Worms can survive in the human body for a long time without showing any signs of existence. The main symptoms of parasitic infections appear later, and they are usually similar to the symptoms of other diseases. A person can search for the cause of the disease for a long time and receive treatment for a completely different disease, even though the solution to the problem is infection with worms.
Usually, when the treatment of other diseases does not help, the parasite is suspected later. By this time, the worms in the body have matured, and it becomes more difficult to remove them. It is important to be able to recognize and diagnose the symptoms immediately after they appear to find out whether the parasitic infection is the culprit that causes frequent allergic rashes and other unpleasant diseases.
What types of worms can a person be infected with?
Worm is the common name for many parasites. There are a hundred or so in total, of which there is a small group of the most common representatives, which must be mentioned separately.
Pinworm
Pinworms are the most common type of worm infection that affects adults and children. Their existence is the easiest to determine. This worm lays eggs on the skin between the buttocks. Therefore, one scratch is usually sufficient to confirm the presence of pinworms.
roundworms
The "target" of roundworms is the respiratory tract. With ascariasis, a large amount of sputum is discharged when coughing. If it is analyzed, traces of parasitic damage can be found inside. Body temperature may also rise.
Trichinella
These parasites are the most difficult to detect-they are attached to the intestinal wall and do not come out like pinworms. Of all types of helminthiasis, trichinosis has the highest mortality rate-a disease that is difficult to treat. With the flow of lymph fluid, Trichinella capsules can spread throughout the body.
The symptoms of this disease are more like typhoid fever.
fluke
Flukes are flat worms that affect the liver, lungs, and blood. Infections usually occur in contaminated water or when eating undercooked meat.
There are other types of worm lesions, but they are less dangerous or common. The main symptoms and treatments of all worm invasions are similar.
symptom
Symptoms of worm lesions are many and varied. If most of them are present, it is worth considering possible parasite invasion and diagnosis.
- Bloating, increased gas production, any other problems with the working of the large intestine.
- Often constipation or diarrhea. Depends on the stage of development of the parasite. Constipation occurs when the worm specimen becomes larger and blocks the intestinal passage with a clot. Diarrhea indicates that long-term individuals interfere with bile secretion.
- Allergic reaction. This is especially noticeable if the person is not allergic. Allergies can manifest in different forms-the appearance of rashes, eczema, boils, and papilloma.
- cough. Often dry, there are no other cold symptoms. Cough medicine and antibiotics will not solve the problem.
- Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. Worms can migrate through the body and reach the respiratory tract. This can cause bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma.
- Itching in the anal area. Related to the release of parasites used to lay eggs. Mainly appear at night.
- Joint and muscle pain. They also appear due to the movement of parasites in the body.
- Teeth Bruxism-Bruxism. It is related to the increase in nervous system activity during parasite infection. Appears during sleep.
- Chronic fatigue and depression-like illnesses. The waste of worms will indeed poison the body, which will lead to the deterioration of the health of the whole person.
- All manifestations of decreased immunity, frequent colds. It may be difficult to heal quickly.
If most of these symptoms are observed, the likelihood of worms is high. It is best to run a series of diagnostic tests immediately to confirm or refute this speculation.
important! Any of these symptoms should be referred to a specialist immediately. These signs can not only indicate worm disease, but also other serious diseases.
diagnosis
When a worm is affected, a diagnosis cannot be made based on the presence of symptoms alone. Some research should be done. Some of them gave almost 100% accurate results.
- Various microscopic examinations of feces and scrapings. These methods are the cheapest and most common methods, but they do not provide 100% reliable results. These analyses can only be used to identify worms when they lay eggs, otherwise their presence will be invisible.
- ELISA-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This method gives extremely accurate results and helps determine the developmental stage and type of the worm. The only disadvantage of this analysis is that its performance cost is quite high.
- Blood scan. This method can help refute or confirm the presence of worms in the body. Through this blood test, their life activities and traces of poisoning will be obvious. The essence of this method is to study the "invigorating" blood just taken.
important! It is usually recommended to conduct multiple studies to confirm the results.
Which doctor is treating?
If there is a parasite intrusion, it is best to contact a regular therapist and describe the situation to him. If you have independently tested for the presence of parasites, you should bring it with you.
The therapist will refer you to a doctor more suitable for the specific situation. If the worms are concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract, the specialist will refer them to the gastroenterologist. This happens in most cases because most parasites live in the intestines.
In some cases, it is necessary to consult a parasitologist or parasitologist. But such narrow-minded doctors are far from ubiquitous. Therefore, the situation that does not exceed the scope of typical infections depends entirely on the attending doctor.
Home remedies
After the disease is discovered, treatment should be started immediately. Most anthelmintics have many side effects, so it is recommended to take them under the supervision of a doctor.
The medication is different, depending on the type of worm that infects the body. Generally speaking, all drugs can be divided into several groups.
- Medicines used to treat nematodes, including pinworms and roundworms.
- The treatment of tapeworms-tapeworms, including bovine tapeworms, small tapeworms, and echinococcus.
- Medicine for treating flukes and flatworms.
important! It should be remembered that anthelmintics are very toxic and should be taken with caution.
Take medicine for prevention
Since taking antihelmintics has a large number of negative effects, if it does not increase the risk of infection, it is not recommended to take it just in case. Infection can happen on any day: if you take medicine today, you might get sick tomorrow.
There are some indications for taking anti-worm drugs:
- Worms appear on family members or people living in the same apartment. Other people can be infected, so if a worm is found in one of the family members, it is recommended that everyone else take preventive anti-worm drugs.
- If the child goes to kindergarten, then he and his parents, brothers or sisters are also advised to take deworming drugs for prevention. It is believed that the risk of parasite transmission in a closed group of children will increase.
- pet. If there are cats and dogs in the house, especially those that frequently appear on the street, it is recommended that the owner use antiparasitic drugs for prevention.
- Contact the ground and work with it. Especially suitable for summer residents and wildlife lovers.
- Often go to foreign countries. It is very possible to bring a rare parasite from the southern countries, so the treatment will become complicated because the type cannot be determined quickly.
- Wildlife hobby. These include hiking, fishing, and hunting.
Only in these cases, the preventive use of anthelmintics is permitted and beneficial.
Treat with folk remedies
Usually, folk antiparasitic drugs are helpful for anthelmintics. You should use them carefully-some of them are dangerous or can cause harm if abused.
Intestine cleansing
Sometimes, it is recommended to clean the intestines with an enema after taking anti-worm drugs to completely remove the dying parasites. The rationality of this method is debatable, but usually water enema is not dangerous-you can do this for your own peace of mind.
Some people suggest using baking soda or salt enema-this method is more controversial. Soda water and salt will burn the mucous membranes and unbalance the water balance, so they should not be used. In addition, most parasites live in different parts of the intestine. This method should be postponed as a last resort.
Garlic treatment
As we all know, worms are afraid of sharp and burning food. Therefore, in the treatment process, you can add more garlic to the diet as a seasoning. You can also eat a few cloves with a glass of milk in the morning. Then you need to empty your intestines and eat breakfast. You can skip the milk-it's just that this product makes garlic easier to consume.
It is not recommended to put tampons soaked in garlic juice into the anus. Can cause allergies and burns.
pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are another effective folk remedy for the treatment and prevention of parasitic diseases. There are several ways to use them to fight worms.
You need to eat a few tablespoons of pumpkin seeds every morning on an empty stomach. Then you should wait about an hour and empty the intestines. If this is not possible, a laxative is needed. Then you can have breakfast.
For the second method, you need to mix a cup of grated roasted pumpkin seeds with a cup of honey and a spoonful of baking soda. Inject this mixture in a dark place for about ten days. Use only glassware. The ready-made mixture should be eaten with a spoon every morning, before meals.
important! If you are allergic to folk remedies, you should give them up.
prevention
The main prevention of parasitic diseases is to keep the body and home clean. After using the toilet, come from the street-you need to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. You cannot share towels, toothbrushes, and combs with others, even if they are family members.
Meat and fish should be rinsed and thoroughly cooked before cooking. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, preferably in boiling water before use.
It is not worth taking anti-worm medicine to prevent it, but you can eat more spicy food and garlic regularly. For the same purpose, pumpkin seeds can be added to the diet.
Knowing all the possible symptoms and manifestations of parasitic diseases, you can find them at an early stage, and then you can cure them quickly and painlessly.