is no concept of “best cure for worms” – it all depends on what type of parasite has attacked your body.
Today, most anthelmintics are produced based on six main active ingredients - albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel, pyrantel, piperazine adipate and levamisole.Let's consider their characteristics in more detail.
Albendazole
Albendazole preparations are effective against various parasites - both intestinal parasites and those that live in other organs.In addition, the effect of this substance depends on the time of taking it:
- on an empty stomach, albendazole is not absorbed, but simply passes through the digestive tract and destroys intestinal parasites;
- Together with fatty foods, 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 examinations.
Mebendazole
Compared to albendazole, mebendazole is absorbed less intensively and its effect occurs mainly in the gastrointestinal tract.Nevertheless, mebendazole can also be prescribed to combat helminths living in the tissue - for example, in echinococcosis, when the echinococcal bubble is in a place where it cannot be removed immediately.
According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), albendazole and mebendazole should be used for helminthiases caused by so-called soil worms: roundworms, whipworms, hookworms.Both 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 will starve.
The drugs albendazole and mebendazole are not “budget” drugs, but are valuable because they have relatively few possible side effects.
Praziquantel
Effective against trematodes (cat and lung flukes, schistosomes).It is used to treat clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, opisthorchiasis, intestinal cestodiasis (taeniasis, teniarinchiasis), etc.Under the influence of praziquantel, parasites disrupt the absorption of glucose by the body's cells, as a result of which helminths are paralyzed and killed.
Pirantel
Pyrantel is practically not absorbed in the human body and therefore only has a targeted effect on the helminths that reside in the intestines.It immobilizes worms that are sensitive to it and in this immobile state they are excreted from the body.
Pyrantel preparations are approved for children from 6 months of age - the drug can be administered to them in the form of a suspension, as it is easier to dose (in tablet form, the drug is only approved for use from 3 years of age).In general, Pyrantel is well tolerated, the main thing is to take it with a meal or immediately after.
Piperazine adipate
This substance attacks the muscle and nerve cells of nematodes and roundworms, causing the parasites to become paralyzed and to leave the intestines naturally (along with the feces).
For ascariasis, a two-day course of piperazine is usually prescribed, for enterobiasis (pinworms) 1-3 five-day courses with one-week breaks between them.Pinworms do not react to piperazine as quickly as roundworms - they are more resistant.Between courses it is necessary to do enemas to gradually flush out battalions of dead pinworms from the intestines.
Levamisole
Levamisole paralyzes the muscles of roundworms and hookworms.IMPORTANT!Consuming alcohol within 24 hours of taking Levamisole is strictly prohibited.Otherwise, you can expect dizziness, palpitations, general weakness and other unpleasant consequences.All of these are “disulfiram-like reactions”;They are the basis for the action of drugs used to treat alcoholism and cause an aversion to alcohol.
In general, Levamisole differs from other anthelmintics in the most common side effects, even when 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 several days after taking it, it seemed to them that everything around them smelled like bleach, smoke, “chemicals,” etc.Of course, all of these side effects do not occur in every case and depend on many individual factors, but our task is to warn you that such situations are quite possible.
Why you shouldn’t take anti-worm medication “to be on the safe side”.
It is strictly not recommended to take antiparasitic medications “for prevention purposes only,” even if you have animals at home that go outside.The role of pets in infecting humans with parasites is greatly exaggerated.Yes, people and dogs have a “common” parasite - Toxocara, but in most cases people become infected with Toxocara through street dirt, which contains dog feces particles and, accordingly, Toxocara larvae.In addition, dogs and farm animals can be carriers of the Echinococcus parasite, which is also dangerous for humans.However, you still cannot take anthelmintics indiscriminately.
The fact is that different drugs from this group not only act on different helminths, but also have different contraindications to use, as well as different side effects.Some of these side effects can be extremely serious because many anthelmintics are toxic - otherwise you cannot neutralize worms: they are very stubborn, like all other parasitic organisms.Sometimes after taking certain anthelmintics, for example Decaris, as well as in the treatment of opisthorchiasis, it may even be necessary to hospitalize the patient.
It is worth exposing your body to “toxic attacks” only if the invasion has been confirmed in the laboratory (tested for helminthiasis and received a positive result).
That is why you should not follow the example of parasitophobia, even if it is constantly fueled by aggressive advertising of various “miracle cures” and horror stories on the Internet.Do not forget that sanitary conditions in our country are at least far from the same as in Africa, where mass preventive deworming is fully justified.The World Health Organization (WHO) has compiled a list of countries where continuous helminth control is recommended.
Prevention of helminthiasis
Of course, prevention of helminth infection must be carried out.But what is meant here is not drug prevention.To minimize the risk of “uninvited guests”, just try to adhere to two main rules:
- Wash your hands.The most common nematode infections in our area (toxocariasis, ascariasis, enterobiasis) and echinococcosis are not called diseases of dirty hands for nothing.Therefore, no matter how trivial it may sound, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.In addition, this basic rule of hygiene has become even more important, especially against the background of the corona pandemic.
- Pay attention to food hygiene.Parasite eggs can enter the body through unwashed fruits, vegetables and herbs - so rinse them well under running water.Meat and fish that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment also pose an increased danger. The larvae of parasites are particularly common in fish of the carp species and can also lie in wait for you in self-salted caviar, especially in pike, where the larvae of the broad tapeworm like to settle.Raw ground meat and rare steaks may contain beef or pork tapeworm larvae.
In addition to normal heat treatment, there is another reliable way to disinfect meat and fish - freezing.A standard household freezer with a temperature of -20°C is suitable for this.Store 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, first of all, a way of life, and not at all the regular use of toxic drugs.So don't be tempted to take medication for no particular reason, pay attention to your diet and personal hygiene and get tested regularly.