Worms in humans are a rather unpleasant phenomenon that may not appear for a long time. Parasitic worms are scientifically called helminths. The infection of humans is called helminthiasis. This happens as a result of worm eggs entering our body. Contrary to popular belief that worms are a purely childhood illness, adults are also susceptible to serious parasite attacks. Scientists have calculated that one in four people on earth carries this disease.
Where can they live?
Adult helminths move throughout the body until they settle in the organs most suitable for them. Parasite eggs enter the intestines and settle there. This is the most common location. It is easy to detect worms in the intestines and eliminate them.
The liver takes second place in popularity among worms. Next comes the lungs. There are very rare forms of the disease in which the worms enter the eyeballs and muscles.
Classification
Human worms are classified according to their location. There are luminal and tissue types.
Fabric- these are those that live in the organs. They can cause the following diseases:
- paragonimiasis– this is a type of infection of the lung tissue by worms;
- echinococcosis- liver damage;
- cysticercosis- brain;
- filariasis– lymph nodes.
The second type of human worms isluminous. This is the most common type of disease affecting the intestines. Worms can be completely different: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms, tapeworms, pinworms and others.
Developmental stages
Worms in an adult can come from completely different sources. For the parasite to begin growing in the body, it must enter through the mouth. Worm eggs can be found in raw meat, in untreated tank water, or on dirty hands. In this form, they enter the oral cavity, then the stomach and are then absorbed by the intestines.
Already in the stomach, the larva hatches from the egg, which begins its journey through the human body until it finds an ideal environment for its further development. If it's intestinal parasites, you don't need to move for long. If it is pulmonary or cerebral, the larva will move through the bloodstream until it settles in the right place.
At the third stage of development, the larva turns into adult helminths, which feed on vitamins and minerals intended for the human body. The parasite lays eggs again and reproduces at a very high rate.
The time to complete all the steps is from several hours to several days. During this period, it is important to choose a good worm remedy for a person.
Symptoms
There are not always obvious signs of worms in humans. Symptoms may only appear during certain periods of the disease, or may not appear at all. When an adult lives in the body, it is extremely difficult to notice it, since the disease can be confused with any other disease. Helminths can be detected randomly by analyzing stools.
To imagine what happens in the body, let's take the example of the life cycle of the roundworm. This type of worm loves to travel, and as it moves through the body it can betray itself.
The cause of roundworm infection may be the consumption of unwashed vegetables and fruits. The parasite lays its eggs on the ground and these can easily penetrate plants.
After the worm egg enters the mouth and stomach, it begins to grow and turns into a larva which very quickly (within 2-3 hours) enters the circulatory system and begins to move through the smallblood circulation. Its target is the lungs.
In the lung tissue, the larva grows into an adult, which will have little space and must eat the cells of the alveoli and small bronchi. At this stage, the first symptoms appear and if the diagnosis is made correctly, a remedy for worms will quickly help a person get rid of them.
The patient begins to cough, have attacks of shortness of breath, and body temperature increases. In rare cases, an allergic skin rash appears. This is how worms manifest themselves in humans. Symptoms and treatment will depend on the stage of development, since all of these signs can be confused with a cold.
Once the adult has chewed its way through the airways and into the mouth, it will lay eggs that the person can ingest again and which will end up in the gastrointestinal tract, where the cycle begins again.
Phases of the disease
The symptoms of worms in an adult will be different depending on the phase of the disease. There can be two:
- Acute
- Acquired.
The first phase appears in the first few days after infection, as the larvae move through the body. A person may experience itching, reddened skin, and rashes. There may be a dry, barking cough with choking attacks. If you donate blood for testing, the result will show a significant increase in eosinophils.
The transition to the second phase indicates that human worms have settled in the right place and exist quietly, without disturbing anyone. This is a hidden stage that may not appear for several years.
Medicines for worms in humans will help get rid of them only if an infection is discovered accidentally. Men and women need to listen carefully to their bodies. Over the months that people feed on parasites, the general condition of the body will change. The metabolism suffers first. After all, the peculiarity of helminths is that, attaching to the walls of organs, they suck out all the nutrients and minerals from the cells, which disrupts the functionality of the affected areas.
What could be the consequences?
There are parasites that cause dangerous conditions in the body. For example, the existence of trichinella or schistosomes leads to anemia and vitamin deficiency.
Remember that worms also secrete their metabolic products into the human intestines, leading to the development of dysbacteriosis and excessive reproduction of opportunistic organisms.
The immune system suffers. It weakens and allergies appear. A person becomes susceptible to viral attacks and gets sick more often.
If human worms are not treated, the consequences can be unpredictable. Each type of parasite affects different organs, and these are the ones that suffer first. If the liver is damaged, jaundice may develop. Hookworm leads to anemia, because this type of helminths feeds exclusively on blood. So the most important thing at all times is to choose a worm medicine for a person.
Diagnostic
Just two tests can save a life. This is a general blood and stool test. With an annual medical check-up, the risks of missing an illness are minimal.
There will be the following changes in the blood: leukocytosis - a shift in the leukocyte formula to the right and an increase in the number of eosinophils.
Worms in human feces are the safest and quickest way to detect them. You must repeat the test, the result will then be correct.
Tablets for the prevention of worms in humans
Medicines can be divided into two groups: those that have a broad spectrum of action and those that kill a specific type of helminths. Since there are more than 70 types of worms that infect humans, it is impossible to determine without testing which parasite has gotten inside. Tablets for the prevention of worms in humans should be prescribed by a doctor.
In medicine, all worms are divided into three groups:
- nematodes;
- cestodes;
- trematodes.
Treatment will depend on the type of helminths inhabiting the body.
Nematodes (roundworms)
This species includes: pinworms, roundworms, trichinella, whipworms and toxocara. In children and adults, we most often find the first two representatives.
Cestodes (tapeworms)
Cestodes are a large number of representatives of helminths. The most common are teniarhynchosis, coenurosis, alveococcosis, sparganosis, broad tapeworm and others.
Trematodes (flatworms)
Representatives of this class can be listed for a very long time. Most often, the body is affected by opisthorchiasis (cat fluke), fascioliasis, clonorchiasis (Chinese fluke), pulmonary fluke and others.
How to take deworming tablets
Regardless of what type of helminths have settled in the body of an adult or child, remember the basic and most important rule: if a worm is found in a family member, theneveryone must be treated. It is necessary to disinfect all objects in the house. If you have pets, you should check them first because our pets may be the cause of the problem.
All anti-worm drugs work on adults without affecting eggs and larvae. Therefore, the second rule is: two weeks after taking the drug, the treatment should be repeated. This is especially true in cases of pinworm infection. These parasites are so cunning that they leave their larvae outside the body and a person can become self-infected again.
It is recommended to take the tablets in the morning and do a cleansing enema in the evening.
Be careful! Any medication should be taken as prescribed by a doctor. This is especially true for cases of tapeworm and tapeworm infection. They are so dangerous that treatment is carried out in a hospital. When removing them, the dosage must be strictly observed, taking into account the weight and age of the patient, since the drugs are very toxic. Self-medication in such cases is unacceptable!
Worm prevention
Mothers' debates about whether or not to take worm tablets never stop. Some believe that this is a good way to protect against dangerous consequences, since children are most likely to be infected. Others consider it unnecessary and do not want to burden the body with unnecessary pills.
Very often, children of school and preschool age are affected by pinworms. The enterobiasis test can be falsely negative, and then the sick child, bringing parasites into the house or school, can infect everyone. Transmission of pinworm eggs occurs through household items, a handshake, pet hair, doorknobs, and other surrounding objects.
The main methods of prevention include compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. It is necessary to wash your hands with soap after defecating, before eating, after going out or visiting public places.
What to do if a child complains of itchy anus? This is one of the most pronounced symptoms of pinworm infection. In this case, you should take a test for enterobiasis as soon as possible. Let's say a child complains in the evening, then in the morning you have to run to the clinic.
If the result of the first scratching is negative and the itching persists, the test should be repeated after two days for a week, then after two more weeks.
If any of the following apply to you, then you should take preventive measures:
- presence of fur-bearing animals;
- constant play in the sandbox or on the floor;
- travel to an exotic country;
- the father is an avid fisherman or hunter.
Folk recipes
Let's figure out how to remove worms from a person at home. Recipes against helminths have been known since ancient times. And despite the fact that they are successfully replaced by synthetic substances, the traditional method remains proven in terms of prevention.
Let's look at the most effective recipes:
Onions, honey, aloe juice.Onion is considered the most universal remedy. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anthelmintic effects. Mix it in equal proportions with aloe juice and honey and get a real medicine for worms. Take 1 teaspoon before breakfast for several days. Since the product is sweet, children will likely drink it.
Carrot juice.Fresh carrots not only contain a whole store of vitamins, but also have an antihelminthic effect. By drinking it on an empty stomach, you can enrich your body with energy for the whole day and, at the same time, prevent an unpleasant illness.
Garlic– one of the most effective remedies for worms. Let's look at recipes on how you can remove worms from a person at home:
- Finely chop or press the garlic. Roll the resulting porridge in small portions in cheesecloth so that it resembles a candle. Insert into the anus at night for 10 days. This remedy is effective against pinworms and is used in adults and children.
- Garlic enemas. Another way to eliminate unpleasant neighbors from the intestines. The solution should consist of water and minced garlic in the same ratio. For a drink you need to take a few cloves. Repeat the procedure 2 times a week.
- Honey garlic. Another option for children's medicine. To prevent garlic from burning, it is mixed with natural honey. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day.
- Garlic in milk. For lovers of unusual tastes, milk-based medicines are offered. There are five cloves of crushed garlic per liter of cow product. The mixture is boiled and taken in small portions before bed.
Herbal infusions
Since time immemorial, all medicines have been prepared from herbs. Mother Nature knows better than anyone how to get rid of parasitic worms. It is time to systematize this knowledge.
To prepare an herbal remedy, you should choose bitter plants, such as cloves, wormwood, thyme, calamus and cumin. The prepared infusions should be taken daily. It will take a month to completely cleanse the body, but improvement occurs within 2-3 weeks after the course.
Let's take a look at the most famous recipes for herbal tinctures for treating helminths:
- Based on tansy.Pour boiling water over the grass in the following proportion: 100 grams of dry mixture per 150 ml of hot water. Cover with a lid and let sit for 8 to 10 hours. You need to take 30 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
- Made from absinthe.This herb must be infused in alcohol for a week. Proportion 1: 1. For 100 grams of weed, 100 ml of alcohol. Take 25 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
- Effectivedye on walnut shells.It must be filled with alcohol for 100 grams of dry product and 150 ml of "fire" water.
- Based on cloves.The dry, unopened buds of the clove tree are used for dyeing. Pour 100 grams of aromatic spices into a glass of boiling water and leave for at least 3 days. The daily dose of the drug is 30 drops per glass of water.
Pumpkin seeds against worms
Pumpkin seeds are safe for children and adults. This is a very popular folk remedy for combating helminths. Let's see how to eliminate worms from humans using this product.
What's the secret? The fact is that the shell of pumpkin seeds contains a substance such as cucurbin, which is destructive for worms. Therefore, you should only consume unpeeled green seeds.
Kucurbin does not kill worms, but only paralyzes them. Adult individuals lose the ability to move, hold on to body cells and absorb nutrients, meaning they will soon die naturally and be excreted through the human anus.
The most effective recipe is pumpkin seeds and castor oil. A serving of 100 unshelled seeds should be consumed in the morning. Then take a teaspoon of castor oil. The latter has a laxative effect to eliminate parasites from the body.
Mix the pumpkin and honey. First, you need to grind the seeds into gruel in a blender, then add a little honey. Eat muesli in the morning on an empty stomach. The duration of treatment is several days. It is advisable to repeat after 2 weeks.
Another healthy breakfast is pumpkin seeds and garlic. First, the grains are fried in a pan without fat and water until golden brown. Then the mixture is poured into a blender, garlic is added and crushed into a paste. Leave it overnight and take a tablespoon of the mixture in the morning.