Helminths or worms are the general name for parasitic worms that live in the human body. Most of them live in the intestinal tract, but some of them extend beyond it. Children are especially vulnerable to worm infection. Due to insufficiently strong immunity, which is not able to kill parasites, and a long latent period of infection, worms can cause serious harm to a child. This is mainly due to severe poisoning, allergic reactions and, in certain cases, organ damage.
In this material we will look at the main causes of helminth infection, its types, as well as treatment methods. This applies to both traditional and traditional medicine.
Causes of infection
First of all, it is important to note that protecting a child from worm infection seems to be an almost impossible task. This applies to geohelminthiasis and is due to the method of infection. However, there are other types of worms, with different infection mechanisms. We will discuss geohelminthiasis and other types of worms in more detail below.
Worms developin soil and water, after which they enter the human body and lay their eggs there. Then, together with the excrement, they return to the soil or water and the cycle repeats. When eating dirty fruits and vegetables, there is a very real chance of contracting geohelminthic infections. Infection is also possible through dirty hands or the skin of the feet.
Infection throughcontact with animals- is not a myth. When coming into contact, playing and carrying out joint activities with an already infected animal, there is a non-illusory chance of becoming infected with worms. Their eggs land on the skin or clothing, where they continue to mature and can, sooner or later, enter the body.
Biohelminth infection occurs due toconsume sub-processed meat and fish products. Particularly dangerous are undercooked kebab, under-salted lard, sushi, unprocessed milk and insufficiently cured fish. In addition to worms, when consuming these products there is also the possibility of contracting an intestinal infection.
Infectionthrough insect bites- it happens very rarely, as in most cases insects deposit their larvae under the victim's skin. However, some types of worms are transmitted by insects.
With a strong immune system, worm infection is much less likely. In addition, over time, a person simply develops resistance to the worms in his area. They either do not have time to hatch or simply die shortly after hatching. However, when moving to a new area or when the immune system is weakened, protection against worms weakens.
Types of worms
There are about 300 species of worms, but 70 species are common. These types can be divided into three broad categories:
- Nematodes or roundworms.Most often, children are infected with this type of worm. This species includes pinworms, whipworms, trichinellas and roundworms.
- Tapeworms or cestodes.Infection by this species occurs through poorly processed meat. This species includes tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococci.
- Trematodes or worm parasites.Most often, worms of this species cause opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, schistosomiasis and paragonimiasis.
In the vast majority of cases, worms parasitize in the intestines, but their eggs, along with the bloodstream, can spread throughout the body. As a result, worms can begin to multiply in the liver, gallbladder, muscle tissue, lungs and even the brain.
Symptoms
Considering that worms are parasitic organisms, infection with them does not appear immediately. After all, the parasite's goal is to avoid the host's attention for as long as possible. This is why symptoms appear in the case of multiple infections or after a long latent period.
Typically, the first symptoms appear only 2 to 4 weeks after the worm eggs enter the body. All symptoms are generally caused by helminthiasis residue poisoning. In certain cases, particularly when the child's immunity is reduced, helminthiasis infection may appear earlier.
In betweenmain signs of worms in childrencan be distinguished:
- Increased appetite without weight gain;
- Increased salivation;
- Painful sensation in the stomach, nausea and unstable stools;
- Dizziness and headaches;
- The appearance of allergic reactions;
- Sleep disorders, worsening sleep and increased irritability;
- Increased hair loss and cracked nails;
- Frequent inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and genitourinary tract.
With prolonged infection, developmental delays, dysfunction of internal organs, and neurological abnormalities are observed.
It is important to note that a strange odor from a child's mouth, abdominal pain, frequent hiccups and grinding of teeth at night do not in any way indicate a worm infection. These symptoms are just a myth.
Diagnostic features
Given the variety of symptoms of infection with this parasite, making an accurate diagnosis is not an easy task. First of all, you need to dostool analysisdue to the presence of parasite nests. However, this is not the most reliable method. It happens that in certain cases, in the carrier's body there may be several individuals of the same sex who are not capable of reproducing. Furthermore, some species rarely lay eggs, which makes it difficult to establish a clear diagnosis. That is why stool tests for worms are done three times at intervals of several days, as it is necessary to capture the exact moment of parasite reproduction.
Parasite infection may also be indicated by an elevated level of eosinophils in combination with low hemoglobin levels withgeneral blood test.For diagnosis, scraping for enterobiasis and examination of the abdominal cavity using ultrasound or X-ray are also used. To clarify the diagnosis, doctors can resort to biological analyzes of urine and feces, as well as immunological studies.
Once the exact type of parasite has been determined, as well as the level of damage caused to the body, treatment can begin.
Methods of treating worms in children
The main method of treating helminths, of course, is medication. However, in certain cases, the use of traditional medicine is also permitted. It is important to remember that in most cases, folk remedies are not strong enough to deal with moderate, let alone serious, infections. They should be used as auxiliaries. Naturally, traditional medicine also has a number of limitations. These and other means will be discussed in more detail below.
Medication
Drug treatment for helminth infection aims to destroy the worms and reduce the level of toxins released by them. When treating worms, especially in children, it is highly undesirable to use broad-spectrum drugs. The fact is that they have a very strong effect and their use, even in the correct dosage, can cause serious problems. Furthermore, the wrong medication can cause more harm than the parasites themselves. That is why it is important to make an accurate diagnosis and determine what type of parasites the child is infected with.
To remove toxins, vitamin complexes containing vitamins B and C, glucose solutions and water-salt infusions are used. In certain cases, antihistamines and diuretics are also used. And if the heart and liver are damaged, hormone therapy may be required. To enhance the effects, enzyme preparations that improve digestion are often used, as well as enterosorbents that remove parasite residues from the body.
Will folk remedies help?
In general, doctors do not recommend using folk remedies to treat worms. This is mainly due to the fact that the power of folk remedies is often not enough to completely destroy parasites. However, despite the fact that folk remedies cannot be an alternative to traditional means, this does not mean that they should not be used. On the contrary, they will be an excellent complement to drug treatment. Among the most effective and safe folk remedies are the following.
Vegetable oilsare an effective method of combating almost all types of helminths. The most effective are apricot, cedar and sea buckthorn oils; however, a safer option for children would be flaxseed or hemp oil. The oil should be consumed pure, one teaspoon three times a day before meals. If your child refuses to eat it, add it to porridge or dip bread in butter. The course of oil treatment is one week, after which you should take a two-week break.
Another effective treatment for helminths ispumpkin seeds. This is mainly due to the presence of cucurbitin in them, a rare amino acid that kills worms. Pumpkin seeds can be consumed raw or processed into milk. In raw form, they are consumed in 120 grams for children aged three to seven, 200 grams for children aged seven to eleven and 300 grams for children under thirteen. Milk from seeds can be prepared by passing 200 grams of seeds through a meat grinder, pouring them with two glasses of boiling water and infusing the drink for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. Then we filter the broth and feed it to the child throughout the day, before meals.
GarlicIt is also a common remedy for helminthiasis. It is often used to prevent parasite infections and also as an adjuvant for enterobiasis and ascariasis. It is used as follows: finely chop two cloves of garlic and pour over a glass of milk. The resulting drink is consumed twice a day, a quarter of a glass, for four days.
For treatment purposes, medications are often usedenemaswith herbal decoctions. This is done to eliminate parasites from the intestinal lumen. Decoctions of wormwood, chamomile and other herbs are suitable for these purposes. You can also use a milk and garlic enema, the recipe for which was given above. When using an enema, it is important that its temperature is not lower than room temperature and that its volume does not exceed 100 milliliters. It is also important to increase the amount of fluids consumed in the form of mineral water or fruit juices.
Barrier methodMost often used for helminthiasis caused by pinworms. Its essence is to block the lumen of the large intestine with special tampons moistened with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly. This is done so that the adult worms do not emigrate to the surface of the anus and continue to reproduce. The child's anal passage is blocked with tampons for a month. It is important to highlight that this method is not effective for extraintestinal forms of helminthiasis or in cases of severe enterobiasis.
Before using any of the above methods, you should always consult and obtain approval from your pediatrician.
In addition to the means aimed directly at combating parasites, auxiliary means can also be used. Any recipe that helps improve digestion and remove toxins from the body will do. Substances rich in vitamins B and C are also beneficial. You should consult your doctor before use.
Prevention of helminthiasis in children
As we have already discovered, the vast majority of cases of worm infection occur through the mouth. Therefore, prevention of parasitic infection mainly includesmaintaining personal hygiene rules. In addition, you should wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating, and also make sure that fish, meat and dairy products have undergone sufficient heat treatment. If you have pets, preventive anthelmintic therapy should be carried out. And finally, you must keep your home clean.
In addition, there is an opinion that to prevent helminthiasis, you should regularly take anthelmintic drugs. This opinion is very controversial in the medical field. Some doctors believe that prophylactic use of such medications does not guarantee reinfection and imposes additional stress on the body. This group of doctors argues that basic hygiene is enough to reduce the chance of infection. The second group of doctors believes that it is simply impossible to do without the prophylactic use of these drugs, given children's neglect of hygiene rules. The issue of prevention becomes even more acute if the child is in constant contact with animals that frequent the street.
One way or another, only you can decide whether it is worth using deworming medications for prevention purposes. However, it's worth thinking about if:
- You are planning a trip to the southern countries;
- The child attends kindergarten;
- Have animals at home that visit the street;
- Children play in the sandbox or have frequent contact with the ground;
- Children spend a lot of time in nature.