Helminthiases are very common. Most of the time, children get sick because they come into contact with animals and do not always follow hygiene rules. Usually people are infected with worms - these are the most common parasites. By knowing how to remove worms from a person at home, you can quickly improve the patient's condition.
How Worms Manifest: A Brief Description of Symptoms
The symptoms of helminthiasis are nonspecific. It is often confused with other illnesses. For a long period of time, most parasitic elements do not give a clear picture of the disease, as the main objective of the pest is its own presence in the human body, which is absolutely invisible to itself. In this sense, distinct symptoms of the disease can be noticed only when multiple infections occur or there is a decrease in the activity of the body's immune functions, or there are background pathologies that bring helminth invasion to the foreground.
The following main symptoms of the disease are differentiated:
Most of the time, specialists observe that, with helminthiasis, patients present dysfunctions in the digestive system and the subsequent appearance and development of diseases, poisoning by toxins, decreased levels of hemoglobin and erythrocytes, increased risk of viral diseases and even even possible nervous system disorders.
Identification of helminths at home
The most effective diagnostic method is the laboratory test. But the person does not always have the opportunity to consult a doctor for this. In that case, you need to trust your feelings and new symptoms.
If you want to determine the presence of helminthiasis, you can review the anamnestic data. For example, the patient likes to eat unwashed fruits or vegetables. They are also often infected after contact with dogs or cats, as they are often a source of pests. Patients often prefer to eat foods that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment prior to illness.
The patient may also be told that they have lost a lot of weight in a short period of time. But this state in the case of helminthiasis is unmotivated, that is, it does not depend on the nature of the diet and physical activity. A specific symptom of enterobiasis (moth infection) is teeth grinding at night. You may also notice itching in the anal canal and helminth particles coming out of the anus.
Removal of worms from the body
To get rid of worms, many tools are used. The most effective are pharmacological agents. They are specifically designed to destroy these pests, and new drugs have minimal pathological consequences. A significant disadvantage of this treatment is the toxicity of the medications. Most of them are contraindicated in case of pregnancy and lactation.
In addition, folk remedies for worms are used, which in adults are more effective. Diet can also help against parasites. But it doesn't always drive out the parasites; in most cases, its vital activity is interrupted.
Special attention should be paid to the treatment of pregnant women and children. They have the lowest immunity activity, which contributes to the more active development of helminths in the body.
Pharmacological agents
Pharmacological treatment is considered the most effective. Some products are recommended to be taken only once. The dosage is calculated based on the age and weight of the patient. This principle is very important as the success of therapy depends on it.
An anthelmintic drug that acts on nematodes is considered to be the safest anthelmintic drug. In special dosages, it is allowed even for pregnant women and young children. Its action extends to trichocephalosis, ascariasis, enterobiasis and some others. When infected with roundworms and worms, it is enough to take once. In the case of other pathologies, the course of treatment can last from two to three days.
As part of another anthelmintic medication, the active ingredient is levamisole hydrochloride. The greatest activity when taking the drug is seen in the case of ascariasis, ankylostomiasis, enterobiasis and some other invasions. The tablets can be taken by children as young as three years old. Among the frequent side effects are gastrointestinal dysfunction and headache.
The greatest spectrum of action is observed for benzimidazole derivatives. But they cause a lot of side effects.
Attention! Medicines are especially dangerous for patients with liver disease.
ethnoscience
Currently, there are many effective methods of treating this condition with synthetic drugs. But drugs have a large number of side effects, are ineffective in treatment, and sometimes not suitable for a particular person (contraindications, intolerance to one or more components of a particular drug). Therefore, in these cases, you can turn to traditional medicine, which has in its arsenal a huge selection of natural remedies to combat this type of disease.
The main advantages of folk remedies are the natural base, which reduces the presence of side effects to zero, as well as the presence of bioactive compounds that reduce the severity of inflammatory and allergic processes.
The most commonly used products are absinthe. This plant has many effective substances that disturb the nervous activity of helminths and contribute to their excretion from the body. You can prepare infusions and powders. It is ideal to take wormwood medicine in the morning, before breakfast.
Home treatment of helminths in children
If the family has a child, it is important to know how to properly get rid of the worms in this case. The child's body is less active in fighting worms. In addition, the use of some medications can harm the baby and aggravate the situation.
Most of the time, parents choose ways to expel the parasite as quickly as possible so that the child gets better. With some types of helminthiasis, this tactic is correct. For example, with enterobiasis, which is damage to the body caused by worms, you can take an anthelmintic medication at an age-specific dosage. In the case of such illness, a single dose is sufficient. For some other conditions (eg, trichocephalosis), longer treatment is needed.
Attention! For the treatment of a child, the use of alternative therapy prescriptions is contraindicated.
Treatment of Worms During Pregnancy
Helminthiasis therapy during pregnancy is not always recommended. It all depends on the type of pathology and the duration of the pregnancy. If treatment is needed, you should only resort after consulting a doctor.
If a woman is afraid to use pharmacological drugs, you can choose one of the traditional recipes. Advice on how to eat raw pumpkin seeds is popular. They can be peeled and crushed and consumed a few scoops four times a day. To improve the flavor, it is advisable to add a little honey.
A good effect is manifested in the case of an unpleasant procedure - enemas. But the implementation of this treatment requires consultation with specialists so as not to harm the baby. Enemas can be prepared with milk and garlic. To prepare the product, some cloves of a vegetable are boiled in a glass of milk and cooled to room temperature. The duration of use of a cleansing enema is 5 days.
Helminthiasis Diet
The diet should include as many foods as possible that are not entirely pleasant for the parasites. For example, chanterelle mushrooms contain a specific substance - chinomanose. This chemical compound has destructive activity - the shell structure of helminth eggs changes, which causes their death. Furthermore, this substance inhibits the vital activity of young and adult worms.
The use of some delicacies also has a positive effect on the helminthiasis treatment process. It is common to include these products:
Among the recommended products are fermented milk. Kefir and serum normalize liver function, improving the activity of the intestinal tract. Liver should be included in the diet, as helminths often cause anemia. Foods that contain a lot of vitamins and minerals should also be on the menu.
Sample menu in the presence of earthworms
Helminthiasis nutrition plays an important role in therapy. A properly selected menu can prevent complications of the disease and alleviate symptoms.
For breakfast, experts recommend using cottage cheese. You can add a mixture of fruits and don't forget the melon or strawberry. You can drink sugar-free tea. For a second breakfast, you can use homemade yogurt or fermented boiled milk.
For lunch, you can have a light vegetable soup with the addition of lean chicken meat. It is useful to complement with cabbage and carrot salad. Pineapple is recommended for dessert. It is advisable to replace dinner with a glass of yogurt or kefir during the treatment.
Dangerous food for worms
The use of some dishes is totally contraindicated in helminthiasis. Most of the time, this is due to the fact that they interrupt the activity of the intestine affected by worms due to fermentation processes. First, this applies to carbohydrate-rich foods:
Also, during therapy, it is recommended to exclude alcoholic beverages. Semi-raw meat lovers also need to refuse these dishes, as they often contain earthworm eggs. This causes reinfection. Confectionery is also strictly prohibited.
Preventive Principles
Infection prevention methods are quite simple, but few follow them. This explains the widespread prevalence of worm infestation. Just don't forget these rules:
These general preventative measures can save a family from an unpleasant illness - helminthiasis. Compliance with hygiene standards is the main principle of prevention.