Worms in humans are a rather unpleasant phenomenon that may not appear for a long time. Parasitic worms are scientifically called helminths. The infection of humans is called helminthiasis. This occurs due to the entry of worm eggs into our body. Contrary to popular belief that worms are a purely childhood disease, adults are also subject to serious parasite attacks. Scientists have calculated that one in four people on earth is a carrier of this disease.
Where can they live?
Adult helminths move throughout the body until they settle in the organs best suited to them. The eggs of the parasite enter the intestine and settle there. This is the most common position. It is easy to detect worms in the intestine and remove them.
In second place in popularity among worms is liver. Then come the lungs. There are very rare forms of the disease in which worms penetrate the eyeballs and muscles.
Classification
Human worms are classified based on their location. There are luminal and tissue types.
Tissue- these are the ones that live in the organs. They can cause the following diseases:
- comparagonimiasis– this is a type of infection of the lung tissue by worms;
- echinococcosis- liver damage;
- cysticercosis- brain;
- filariasis- lymph nodes.
The second type of human worms islight. This is the most common type of disease affecting the intestine. Worms can be completely different: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms, tapeworms, pinworms and others.
Development phases
Worms in an adult can appear from completely different sources. For the parasite to begin developing in the body, it must enter through the mouth. Worm eggs can be found in raw meat, untreated tank water, or on dirty hands. In this form they enter the oral cavity, then the stomach and are then absorbed by the intestine.
Already in the stomach the larva hatches from the egg, which begins its journey through the human body until it finds an ideal environment for further development. If it is intestinal parasites, you do not have to move for long. If it is lung or brain, the larva will move through the bloodstream until it settles into the right place.
In the third stage of development, the larva turns into an adult helminth, which feeds on vitamins and minerals intended for the human body. The parasite lays eggs again and reproduces at very high speed.
The time required to complete all stages varies from several hours to several days. During this period, it is important to choose a good worm remedy for a person.
Symptoms
There are not always clear signs of worms in humans. Symptoms may appear only during certain periods of the disease or may not appear at all. When an adult lives in the body, it is extremely difficult to notice it, because the disease can be confused with any other disease. Helminths can be detected randomly by performing stool testing.
To imagine what happens in the body, consider the example of the life cycle of the roundworm. This type of worm loves to travel and as it moves around the body it can give itself away.
The cause of roundworm infection can be the consumption of unwashed fruits and vegetables. The parasite lays its eggs on the ground and these can easily reach the plants.
After the worm egg enters the mouth and stomach, it begins to grow and turns into a larva, which very quickly (within 2-3 hours) enters the circulatory system and begins to move through the small bloodstream. Its target is the lungs.
In the lung tissue the larva grows until it becomes an adult, which will have little space and will have to eat the cells of the alveoli and small bronchi. At this stage, the first symptoms appear, and if the diagnosis is made correctly, the worm remedy will quickly help a person get rid of them.
The patient begins to cough, has attacks of shortness of breath, and the body temperature rises. 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, because all these signs can be confused with a common cold.
Once the adult has made its way through the airways and into the mouth, it lays eggs for the person to ingest again and which will end up in the gastrointestinal tract, where the cycle begins again.
Stages of the disease
Symptoms of worms in an adult will be different, depending on the stage of the disease. There can be two:
- Acute
- Acquired.
The first stage appears in the first few days after infection, as the larvae travel through the body. A person may experience itching, red skin, and rashes. There may be a dry barking cough with suffocating attacks. If you donate blood for tests, the result will show a significant increase in eosinophils.
The transition to the second stage indicates that human worms have settled in the right place and exist calmly, without disturbing anyone. This is a hidden phase that may not even appear for several years.
Medicine for worms in humans will help get rid of them only if an infection is accidentally discovered. Men and women need to listen carefully to their bodies. Over the months that people feed parasites, the general condition of the body will change. Metabolism suffers first. After all, the peculiarity of helminths is that, attaching themselves to the walls of organs, they suck all nutrients and minerals from the cells, as a result of which the functionality of the affected areas is disrupted.
What could be the consequences?
There are parasites that cause dangerous conditions in the body. For example, the presence of trichinella or schistosome leads to anemia and vitamin deficiency.
Do not forget that worms also secrete their metabolic products into the human intestine, provoking the development of dysbacteriosis and excessive reproduction of opportunistic organisms.
The immune system suffers. He becomes weaker and allergies appear. A person becomes susceptible to viral attacks and gets sick more often.
If human worms are left untreated, the consequences can be unpredictable. Each type of parasite affects different organs and are the first to suffer from it. If the liver is damaged, jaundice may develop. Hookworm leads to anemia, since this type of helminths feeds exclusively on blood. So the most important thing at each stage is to choose a deworming medicine for a person.
Diagnostics
Just two tests can save a life. This is a general blood and stool test. With an annual medical examination, the risks of missing a disease are minimal.
There will be the following changes in the blood: leukocytosis - a shift in the formula of leukocytes to the right and an increase in the number of eosinophils.
Worms in human feces are the safest and fastest way to detect them. You have to take the test fresh, then the result will be correct.
Tablets for the prevention of worms for humans
Drugs can be divided into two groups: those that have a broad spectrum of action and those that kill a specific type of helminths. Since there are more than 70 types of worms that infect humans, it is impossible to determine without testing which parasite has entered. Tablets for the prevention of worms in humans must be prescribed by a doctor.
In medicine, all worms are divided into three groups:
- nematodes;
- tapeworms;
- trematodes.
Treatment will depend on the type of helminth inhabiting the body.
Nematodes (roundworms)
This species includes: pinworms, roundworms, trichinella, whipworms and toxocara. In children and adults, the first two representatives are found more often.
Tapeworms (tapeworms)
Tapeworms are a huge number of representatives of helminths. The most common are teniarincosis, coenurosis, alveococcosis, sparganosis, tapeworm broad and others.
Trematodes (flatworms)
Representatives of this class can be listed for a long time. Most often the body is affected by opisthorchiasis (cat fluke), fascioliasis, clonorchiasis (Chinese fluke), pulmonary fluke and others.
How to take deworming tablets
Regardless of what type of helminth has settled in the body of an adult or a child, remember the basic and most important rule: if a worm is found in a family member, then everyone should be treated. It is necessary to disinfect all objects in the house. If you have pets, first of all you need to check them, as our pets can be the source of the problem.
All anti-worm drugs affect adults without affecting the eggs and larvae. Therefore, the second rule is: two weeks after taking the drug, the course must be repeated. This is especially true in cases of pinworm infection. These parasites are so cunning that they leave the larvae outside the body, and a person can become self-infected again.
It is recommended to take the tablets in the morning and do a cleansing enema in the evening.
Be careful! Any medications must be taken as prescribed by the doctor. This is especially true for cases of flatworm and tapeworm infection. They are so dangerous that treatment is carried out in hospital. When removing them, the dosage must be strictly observed, taking into account the weight and age of the patient, since the drugs are very toxic. Self-medication in these cases is unacceptable!
Prevention of worms
Debates among mothers about whether or not to take tablets to prevent worms never cease. Some believe that this is a good way to protect yourself from dangerous consequences, because children are the most susceptible to infections. Others consider it unnecessary and do not want to overload the body with pills that are not necessary.
Most often, children of school and preschool age are affected by pinworms. The test for enterobiasis can be false negative, and therefore the sick child, bringing parasites into the home or school, can infect everyone. Transmission of pinworm eggs occurs through household objects, a handshake, pet hair, door handles and other surrounding objects.
The main prevention methods include compliance with personal hygiene rules. It is necessary to wash your hands with soap after defecating, before eating, after going out or visiting public places.
What to do if a child complains of itching in the anus? This is one of the most pronounced symptoms of pinworm infection. In this case, you need to get tested for enterobiasis as quickly as possible. Let's say the child complains in the evening, then in the morning you have to rush to the clinic.
If the result of the first scraping is negative and the itching continues, the test should be repeated after two days for a week, then after another two weeks.
If any of the following statements apply to you, you should take preventive measures:
- presence of furry animals;
- constant games in the sandbox or on the ground;
- travel to an exotic country;
- the father is a passionate fisherman or hunter.
Popular recipes
Let's look at how to remove worms from a person at home. Recipes against helminths have been known since ancient times. And despite the fact that they are successfully replaced with synthetic substances, the popular method remains proven for prevention.
Let's look at the most effective recipes:
Onions, honey, aloe juice.Onion is considered the most universal remedy. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anthelmintic effects. Mix it in equal proportions with aloe juice and honey and you get a real medicine against worms. Take 1 teaspoon before breakfast for several days. Since the product is sweet, children will probably drink it.
Carrot juice.Fresh carrots not only contain a whole warehouse of vitamins, but also have an anthelmintic effect. By drinking it on an empty stomach you can enrich your body with energy for the whole day and, at the same time, prevent an unpleasant illness.
Garlic– one of the most effective remedies against worms. Let's look at recipes on how to remove worms from a person at home:
- Finely chop or press the garlic. Roll the resulting porridge in small portions in gauze so that it resembles a candle. Insert into the anus overnight for 10 days. This remedy is effective against pinworms and is used for adults and children.
- Garlic enemas. Another way to remove unpleasant neighbors from the intestines. The solution should consist of water and chopped garlic in porridge in the ratio. For a glass you need to take a couple of cloves. Repeat the procedure 2 times a week.
- Garlic with honey. Another option for children's medicine. To prevent garlic from burning, it is mixed with natural honey. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day.
- Garlic in milk. For lovers of unusual tastes, milk-based medicine is offered. There are five crushed garlic cloves per liter of vaccine product. The mixture is boiled and taken in small portions before going to bed.
Herbal infusions
From time immemorial, all medicines were prepared using herbs. Mother Nature knows better than anyone how to eliminate worm parasites. It's time to systematize this knowledge.
To prepare a herbal remedy you need to choose bitter plants, such as cloves, wormwood, thyme, calamus and cumin. The prepared infusions should be taken every day. It will take a month to completely cleanse the body, but improvement occurs within 2-3 weeks of the course.
Let's look at the most famous recipes for herbal tinctures for the treatment of helminths:
- Tansy based.Pour boiling water over the grass in the following proportion: 100 grams of dry mixture per 150 ml of hot water. Cover with a lid and leave to rest for 8-10 hours. It is necessary to take 30 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
- Absinthe based.This herb should be left to infuse in alcohol for a week. Proportion 1: 1. Per 100 grams of herb, 100 ml of alcohol. Take 25 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
- Effectivedyeing on walnut shells.It must be filled with alcohol per 100 grams of dry product and 150 ml of "fire" water.
- Made from cloves.The dried, unopened shoots of the clove tree are used for the dye. Pour 100 grams of aromatic spice into a glass of boiling water and leave for at least 3 days. The daily dose of the medicine is 30 drops per glass of water.
Pumpkin seeds against worms
Pumpkin seeds are safe for both children and adults. This is a very popular folk remedy for combating helminths. Let's look at how to remove worms from humans using this product.
What's the secret? The fact is that the shell of pumpkin seeds contains a substance such as cucurbin, which is destructive to worms. Therefore, you should consume only unpeeled green seeds.
Kucurbin does not kill worms, but only paralyzes them. Adult individuals lose the ability to move, grasp onto body cells and suck nutrients, meaning they will soon die naturally and be expelled through the human anus.
The most effective recipe is pumpkin seeds and castor oil. A serving of 100 unhulled seeds should be consumed in the morning. Then take a teaspoon of castor oil. The latter has a laxative effect to eliminate 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 granola in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of treatment lasts several days. It is recommended to repeat 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. Let it rest overnight and in the morning take a spoonful of the mixture.