Worms in humans are a rather unpleasant phenomenon that can take a long time to appear. Parasitic worms have the scientific name helminths. Infection in humans is called helminthiasis. This happens because worm eggs enter our body. Contrary to popular belief that heartworm is a disease of children, adults are also susceptible to serious attacks of parasitic infections. Scientists have calculated that 1 in 4 people on earth is a carrier of this disease.
Where can they live?
Adult worms move throughout the body until they settle in the organs best for them. Parasite eggs enter the intestines and settle there. This is the most common position. It is very easy to detect intestinal worms and remove them.
In second place in terms of prevalence of worms is the liver. Next are the lungs. There are very rare forms of the disease in which the worms invade the eyeball and muscles.
Classify
Human worms are classified according to their location. There are luminal and tissue types.
Cloth- these are people who live in agencies. They can cause the following diseases:
- paragonimosis– this is a type of lung tissue infection caused by worms;
- cysticercosis- liver damage;
- Cyst disease- Brain;
- Filariasis- lymph nodes.
The second type of worm in humans isbright. This is the most common type of disease that affects the intestines. Worms can be completely different: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms, tapeworms, pinworms and others.
Stages of development
Worms in adults can appear 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, water from untreated reservoirs or on dirty hands. In this form, they enter the oral cavity, then enter the stomach and are then absorbed by the intestines.
Once in the stomach, the larvae hatch from the eggs, beginning their journey through the human body until they find an ideal environment for further development. If these are intestinal parasites then you don't need to travel for long. If it is the lungs or brain, the larvae will move with the bloodstream until they settle in the right position.
In the third stage of development, the larvae turn into adult helminths, which feed on vitamins and minerals intended for the human body. The parasites lay eggs and reproduce at a very high rate.
The time frame for completing all stages is from a few hours to a few days. During this period, it is important to choose a good worm treatment for a person.
Symptom
There are not always obvious signs of worms in humans. Symptoms may appear only during certain stages of the disease or may not appear at all. When an adult lives in the body it is extremely difficult to recognize, because the disease can be confused with any other disease. Helminths can be detected incidentally by stool testing.
To visualize what happens in the body, let's look at the example of the life cycle of a roundworm. This type of worm likes to move and in the process of moving throughout the body can eliminate itself.
The cause of roundworm infection can be due to eating unwashed vegetables and fruits. Parasites lay eggs on the ground and they can easily enter plants.
After the worm egg enters the mouth and stomach, it begins to develop and turn into larvae, which penetrate very quickly (within 2-3 hours) into the circulatory system and begin to move in small blood streams. Her target is the lungs.
In the lung tissue, the larvae develop until adulthood, they will have little space and must feed on the cells of the alveoli and small bronchi. At this stage, the first symptoms appear and if the diagnosis is made correctly then the treatment for worms will quickly help a person get rid of them.
The patient begins to cough, has difficulty breathing, and his body temperature increases. In rare cases, an allergic rash appears. This is how worms manifest themselves in humans. Symptoms and treatment will depend on the stage of development as all of these signs can be confused with the common cold.
Once the adult chews through the respiratory tract and into the mouth, it will lay eggs for humans to eat again, and they will eventually reach the digestive tract, where the cycle begins again.
Stages of the disease
Symptoms of worm infection in adults will vary, depending on the stage of the disease. There can be two of them:
- Sharp
- Buy.
The first stage appears in the first days after infection, when the larvae move throughout the body. A person may experience itching, red skin, and a rash. There may be a dry cough accompanied by bouts of choking. If you donate blood for testing, the results will show a significant increase in eosinophils.
The transition to the second stage shows that the human worm has settled in the right place and exists quietly, not bothering anyone. This is a hidden phase that may not appear for several years.
Medicines for worms in humans will only help get rid of them if an infection is accidentally detected. Men and women need to listen carefully to their bodies. Over the months people eat parasites, the general condition of the body will change. Metabolism is affected first. After all, the peculiarity of helminths is that, when attached to the walls of organs, they suck out all the nutrients and minerals from the cells, as a result of which the functions of the affected areas are disrupted.
What could be the consequences?
There are parasites that cause dangerous conditions to the body. For example, the existence of trichinella or schistosomiasis leads to anemia and vitamin deficiency.
Do not forget that worms also secrete their metabolic products into the human intestine, which leads to the development of dysbiosis and excessive reproduction of opportunistic organisms.
The immune system is affected. She became weaker and allergies appeared. A person becomes susceptible to virus 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 they are the first to be affected. If the liver is damaged, jaundice may develop. Hookworms lead to anemia because this type of worm only feeds on blood. Therefore, the most important thing at any stage is to choose an anthelmintic medicine for humans.
Diagnose
Just two tests can save a life. This is a general blood and stool test. With annual health check-ups, the risk of missing a disease is very small.
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 surest and fastest way to detect them. You need to take a new test for the results to be accurate.
Worm prevention tablets for humans
Drugs can be divided into two groups: those with a broad spectrum of action and those that destroy a specific type of helminth. Because there are more than 70 types of worms that infect humans, it is impossible to determine without testing which parasite has entered the body. Antihelminthics for humans must be prescribed by a doctor.
In medicine, all types of worms are divided into three groups:
- Nematode;
- cestodes;
- fluke.
Treatment will depend on the type of helminth residing in the body.
Nematodes (roundworms)
This species includes: pinworms, roundworms, trichinella, whipworms and toxocara. In children and adults, the first two representatives are most often found.
Cestodes (tapeworms)
Cestodes are a large number of helminth representatives. 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), liver fluke disease, clonorchiasis (Chinese fluke), lung fluke and other diseases.
How to take deworming medicine
Regardless of what type of helminth has entered the body of an adult or child, remember the most basic and important rule: if worms are detected in one family member, everyone must be treated. It is necessary to disinfect all household items. If you have pets, then you need to check them first, because our pets can be the source of the problem.
All deworming medications work on adult worms without affecting eggs and larvae. So, the second rule is: two weeks after taking the drug, the course must be repeated. This is especially true in the case of pinworm infections. These parasites are so cunning that they leave their larvae outside the body and a person can re-infect themselves.
It is recommended to take the medicine in the morning and do a cleansing enema in the evening.
Be careful! Any medication must be taken as prescribed by your doctor. This is especially true for flatworm and tapeworm infections. 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 patient's weight and age, because the drug is very toxic. Self-medication in such cases is unacceptable!
Worm prevention
The arguments among mothers about whether or not to take antihelminthic medicine never end. Some people consider this a good way to protect against dangerous consequences, since children are most susceptible to infection. 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. Testing for intestinal diseases can give false negative results, and then the sick child brings parasites into the home or school that can infect everyone. Pinworm eggs are transmitted through household objects, handshakes, pet hair, doorknobs and other surrounding objects.
The main methods of prevention include compliance with personal hygiene rules. Hands should be washed with soap after defecation, before eating, and after going out or going to public places.
What to do if your child complains of itching in the anus? This is one of the most obvious symptoms of pinworm infection. In this case, you need to get tested for intestinal disease as quickly as possible. Let's say a child complains in the evening, then in the morning you need to run to the clinic.
If the results of the first scraping are negative and the itching continues, the test should be repeated after two days in a week, and then another two weeks.
If one of the following statements applies to you, then you should take precautions:
- presence of furry pets;
- Continuous games in the sandbox or on the ground;
- traveling to a foreign country;
- father was a passionate fisherman or hunter.
Folk recipes
Let's see how to remove worms from people at home. The secret to fighting helminths has been known since ancient times. And despite the fact that they have been successfully replaced by synthetic substances, folk methods are still proven to have a preventive effect.
Consider the most effective recipes:
Onion, honey, aloe vera juice.Onion is considered the most popular remedy. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antihelminthic effects. Mix it in equal proportions with aloe vera juice and honey to get a real anthelmintic medicine. Take 1 teaspoon before breakfast for a few days. Because the product has a sweet taste, children may drink it.
Carrot juice.Fresh carrots not only contain a storehouse of vitamins but also have the effect of killing helminths. By drinking it on an empty stomach, you can replenish your body with energy for the whole day, and at the same time prevent an unpleasant disease.
Garlic- one of the most effective measures against worms. Let's see recipes on how you can remove worms from people at home:
- Mince or press garlic. Roll the porridge into small portions into cheesecloth to look like a candle. Insert into the anus at night for 10 days. This remedy is effective in treating pinworms and is used for adults and children.
- Garlic enema. Another way to remove unpleasant neighbors from the intestines. The solution should consist of water and chopped garlic added to the porridge in proportion. For one glass you need to take a few cloves. Repeat the procedure 2 times a week.
- Garlic with honey. Another option for children's medicine. To prevent garlic from burning, people mix it with natural honey. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day.
- Garlic in milk. For lovers of unusual flavors, milk-based tinctures are offered. There are five crushed garlic cloves per liter of beef product. The mixture is boiled and drunk in small portions before going to bed.
Herbal infusion
Since ancient times, all medicines have been prepared using herbs. Mother Nature knows better than anyone how to get rid of worm parasites. It's time to systematize this knowledge.
To prepare herbal remedies, you need to choose bitter-tasting plants such as cloves, mugwort, thyme, calamus, and dill. The prepared infusion should be taken every day. It will take a month to completely cleanse the body, but improvement will occur within 2-3 weeks after the course.
Let's look at the most famous herbal tincture recipes for the treatment of helminths:
- Based on tansy.Pour boiling water over the grass in the following ratio: 100 grams of dry mixture per 150 ml of hot water. Cover and let stand for 8-10 hours. You need to take 30 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
- Based on wormwood.This herb needs to be soaked in alcohol for a week. Ratio 1: 1. For every 100 grams of grass, 100 ml of alcohol. Take 25 drops and dissolve in a glass of water.
- Effectivealcohol on walnut shells.It is necessary to fill 100 grams of dry product with alcohol and 150 ml of "fire" water.
- Based on cloves.The dried, unopened buds of the clove plant are used as a tincture. Pour 100 grams of aromatic spices into a cup of boiling water and leave for at least 3 days. The daily dosage of the drug is 30 drops per glass of water.
Pumpkin seeds fight worms
Pumpkin seeds are safe for both children and adults. This is a very popular folk remedy against helminths. Let's see how to remove worms from the body using this product.
What is the secret? The fact is that pumpkin seed shells contain a substance like cucurbin, which kills 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, attach 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. Eat a serving of 100 unshelled nuts in the morning. Then take a teaspoon of castor oil. The latter has a laxative effect to remove parasites from the body.
Mix pumpkin and honey. First, you need to grind the seeds into porridge in a blender, then add a little honey. Eat muesli in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of treatment is several days. Should be repeated 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 ground into a paste. Leave it overnight and drink a spoonful of the mixture in the morning.