Helminths, which people commonly call worms, can penetrate the body of animals and humans. The disease caused by worms is called helminthiasis. In the modern world, doctors count hundreds of different types of worms. Some species do not cause much harm to the human body, while others can lead to various diseases that are sometimes fatal. The infection happens unnoticed, and many people do not even realize that the parasites and their larvae are the cause of constant diseases and deterioration of 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 undergone heat treatment or that have not been washed before consumption;
- when preparing food, a person does not follow hygiene rules;
- improper heat 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;
- eating raw fish;
- living together, communicating with a person suffering from helminthiasis;
- water processes in rivers and lakes;
- in rare cases with insect bites.
Most often, children between the ages of 3 and 10 are exposed to pinworms due to poor hygiene. Human worms are highly contagious and can be transmitted from animals or other people. Many young children ignore the rules of personal hygiene, so they are more likely to be infected with worms than adults. Parents should start teaching their children the concepts of personal hygiene from an early age, because in kindergarten, the teacher often cannot keep track of everyone, and infection can occur. Basic good hand washing skills and not touching the mouth after playing in the sandbox can protect your child from infection.
People working with various animals, who are constantly cutting 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 parasite infection.
Some worms live in food, others in contact with an infected person or animal, and others in water, which is often used for cooking or water procedures.
Symptoms of worms in humans
Some types of parasites are easy to detect, others are carefully disguised in the human body. Symptoms of worms in people infected with roundworms and pinworms include intense itching of the anus, bloating, and irregular bowel movements. These worms live in the intestines and when they go to the toilet, they leave the body with the feces. The symptoms appear due to the vital activity of the parasite, they introduce strong allergens into the intestinal microflora, damage the intestinal wall, and then inflammatory processes start in the stomach.
It should be noted that not all parasites 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 someone has worms, what symptoms can occur:
- Chronic headache.
- Weakness.
- Nausea.
- Indigestion.
All these symptoms may indicate some kind of parasitic infection. Signs of the presence of worms are increased allergic reactions; special attention should be paid to this symptom for those who have not previously been prone to allergies. In this case, such a reaction is one of the signs of the presence and active activity of worms in the body.
Signs of the disease
Signs of worms in humans can vary depending on the type of parasite the patient is infected with and where it is found. 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.
- Weight loss.
- Increased body temperature.
- Constant headache.
Worms in humans may not cause symptoms for a long time. Echinococcus most often affects the liver and can manifest six months after entering the body. The worm begins to manifest itself at the moment when the protective capsule grows to such a size that it compresses the internal organs, the structure of connective tissues, therefore pain on the right side, a yellowish tint on the skin, nausea and indigestion.
In rare cases, lung fluke, echinococcus, can parasitize in the 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 poisoning - general weakness, muscle pain, headache, increased body temperature. The symptoms may not appear simultaneously, but separately and at different times. Ignoring the symptoms that appear for a long time only worsens the situation, the body's defenses are greatly weakened, and the person constantly suffers from viral or other diseases. Internal organs are also exposed to long-term negative effects and recovery takes a very long time.
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 worms, symptoms and treatment in adults, which are left unattended, negatively affect well-being, and the parasite continues to develop. Worms trigger inflammatory processes in the body, suppress the immune system, and worsen general well-being and health.
The method of ridding the body of worms is called deworming, which is carried out with special drugs. Before prescribing the drug, the specialist performs a full diagnosis to determine the type of worm parasite in the body and whether the patient has an allergic reaction to certain components of the drug.
During treatment with anthelmintic drugs, the doctor may also prescribe antihistamines, which help reduce or eliminate the allergic reaction to the components of the main drug.
Also, to get rid of worms, you can resort to traditional medicine, which has proven itself in the fight against parasites. However, it should be remembered that before starting to take folk remedies, it is better to consult your doctor. Self-treatment should be avoided, especially given the severity of the disease. After completing the prescribed treatment, the specialist usually 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 help the specialist choose the right drugs to remove the worms from the body.
The drug, which helps the natural removal of worms from the body, 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, specialists prescribe surgical intervention. Doctors must remove the parasitic worm and the area of the organ in which it resides.
Preventive measures
At first, the worm itself does not enter the body, but only the eggs of the worms, which after a while grow into adult parasites. In order to prevent certain types of parasites from entering the body, certain hygiene rules must be followed:
- After a walk outside, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap when you get home.
- Before preparing or eating vegetables and fruits, they must be thoroughly washed.
- Meat and fish must be subjected to complete, appropriate heat treatment before consumption.
- Kitchen utensils used for cutting meat and fish must be thoroughly washed and disinfected.
- If you have a pet, you should monitor its health. For prevention, visit your veterinarian at least quarterly.
- If you suspect the presence of worms, be sure to go to the hospital for examination and timely medical care.
Traditional medicine in the fight against worms
Mix. Mix tansy, wormwood and cloves in equal proportions. It grinds all the ingredients. Mix until smooth. In the morning, when you wake up, take 1 tsp. dry mixes. After consumption, you can drink a glass of water to remove the bitter taste. The admission course is 1 month.
Against garlic dumplings. Grind the garlic until it becomes porridge. Mix 1 tsp. porridge with 200 ml of warm boiled water. Let it stand for 1 hour. Take an enema with this infusion 2 hours before going to bed. To completely get rid of the parasite, the procedure must be performed every night for a week.
In folk medicine, there are many recipes for removing worms. However, it should be remembered that self-medication can aggravate the 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.
It may happen that the parasitic infection of helminths does not bother you for a long time, the worms develop, become parasites and slowly poison the body. The combination of characteristic signs of the disease is the main reason to seek help from a specialist and strictly follow all his recommendations.