Helminths or worms is the general name for parasitic worms that live in the human body. Most of them live in the intestinal tract, however, some of them extend beyond it. Children are especially vulnerable to worm infection. Due to insufficiently strong immunity, which is not capable of killing parasites and a long latent period of infection, worms can cause serious harm to the child. This is mainly due to severe intoxication, allergic reactions and, in certain cases, organ damage.
In this material we will examine the main causes of helminth infection, their types, as well as their treatment methods. This applies to both conventional and conventional medicine.
Causes of infection
First of all, it is worth noting that protecting a child from worm infection seems to be an almost impossible task. This applies to geohelminthiasis and is due to their method of infection. However, there are other types of worms, with different infection mechanisms. We will discuss geohelminthiases and other types of worms in more detail below.
Worms developon land and water, after which they enter the human body and lay their eggs there. Then, along with the feces, they return to the soil or water and the cycle repeats. When you eat dirty fruits and vegetables, there is a very real chance of contracting geohelminthic infections. Infection is also possible through dirty hands or through the skin of the feet.
Infection throughcontact with animals- not a myth. During contact, play and joint activities with an already infected animal, there is a real chance of being infected with worms. Their eggs land on the skin or clothing, where they continue to mature and sooner or later can enter the body.
Infection with biohelminthosis occurs due toconsumption of raw meat and fish products.Particularly dangerous are undercooked kebabs, lightly salted lard, sushi, raw milk and insufficiently processed fish. In addition to worms, there is a possibility of contracting an intestinal infection while consuming these products.
INFECTIONthrough insect bites- happens quite rarely, since in most cases the insects place their larvae under the victim's skin. However, some types of worms are spread by insects.
With a strong immune system, infection with worms is much less likely. Moreover, over time, a person simply develops resistance to worms in his area. They don't have time to hatch or they just die soon after hatching. However, when you move to a new area or when the immune system weakens, the defense against worms weakens.
Types of worms
There are about 300 species of worms, but 70 species are common. These types can be divided into three broad categories:
- Nematodes or roundworms.Most often, children are infected with this type of worm. This species includes pinworms, whipworms, trichinella and roundworms.
- Bands or cestodes.Infection with this species occurs through poorly processed meat. This species includes tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococci.
- Trematodes or fluke parasites.Most often, worms of this species cause opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, schistosomiasis and paragonimiasis.
In the vast majority of cases, worms are parasitized in the intestines, however, their eggs, along with the bloodstream, can spread throughout the body. As a result, the worms can begin to multiply in the liver, gall bladder, muscle tissue, lungs and even the brain.
Symptoms
Considering that worms are parasitic organisms, infection with them does not appear immediately. After all, the parasite's goal is to avoid the host's attention for as long as possible. This is why symptoms appear either in the case of multiple infections or after a long latent period.
Typically, the first symptoms appear only 2-4 weeks after the worm eggs enter the body. All symptoms are usually caused by the ingestion of waste products of helminthiasis. In certain cases, that is, when the child's immunity decreases, helminthiasis infection may appear earlier.
INTERThe main signs of worms in childrencan be distinguished:
- Increased appetite without weight gain;
- Increased salivation;
- Painful sensations in the stomach, nausea and unstable stools;
- Dizziness and headache;
- The appearance of allergic reactions;
- Sleep disorders, sleep deterioration and increased irritability;
- Increased hair loss and cracking of nails;
- Frequent inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and genitourinary tract.
With prolonged infection, developmental delays, dysfunction of internal organs and neurological abnormalities are observed.
It is important to note that a strange smell from a child's mouth, abdominal pain, frequent hiccups and grinding of teeth at night in no way indicate a worm infection. These symptoms are just a myth.
Diagnostic features
Given the variety of symptoms of infection with this parasite, making an accurate diagnosis is not the easiest task. First of all, you have to dostool analysisfor the presence of parasite nests. However, this is not the most reliable method. The thing is that in certain cases, in the body of the carrier there may be several individuals of the same sex who are not capable of reproduction. In addition, some species lay eggs extremely rarely, which makes it difficult to make a clear diagnosis. This is why stool tests for worms are done three times at intervals of several days, as it is necessary to catch the exact moment of reproduction of the parasites.
Parasite infection may also be indicated by a high level of eosinophils in combination with low hemoglobingeneral blood test.For diagnosis, scraping for enterobiasis and examination of the abdominal cavity with ultrasound or X-ray are also used. To clarify the diagnosis, doctors can turn to biological analyzes of urine and feces, as well as immunological studies.
Once the exact type of parasite is determined, as well as the level of damage caused to the body, treatment can begin.
Methods of treating worms in children
The main method of treating helminths, of course, is medication. However, in certain cases, the use of traditional medicine is also allowed. It is important to remember that in most cases, folk remedies are not strong enough to cope with moderate, let alone severe, infection. They should be used as aids. Of course, traditional medicine also has a number of limitations. These and other tools will be discussed in more detail below.
medicaments
Drug treatment for helminth infection is aimed at destroying the worms and reducing the level of toxins released by them. When treating worms, especially in children, it is highly undesirable to use broad-spectrum medications. The fact is that they have a very strong effect and their use, even with the right dose, can lead to serious problems. Moreover, the wrong medicine can cause more harm than the parasites themselves. That is why it is important to make an accurate diagnosis and determine what kind of parasites the child is infected with.
To remove toxins, vitamin complexes containing vitamins B and C, glucose solutions and infusions of water salt solution are used. In certain cases, antihistamines and diuretics are also used. And if the heart and liver are damaged, hormone therapy may be required. To increase the effects, enzyme preparations are often used that improve digestion, as well as enterosorbents that remove the remains of parasites from the body.
Will folk remedies help?
In general, doctors do not recommend the use of folk remedies for the treatment of worms. This is mainly due to the fact that the power of folk remedies is often not enough to completely destroy parasites. However, despite the fact that folk remedies cannot become an alternative to traditional remedies, this does not mean that they should not be used. On the contrary, they will be an excellent addition to drug treatment. Among the most effective and safe folk remedies are these.
Vegetable oilsare an effective method to combat almost all types of helminths. The most effective are apricot, cedar and sea buckthorn oils; however, a safer option for children would be linseed or hemp oil. The oil should be consumed in its pure form, one teaspoon three times a day before meals. If your child refuses to eat it, add it to porridge or wet bread with butter. The course of oil treatment is one week, after which you need to take a break for two weeks.
Another effective treatment for helminths ispumpkin seeds. This is mainly due to the presence of cucurbitin in them, a rare amino acid that kills worms. Pumpkin seeds can be consumed either raw or made into milk. In their raw form, they are consumed in 120 grams for children from three to seven years of age, 200 for children from seven to eleven years of age and 300 grams for children under the age of thirteen. Milk from seeds can be prepared by passing 200 grams of seeds in a meat grinder, pouring two glasses of boiling water and putting the drink for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. Then we filter the juice and feed the child with it throughout the day, before meals.
GarlicIt is also a common remedy for helminthiasis. It is often used to prevent infection by parasites, and also as an adjuvant for enterobiasis and ascariasis. It is used as follows: finely chop two cloves of garlic and pour a glass of milk. The resulting drink is consumed twice a day, a quarter of a glass, for four days.
For treatment purposes, medicinal drugs are often usedenemaswith vegetable stew. This is done in order to remove the parasites from the intestinal lumen. Decoctions of wormwood, chamomile and other herbs are suitable for these purposes. You can also use a milk-garlic enema, the recipe for which was given above. When using an enema, it is important that its temperature is not lower than room temperature and its volume does not exceed 100 milliliters. It is also important to increase the amount of fluids consumed in the form of mineral water or fruit juices.
The obstacle methodIt is most often used for helminthiasis caused by pinworms. Its essence is to block the lumen of the large intestine using special tampons moistened with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly. This is done so that adult worms do not migrate to the surface of the anus and continue to reproduce. The child's anal passage is blocked with tampons for a month. It is important to note that this method is not effective for extraintestinal forms of helminthiasis, or in cases of severe enterobiasis.
Before using any of the above methods, you should always consult and get the approval of your pediatrician.
In addition to the means directly aimed at fighting parasites, auxiliary means can also be used. Any recipe that helps improve digestion and remove toxins from the body will be helpful. Substances rich in vitamin B and C are also useful. You should consult your doctor before use.
Prevention of helminthiasis in children
As we have already discovered, the vast majority of cases of worm infection occur through the oral area. Therefore, prevention of parasite infection mainly involvesrespecting the rules of personal hygiene. In addition, you should wash vegetables and fruits well before eating, and also make sure that fish, meat and dairy products have undergone sufficient heat treatment. If you have pets, preventive anthelmintic therapy should be carried out. And finally, you need to keep your house clean.
In addition, there is an opinion that to prevent helminthiasis, anthelmintic drugs should be taken regularly. This opinion is very controversial in the medical field. Some doctors believe that the prophylactic use of such drugs does not guarantee re-infection and puts additional stress on the body. This group of doctors argues that basic hygiene is enough to reduce the chance of infection. The second group of doctors believes that it is simply impossible to do without the prophylactic use of such drugs, given the children's neglect of hygiene rules. The issue of prevention is even more acute if the child is constantly in contact with animals visiting the streets.
One way or another, only you can decide whether it is worth using anti-worm drugs for preventive purposes. However, it is worth considering if:
- Are you planning a trip to southern countries;
- The child goes to kindergarten;
- There are animals in the house that visit the road;
- Children play in the sandbox or have frequent contact with the ground;
- Children spend a lot of time in nature.