Worms in humans: treatment

Worm 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, trichinellosis is often found in people whose activities are related to hunting or animal husbandry, and diphyllobotriosis is a common disease among amateur and professional fishermen.

attention!Sometimes it is very difficult to identify the symptoms and signs of worms in people, and the treatment can be confused, because the helminthic invasion is very similar to the symptoms of some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, with diseases of the liver, gall bladder and other infectiousdiseases.

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 earth's soil, in which the parasitic worms have laid their mature eggs;
• through 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 fall into open water bodies, which is also a source of infection;
• in some cases, the bite of stinging or blood-sucking insects is the source of infection.

However, the most common method of transmission is person-to-person 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 humans and the treatment of which requires immediate therapeutic intervention. Let's look at the most common and dangerous types of parasitic worms in the human body:

1. Pinworms are 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 female is fertilized, the male ceases its vital activity and the pregnant female, full of eggs, continues its journey through the rectum, crawling out through the lower opening of the digestive tract. After laying eggs on the perianal folds of the anus, pinworms die. This whole body movement lasts about a month. The journey through the gastrointestinal tract has its consequences. The appearance of worms in people, the symptoms and treatment of which are determined by a disease called enterobiosis, is the most common type of helminth infection.

2. Roundworms are round dioecious helminths, the total length of which can reach 40 cm. A sexually mature female produces more than 200 thousand eggs, the favorite place of which is the gastrointestinal tract, in particular the small intestine. Roundworms provoke signs of worms in humans, the symptoms and treatment of which are defined as ascariasis - one of the types of helminthic invasion. The free movement of the parasitic worm causes irritation of the small intestine, which affects its patency. By parasitizing the internal organs, roundworms affect not only the gastrointestinal tract, but are also unexpected guests of the respiratory and/or genitourinary system. Cases of penetration of roundworms into the frontal sinus, nasolacrimal canal and the external passage of the hearing aid have been recorded.
3. Trichinella is one of the varieties of protostome round parasitic worms, the larval stage of which 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 - trichinellosis. Human muscle worms, symptoms, treatment and diagnosis are defined by swelling of the face, skin rash, myalgia and eosinophilia in the blood. The 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 penetrating the central nervous system is it possible to determine the symptoms of worms in an adult - treatment in this case is aimed at restoring a neurological disorder, for example, ataxia or paralysis of the respiratory tract.

4. Intestinal giardia is a genus of protozoan flagellated parasites that provoke a protozoan invasion of the human body with primary damage to the small intestine and are the causative agent of giardiasis. Adhering to the walls of the digestive organ, the parasites feed on decay products. A mature lamblia's favorite meal is flour and sweet foods. 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 helminth invasion is the whipworm, which affects the organs of the gastrointestinal system, causing trichocephalosis. A fertilized female parasitic worm releases up to 10, 000 eggs within a day. The development of whipworm larvae occurs without an intermediate host. Worms that enter the body damage the lining of the colon, thus causing an acute disorder. In some cases, the worm is the provoking cause of inflammation of the appendage of the cecum, i. e. appendicitis. Prolonged presence of a parasitic worm can lead to anemia.

Identifying signs and symptoms of infection

When worms and parasites are identified in humans, treatment is determined by symptomatic signs and data from biochemical laboratory tests. Characteristic symptomatic signs of helminth invasion:

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

Toxic effects on the body lead to a decrease in immunity, as a result of which inflammatory processes in chronic diseases worsen.

attention!A characteristic feature of the prolonged stay of parasitic worms is a sharp decrease in the body weight of the helminth carrier.

Home test for detection of helminths

With the help of a simple examination, which should be carried out by an infectious disease consultant or parasitologist, you can check for signs of a possible helminth infection. Count the number of questions answered "yes".

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;
• if you are bothered by frequent bloating, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation;
• is there constant itching in the anal passage;
• Do you often experience headaches or dizziness during the day?
• whether there are sudden impulses to nausea or gag reflex;
• Is there intermittent sleep for no apparent reason?
• whether the lymph nodes are enlarged;
• whether swelling of the legs appeared;
• 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 change in temperature;
• whether there are children of preschool age in the family;
• are there pets or birds;
• does pain occur in muscles and joints without the influence of physical activity;
• Do people around you complain about snoring or grinding their 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 home tests, there is a possibility of infection, you should 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.

The clinical symptoms of the disease are very similar to bronchopulmonary pathology, which manifests itself in general symptoms:

• bouts 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, pig tapeworms and roundworms.

Helminthic invasions of the organs of vision

Itching, irritation, increased sensitivity and burning of an allergic type of the sensory organ can be caused by worms in a person's eyes, the treatment of such a helminthic invasion is a very laborious process. This requires certain skills from a specialist, since the parasitic worm constantly migrates through the visual organ. Symptoms can be defined by constant irritation of the eyelids, which resembles chronic inflammation in blepharitis. How the worms come out in a person after treatment of helminth infection of the eye, you can see in the photo.

How to get rid of helminths: treatment methods

Today, infectious disease specialists and parasitologists have more than 20 anthelmintic drugs and agents whose treatment can eliminate worms from humans. Treatment with broad-spectrum or narrow-spectrum anthelmintic drugs allows effective control of parasites, provided that the diagnosis is correctly established and a laboratory study of the helminth pathogen is carried out. When choosing a therapeutic regimen, it is necessary to take into account the criteria of age, sex and weight of the patient, since anthelmintic pharmacological treatments are highly toxic. Synthetic medicinal forms have replaced traditional folk remedies - garlic, henopodium oil, fern, etc. After identifying the symptoms, the treatment of worms in people with tablets involves a complete cleansing of the body from helminth 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 conditionally divided into pharmacological combinations of anti-trematodous, anti-cestodous and antinematodous effects. Here is a list of the most popular drugs that help get rid of various types of helminth infections:

1. Synthetic broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug from the group of benzimidazoles, 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 allows depletion of glycogen reserves in the tissue structure of parasitic worms. Duration of treatment and dosage are determined by a consulting infectious disease specialist or parasitologist.
2. A drug from the group of imidazothiazoles 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 helminths. The drug is prescribed as an anthelmintic when the following diagnoses are established: trichostrongyloidosis, ascariasis, toxocariasis, nekatoriasis, etc. Dosage and duration of treatment are determined according to individual characteristics.
3. A pharmacological drug from the anthelmintic group of benzimidazoles. The action of the drug is aimed at blocking and paralyzing the nerve endings of helminth parasites. Muscle paralysis prevents the worms from attaching to the intestinal walls and feeding on putrefaction products. The appearance of parasitic worms occurs in a natural physiological way. The medicinal form is freely available in pharmacies. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor before use.

Help from traditional medicine

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

• onion;
• dandelion;
• burdock;
• nettles;
• cloves;
• gorse;
• garlic;
• wormwood etc.

An equally common way to treat helminth infestations is the consumption of raw pumpkin seeds. However, for full treatment, it is necessary to consume 150-200 g of pumpkin seeds daily at once, provided that the duration of home therapy is 3-4 weeks.

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

1. A half-liter jar is filled to the middle with chopped onions and poured with vodka or spirit solution. After a one-day exposure, the drug is filtered and used as intended. Take 2 tablespoons 4 times a day for a week.
2. Crushed pomegranate peel is poured with a glass of vodka or diluted alcohol. The medicine is taken daily by a tablespoon every 3-4 hours.
3. A 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 distinct brown color is formed. Take one tablespoon one hour before meals.
4. Boil two cloves of minced 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 brewed in 250 ml of boiling water and after cooling, the remedy is ready for use. The strained liquid is taken one hour before meals 3 times a day.

A very effective preventive measure is freshly squeezed carrot juice, which is recommended to drink 200 ml on an empty stomach for two weeks.

Prevention of helminthic infestations

Antiparasitic prevention of worms consists in observing sanitary and hygienic standards, which not only adults, but also children must strictly observe:

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

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

Take care of yourself and always be healthy!