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 skin rashes, constant weakness and itching in the anal area. Helminths do not leave the human body on their own, as they exist only at the expense of their owner, depriving him of vitality.
Traditional therapies
If signs indicating infection appear, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will listen to all complaints and send them for laboratory tests of blood and feces. If the research confirms helminthiasis, the parasitologist will tell the patient the best ways to remove the worms from the human body. Traditionally, the most effective methods of treating infestations with the help of medication are recognized.
Deworming products that have a complex effect work as quickly as possible. This means that the medicines eliminate parasites of absolutely all classes - tapeworms, pinworms, roundworms. The working mechanism of such medicines 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 worm tablets are included in the metabolic processes of parasites at the enzymatic level. The worms lose the ability to absorb nutrients from the infected patient's intestinal tract. Ultimately, the helminths die and leave the human gastrointestinal tract dead.
Complex action products are better than others to help destroy parasites, but they have their disadvantages. The mass death of worms in some cases leads to intoxication of the body with decay products. Children mainly suffer from this, which is why these medications are prescribed mainly after 2 years of age. There are also restrictions for adults. Tablets are not taken for liver or kidney pathologies.
Some types of helminthiasis cannot be treated without these medications. It is only possible to eliminate tapeworms with the use of medicines from the benzimidazole group.
When choosing treatment tactics, the doctor will also take into account the type of parasite that lives in the human intestinal tract. If laboratory tests indicate the presence of nematodes (roundworms), there is no need to use highly toxic medications with complex effects. In this case, it is possible to remove worms with safe drugs from the pyrimidine group.
This group of medications is preferable for treating childhood infestations, but is also effective in cases where worms are diagnosed in adults. Parasites do not die from these tablets and suspensions, therefore intoxication of the body does not occur. Pyrimidines are better than many other means to help remove worms belonging to the nematode class, since these worms have well-developed muscles. Once ingested, the parasites are immobilized and leave the intestine along with the feces.
Best home treatments
The ideal solution for helminthiasis is deworming tablets. This is the quickest 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 get rid of parasites and restore health. Herbal medicines help well in the treatment of helminthiasis. The best plants to combat worms are tansy, wormwood and cloves.
All dry 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 worm problem with medication if you buy a ready-made herbal medicine at the pharmacy. The triad containing extracts from the same plants is considered popular.
Tansy, clove and wormwood are rich in essential oils that have a detrimental effect on parasites in the intestines, but their use may be limited by age or other characteristics. It is best for children under 12 to avoid this treatment. These plants are prohibited during pregnancy and lactation, or if you have 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 to prevent helminthiasis and saturate the body with minerals and vitamins. Experts advise making milk from pumpkin seeds. To do this, they are crushed and filled with water, then infused for 6 to 8 hours. After the specified 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 drink drinks made from fresh vegetables at home as maintenance therapy. This not only strengthens the immune system and increases the body's resistance, but also creates unfavorable conditions for parasites in the intestine. The best choice for infestation is tomato, carrot and beet juices.
- Milk with garlic.Folk remedies for worms are valued for their ease of preparation and availability of ingredients. At home, we will implement the following recipe: 2-3 cloves of the vegetable are peeled and crushed to a pulp, then mixed with milk. An adult should drink a glass of the product at night, before going to sleep. It is better for children to avoid this method due to the high risk of burns to the mucous membranes.
- Enemas with herbal decoction.At home, it is possible to get rid of parasites not only by using products internally. It is no less useful to inject infusions of medicinal plants into the rectum. The use of wormwood, calamus root and nettle is allowed, 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, there is no need to treat worms at home. This will only aggravate the situation and cause significant harm to the baby's health. It is best to treat helminthiasis in childhood with medication. 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 medicines or 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 follows 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 caring for pets. This will avoid 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 on the shoes or paws of animals that have free access to the street. For this reason, it is so important to regularly carry out wet cleaning, including treating the floor and furniture with disinfectants.
Another step in preventing helminthiasis is careful control of the food consumed. Any vegetables or fruits growing in the soil should be washed with soap and water before serving, as the soil is a source of roundworm 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 to humans. They can only be destroyed at home with complete heat treatment of food.
In some cases, the use of anti-worm tablets is justified. Prevention with the help of medication is appropriate in childhood if the child attends a preschool educational institution where an outbreak 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 you suspect the presence of roundworms in the body, doctors recommend taking a drug from the pyrimidine group for preventive purposes. If the risk of infection with a tapeworm or tapeworm is high, parasitologists prefer to prescribe tablets with a complex effect - benzimidazoles.