Despite today's development of civilization and modern medicine, various microorganisms remain in this world to live, multiply and harm. These include: bacteria, microbes and worms. 70-80% of the world's people are infected with helminths. These are the worst enemies of man that we must fight.
Helminths and their larvae use the human body for their own development and reproduction, while extracting nutrients from it, depriving the carrier of the opportunity to obtain all the necessary micro and macro elements. They can live not only in the intestines, but also in the muscles, lungs, liver, joints, which not only leads to the destruction of organs, tissues and systems, but also causes a number of diseases that lead to death. That is why everyone needs prevention of different types of worms to prevent complications caused by helminthiasis.
Methods for penetration of helminths into the human body
Given the number of helminths that can live in the human body, they have many ways to get inside the carrier. Children are most often infected because they often play on the sand, come into contact with soil and animals, and do not always eat well-processed fruit. Adults are most often infected by their children or due to non-compliance with basic hygiene standards.
Experts have registered the following ways for helminths to enter the body:
- If a person sits down to dinner after an active day without washing his hands, then together with the food he will consume the microbes, bacteria and helminth eggs collected during the day, which will lead to infection. Also, invasion can occur if a person pulls dirty hands into his mouth.
- Unwashed vegetables or fruits come into contact with the soil or limbs of the infected person. Insufficient processing of such products leads to infection as described above.
- Poorly processed meat and fish products. The processing of meat products is necessary to destroy the larvae of helminths in them, preventing them from entering the body and begin development.
- The use of untreated water can also serve as a source of infection, as worm larvae may be present in the water.
- Flies and insects come into contact with soil containing helminth eggs, as a result of which they can carry worm larvae on their paws and place them on food consumed by humans.
- When swimming in open water, a person can swallow water containing parasite eggs, thus provoking infection.
- In direct contact with contaminated soil, helminth infestation can also occur, as some helminths can enter the human body through microcracks in the skin.
- Regular treatment of pets is necessary, as animals absolutely do not follow a nutritious diet and often eat raw meat from mice infected with tapeworm.
- Exotic cuisine, water from an untested source, foreign insects and animals can instantly strike a person, because in exotic countries it is not common to process every product well (there are countries where a diet of raw food or meat with blood is welcome).
Symptoms of helminth infestation
Sometimes the disease can be asymptomatic, so an annual examination of the body for helminthiasis is recommended. The diagnosis must be made by the whole family, as infecting one person endangers other family members. When signs of helminth infestation appear, it is necessary to urgently visit a doctor to receive timely medical care.
Helminths provoke the following symptoms:
- Physical weakness and increased thermometer readings.
- Headache and dizziness.
- state of apathy.
- Stomach ache.
- Sensation of itching in the anus.
- Enlargement of the spleen and liver.
- Skin rash in the form of dermatosis or urticaria.
- Nausea, diarrhea alternating with constipation, vomiting.
- Anemia, hypovitaminosis.
- Bad breath.
- Sudden weight loss or sudden hunger may occur, leading to obesity.
After hearing your complaints, the parasitologist will prescribe remedies to eliminate the symptoms of helminths and their pathogen, based on the severity of the invasion. If the worm larvae are not found during the test, then he will advise drugs suitable for use as prophylaxis.
Pros and cons of preventing worms
Many are wondering whether it is still necessary to take measures and use specially designed means for worms for prevention? Here, experts' opinions differ. Some believe that it is not necessary to carry out preventive treatment, as a non-specific technique is sufficient to prevent invasion and the use of folk remedies.
Others argue that only drugs serve as a barrier between large-scale invasion and health, so only pharmacological drugs will help prevent an outbreak of helminthiasis in the population.
It is known that it is easier to prevent a disease than to get rid of it later, and the prevention of various types of worms makes it possible to prevent large-scale invasions by timely destruction of individual helminths.
Useful tips. To prevent infection of the whole family, it is recommended to drink a course of worm tablets in spring and autumn, periodically using folk remedies that allow you to create a microflora in the body that is not suitable for the life of helminths, andalso apply non-specific preventive measures that prevent accidental penetration of parasites into the body. This is especially true for people who keep pets and eat low-quality food.
Nonspecific anthelmintic prophylaxis
These preventive measures allow you to protect yourself from the attack of helminths without financial costs.
This will require:
- Regularly observe hygiene standards: change the bed and linen in a timely manner, perform water treatments, wash your hands with soap and water before meals (especially after visiting public transport, baths and shops).
- Visit the beach with beach shoes. There are many helminth larvae in the soil that fall into the sand from the animal's feces and enter the human body through cracks in the legs. Even after a walk on the beach in slippers, it is recommended to wash your feet with soap to prevent worms from settling in your body.
- It is good to wash fruits and vegetables, fry meat and fish to destroy all available helminth larvae in these products.
- Strengthen the immune system so that the body can more easily cope with helminth infestation and diseases caused by parasites.
- Use anthelmintic therapy in pets because they also become infected with helminths and transmit them to humans.
- Do not drink water from untested sources. Worm larvae can live in water for a long time, so before drinking, it should be boiled and it is better to completely replace it with purified water.
Sometimes a person is not able to apply these security measures, for example during a long journey by train, bus, etc. Then the parasites have the opportunity to penetrate the unprotected body and attack it, so it is necessary to prevent worms inchildren and adults.
Prevention against helminths in humans: drugs
There are currently many anthelmintic drugs, but it is not recommended to prescribe treatment alone. This should be done by a specialist who knows the characteristics of the medication and how to choose the dose that is right for your body. Preventive treatment of worms in humans should be aimed at destroying young worms and maintaining the body.
As you know, many drugs are forbidden to take with alcohol. This reduces the effect of the drug and increases the side effects. If you want to get a positive result from the treatment, you should exclude alcohol from your diet 1 week before taking medication and 30 days after the prevention of helminth infestation.
Folk methods of preventing worms in humans
Traditional medicine also shows good results in the prevention of helminthiasis. Some herbal remedies create an uncomfortable atmosphere in the digestive system in which worms live, as a result of which they are forced to leave the host's body. Before using these recipes, you should consult a doctor, because due to their bitter properties they can further injure a person who has diseases of the digestive system or kidneys.
- Tincture of nuts on alcoholprepared as follows: take a glass of chopped walnut partitions, pour a glass of vodka. The finished infusion can be taken daily, 5-7 drops on an empty stomach for 10-15 days.
- Decoction of wormwood and tansy: initially you will need to grind the herbs, as a result of which 2 tbsp. Pour boiling water on spoons from the collection, insist and take 100-150 ml. within one month.
- Garlicthere are no contraindications and it is available to everyone. To prevent helminthiasis you should eat 2-3 cloves of garlic a day.
- Pumpkin seedshave good antiparasitic activity. You should eat 2 cups of pumpkin seeds on an empty stomach, at least once a week. You can also prepare medicinal anthelmintic tinctures from this product.
- carrot rootwill be useful to prevent helminths in the form of juice. You will need to crush 1 carrot, strain the juice and drink before eating.
- Ash from linden branches: Ash has long been known for its healing properties. The ash from linden branches has anthelmintic properties, which is why it is still used today. To prevent helminthiasis you need to add 1 teaspoon of ash to a glass of milk and drink on an empty stomach.
Medicines according to the above prescriptions should be taken once a week. If a person has not had any protection against helminths for a long time, then these funds will have to drink daily for 2 weeks and then switch to weekly use.
Traditional medicine has many anthelmintic agents to combat parasitic worms. In ancient times, grandfathers and great-grandfathers used these funds because they act on worms and do not harm the human body. Therefore, prevention with folk remedies does not require much effort and spending on drugs, but you can not do without drug prevention, especially if you suspect the presence of an initial stage of invasion.