Many of us, after a summer vacation, will think about the presence of worms (helminths).
Some think that it is necessary to get rid of them at any cost, others, on the contrary, think that these parasites are also very useful for the body. Who will tell us the truth?
Surely many of you know the famous Dr. House. In one of the series there was a case where a teacher got sick during the lesson. The children were frightened and the doctors did not know what was happening to her because he was in a very serious condition. Every doctor has promoted the theory of him. Some thought that the patient had a tumor, others that she suffered 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. He was a tapeworm who tormented the woman. Then the teacher was prescribed a course of medication 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 worm infection are also similar to a myth, but, alas, the consequences cannot always be correct, as is the case with the series. How do we know if we are infected or not? Are we in danger or not?
On the prevention of worms
People, when they hear about various miraculous remedies for the destruction of these parasites, they forget everything just to get rid of them.
We have developed such a strong aversion to these animals that even when we think about it, it becomes nasty. We are ready to test ourselves with even the most "abnormal" medicines, to drink all sorts of dubious herbs and even to do garlic enemas.
It is very important not to overdo the medicines and stop on time. In the case of parasitic diseases, we must be careful in choosing medicines for helminths, because without taking the right drugs we can also complicate the situation. Don't take anything for treatment! It is very important to know what you are struggling with, which medicine helps, what dose is optimal, and what contraindications it has. So it can turn out to be a whole yellow in the fight against parasites.
On our planet, more than 300, 000 species of helminths are known to affect vertebrates. There are 300 species of helminths in humans (according to other sources, more than 12, 000 species). So being treated with anything, it just won't work. Although it is good that most of them are in the tropics. This is only if we do not take such "tourists" from tropical countries where we like to relax (Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Thailand).
Each region of the world is characterized by certain worms. And each 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 quite 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 schistosome infection?
If you do not swim in fresh water and wash only with boiled water, in principle, you can avoid this.
Heartworm and elephantiasis (filariasis)
You can also "get acquainted" with heartworm during your holidays in Fiji, Mozambique, Goa, Tahiti and even in Egypt. The main vectors of these parasites are mosquitoes (local mosquitoes).
Heartworms are dangerous because they cause heartworm disease (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 heartworm infection?
The main rule is not to let mosquitoes get near you, let alone bite. Use curtains, repellents and special mosquito nets.
When in the tropics, avoid running or walking barefoot on local trails or sandy shores. The fact is that this way you can catch other types of parasites. In the "harmless" sand, various parasite larvae very often hide, which can penetrate the body very quickly even through the skin of the feet! So sometimes, after returning from travel, you can find some kind of larva under the skin. Just like in a horror movie!
How to avoid infection with such parasites? Walk in shoes only, and it is not recommended to lie on the sand or grass without a mat.
Fluke
The most dangerous food is raw and even raw fish.
The sparrow is one of the many parasites that can be found in raw fish in:
- China;
- Japan.
Having tasted a piece of such fish (which means infected), after 1/2 - 1 month you can experience unpleasant sensations in the liver area, as well as a rash.
Not only is the fluke transmitted in this way. Many worms are waiting for the next guest to bite into a raw fish. Even fans of caviar, sushi, salted and dried fish are likely to contract a stroke of luck.
How to avoid fluke infection?
First of all, exclude from the menu all kinds of exotic dishes from raw fish. If you still can't stop yourself from taking such dishes, at least eat them only in good certified restaurants.
If you buy raw fish at the market or from strangers, you should definitely cook it already, otherwise you risk.
Trichinella and trichinosis
What do you think, that there are no other worms? Make no mistake, we have found them in other well-known products.
Here Europeans are very fond of steaks with blood. And here lies another danger: trichinosis.
Other helminths can not even be compared 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 tapeworms.
How to avoid trichinosis and tapeworm infection?
Eat well prepared meat dishes and only in good restaurants.
nematodes and pinworms
Even when we eat fruits and vegetables, we must think about the fact that another threat of infection looms: roundworms and pinworms. This is why our mothers taught us to wash fruits and vegetables before consumption. Most often, the threat comes from aromatic (green) herbs, which are brought to us from the southern regions.
How to avoid infection with roundworms and pinworms?
If you bought vegetables from the market, be sure to rinse them well. First, leave the herb in the water for an hour so that the helminth eggs found 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 the thought of such "pets" hanging around is not very hot. But let's be optimistic, because life is beautiful.
The microcosm that surrounds us is full of all sorts of surprises:
- bacteria,
- virus,
- parasites.
And we contain whole kilograms of that biomass and there is nothing pathological about that. 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, in the synthesis of certain vitamins, and digestion works differently thanks to them.
I do not want to call helminths animals useful for humans, but there are those that are safe (intestinal parasites) and above all dangerous (parasites that live in other organs: lungs, liver, eyes and even in the brain! ). In the latter case, everyone thinks about how to recover quickly, because the problem is very serious.
It happens that helminths leave the owner's body, 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 rebel against these parasites without knowing what you are fighting against, you can piss them off. Therefore, they can complicate the situation by penetrating the bile ducts and causing a liver abscess. So, keep in mind that regular prevention isn't always helpful! It is better to pass the check in the hospital for the presence of helminths.
Symptoms of a worm infestation
How to proceed? Worms surround us everywhere and, therefore, we can easily get infected, it is not recommended to cure them without a diagnosis, and diagnosing helminths is not an easy task. Worms are very good at disguising themselves as other diseases.
And the most interesting thing: the larger the helminth (there are giants reaching up to 10 meters), the calmer it behaves. So it's not always possible to analyze just a few symptoms, it turns out, to identify the correct diagnosis. You can not do without the examination of a parasitologist.
Of course, no one can help you better than a doctor. Here are some cases where you need to be sure you are tested:
- on a recent vacation in different parts of the world, you ate various dubious local delicacies, swam in hotel pools where the water was not chlorinated, walked barefoot on the beach, lay naked on the sand, grass, you have touched local cats and dogs;
- you have a high fever, hives, redness, itching, rash, chills, bloating and abdominal pain.
If you find out about your situation, you need to consult a parasitologist.
Personal hygiene rules so as not to be infected with worms
Food
- Let's start with the fact that in exotic countries you can only drink bottled water.
- Fruit, although it looks very appetizing, must be peeled or boiled. In a simple form, it is not at all recommended to use them.
- Other questionable products are
- raw meat;
- raw fish (any form, including sea fish).
- Freshly squeezed juices are also prohibited. Fruit squeezing does not always go through a thorough washing process.
Refuse to use such products.
Beach
Don't risk walking barefoot on sand, grass, trails in exotic countries. Use a cot and slippers.
Take a bath
It is forbidden to swim in the freshwater basins 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 air dry clothes in exotic countries.
The problem is that flies from tropical countries love to lay their eggs on it and when you wear your bathing suit the larvae that can cause dermatitis will hatch.
Where to test for worms?
Do tests only in specialized state clinics. Doubtful institutions are not recommended to carry out such tests.
One of the reasons for not contacting such clinics is the fact that they can find everything you want even if you have nothing.
Yes, yes, to hook you, they may prescribe unnecessary treatment courses there. They will tell you that modern universal diagnostics see everything, even where standard analyzes see nothing. Don't believe charlatans and feel free to go to regular public clinics.
Now let's talk about the so-called universal diagnostics. In a case such as helminth detection, this is not possible.
If they have to urinate in the bladder, if in the intestine - then in the 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? The positive results of such analyzes can only alert you to expel them as soon as possible. Take only the drugs recommended by the parasite, because accuracy and accuracy are very important in this matter.
What should be remembered about helminths?
Theoretically, helminths can be infected almost anywhere: in the city, on vacation, in tropical countries, in the forest. But as the statistics say, even in these cases, not everyone is infected. 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 prevention medicines, because there are no universal remedies for worms. Tablets for worms also have their own classification based on different forms of helminths. It turns out that some pills help with some parasites, while others don't. Your 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 above symptoms are bothering you, you have nothing to worry about.
- If you are unsure about this issue, go to the doctor. Don't forget to tell us what you ate and where you were.
- As I told you before, you should only get tested in good specialized clinics. In bad clinics, you can spend a lot of money and you won't be able to get treatment.
- Any drug taken for prevention can only do harm. Don't use them "just for prevention", otherwise you can destroy the intestinal flora and even "earn" toxic hepatitis. Echinococcosis is very dangerous and that is why the initiative of such a thing can cause the cyst where the larva is to explode. This can be fatal.
- If you have been recommended "some worm food supplements" in "some clinics", this does not mean that you will all be better off. Many of these products contain toxins that can cause allergies and you may not get the effect.
The most common myths about helminths
Sea fish does not contain parasites
Who told you? Most earthworms contain fish that have not undergone the necessary processing or which, after capture, were not cleaned immediately before freezing. Doing so increases your chances of getting infected.
Dogs can get worms more easily than cats
In fact, dogs have such a habit of tasting their relatives' feces. The most dangerous helminths that can be "caught" by 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 than cats.
Only children can get worms
Did you believe? This may seem only because children are less precise, wash their hands less often, and sometimes don't follow hygiene rules. So hygiene rules are important for everyone!
A person infected with worms can infect others
Sure it is true. Being close to such a "patient" is a risk to you, but you may not even know it. Then, after shaking hands, wash your hands just in case. You can be particularly easily infected with pinworms (enterobiasis), because they are the most common helminths. Also, very often dirty children can infect parents, so teach your children to follow the rules of hygiene.