Parasitic diseases are widespread among the population, many people meet them at least once in their life, it is almost impossible to fully insure themselves against their occurrence. However, many of them lead to other, more serious diseases. Parasites are able to cause disturbances in the work of various organs, they often begin to treat the consequences of a parasitic infection, the main problem is clarified much later.
Parasites can attack any organ system, they can be in the intestine, liver, live on the skin, some can even get to the brain. The main thing is to identify the lesion at an early stage, when it does not affect several organs and does not become extensive, it will be much easier to get rid of parasites.
Types of parasites
There are a lot of parasites that infect various organs. These are not just worms that live mainly in the intestines and other worms. Parasites in the human body can be of other types. All of them can be divided into several groups:
- worms (nematodes, worms, pinworms, echinococcus and others);
- parasitic protozoa (lamblia, intestinal Trichomonas, chlamydia, toxoplasma);
- fungal parasites (candida);
- bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus aureus);
- viruses (influenza, herpes, smallpox, rotavirus and others).
However, worms are often associated with the word "parasites". Their manifestations and treatment tactics are generally very similar.
Symptoms
The symptoms of parasite infestation often resemble other diseases, so when they are detected, it is important to make a complete diagnosis, which will show whether a person is sick from parasites or should look for another cause. The main symptoms of parasitic diseases are the following:
- Diarrhea. It comes from the waste products of some types of parasites.
- Constipation. Some worms block the passage of the intestine as they grow, which can also cause intestinal obstruction. Parasites can also cause jaundice by blocking the bile ducts.
- Constant swelling. Gas production often occurs when infected with worms.
- Pain in the muscles and joints. Similar to arthritis pain. They develop during the migration of parasites into the body.
- Allergic reactions. Parasites are strong irritants and themselves and their waste products can cause allergies. In addition, they cause damage to the intestinal tissue, which forces the immune system to work more actively and respond to this irritation with allergic reactions.
- Various skin lesions: rashes, acne, dermatitis and other skin diseases. Papillomas are also a sign of parasitic infection.
- Iron deficiency anemia.
Weight jumps can also be a symptom. A person can drastically lose weight or gain weight. Weight loss can be associated with lack of appetite, digestive disorders. A sharp increase in mass is usually associated with a drop in blood sugar levels, the patient begins to feel constant hunger.
Negative symptoms from the nervous system. The activity of parasites literally poisons the body, which can lead to disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. These include severe anxiety in general, increased anxiety, and mild depression.
Other things to watch out for:
- The grinding of teeth in me is bruxism. This is the reaction of the nervous system to the presence of an irritant in the body.
- Sleep disturbances. Sometimes it appears due to itching in the anal area at night, this is a sure sign of worms.
- Dysbacteriosis.
- Chronic fatigue, general malaise.
- Immunity disturbances, increased morbidity, frequent colds.
- Diseases of the respiratory tract. Parasites can reach the airways and cause cough, pneumonia, and even asthma attacks.
Important! If similar symptoms are present, you should be tested for a parasitic infection.
More information on the manifestations of parasitic diseases
People react to foreign bodies in different ways. In some forms of helminthiasis, the symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body of an adult become evident several years after organ colonization. In young patients, the first manifestations are often evident in the initial stage of the disease.
How to identify worms in children?
The prevalence of helminths in these patients is much higher. As a result, the following signs of the presence of parasites appear:
- Weakness
- Sleep quality deteriorates
- Loss of appetite, usually accompanied by a slowdown in physical development
- Unreasonable aggression, nervousness and irritability appear
- The stools are disturbed and in most cases constipation is a consequence of this
- Stridor and itching of the anus are signs of some worms.
What are the anomalies for identifying helminths in adults?
The parasitic organism remains in the mouth, which is facilitated by special enzymes. This is only the first obstacle in the way of helminth larvae and eggs. Also, moving in the human body, helminths enter the digestive tract, where they are exposed to gastric juice and antibodies produced by the body. This means that there is a natural cleansing of the intestine of parasites and the diffusion is slower.
However, over time, the following symptoms appear:
- Changes in the work of the central nervous system: headache, dizziness, worsening of sleep, tendency to irritation, aggression
- Diseases of some organs develop: pancreatitis, pneumonia, appendicitis, duodenitis, etc.
- Pale skin indicates parasites, sometimes jaundice develops
- Worms can be recognized by stool disorders: constipation replaces diarrhea and vice versa
- Flatulence, intestinal motility is disturbed
- Another manifestation is abdominal pain
- Allergic reactions in different forms.
How Do Worms Affect Overall Health?
Weakness is noted, as worms are almost always found in the human intestine. In this case, the microflora is disrupted, which affects the absorption of nutrients, which means that a person does not get enough vitamins and microelements. As a result, the body weakens and immunity decreases. Under such conditions, the body becomes susceptible to viruses, bacterial infections. The liver is among the first to suffer.
If a disease of a certain organ develops (be it the heart, kidneys, organs of vision, liver), and the classic treatment regimen for such cases does not bring results, it is necessary to assume the development of diseasesparasitic in humans. If you try to treat them, a person can recover fairly quickly.
Classification of parasites
All organisms are classified into two main groups:
- Intestinal
- Extraintestinal.
Representatives of two species live inside humans, but in different parts of the body. For example, intestinal parasites in humans always colonize the digestive organs. Extraintestinal forms of helminths tend to infect tissues: muscles, brain, organs of vision, etc. In addition, all external organisms living in the human body are divided into types, taking into account the structure of the body:
- Unicellular (they are the simplest, for example lamblia)
- Helminths: pinworms, nematodes and the like.
There are several classes of worms:
- Nematodes;
- Trematodes;
- Cestodes.
The first class includes nematodes, for example ascaris. The second class is represented by trematodes, trematodes. Tapeworms are called flat helminths, including tapeworms.
Reasons
The main causes of parasitic diseases are careless contact with patients and failure to comply with personal hygiene rules. Children who spend a lot of time playing outdoors are often infected, especially small ones who exercise in the sandbox.
Therefore, at risk are people who do not wash their hands after the street and after eating, do not wear barrier protectors when in contact with infected patients and share their personal hygiene products with other people. In addition, there is a risk of infection if meat products, vegetables and fruit are poorly processed.
Diagnostics
It can be difficult to diagnose parasitic diseases, especially in the early stages, their symptoms are often reminiscent of other diseases.
The most common parasite tests are faeces and swabs. These methods will help determine the presence of parasites in the intestine and their type, but they will not be able to show their presence in other organs.
At the moment, there are much more reliable methods for detecting parasitic diseases, they can be more expensive than conventional analysis, but their accuracy is much higher. First of all, these include a blood test for parasites - ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent test). The accuracy of this method is 99%, it helps to determine not only the presence of parasites, but the dynamics of the lesion and the number, wherever foreign organisms are present.
In addition to blood tests, there are other methods, for example:
- ultrasound and radiography;
- computed tomography;
- endoscopy and endobiopsy;
- RNGA;
- RSK;
- REF.
The required research is chosen by the doctor, in any case they can be different. It is the parasite that the parasitologist deals with, although initially it is advisable to contact the doctor who deals with the organ with which the unpleasant symptoms are associated. For example, if the manifestations of a parasitic disease are associated with the digestive system, you should contact a gastroenterologist.
Important! It is impossible to reliably determine the presence of parasites in your body; tests are required.
How to get rid of parasites?
With parasites a complex intervention is necessary. Most of them have a long shelf life and the treatment depends on the form in which the parasites are currently present in the body. Other factors must be taken into account, for example, diseases that have appeared against the background of a parasitic infection.
Preparations
Medicines for parasites are usually available in pill form, have a broad spectrum of action, one remedy can work against multiple species at the same time. There are many herbal preparations that are milder.
Medicines can be applied once or as a course. It all depends on the stage of the parasitic disease, the type of parasites, the presence or absence of certain symptoms.
It is worth remembering that drugs have a huge number of side effects. Antiparasitic drugs have a strong toxic effect on the body, so they should be taken with caution. Also, you cannot combine them with other medicines.
Often, after a course of medication, it is necessary to cleanse the body, as not all dead parasites come out naturally. By decomposing in the body, they can cause severe toxicosis.
After the courses of drugs, you should begin to restore immunity. Vitamin complexes, diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help in this.
Important! You cannot take antiparasitic drugs alone.
Body cleansing at home
Some of the measures against parasites can be taken at home, especially for organisms that infect the intestine. At home, you can cleanse the intestines, but it is worth remembering that not all products are equally good, some, for example, cleaning with soda, can be dangerous to health.
Monastic tea
Monastery tea is often recommended against parasites. This drink contains many useful medicinal plants: sage, yarrow, oak bark, mint and many others. It is believed to help fight parasitic diseases.
The course of the monastery tea treatment lasts three weeks; no more than one glass of drink per day is needed. Taking this tea will increase immunity and help the body cope with parasites, however, it is not suitable as an independent medicine, it is better to combine it with conservative treatment, and then use it for prevention.
Another name for monastery tea is this, it can sometimes be found like this.
Tansy: how to take it
Tansy is one of the herbs for parasites, the second name of this plant, worm, speaks for itself. The methods of using this herb differ depending on the type of parasite.
The following recipe helps with worms and roundworms. You need to take a spoonful of dried flowers and pour a glass of hot water. Insist for four hours, then strain. You need to take such an infusion four times a day, one tablespoon before meals.
Bitter wormwood
Wormwood is another medicinal plant that helps fight parasites. This herb is effective for children and adults, the only negative is the unpleasant taste.
To comfortably take wormwood against worms, put the crushed plant in gelatin capsules. For a child, no more than a quarter of a teaspoon is needed, for an adult - a second. On the first day of admission, one serving is needed, so one serving is added every day. Therefore, there should be seven servings on the eighth day. Plus, seven capsules until the end of the second week of admission.
You can also do wormwood enemas.
Birch tar
Birch tar is a natural antiseptic that helps fight worms and other internal parasites. A drop of tar is taken for a teaspoon of honey, take this mixture before bedtime for twelve days. This method has almost no contraindications, tar with honey can be used for children.
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds help with parasites. There are several recipes for taking them for medicinal purposes. You can simply eat two tablespoons of pumpkin seeds every morning before meals, then wait about an hour and empty your intestines. This method works well against tapeworms.
Against worms, it is recommended to take a glass of ground roasted seeds, mix with a glass of honey, add a teaspoon of baking soda. This mixture should be infused for ten days. Take a spoonful on an empty stomach long before breakfast.
Garlic: how to take it
Garlic has disinfectant properties and is believed to be harmful to worms. The most useful and harmless to the body is a mixture of honey and garlic against parasites.
To do this, take 300 grams of garlic juice and mix it with 500 grams of honey. Boil this mixture over low heat in a water bath for half an hour, stirring occasionally and removing the resulting foam. Cool the resulting mixture, transfer to glasses, store in a cool dark place. For worms, take a tablespoon about 3-4 times a day, exclusively before meals.
Flax and carnation
On the basis of flax seeds and cloves a kind of condiment can be made that has an anti-parasitic effect.
Grind linseed and cloves in a coffee grinder in the same proportion. Such a remedy can be added to food when cooking, the main thing is not to eat more than 25 grams of the medicine per day. Sometimes breaks should be taken. This remedy helps with all types of parasites.
Important! It is worth remembering that many of the medicinal plants can cause allergies. If you develop an individual intolerance, they should be discarded.
How to deal with parasites
If symptoms are found that indicate the presence of parasites in the intestines or other organs, treatment can be carried out using folk remedies. They allow you to quickly get rid of worms and prevent the development of serious complications.
Folk recipes
The unconventional treatment involves the use of natural ingredients. usually decoctions or infusions are prepared. Such means allow you to expel worms and perform a complete cleaning of the internal organs. For each patient, you can choose your treatment regimen. The most popular recipes are:
- Coriander seeds - heat in a pan without oil, mash and consume up to three times a day.
- Watermelon seeds: chop and mix with milk. Drink two glasses a day.
- Chanterelle mushrooms - have a negative effect on most parasites, but after heat treatment these properties disappear. Therefore, a tincture is made from mushrooms: grind the product, pour vodka and send it to a dark cool place for fifteen days. Grab a spoon before going to bed.
- Onions: chop to a state of gruel and pour boiling water over it, leave for ten hours, use inside.
- Elecampane: prepare and boil for five minutes. Insist at night and take an empty stomach in the morning.
- Celandine: mix with boiling water and send to a water bath for a quarter of an hour. After forty minutes, strain and drink up to three times a day.
- Absinthe: chop the herb, pour in the hot milk, insist and drink the whole portion in the morning.
- Ginger - Go through a blender and consume within six days.
- Cloves - taken as a powder after meals.
- Pumpkin seeds: they contain a poisonous substance that is dangerous for parasites. Raw and unshelled seeds can be eaten before meals or mixed with warm milk.
Other methods
At home, the treatment carried out with the help of folk remedies is complemented by a number of measures that allow you to quickly get rid of parasites living in the human body. We are talking about cleaning enemas. For their implementation are used:
- Garlic - can be combined with milk or herbal infusions.
- Baking soda: heat the water to a temperature of forty-two degrees, add the powder and mix thoroughly. Soda can be added to three liters of hot water.
Absinthe and tansy work well for an enema. Herbs are mixed, poured over with hot water and boiled. Allow the broth to cool, add a clove of garlic, leave to act for three hours and filter. The procedure should be done before bedtime. Another option is pumpkin seed oil. A variety of recipes can be used for an adult. The main thing is to choose a suitable remedy for eliminating a specific type of helminth.
Laundry soap against helminths
One of the options for treating parasites in the body is with ordinary laundry soap. It is used for washing hands after walking, going to the toilet, etc. The soap solution kills all germs on the skin and prevents them from entering the body. In the morning and after each act of defecation, it is recommended to wash the anus with laundry soap: it destroys both parasites and their eggs. With the help of the product, you can wash razors, wipes, combs.
It is difficult to clean the bodies of uninvited guests, but it is quite possible. If you decide to use non-traditional remedies, you need to be patient and persistent, as they do not give immediate results. Sometimes the course of treatment takes several weeks. Furthermore, to achieve the desired results, all recipes must be applied correctly and regularly.
How the infection occurs
It's not for nothing that many people don't like touching doorknobs and pets on the street, because this is the fastest way to collect parasites. Infection usually occurs from:
- Handshake;
- Household items;
- Door handles;
- Animal fur;
- Clothes, household items;
- The patient bed.
Sometimes it is impossible to rule out all factors, because a child can get an infection in a kindergarten or school, just like adults in public transport and other places.
Even lovers of raw steaks and rolls can, along with the delicacy, pick up the parasites that live in raw products that have undergone insufficient heat treatment.
Sometimes the symptoms of parasites in the body are found many years later, and a person does not even remember what period he ate unwashed fruit or stroked a cat.
The main thing is prevention
This does not mean that you have to be constantly tested, but it does mean that you have to commit to prevention:
- Wash your hands with soap and water more often;
- Use antibacterial wipes;
- Don't touch the animals on the street;
- Do not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables and not fried fish and meat.
Those with small children should be especially careful, because they are the carriers of various parasites that can be collected in the sandbox, on the railing or in other places.
If a child is attending a nursery school, the seeding tank and the delivery of feces are mandatory, so it is not difficult to identify the disease.
Adults have a problem with this. Rarely a doctor may require you to take stool for analysis, and it is for helminths.
This should be taken care of by the patient himself, especially those who love exotic cuisine and extreme relaxation.
If there are parasites, the symptoms may be different, but where are these or the most common ones?
How to prevent infection?
You must first understand how to determine the presence of parasites in the body. If the suspicions are confirmed, treatment is prescribed. You have to follow simple rules so that the situation does not happen again:
- Parasites in the stomach and other organs of the digestive system end up in dirty hands. This means you need to wash them often.
- Linen change, bed.
- Cleaning the room.
- Cleaning products, pay special attention to vegetables, fruits. Meat and fish must be processed.
- To prevent the signs of the presence of various parasites in the human body, clothes and underwear must be subjected to high temperature treatment. After washing, things are ironed with an iron.
- The water is filtered, boiled.
Therefore, if the question arises of how to check for worms, an examination is performed to diagnose helminthiasis. It is also possible to identify the worms through an external examination, by observing the symptoms. The treatment is carried out comprehensively, but first the body is purified.