Helminthiases are a group of parasitic diseases characterized by a high degree of infection. Helminth eggs are highly hardy, they are able to stay on various surfaces in the environment for a long time and at the same time retain their vitality. It is sad that helminth eggs surround us everywhere: in soil, water, earth, dust, food and pet hair. However, it is quite easy to prevent infection, for this it is enough to follow some preventive measures: rules of personal hygiene and general sanitary standards. After all, worm prevention is the best way to protect yourself from helminth invasion.
Ways of helminthiasis infection
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 living in water are able to penetrate the skin;
- through infected insects, which are intermediate hosts of the larvae;
- through infected feces;
- through animals infected with parasites.
Prevention of worms in adults
The prevention of worms in humans is not limited only to compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, pharmacological preparations are also used for prophylactic purposes. Synthetic anthelmintics are prescribed only by a specialist, depending on the age, weight and general health of the patient. You should not self-medicate and take such drugs on your own, as parasites are of different types and live not only in the intestines, but also in other organs. Also, do not forget that with the wrong dose of the drug or uncontrolled intake of it, you can severely harm the body.
First, if the wrong dose is applied, 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.
Third, most anthelmintic drugs only affect adults, and their larvae and eggs remain unharmed.
Worm prevention is a set of measures that are not limited to a single pill or just 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 knows 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 the 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 each contact with pets, hands should be washed thoroughly and the cat's litter box should be cleaned with protective gloves, in addition it is necessary to treat the cat's tub and bowls with a disinfectant;
- iron underwear and bed linen after washing;
- do not use water from unknown sources for food and do not swim in unknown water bodies;
- cut nails short, as helminth eggs are able to remain in the nail hole even after washing your hands thoroughly;
- regularly carry out deworming of pets;
- use protective gloves when cleaning the premises and for garden work.
How to protect children from parasites
Small children are potential victims of helminths, as children are unable to carry out personal hygiene themselves. Also, at this age they know the world around them, they taste everything. Therefore, there is a high probability of developing parasitic invasion in a child. In this case, the parents of the child take preventive measures. However, it is impossible to keep track of children, at this age they are quite active and can be infected with helminthiasis in a moment.
For the prevention of worms in children, it is necessary:
- wash your child's hands often, from an early age to accustom him to the basics of personal hygiene;
- ironing baby's underwear and sheets;
- disinfect his toys and wash the soft toys in hot water;
- do not allow pets to sleep in the same bed with your baby;
- teach your child to wash their hands after each contact with pets;
- subject the baby's food to high-quality heat treatment;
- wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly under running water;
- keep the baby's room clean and tidy;
- treat the crawl space with a disinfectant (if you are less than 1 year old).
If an infection suddenly occurred, only a doctor should prescribe methods for the treatment of helminthiasis. You shouldn't self-medicate, because your child's health and life is at stake.
Anthelmintic drugs are strong 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.
A child can be given worming drugs only when he has been accurately diagnosed with 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 worm pills?
All worm drugs are divided into:
- drugs with a narrow spectrum of action;
- broad spectrum drugs.
The first drugs affect a certain type of helminth and only destroy them. The second type of drugs affects most parasites of various types (round, flat and tapeworms). In addition, some drugs affect the respiratory system of the helminth, others cause muscle paralysis in them, others stop the glucose absorption process, and still others block metabolic processes in the worm's body. All these actions contribute to the death of parasites and their elimination from the body.
Experts believe that the 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 as the patient experiences symptoms caused by the parasitic invasion. As a rule, these are:
- stomach ache;
- nausea and vomit;
- itching in the anus;
- weakness and general malaise;
- insomnia;
- weight loss.
Anthelmintic therapy is carried out no more than 3-5 days. With a single dose of worm medication, not all parasites can die and the rest are able to migrate 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 to destroy the newly appeared helminths.
Antihelmitic therapy comprises three phases, 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, as the bodies of helminths can begin to decompose, causing severe intoxication in humans.
Anthelmintic drugs
On the pharmacological market, tablets for worms present themselves very well, moreover, in different price categories. For the prevention of worms, the following pharmacological agents are used:
Based on levamisole
Medicines help improve the body's defenses by producing the necessary antibodies in the blood. In addition, the drugs inhibit the glucose oxidation process (glycolysis), thus 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
The most effective in the treatment of ascariasis, enterobiasis and trichocephalosis. The drugs disrupt the metabolic processes in the body of the parasite, thereby causing its death. Funds are highly toxic, as they can accumulate in the body. For this reason, you shouldn't use them on your own without a prescription, as they can cause serious harm to the body. Contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation, as well as in the presence of chronic pathologies.
Based on albendazole
The drugs effectively destroy both helminths and protozoa, so they are suitable for use in mixed parasitic infections. It should be used with caution in people with liver disease. The dosage and frequency of use are 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 quite reliable protection against various types of parasites.