Worms are worms that parasitize the human body. Some of them are not capable of causing serious harm to health, others are quite dangerous. How can a person get worms? Symptoms that indicate the presence of helminths will not harm everyone to know. And most importantly, how to expel these unwanted guests from the body?
When should worms be suspected?
If an adult is worried about constant nausea, headache and cough, they start looking for anything but helminths. Meanwhile, it is they who often lead to the appearance of these symptoms. If parasites are enveloped in the body, they begin to actively multiply, in the course of life they destroy tissues and release toxic substances. The number of worms in the human body can reach hundreds and even thousands of individuals. The body can tolerate the presence of these "hosts" for some time, so in an adult the following symptoms of worms appear:
- frequent dry cough, which is not cured by syrups and antibiotics;
- poor appetite;
- allergic rash on the skin, eczema, urticaria, foci of acne, boils, papillomas;
- prolonged runny nose (without other signs of a cold);
- intestinal problems - bloating, constipation;
- decreased immunity and, as a result, frequent acute respiratory infections;
- grinding of teeth (due to overexertion of the nervous system);
- weakness, irritability, nervousness, depression;
- joint pain;
- enlarged lymph nodes.
Some varieties of helminths "report" themselves with specific symptoms. Thus, pneumonia, diarrhea, and abdominal pain can occur with ascariasis.
If a large tapeworm has lodged in the body, dizziness and abdominal pain occur. During defecation, fragments of the worm come out with the feces. A person, continuing to eat in the usual way, is rapidly losing weight. Anemia develops later.
The bull tapeworm lodges in the liver, causing pain in the right hypochondrium.
Pinworms cause excruciating itching in the anus. As a result of scratching this place, dermatitis and inflammation occur.
Teeth grinding and other symptoms of helminth infection in children
Children are more susceptible to helminth invasions, as they often do not comply with the rules of personal hygiene and put everything in their mouths. The presence of a parasite in the body of a child can be suspected by the following signs:
- intense salivation (including during sleep);
- hyperactivity, restless behavior;
- itching in the anus, as a result of which the child can literally not sit still for a minute;
- increased cravings for sweets;
- dry hair and brittle nails;
- peeling of the skin on the eyelids;
- anemia of unknown origin;
- lethargy and sleepiness;
- susceptibility to frequent colds.
In which organs can worms live?
In total, there are up to 250 varieties of worms. To live, they choose a variety of organs, such as the kidneys or eyes. Some types of parasites settle in the skin, muscles. They are also found in the blood. But most still live in the gastrointestinal tract.
Most often, worms settle in the human liver. Symptoms that indicate organ "settling" do not appear immediately after infection. The first signs of invasion sometimes occur after 6 months. A person suddenly begins to lose weight or gain weight rapidly. Eczema and even psoriasis can occur.
Some worms attach themselves to the liver, cause disturbances in its work and cause anemia. Others (such as echinococcus) erect a chitinous capsule around themselves, which grows in size and interferes with the work of the organ. A person's skin turns yellow, there is pain in the right side and digestive problems.
There are also characteristic symptoms of the presence of worms in a person in the liver: chronic fatigue and sleep disturbances from 2 to 3 in the morning, when the liver is functioning in enhanced mode.
The worm that lives in the liver can trigger asthma.
Worms - fight: drug treatment
Although one of the important factors in diagnosing worms in a person is the symptoms, treatment is prescribed only after receiving the test results. Most often, a stool examination is prescribed. But this is an unreliable method: sometimes only after 8-10 attempts it is possible to detect parasites. A more accurate diagnosis is a vegetative resonance test.
The easiest way to detect pinworms. To do this, scrape the skin above the anus, then study it under a microscope.
When the parasite is identified, treatment begins. It takes place in several stages:
- Preparation. It consists in removing (or reducing the amount of) toxic substances, the result of the vital activity of helminths. To do this, use activated carbon;
- taking anthelmintic drugs. A good effect is the use of anthelmintic drugs with a wide spectrum of action;
- recovery. The goal of therapy is to strengthen the immune system (this is done with the help of echinacea), normalize the intestinal microflora and restore the liver.
Traditional medicine against worms
If it is decided to use folk remedies to remove worms from a person, then the symptoms should also be taken into account. If there are signs of pinworm infection, it is advisable to use garlic, tansy infusion or wormwood.
A popular way to get rid of worms is milk with garlic. It can be drunk with bread and garlic. This composition is suitable for the enema. For this, in 1 tbsp. in the milk, boil a large head of garlic. Then cool, strain and put an enema with such a solution. The procedure is repeated every day for a week.
Folk healers are advised to drink 1 tablespoon on an empty stomach for a month. L. garlic water. You need to take 6-8 cloves of garlic, crush, mix with 1 tbsp. chilled boiled water. Filter the solution. You can make microenemas with such water.
Cat flukes can be transmitted by cats. It is believed that this worm is afraid of grated apples, which are mixed with carrots and tar. The proportions of the medicinal composition: 1 tsp. consisting of carrots and apples and 1 drop of tar. Consume on an empty stomach.
To destroy tapeworms, it is enough in the morning (on an empty stomach) to drink 1 tbsp. water, in which 1 tsp is dissolved. salt.
If the type of parasites is unknown, but there are all the signs of worms in humans (the symptoms of infection with different parasites may not differ too much), it is possible to prepare a composition that destroys almost all helminths. It should be mixed in equal proportions chopped wormwood, centaur, cumin, ground pumpkin seeds (peeled). Add 2 parts ground cloves, 4 parts pre-roasted flax seeds, ground tansy flowers to the listed ingredients. Grind everything in a coffee grinder, pour into a glass container.
Take such a composition according to the scheme. In 1 day you need to eat 1 tsp. collection 30 minutes before breakfast, drink cold boiled water with honey. For 2 days, the composition is consumed in the morning and before lunch. So, for 3 to 7 days, you should eat 1 tsp. herbal mixture 2 times a day - before lunch and before going to bed
Most anthelmintic drugs and medicinal plants are highly toxic. Therefore, it is extremely unreasonable to use them for treatment without consulting a doctor. Do not self-medicate if the patient is a pregnant woman or a child.
How does the infection occur?
The causes of the appearance of worms largely depend on age. In children, they are associated with a violation of the rules of personal hygiene, the use of unwashed vegetables. Adults often become infected with water themselves. Also, it is not necessary to drink it - just wash the dishes with river water. Worms can enter the human body when eating meat and fish dishes without the necessary heat treatment. A common route of infection is the consumption of lightly salted and raw fish.
You can become the owner of helminths if you do not wash your hands during outdoor recreation or after gardening and earthworks. Symptoms of worms in an adult can appear even after communicating with infected people (through dust, air and hygiene items).
Those who work on farms and meat and fish processing workshops are at high risk of infection.
How not to get worms?
Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene is the best way to prevent helminths from harming your health. Wash your hands before preparing food, before sitting at the table and after using the bathroom. Vegetables, fruits, greens must be poured with boiling water, and then washed under running water.
Meat and fish should be fried or boiled for a long time, and a separate board should be used for cutting them. It is best to stop eating dry or raw fish. You shouldn't drink tap water, and even more so from the river.
Fearing to see the symptoms of the presence of worms, some people (especially owners of four-legged animals) give the baby and drink the appropriate medications themselves. Such recommendations can be heeded by doctors. But it is much safer to closely monitor your hygiene - and therefore you are not afraid of helminths!