Intestinal worm infections are the most common type of parasitic disease. There is an idea that more than 90% of the world's population is infected with worms in one form or another, although this idea has not been scientifically proven. Most helminthiasis affect children who neglect basic rules of personal hygiene. However, it is not uncommon for parasites to be present in the gut of adult worms.
signs and symptoms of infection
In modern medicine, there are certain opinions about what symptoms indicate helminthiasis. In practice, however, clinical manifestations of the full form of helminthiasis are extremely rare. More commonly, the disease is latent and its signs are not specific enough to link them to the worms.
The pathological effects of worms are due to several mechanisms:
- Mechanical damage to the intestinal wall;
- Toxic effects of parasitic waste;
- Absorb some of the essential substances in food;
- Obstruction of hepatic duct, intestinal lumen (worm block).
Typically, worms do not aggregate into clumps, but are distributed longitudinally in the intestinal lumen. Acute intestinal obstruction develops only with inadequate treatment, when the startled but undamaged parasite begins to actively move, tangle and form bulk complexes from its own body.
Helminthiasis has the following set of symptoms:
- nausea;
- weakness;
- Dizziness;
- Vomit;
- headache;
- diarrhea;
- lose weight;
- anal itching;
- regional lymphadenitis;
- joint pain;
- fecal occult blood;
- signs of inflammation of the small intestine;
- stomach ache.
Certain types of worms can affect the bladder and cause hematuria (blood in the urine), penetrating the liver, lungs, muscles, and brain. When the lungs are affected, the patient develops a debilitating cough that sometimes mixes with blood in the phlegm.
Worms in children often lead to reduced growth and mental development, making children nervous. Pinworms that crawl out of the anus to lay their eggs can cause intense itching at night and at night, when pinworms are most active.
type of parasite
In the human body, 3 main types of worms are parasitized: round, ribbon and flat.
roundworms
The most prominent representatives of parasite species are pinworms and roundworms. These helminth infections account for 80% of all helminthiasis cases detected in the territories of the former CIS countries.
These worms are of different sexes, are small in size (1-2 to tens of centimeters), and are infected by the fecal-oral route.
tapeworm
They are the largest of all parasites. The most famous representatives of this group, the pork and cattle tapeworms, can reach lengths of 10-15 meters.
The parasite reproduces without the involvement of a second person. The eggs are excreted into the environment in the patient's feces.
flatworm
Small representatives of worms that usually live in the bile and hepatic ducts.
Residents of endemic areas may not experience any symptoms of the disease for many years. They can cause severe liver disease when infected in people who have not been exposed to the parasites in the past. It can cause symptoms such as hepatitis and gallstone disease.
Echinococcus
Echinococcus is the only tapeworm that uses humans as its intermediate host.
In this case, the larvae of the parasite enter the bloodstream, spread throughout the body and settle in tissues, after which they begin to grow. Echinococcus cysts form. In this case, worm pills for humans or animals are practically useless. The Finns were quickly evacuated.
adult worm pills
The vast majority of anthelmintics in use today are based on one of three main substances: mebendazole, albendazole, or levamisole.
based on mebendazole
Broad-spectrum medication prescribed for patients suffering from enterobiasis, ascariasis, hookworm, whipworm, ganglion cyst, echinococcosis and other helminthic infestations.
Side effects include:
- nausea;
- stomach ache;
- Vomit;
- headache;
- An increase in the amount of liver enzymes in the blood.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 2 years old, people with liver disease and alcohol addiction (during alcoholism) are contraindicated. When these funds were prescribed, no laxatives were prescribed.
based on albendazole
The means have a wide range of effects, allowing you to achieve therapeutic effects in ascariasis, ascariasis, tape infections and flat parasites. It is used to treat hydatid disease when surgery cannot be performed.
These drugs are contraindicated in pregnancy, lactation, young children, retinopathy, and non-helminthic liver disease. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, and other signs of toxic syndrome, which are characteristic of nearly all antihelminthic drugs.
levamisole based
Most effective against pinworms and roundworms. In other diseases of a helminthic nature they also have an essential role, however, treatment may require a longer course of treatment than with the use of analogs.
The drug has immunostimulatory properties and can be used for moderate immunodeficiency.
Levamisole-based methods are contraindicated in the following cases:
- pregnant;
- lactation;
- childhood;
- Alcoholism in the binge eating phase;
- liver disease;
- Agranulocytosis.
Long-term treatment with levamisole and its derivatives can cause agranulocytosis, nausea, vomiting, depression, dermatitis, and anorexia.
Children's Tablets and Suspensions
Typically, helminthiasis in children 3-4 years of age can be treated with the same drugs prescribed for adults. In this case, the dose of the drug should be adjusted according to the age of the child.
You should know that for ease of administration, suspensions can be made from any tablet. For this, the desired amount of the drug is crushed into powder form, added to the desired amount of drinking water and mixed thoroughly.
Homemade suspensions cannot be administered in the same manner as factory dosage forms. Measure the required amount of drug before preparing the suspension!
Folk Earthworm Recipes
To answer your question about how to deworm a child or an adult, it is impossible not to mention folk remedies.
pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain cucurbitacin, a substance that has adverse effects on worms. This tool is effective against almost all intestinal worms. Some sources claim that the effects of cucurbitacin extend to extraintestinal worms.
Pumpkin seeds can only be eaten raw. Heat treatment destroys the active material in it. Also, peeling is not recommended. It is best to grind the seeds together with the peel in a blender. For ease of use, it can be poured with milk.
carrot
It is not necessary to use carrots as a stand-alone medicine for helminthiasis, because it is not efficient enough. However, carrots are quite suitable as a preventive measure, as well as as an auxiliary substance present in basic therapy.
You can use carrots in any form that doesn't require heat treatment. It is best if dishes that contain vegetables contain peppers or hot spices (Korean carrots). The plant is provided to children in its original purified form.
Linen
You can use plain or black flax to clear worms from your gut. Flax seeds can be crushed and mixed with cinnamon. However, it would be better if they were used in the form of an infusion. Prepare 1-2 tablespoons. A few spoonfuls of seeds crushed in a blender are poured into a cup of boiling water and soaked. After a few hours, the composition should be filtered and taken 100 ml twice a day on an empty stomach. The course of treatment is continued until no more parasite eggs are found in the stool.
Chamomile Soup
Chamomile decoction can be used in almost unlimited quantities. It does not have a direct anthelmintic effect, however, it promotes the healing of microcracks in the intestinal mucosa that are formed due to the activity of the worms.
In addition, chamomile also contains a lot of vitamins, natural immune stimulants and other beneficial substances.
garlic
Garlic is one of the best repellent plants. You can use it neat or mixed with milk. Prepare the mixture by squeezing 10-12 drops of garlic juice into a glass of warm boiled milk. It is necessary to drink garlic milk on an empty stomach in the morning for 1-2 weeks. In order to prevent re-invasion and improve immunity in the future, garlic is recommended.
Hemp and Flaxseed Oil
Oils such as hemp, linseed, sea buckthorn, and cedar also have insect repellent properties.
When we use folk remedies to remove worms, 1 teaspoon of the oil should be taken twice a day, preferably on an empty stomach before meals. A relative contraindication to the use of this method is severe indigestion accompanied by profuse diarrhea. A fixative should be used before starting oil treatment.
Tansy
Tansy is one of the most popular antihelminthic medicines recognized by folk and traditional medicine.
For the treatment of helminth infections, the plant can be consumed in powder form (oral, 0. 7-1 g, 1 time per day for one week) or in the form of a decoction. In addition, inflorescences are part of many complex therapies (troychatka).
Tansy is strictly prohibited for pregnant women and children under the age of 12!
Troy Chatka
The ingredients of the so-called "troychatka" include 1 gram of tansy, 0. 5 grams of cloves and 0. 3 grams of wormwood. All ingredients are pulverized into powder form and mixed together. The mixture inside is allowed to be used in its pure form. In this case, the dose of the drug should be gradually increased, starting with half of 0. 7-0. 8 grams per day. For ease of use, herbs can be mixed with food. The composition takes several months.
sage
Wormwood used to treat adult helminthiasis is often used in the form of an alcohol tincture. To do this, crush the hay, measure the desired amount of powder and pour it into the vodka in a 1: 3 ratio. Tinctures can be used within 2-3 weeks. Need to take 30-50 grams on an empty stomach, twice a day.
During childhood, wormwood tinctures were replaced by infusions, and purified water was used instead of alcohol. The frequency and duration of reception will not change.
Worm Enema Recipe
An enema for helminthiasis removes parasites that have migrated to the rectum to reproduce. Use garlic, soda enemas, and tansy enemas.
Garlic Enema
To set up the enema, use garlic soup. Pour a few petals of the plant into the water and boil for 2-3 minutes. After that, the pulp of the garlic is removed, and the broth is cooled, filtered, and injected into the rectum with a syringe.
Children under the age of 3 should not use garlic enemas. Furthermore, this type of treatment is not effective against tissue parasites, tapeworms, tapeworms located in the hepatic duct. This procedure is carried out before going to bed. Preliminary recommendation is to put a cleansing enema.
soda enema
This solution is made from a cup of water and 0. 5 teaspoon of baking soda. Dissolve the powder and boil for five minutes. After the solution has cooled, it is filtered and injected into the rectum at bedtime.
There is no age limit here. For very young children, the volume of an enema should be comparable to the size of the child's body. The treatment course consists of 6-7 procedures.
Tansy Enema
The solution is prepared from crushed tansy inflorescences. To do this, pour 2-3 tablespoons of powder in a cup of boiling water and hold for half an hour. The solution is then filtered through gauze and injected into the rectum. The course of treatment is 1-2 weeks.
Tansy enema is forbidden for children under 14 years old!
prevention
The foundation of worm prevention is cleaning your hands. Therefore, children, like adults, must observe the basic rules of personal hygiene.
The second basic principle of prevention is an annual medical examination, which is mandatory to check for the presence of helminth eggs in the stool. A course of preventive treatment is only recommended in the absence of contraindications and the use of low-toxicity drugs. Otherwise, highly toxic drugs do more harm than good!