Helminthiases are a group of parasitic diseases characterized by a high degree of infection. Helminth eggs are highly resistant, they are able to stay on various surfaces in the environment for a long time, and at the same time maintain their vitality. It is sad that helminth eggs surround us everywhere: in soil, water, earth, dust, on food and pet hair. However, it is quite easy to prevent infection, for this you just need to follow some preventive measures: personal hygiene rules and general sanitary standards. After all, prevention of worms is the best way to protect yourself from helminth invasion.
Ways of infection with helminthiases
You can get infected with worms in the following ways:
- when eating contaminated meat and fish;
- when eating unwashed vegetables and herbs, fruits and berries;
- through dirty hands;
- some parasites that live in water can penetrate the skin;
- through infected insects, which are intermediate hosts of the larvae;
- through infected feces;
- through pets infected with parasites.
Prevention of worms in adults
Prevention of worms in humans is not limited only to the observance of the rules of personal hygiene, pharmacological preparations are also used for prophylactic purposes. Synthetic anthelmintics are prescribed only by a specialist, depending on the patient's age, weight and general health. You should not self-medicate and take such medications on your own, since parasites are of different types and they live not only in the intestines, but also in other organs. In addition, do not forget that with the wrong dose of the drug or uncontrolled intake of it, you can greatly harm the body.
First, if the wrong dose is used, the parasites do not die, but migrate from the gastrointestinal tract to other organs.
Secondly, anthelmintic drugs are very toxic, they can cause severe intoxication in the body and liver damage.
Thirdly, most anthelmintic drugs act only on adults, and their larvae and eggs remain unharmed.
Prevention of worms is a set of measures that are not limited to just one pill or just the rules of personal hygiene. It's just that in some cases it is enough to observe only personal hygiene, while in others these measures are few, they are supplemented with pharmacological agents. Only the doctor determines in which cases the usual preventive measures are sufficient, and in which they should be supplemented with pills.
Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene
However, everyone is familiar with the well-known adage that it is easier to prevent a disease than to cure. Before the disease makes itself felt, it is better to observe basic rules of personal hygiene. In addition, preventive actions are quite simple and very effective. Protective measures against parasitic infection:
- frequent hand washing with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before eating;
- frequent change of underwear and bedding;
- high-quality heat treatment of meat and fish;
- refusal to eat raw meat and fish products, as well as low or medium-rare steak;
- thorough washing of vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries under running water;
- use smoked, salted or dried fish with extreme caution,
- after any contact with pets, hands should be thoroughly washed, and the cleaning of the cat litter should be carried out with protective gloves, it is also necessary to treat the cat's tray and bowls with a disinfectant;
- ironing underwear and bed linen after washing;
- do not use water from unknown sources for food and do not swim in unfamiliar water bodies;
- cut your nails short, since helminth eggs are able to remain in the nail hole even after thorough washing of your hands;
- regularly carry out deworming of pets;
- use protective gloves when cleaning the premises, as well as for working in the garden.
How to protect children from parasites
Young children are potential victims of helminths, as babies are not able to carry out personal hygiene on their own. In addition, at this age they get to know the world around them, taste everything. Therefore, there is a high probability of developing a parasitic invasion in a child. In this case, the child's parents take preventive measures. However, it is impossible to keep track of the babies, at this age they are quite active, and they can become infected with helminthiases at one moment.
For the prevention of worms in children, it is necessary:
- often wash your child's hands, from an early age to accustom him to the basics of personal hygiene;
- iron the baby's underwear and bedding;
- disinfect his toys, and wash soft toys in hot water;
- do not allow pets to sleep in the same bed with your child;
- teach your child to wash their hands after each contact with pets;
- subject food for the child to high-quality heat treatment;
- wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly under running water;
- keep the child's room clean and tidy;
- treat the place where the child is crawling with a disinfectant (if he is under 1 year old).
If suddenly an infection has occurred, then only a doctor should prescribe methods for treating helminthiasis. Do not self-medicate, because the health and life of your child is at stake.
Anthelmintic drugs are highly toxic agents. It is necessary to treat the child with them with great care and under the strict supervision of the attending physician. Only the doctor prescribes the type and dose of the drug, since each drug has different age indications.
It is possible to give a child drugs against worms only when he has been accurately diagnosed with a parasitic invasion. Otherwise, you should not expose the child to the toxic effects of anthelmintic drugs. Parents should coordinate all their actions only with the attending physician.
How to take pills for worms
All medicines for worms are divided into:
- drugs with a narrow spectrum of action;
- broad-spectrum drugs.
The first drugs affect a certain type of helminths, and only destroys them. The second type of drugs affects most of the various types of parasites (round, flat and tapeworms). In addition, some drugs affect the respiratory system of the helminth, others provoke muscle paralysis in them, others stop the process of glucose absorption, and others block metabolic processes in the worm's body. All of these actions contribute to the death of parasites and their elimination from the body.
Experts believe that prevention of helminthiasis should be carried out twice a year. Once in early spring, and the second in late autumn, before the onset of the cold period. It is necessary to use drugs at the same time when the patient experiences symptoms that are caused by parasitic invasion. As a rule, these are:
- stomach ache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- itching in the anus;
- general weakness and malaise;
- insomnia;
- weight loss.
Anthelmintic therapy is carried out no more than 3-5 days. With a single dose of drugs for worms, not all parasites may die, and the rest of them are capable of migrating from the intestines to other organs and even have time to lay eggs. After two weeks, it is necessary to repeat the intake of anthelmintic drugs in order to destroy the newly appeared helminths.
Anthelmite therapy includes three stages, which last approximately two weeks:
- The first week is preparing for the expulsion of parasites from the body. For these purposes, they maintain a light diet, take drugs that improve the outflow of bile and the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
- The second stage consists in the direct administration of anthelmintic drugs. The course of treatment is 5 days.
- The third stage is the elimination of dead parasites from the body. For this purpose, laxatives and enemas are used. The last stage is very important, since the bodies of helminths can begin to decompose, causing severe intoxication in humans.
Anthelmintic drugs
On the pharmacological market, tablets for worms are presented very well, moreover, in different price categories. For the prevention of worms, the following pharmacological agents are used:
Based on levamisole
The drugs help to improve the body's defenses by producing the necessary antibodies in the blood. Also, drugs inhibit the process of glucose oxidation (glycolysis), thereby causing the death of parasites. The drugs are effective for various parasitic invasions. Side effects are observed in the form of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Based on mebendazole
Most effective in the treatment of ascariasis, enterobiasis and trichocephalosis. The drugs disrupt metabolic processes in the body of the parasite, thereby causing its death. The funds are highly toxic, as they can accumulate in the body. For this reason, you should not use them on your own without a doctor's prescription, since you can cause serious harm to the body. Contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation, as well as in the presence of chronic pathologies.
Albendazole based
The drugs effectively destroy both helminths and protozoa, therefore they are suitable for use in mixed parasitic infections. It should be used with caution in persons with liver disease. The dosage and frequency of use is selected individually in each specific case, since it depends on the type of parasite and the degree of infection. The use of these drugs for prophylaxis is a fairly reliable protection against various types of parasites.