Worms in humans: treatment

Worm infestation is a group of diseases that reveal the presence of parasitic worms in the body.

In people, the treatment of which requires an integrated approach, worms cause many unpleasant feelings to their owners.Parasitic diseases caused by various helminths (worms) and/or parasitic worms are incredibly common among different population groups. Thus, trichinosis is often detected in people whose activity is related to hunting or animal husbandry, and diphyllobothriasis is a widespread disease among amateur and professional fishermen.

Attention!Sometimes it is very difficult to determine the signs and symptoms of worms in people, and the treatment can go the wrong way, because helminthic infection is very similar to the symptomatic pathology of liver, gall bladder diseases and some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. and other infectious diseases.

Methods of infection

How do parasitic arthropods enter the human body? There are several known methods of infection with helminths:

• through the surface layer, that is, the soil where parasitic worms lay their adult eggs;
• in 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 end up in open water bodies, which is a source of infection;
• in some cases, stings or bites of blood-sucking insects are the source of infection.

However, the most common way of transmission is from person to person.

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 posed by certain types of worms to humans, and their treatment requires immediate therapeutic intervention. Let's take a look at the most common and dangerous types of parasitic worms in the human body:

1. Pinworm is a parasitic and free-living nematode species whose favorite habitat is the human intestine. Parasitizing the small intestine or intestine, these worms reach the ileum and mate there. After fertilization of the female, the male ceases its life activity and the pregnant female, full of eggs, crawls through the lower opening of the digestive system and continues its journey in the rectum. After laying eggs in the perianal folds of the anus, the pinworm dies. This movement in the whole body lasts about a month. Gastrointestinal travel has its consequences. The appearance, symptoms and treatment of worms in humans is determined by a disease called enterobiosis, the most common type of helminthic infection.

2. Roundworms are round dioecious helminths that can reach a total length of 40 cm. A sexually mature female produces more than 200 thousand eggs, her favorite place is the gastrointestinal tract, especially the small intestine. Roundworms provoke the symptoms of worms in humans, the symptoms and treatment of which are defined as ascariasis - one of the types of helminthic infestation. The free movement of the parasitic worm causes irritation of the small intestine, which affects its permeability. By parasitizing internal organs, roundworms not only affect the gastrointestinal tract, but are also unexpected visitors to 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 species of protostome round parasitic worms, the larval stage begins in the elastic tissues of the muscular system, after which the adults are sent to the small intestine. Infection with this type of roundworm causes a fatal disease - trichinosis. Human muscle worms, symptoms, treatment and diagnosis are defined by swelling of the face, skin rash, myalgia and blood eosinophilia. A 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, it is possible to determine the symptoms of worms in an adult - in this case, the treatment is aimed at restoring the neurological disorder, for example, ataxia or paralysis of the respiratory tract.

4. Intestinal giardia is a genus of protozoan flagellate parasites that cause the invasion of protozoa in the human body with primary damage to the small intestine and are the causative agent of giardiasis. Parasites feed on decomposition products by sticking to the walls of the digestive organ. Adult lamblia's favorite food is flour and sweet foods. Parasites that come out in the form of spores enter the external environment. Often, Giardia cysts, which enter the body with chlorinated water, are detected during a biochemical laboratory examination during the treatment of worms in an adult.

5. The provocateur of another type of helminthic infection is the whipworm, which affects the organs of the gastrointestinal system and causes trichocephalosis. A fertilized female parasitic worm lays up to 10, 000 eggs per day. Larval development of the whipworm occurs without an intermediate host. Entering the body, the worms damage the mucous membrane of the large intestine, thereby causing acute disorders. In some cases, the whipworm is the causative agent of inflammation of the appendage of the intestine, that is, appendicitis. Prolonged presence of the parasitic worm can cause anemia.

Identify signs and symptoms of infection

When worms and parasites are identified in humans, treatment is determined by symptomatic signs and biochemical laboratory test data. Characteristic symptomatic signs of helminthic infection:

• pale skin;
• general weakness of the body;
• dizziness;
• itching in the anus;
• functional disorder of the intestine;
• allergic reaction;
• phase change in body temperature.

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

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

Home test for detection of helminths

You can check for signs of possible helminthic infestation with the help of simple tests that should be performed by a consulting infectious disease specialist or parasitologist. Count the number of questions answered yes.

The risk of infection is present with 10 "yes" answers, and more than 15 is the possibility of already developed helminthosis:

• there are rashes on the body that did not exist before;
• you often suffer from 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;
• Intermittent sleep for no reason?
• enlargement of lymph nodes;
• whether there is swelling in the legs;
• Constant tiredness and fatigue bother you;
• Is the mucous membrane of the eyes yellowish?
• Do you feel a constant bitterness in your mouth?
• Are there any allergic manifestations - cough, rhinitis, asthma;
• Do you feel constant pain or heaviness in your stomach?
• is there an unreasonable change in temperature;
• whether there are preschool children in the family;
• do you have pets or birds;
• whether pain occurs in muscles and joints without the influence of physical activity;
• Do people around you complain that you snore or grind your teeth at night?
• is there complete indifference to food;
• Do you often forget to process raw vegetables and fruits?

If there is a possibility of infection based on the results of home tests, you should contact a specialist.

Lung damage

Attention!Worms in the lungs of people is 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 signs of the disease are very similar to bronchopulmonary pathology, which is manifested by common symptoms:

• attacks of nausea and/or vomiting;
• shortness of breath;
• wheezing in the lungs;
• shortness of breath;
• increased body temperature;
• productive cough, etc.

The causative agents of lung lesions are various types of tapeworms, pork worms and roundworms.

Helminthic infection in the organs of vision

Itching, irritation, increased sensitivity and allergic-type burning of the sensitive organ can occur due to worms in a person's eyes, the treatment of such a helminthic infection is a labor-intensive process. It requires a certain skill from the specialist, because the parasitic worm constantly migrates in the organ of vision. Symptoms can be identified by constant irritation of the eyelids, similar to chronic inflammation in blepharitis. In the photo, you can see how worms come out in a person after treatment for helminthic infestation of the eye.

How to get rid of helminths: treatment methods

Today, infectious disease specialists and parasitologists have more than 20 anthelmintic drugs and agents available to treat worms in humans. Treatment with broad-spectrum or narrow-spectrum anthelmintic drugs allows effective control of parasites, provided that the diagnosis is made correctly and the laboratory examination of the helminthic pathogen is carried out. When choosing a therapeutic regimen, it is necessary to take into account the patient's age criteria, gender and weight, because anthelmintic pharmacological treatments are highly toxic. Synthetic dosage forms replaced traditional folk remedies - garlic, chenopodia oil, fern, etc. After identifying the symptoms, the treatment of worms in humans with tablets involves the complete cleansing of the body from helminthic infection.

The most effective dosage forms are broad-spectrum drugs that can resist most intestinal and extraintestinal helminths. Treatment of worms in humans with tablets is conventionally divided into pharmacological combinations of antitrematodosis, anticestodosis and antinematodosis action. A list of the most popular drugs that help get rid of various types of helminth infections:

1. A synthetic broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug from the group of benzimidazoles is 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. The duration and dosage of treatment is determined by a consulting infectious disease specialist or parasitologist.
2. A drug from the group of imidazothiazoles is a dosage form of anthelmintic properties that have an active immunostimulating effect. Pharmacological treatment paralyzes the muscle structure of the parasite, inhibits its fumarate reductase and weakens the bioenergetic activity of helminths. The drug is prescribed as an anthelmintic when the following diagnoses are made: trichostrongyloidosis, ascariasis, toxocarosis, nekatorosis, etc. The dose and duration of treatment are determined according to individual characteristics.
3. Pharmacological preparation of anthelmintic group of benzimidazoles. The action of the drug is aimed at blocking and paralyzing the nerve endings of helminthic parasites. Muscle paralysis does not allow the worms to stick to the intestinal walls and feed on rotten products. The emergence of parasitic worms occurs in a natural physiological way. The dosage form is freely available in pharmacies. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor before use.

Help from traditional medicine

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

• onion;
• dandelion;
• burdock;
• nettle;
• cloves;
• tansy;
• garlic;
• wormwood etc.

An equally common way to treat helminthic infections is to consume raw pumpkin seeds. However, for complete treatment, it is necessary to consume 150-200 g of pumpkin seeds every day, provided that the home treatment period is 3-4 weeks.

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

1. A half-liter jar is filled with chopped onions in the middle and filled with vodka or alcohol solution. After a day of 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 into a glass of vodka or diluted alcohol. The drug is taken daily, one spoonful every 3-4 hours.
3. Green walnut bark decoction is very useful. The crushed product in a mortar is poured with alcohol and brewed for 2-3 days until a light brown color appears. Take one spoon an hour before meals.
4. Boil two cloves of chopped garlic in 200 ml of milk until completely dissolved. 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. Filtered liquid should be 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 infection

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

• You need to wash your hands with soap before eating, walking and contact with animals;
• food must undergo heat treatment before consumption;
• Avoid street kebab and seafood vendors.

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!