Helminths, which people usually call worms, are able to penetrate the body of animals and people. A 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 a variety of diseases, sometimes fatal. The infection goes unnoticed and many do not even realize that the parasites and their larvae are the cause of ongoing disease and deterioration of health.
What are the causes of worm infestation?
Worms in the human body can appear for various reasons:
- consumption of vegetables and fruits that have not undergone thermal treatment or have not been washed before consumption;
- when preparing food, a person does not respect hygiene rules;
- inappropriate thermal treatment of meat and fish products;
- frequent contact with animals infected with worms;
- care for pets that often walk outside;
- complete lack of hygiene rules after visiting the toilet, before eating, after walking outside;
- eating raw fish;
- living together, communicating with a person suffering from helminthiasis;
- water procedures in a river, lake;
- in rare cases with insect bites.
Most often, children between the ages of 3 and 10 are exposed to worms due to poor hygiene. Human worms are highly contagious and can be transmitted from animals or from one person to another. Many young children ignore the rules of personal hygiene, so they are more likely to be infected with worms than adults. Parents should instill in children the concepts of personal hygiene from childhood, because often in kindergarten the teacher cannot keep track of everyone and infection can occur. Basic hand washing skills and not touching the mouth after playing in the sandbox can protect a child from infection.
People who work with different animals, those who constantly cut meat and fish, are at great 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 enter through contact with an infected person or animal, and others live in water, which is often used for cooking or for water procedures.
Symptoms of worms in humans
Some types of parasites can be easily detected, others are carefully disguised in the human body. Symptoms of worms in a person infected with roundworms and pinworms are intense itching in the anus, bloating and stool disorders. These worms live in the intestines and when they go to the toilet they can leave the body along with the feces. Symptoms appear due to the vital activity of the parasite, they release strong allergens into the intestinal microflora, causing damage to the intestinal walls, after which inflammatory processes in the stomach begin.
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 organ and creates a protective shell around itself. During the examination, specialists may mistake the parasite's protective capsule for a tumor.
If a person has worms, what symptoms can 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; special attention should be paid to this symptom by people who were not prone to allergies before. In this case, such a reaction is one of the signs of the presence of worms and their active activity in the body.
Signs of illness
Signs of worms in humans can vary, depending on the type of parasite the patient is infected with and where they are. The first signs of worms.
- Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
- Allergic skin lesions.
- Diarrhea.
- Constipation.
- Excessive gas formation.
- Stomach ache.
- Nausea.
- Enlarged spleen, liver.
- Dry cough.
- General weakness.
- Excessive itching - on the skin, genitals, rectal area.
- Weight loss.
- Increase in body temperature.
- Constant headache.
Worms in humans may not cause symptoms for a long time. Echinococcus most often affects the liver and can appear six months or more after entering the body. The worm begins to appear at the moment when the protective capsule grows to such a size that it compresses the internal organs, the structure of the connective tissue, which is why there is pain on the right side, a yellow tint on the skin, nausea and indigestion.
In rare cases, the pulmonary fluke, echinococcus, can parasitize the brain or muscle tissue. They usually live in the liver and lungs, so a chronic dry cough and shortness of breath may appear. Any of the parasites that enter 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 that appear for a long time will only worsen the situation, the body's defenses will be greatly weakened, and the person will constantly suffer from viral or other diseases. Internal organs will also be subject to long-term negative effects and will take a very long time to recover.
Symptoms and treatment of worms
Today there are many ways to get rid of worms, which traditional folk medicine offers. It should be noted that worms, symptoms and treatment in adults that are left unattended will negatively affect 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 specific medications. Before prescribing the medicine, the specialist performs a complete diagnosis to identify what type of worm is parasitic in the body and whether the patient has an allergic reaction to the individual components of the medicine.
During the course of treatment with anthelmintic drugs, the doctor can also prescribe antihistamines that will help reduce or eliminate an 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 before you start taking folk remedies, it is better to consult your doctor. 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 to fight worms
Symptoms of worm infection will help a specialist choose the right medications to remove worms from the body.
A medicine that helps to remove worms naturally from the body has a paralyzing effect on 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, specialists prescribe surgical intervention. Doctors must remove the parasitic worm and the area of the organ in which it resides.
Preventive measures
At first, it is not the worm itself that enters the body, but only the eggs of the worms, which after some time grow into adult parasites. To avoid the penetration of some types of parasites into the body, you must adhere to some hygiene rules:
- After walking outside, when you return home, you should wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
- Before preparing or consuming vegetables and fruits, they must be washed well.
- Meat and fish must undergo complete and proper heat treatment before consumption.
- Kitchen tools used for cutting meat and fish should be washed and disinfected well.
- If you have a pet, it is good to monitor its health. Visit a veterinarian at least once a quarter for preventive purposes.
- If you suspect the presence of worms, be sure to go to the hospital for examination and medical attention in time.
Traditional medicine in the fight against worms
Mixture. Mix tansy, wormwood and cloves in equal proportions. Grind each ingredient. Blend until smooth. When you wake up in the morning, take 1 tsp. dry mixes. After consumption you can drink a glass of water to eliminate the bitter taste. The admission course is 1 month.
Garlic for worms. Grind the garlic until it becomes a paste. Mix 1 tbsp. porridge with 200 ml of warm boiled water. Leave for 1 hour. 2 hours before bedtime, take an enema with this infusion. To completely get rid of the parasite, you should perform the procedure every evening for a week.
In folk medicine there are a large number of recipes for the elimination of worms. However, it should be remembered that self-medication can worsen an already existing situation, and folk remedies are best used as additional treatment. It is best to discuss the use of any medication with your doctor.
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 signs of the disease is the main reason to seek help from a specialist and to follow all his recommendations precisely.