Helminths, which people usually call worms, can penetrate the body of animals and people. The disease caused by worms is called helminthiasis. In the modern world, doctors count several hundred different types of worms. Some species do not cause much harm to the human body, while others can lead to various diseases and sometimes fatal consequences. Infection occurs unnoticed, and many do not even realize that parasites and their larvae are the cause of constant illness and ill health.
What are the causes of worm infestation?
Worms can appear in the human body for various reasons:
- consumption of vegetables and fruits that have not been subjected to heat treatment or not washed before consumption;
- a person does not follow the rules of hygiene when preparing food;
- correct heat treatment of meat and fish products;
- frequent contact with animals infected with worms;
- taking care of pets that are often outside;
- complete lack of hygiene rules after going to the toilet, before eating, after walking outside;
- eating raw fish;
- living together, communicating with a person suffering from helminthosis;
- water procedures in the river, lake;
- rarely with insect bites.
Most often, children aged 3-10 are exposed to pinworms due to poor hygiene. Human worms are highly contagious and can be transmitted from animals or from one person to another. Many young children do not pay attention to the rules of personal hygiene, so they are more likely to get worms than adults. Parents should instill in their children the concepts of personal hygiene from childhood, because often the teacher in the kindergarten cannot monitor everyone and infection can occur. Basic good hand washing skills and not touching the mouth after playing in the sandbox can protect a child from infection.
People who work with various animals, who constantly cut meat and fish, are at high risk of infection. Simply touching the mouth after direct contact with contaminated fish or meat is a direct cause of parasitic infection.
Some types of worms can enter the human body through food, others come into contact with an infected person or animal, and others live in water, which is often used for cooking or water procedures.
Symptoms of worms in humans
Some types of parasites can be easily detected, while others are carefully disguised in the human body. In a person infected with roundworms and pinworms, the symptoms of worms are severe itching in the anus, swelling and disturbances in bowel movements. These worms live in the intestines and can leave the body with feces when going to the toilet. Symptoms arise due to the vital activity of the parasite, releasing strong allergens into the intestinal microflora, causing damage to the intestinal walls, after which inflammatory processes begin in the stomach.
It should be noted that not every parasite can live in the stomach. Echinococcus most often affects the lungs and liver. A small worm penetrates deep into the body and creates a protective shell around itself. During the examination, specialists may mistake the protective capsule of the parasite for a tumor.
If a person has worms, what symptoms may appear:
- Chronic headache.
- Weakness.
- nausea
- Digestive disorders.
All these symptoms can indicate some kind of parasitic infection. Signs of the presence of worms in a person are increased allergic reactions, people who were not prone to allergies should pay special attention to this sign. In this case, such a reaction is one of the signs of the presence and active activity of worms in the body.
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of worms in humans can vary depending on the type of parasite the patient is infected with and where it is located. The first signs of worms.
- Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
- Allergic skin damage.
- Diarrhea.
- Constipation.
- Excessive gas formation.
- Stomach ache.
- nausea
- Enlarged spleen, liver.
- Dry cough.
- General weakness.
- Excessive itching - on the skin, genitals, rectal area.
- Lose weight.
- Increase in body temperature.
- Constant headaches.
In humans, worms may not cause any symptoms for a long time. Echinococcus most often affects the liver and can manifest itself six months or more after entering the body. The worm begins to manifest itself at the moment when the internal organs of the protective capsule grow to such a size that they compress the structure of connective tissues, so there is pain on the right side, and the skin has a yellowish color. nausea, indigestion.
In rare cases, the pulmonary fluke, exinococcus, can parasitize brain or muscle tissue. They usually live in the liver and lungs, so a chronic dry cough and shortness of breath can occur. Any of the parasites entering the human body causes intoxication - general weakness, muscle pain, headache, increased body temperature. Symptoms may not appear simultaneously, but separately and at different times. Ignoring the symptoms for a long time will make the situation worse, the body's defenses will be very weak, and the person will constantly suffer from viral or other diseases. Internal organs will also suffer long-term negative effects and will take a long time to recover.
Symptoms and treatment of worms
Today, there are many ways to get rid of worms offered by traditional folk medicine. It should be noted that uncontrolled worms, symptoms and treatment in adults will negatively affect the state of well-being and the parasite will continue to progress. Worms provoke inflammatory processes in the body, suppress the immune system and worsen general well-being and health.
The method of cleaning the body from worms is called deworming, which is carried out using special drugs. Before prescribing the drug, the specialist conducts a complete diagnosis to determine what type of worm is a parasite in the body and whether the patient has an allergic reaction to the individual components of the drug.
During treatment with anthelmintic drugs, the doctor can additionally prescribe antihistamines, which will help reduce or eliminate the allergic reaction to the components of the main drug.
Also, to get rid of worms, you can turn to traditional medicine, which has proven itself in the fight against parasites. However, it should be remembered that it is better to consult your doctor before starting to take folk remedies. Self-medication should be avoided, especially considering the severity of the disease. After completing the prescribed course of treatment, as a rule, the specialist prescribes drugs that restore the normal functioning of all internal systems and organs. If necessary, a person is prescribed sorbents.
Traditional means of combating worms
The symptoms of a worm infection will help a specialist choose the right drugs to remove the worms from the body.
The drug, which helps to remove worms from the body naturally, has a paralyzing effect on the parasites and is suitable for both adults and children over two years of age.
In cases where drug treatment does not help in the fight against worms, experts prescribe surgical intervention. Doctors must remove the parasitic worm and the area of the organ where it resides.
Preventive measures
At first, not the worm itself, but only the eggs of the worms enter the body, after a while they grow and turn into adult parasites. To prevent certain types of parasites from entering the body, you should follow certain hygiene rules:
- When you come home after walking outside, you should wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
- Vegetables and fruits should be washed thoroughly before preparing or consuming them.
- Meat and fish must undergo complete, proper heat treatment before consumption.
- Kitchen tools used for cutting meat and fish should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.
- If you have a pet, it is good to monitor its health. For preventive purposes, visit the veterinarian at least once a quarter.
- If you suspect the presence of worms, do not forget to go to the hospital for examination and timely medical care.
Traditional medicine in the fight against worms
Mixed. Mix tansy, wormwood and cloves in equal proportions. Chop each ingredient. Blend until smooth. Take 1 teaspoon when you wake up in the morning. dry mixes. After use, you can drink a glass of water to remove the bitter taste. The admission course is 1 month.
Garlic for pinworms. Grind the garlic until it becomes a paste. Mix 1 tsp. Porridge with 200 ml of hot boiled water. Leave for 1 hour. Take an enema with this infusion 2 hours before going to bed. To get rid of the parasite completely, you need to perform the procedure every evening for a week.
Folk medicine has many recipes to eliminate worms. But it should be remembered that self-treatment can aggravate the already existing condition, and folk remedies are best used as additional treatment. It is best to discuss the use of any medication with your doctor.
A parasitic infection with helminths may not bother you for a long time, the worms will develop, parasitize and slowly poison the body. The combination of characteristic symptoms of the disease is the main reason to seek help from a specialist and strictly follow all his recommendations.