Helminthiasis is a disease in which worms begin to parasitize the human body. Most often they inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, but can be found in tissues or other organs: liver, lungs, heart, brain. The presence of worms is signaled by characteristic symptoms, among which doctors note abnormal bowel movements, abdominal pain, allergic rashes, constant weakness and itching in the anal area. Helminths will not leave the human body on their own, since they exist exclusively at the expense of their owner, depriving him of vitality.
Traditional therapies
If you develop signs that indicate an infection, you should see a doctor. The specialist will listen to all complaints and give a referral for laboratory tests on blood and feces. If the research confirms helminthiasis, the parasitologist will tell the patient the best ways to remove worms from the human body. Traditionally, the most effective methods of treating infestations with the help of drugs are recognized.
Complex effect deworming products act as quickly as possible. This means that the medicines eliminate parasites of all classes: tapeworms, trematodes, roundworms. The mechanism of action of such drugs is based on the total destruction of all helminths present in the human body at the time of administration. The chemical compounds that make up tablets for worms are included in the metabolic processes of parasites at the enzymatic level. The worms lose the ability to absorb nutrients from the intestinal tract of the infected patient. Eventually, helminths die and leave the human gastrointestinal tract dead.
Complex action products are better than others in helping to destroy parasites, but they have their disadvantages. Mass death of worms in some cases leads to intoxication of the body with decomposition products. Children especially suffer from it, so these drugs are mainly prescribed after 2 years. There are restrictions for adults too. The tablets are not taken for liver or kidney disease.
Some types of helminthiasis cannot be treated without these drugs. It is possible to remove tapeworms only using drugs from the benzimidazole group.
When choosing therapeutic tactics, the doctor will also take into account the type of parasites that live in the human intestinal tract. If laboratory tests indicate the presence of roundworms (roundworms), it is not necessary to use highly toxic drugs with complex effects. In this case, it is possible to remove worms using safe drugs from the pyrimidine group.
This group of drugs is preferable for treating infestations in childhood, but is also effective in cases where worms are diagnosed in an adult. Parasites do not die from these tablets and suspensions, so intoxication of the body does not occur. Pyrimidines are better than many other means to help remove worms belonging to the roundworm class, since these worms have well-developed muscles. After taking them, the parasites are immobilized and leave the intestine together with the feces.
The best home treatments
The optimal solution for helminthiasis is deworming tablets. This is the fastest and safest, but not the only way to remove parasites from the body. Some experts are convinced that folk remedies are designed to enhance the effect of traditional medicines.
Worms in the body provoke the development of unpleasant symptoms, so treatment should not be delayed. There is a proven home method to eliminate parasites and restore health. Herbal medicine helps well with helminthiasis. The best plants for fighting worms are tansy, wormwood and cloves.
All dried ingredients are ground into powder and mixed in equal proportions. The resulting product is taken orally, ½ teaspoon for 20 days. You can also solve the problem of worms with drugs if you buy a ready-made herbal drug in the pharmacy. The triad containing extracts of the same plants is popular.
Tansy, cloves and wormwood are rich in essential oils that have a harmful effect on parasites in the intestine, but their use may be limited by age or other characteristics. It is better for children under 12 years of age to abstain from such treatment. These plants are prohibited during pregnancy and breastfeeding or in case of allergies.
Doctors list several effective recipes that are safe for both children and adults:
- Pumpkin seeds.This product is useful in any form. It is allowed to eat a handful of them to prevent helminthiasis and saturate the body with minerals and vitamins. Experts recommend making milk from pumpkin seeds. To do this, they are crushed and filled with water, then left to infuse for 6-8 hours. After the indicated time, collect the liquid formed on the surface and take 100 ml orally. The course of therapy lasts at least a week.
- Vegetable juices.If a person is diagnosed with worms, it is allowed to take fresh vegetable drinks at home as maintenance therapy. This not only strengthens the immune system and increases the body's resistance, but also creates unfavorable conditions in the intestine for parasites. The best choice for infestation are juices from tomatoes, carrots and beets.
- Milk with garlic.Folk remedies for worms are popular for their ease of preparation and availability of ingredients. At home we will implement the following recipe: 2-3 segments of vegetables are peeled and reduced to a pulp, then mixed with milk. An adult should drink a glass of the product in the evening before bedtime. It is better for children to refrain from this method due to the high risk of burns to the mucous membranes.
- Enemas with herbal decoction.At home it is possible to eliminate parasites not only by using products internally. No less useful is injecting infusions of medicinal plants into the rectum. It is allowed to use wormwood, calamus root and nettle, but a decoction of tansy flowers helps better.
Any non-traditional method has its contraindications and limitations. If the infestation is detected in a child, it is not necessary to treat worms at home. This will only aggravate the situation and cause significant harm to the child's health. It is best to treat helminthiasis in childhood with medications. Your pediatrician will determine which medications are appropriate for your child.
Preventive measures
If worms appear in the intestine, they can be removed from the human body with medications or using traditional methods, but it is better to follow precautionary rules to avoid infection with parasites.
Experts explain that worms will not appear in the body if a person carefully observes the rules of personal hygiene. This mainly concerns hand washing. The procedure is necessary not only before eating, but also after visiting public places, playing outdoors or after caring for pets. This will prevent you from accidentally getting worm eggs on your fingers and then swallowing them.
It is important to keep your home and areas where people spend a lot of time clean. This is due to the fact that parasite eggs are not always transmitted from one person to another. Sometimes they enter an apartment with shoes or paws of animals that have free access to the street. This is why it is so important to carry out regular wet cleaning, including treating the floor and furniture with disinfectants.
Another stage in the prevention of helminthiasis is careful control of the food consumed. Any vegetables or fruits grown on soil should be washed with soap and water before serving, as soil is a source of nematode eggs. To prevent parasites from entering the body, it is necessary to monitor the quality of drinking water.
Particular attention should be paid to meat dishes, since the muscle tissue of pigs or cows may contain tapeworm larvae, which are dangerous for humans. They can be destroyed at home only with thorough heat treatment of food.
In some cases it is justified to take anti-worm tablets. Prevention with the help of drugs is appropriate in childhood if the child attends a preschool educational institution where an epidemic of diseases associated with parasitic worms has been recorded. The same measure is mandatory if the invasion is confirmed in one of the family members. If the presence of roundworms in the body is suspected, doctors recommend taking a drug from the pyrimidine group for preventive purposes. If the risk of tapeworm or tapeworm infection is high, parasitologists prefer to prescribe tablets with a complex effect: benzimidazoles.