Many of us, after a summer vacation, will think about the presence of worms (helminths).
Someone thinks that it is necessary to get rid of them at any cost, others, on the contrary, think that these parasites are even very useful for the body. Who will tell us the truth?
Surely, many of you are familiar with the famous Dr. House. In one of the series there was a case when one teacher became ill right in the lesson. The children were frightened, and the doctors did not know what was happening to her, because she was in a very serious condition. Each physician promoted his theory. Some thought that the patient had a tumor, others that she was suffering from inflammation of the cerebral vessels. The protagonist of the television series, Dr. House himself, solves this problem by finding the culprit of the teacher's suffering. It was a tapeworm that tormented the woman. Then the teacher was prescribed a course of treatment with pills and she recovered.
Although this series may seem like a fantasy, the script of this series is made by real professionals. Real cases of infection with worms are also similar to a myth, but, alas, the consequences cannot always be corrected, as in the case of the series. How do we know if we are infected or not? Are we in danger or not?
About worm prevention
People, when they hear about various miraculous remedies for the destruction of these parasites, forget about everything just to get rid of them.
We have developed such a strong aversion to these animals that even when we think about them, it becomes bad. We are ready to test ourselves with even the most "abnormal" medicines, drink all sorts of dubious herbs and even do garlic enemas.
It is very important not to overdo it with any medicines and stop in time. In the case of parasitic diseases, one must be careful in the choice of medicines for helminths, because without taking the right medicines, we can even complicate the situation. Do not take anything for treatment! It is very important to know what you are struggling with, what medicine helps, what dose is optimal and what contraindications it has. So it can turn out to be a whole detective story in the fight against parasites.
More than 300, 000 species of helminths are known on our planet that affect vertebrates. In humans, 300 species of helminths are observed (according to other sources, more than 12, 000 species). So to be treated with anything, just will not work. Although it is good that most of them are in the tropics. That's only if we do not take such "tourists" from tropical countries where we like to relax (Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Thailand).
Each region in the world is characterized by certain worms. And everyone has a different form of entry into the body.
How many types of helminths are there on Earth?
Schistosomes
Africa and Asia are famous for their schistosomes. And you can get infected with them very simply if you swim in a local freshwater reservoir or drink water from local sources. Mainly schistosomes enter the body through the genitourinary organs.
How to avoid infection with schistosomes?
If you do not swim in fresh water and wash yourself only with boiled water, in principle, you can avoid this.
Filaria and elephantiasis (filariasis)
You can also "get acquainted" with filaria during your vacation to the islands of Fiji, Mozambique, Goa, Tahiti, and also in Egypt. Mosquitoes (local mosquitoes) are the main carriers of these parasites.
Filaria are dangerous because they cause filariasis (elephantiasis), which affects the lymph nodes and is very difficult to treat.
Mosquitoes are also dangerous because they can be carriers of leishmaniasis (caused by leishmania) and malaria. Leishmaniasis affects the mucous membranes and skin.
How to avoid infection with filariae?
The main rule is not to let mosquitoes approach you, let alone bite. Use curtains, repellents and special mosquito nets.
When in the tropics, avoid running or walking barefoot on local paths or sandy shores. The fact is that in this way you can capture other types of parasites. In the "harmless" sand, various parasitic larvae very often hide, which can very quickly penetrate the body even through the skin of the feet! So sometimes after returning from trips, you can find some kind of larva under the skin. Just like in some horror movie!
How to avoid infection with such parasites? Walk only in shoes and it is not recommended to lie on the sand or grass without a mat.
Fluke
The most dangerous food is raw fish and also uncooked.
The fluke is one of the many parasites that can be found in raw fish in:
- China;
- Japan.
After tasting a piece of such fish (meaning infected), after 1/2 - 1 month you can feel unpleasant feelings in the liver area, as well as a rash.
Not only the fluke is transmitted in this way. Many worms are waiting for the next host to bite a raw fish. Fans of caviar, sushi, salted and dried fish, too, are at risk of contracting a fluke.
How to avoid fluke infection?
First of all, exclude from the menu all sorts of exotic dishes from raw fish. If you still can not refrain from taking such dishes, at least eat them only in good, certified restaurants.
If you buy raw fish in the market or from strangers, then you should definitely cook it already, otherwise you risk it.
Trichinella and trichinosis
What do you think, that there are no other worms? Make no mistake, we found them in other well-known products.
Here Europeans are very fond of steaks with blood. And here lies another danger - trichinosis.
Other helminths cannot even compare with this, because Trichinella is one of the most dangerous! They can settle in muscle tissue and lead to death.
In addition to trichinella, such a European dinner can "give" other parasites: pork and bovine tapeworm.
How to avoid infection with trichinosis and tapeworm?
Eat well-prepared meat dishes and only in good restaurants.
roundworms and pinworms
Even when we eat vegetables and fruits, we need to think about the fact that another threat of infection looms: roundworms and pinworms. That's why our mothers taught us to wash fruits and vegetables before consumption. Most often, the threat comes from spicy herbs (greens), which are brought to us from the southern regions.
How to avoid infection with roundworms and pinworms?
If you bought greens in the market, then be sure to rinse it well. First, leave the grass in the water for an hour so that the helminth eggs that are on the leaves sink to the bottom of the vessel, and only then wash each leaf individually. Like this!
Positive aspects of worms
I think that the thought that such "pets" are wandering around is not very warm. But let's be optimistic, because life is beautiful.
The microcosm around us is filled with all sorts of surprises:
- bacteria,
- viruses,
- parasites.
And we contain whole kilograms of such biomass and there is nothing pathological in this. We are not designed to live in an absolutely sterile environment, where we will simply die.
Some of these organisms have a positive effect, because they are involved in improving immunity, the synthesis of certain vitamins, and digestion works differently thanks to them.
I don’t want to call helminths useful animals for humans, but there are those that are safe (intestinal parasites) and especially dangerous (parasites that live in other organs: lungs, liver, eyes, and even in the brain! ). In the latter case, everyone thinks how to recover quickly, because the problem is very serious.
It happens that helminths leave the body of the owner, even when he does not know about their existence in his body.
For example, you can get rid of worms with a head of garlic, or through hormonal changes (in the case of a pregnant woman), anything is possible. If you decide to riot against these parasites without knowing what you are fighting against, you can piss them off. Thus, they can complicate the situation by penetrating into the bile ducts and provoke a liver abscess. So, keep in mind, regular prevention is not always helpful! It is better to pass the control in the hospital for the presence of helminths.
Symptoms of a worm infestation
How to proceed? Worms surround us everywhere and, thus, we can easily become infected, it is not recommended to treat them without a diagnosis, and diagnosing helminths is not an easy task. Worms are very good at disguising themselves as other diseases.
And what is most interesting: the larger the helminth (there are giants that reach up to 10 meters), the calmer it behaves. So it is not always possible to analyze only some symptoms, it turns out, to identify the correct diagnosis. You can't do without a parasitologist's examination.
Of course, no one can help you better than a doctor. Here are a few cases in which you need to be sure to get tested:
- during a recent vacation in different parts of the world, you ate various local dubious delicacies, swam in hotel pools in which the water was not chlorinated, walked barefoot on the beach, lay naked on the sand, grass, touched local dogs and cats;
- you have a high fever, hives, redness, itching, body rash, chills, bloating and abdominal pain.
If you find out your situation, then you need to see a parasitologist.
Rules of personal hygiene in order not to become infected with worms
Food
- Let's start with the fact that in exotic countries you can only drink bottled water.
- Fruits, even if they look very appetizing, must be peeled or boiled. In a simple form, it is by no means recommended to use them.
- Other questionable products are
- uncooked meat;
- raw fish (any form, even sea).
- Freshly squeezed juices are also banned. Juicing fruits do not always go through a thorough washing process.
Refuse to use such products.
Beach
Do not risk walking barefoot on sand, grass, trails in exotic countries. Use a sun lounger and slippers.
Bathing
It is forbidden to swim in the freshwater reservoirs of India, Central Africa, South America. There are so many parasites that even the movie "Alien" seems like a children's fairy tale compared to these.
mosquitoes
Mosquitoes (or mosquitoes) are very dangerous parasites because they are serious carriers of many infections and helminths.
Avoid direct contact with them.
You need to use repellents, wear long-sleeved clothes, sleep under the canopy.
linen
It is strictly forbidden to dry clothes in the air in exotic countries.
The problem is that flies from tropical countries are very fond of laying eggs on it, and when you put on swimming trunks, larvae will hatch that can cause dermatitis.
Where to do tests to detect worms?
Do tests only in specialized state clinics. Doubtful institutions are not recommended to do such tests.
One of the reasons not to contact such clinics is the fact that they can find anything you want even if you don't have anything.
Yes, yes, in order to hook you, they may prescribe unnecessary courses of treatment there. They will tell you that modern universal diagnostics sees everything, even where standard analyzes see nothing. Do not believe the charlatans, and feel free to go to the standard public clinics.
Now let's talk about the so-called universal diagnostics. In such a case as the detection of helminths, this is not possible.
If they have to pass urine in the bladder, if in the intestines - then feces, if in the muscle mass - then they will have to do an x-ray of the muscles, if in the liver - ultrasound.
What did you think? Positive results of such analyzes can only alert you to expel them as soon as possible. Take only the drugs advised by the parasitologist, because accuracy and accuracy are very important in this matter.
What should be remembered about helminths?
Theoretically, helminths can be infected almost everywhere - in the city, on vacation, in tropical countries, in the forest. But as the statistics say, even in such cases, not everyone is infected with them. Those who follow the basic rules of hygiene, as a rule, reduce the risks of infection for themselves.
- The main thing is not to panic and not to drink any medicine for prevention, because there are no universal remedies for worms. Even tablets for worms have their own classification according to different forms of helminths. It turns out that some pills help with some parasites, while others do not. The doctor will best determine your diagnosis and prescribe the right pills. If you take care of your pets (cats and dogs) by regularly prescribing anthelmintic drugs, and if none of the symptoms mentioned above bother you, then you have nothing to worry about.
- If you have any doubts on this issue, then go to the doctor. Don't forget to tell us what you ate and where you were.
- As I told you before, you need to take tests only in good specialized clinics. In bad clinics, you can spend a lot of money, and you won’t be able to get treated.
- Any medications taken for prevention can only do harm. Do not use them "just for prevention", otherwise you can destroy the intestinal flora and even "earn" toxic hepatitis. Echinococcosis is very dangerous and that's why the initiative of such a thing can blow up the cyst where the larva is located. This one can be fatal.
- If you were recommended "some dietary supplements for worms" in "some clinic", this does not mean that you will all get better. Many of these products contain toxins that can provoke allergies, and you may not get the effect.
The most common myths about helminths
Sea fish does not contain parasites
Who told you this? Most of the worms contain fish that have not undergone the necessary processing or that, after the catch, was not immediately cleaned before freezing. This is how you increase your chances of getting infected.
Dogs can get worms more easily than cats
Indeed, dogs have such a habit of tasting the feces of their relatives. The most dangerous helminths that can be "taken" from dogs are echinococci - very dangerous parasites of the liver and lungs. For prevention, prescribe a course of treatment to animals 4 times a year. So dogs can be more dangerous about this than cats.
Only children can get worms
Did you believe? This may seem only because children are less accurate, wash their hands less often, and sometimes do not follow the rules of hygiene. So hygiene rules are important for everyone!
A person infected with worms can infect others
Of course it's true. Being close to such a "patient" you take risks, but you may not even know. So after shaking hands, wash your hands just in case. You can especially easily become infected with pinworms (enterobiasis), because they are the most common helminths. Also, very often children who are dirty can infect their parents, so teach your children to follow the rules of hygiene.