Almost all of us had to deal with manifestations of helminthiasis. These parasites have been living with humans for so long that Hippocrates himself mentions them in his writings. According to WHO statistics, at the moment on Earth, more than five billion people are affected by various types of helminthiasis.
The pharmacological industry regularly produces modern products designed to neutralize parasites in the human body, folk remedies for helminthiasis, supplementing traditional treatment, have also not lost their relevance.
about helminths
There are about 250 species of parasites that live in human tissues and organs. All of them are divided into two classes:
- flatworms (nemotodes);
- intestinal worms (cestodes and trematodes).
Their size varies from a few millimeters to 10-12 m. Parasites sexually mature very quickly, after which they acquire the ability to lay from ten to one hundred thousand eggs per day.
These eggs remain viable for a long time, even if the conditions in which they are found are not the most favorable. Types of organisms affected by parasites, depending on the stage of their development:
- the final host, in which helminths can develop until puberty;
- intermediate host, where helminths live up to one of the stages of their development.
In the body of the final host, the parasite can go through a full cycle of its development many times and live in it for several decades. For various types of parasites, a person can be both an end host and an intermediate, as can mollusks, fish, and carnivores. Depending on the type of biological cycle, cases of parasite infestation are classified as:
- biohelminthiasis - the development of helminths takes place in organisms of various types;
- geohelminthiasis: helminth eggs spend part of their development cycle in the soil, without an intermediate host.
How does a parasite infestation work?
The ways in which helminths enter the human body are very diverse, depending on social characteristics, natural and climatic factors, and food preferences. The main ways of infection with helminths:
- Through dirty hands, contaminated water, poorly processed food.
- By inhaling dust particles with worm eggs;
- Through the skin;
- After the bite of a mosquito as an intermediate host (Wuchereria bancrofti);
- By eating contaminated shellfish, meat, fish (trematode).
The nutritional characteristics of some Northern peoples suggest the use of raw and slightly salted fish as food. In this population, the prevalence of trichinosis and echinococcosis is high.
What organs are affected by helminthiasis?
Defeat by helminths can be localized in many organs and tissues. The localization of the helminth depends on the stage of its development, so the same type of worms at different stages of their existence can parasitize in different parts of the intestine. Organs affected by helminthiasis:
- Large intestine - roundworm, pinworms;
- Duodenum - Strongyloides stercoralis;
- lymphatic vessels,
- Lungs - Paragonimidae;
- Subcutaneous tissue - Larva migrans.
- Helminths parasitize in hollow organs and tissues of the human body.
Depending on the location of the parasites, helminthiases are divided into types:
- tissue (echinococcosis, cysticercosis);
- translucent (taeniasis, enterobiasis, ascariasis).
Some of the helminths in the larval stage transform the tissues of the human body, forming capsules or granules around them (trichinella, toxocara). There is a type of helminths that migrate in the larval stage and under the skin of a person, and in the tissues of his organs (larval helminths).
Their temporary permanence in the human body takes both visceral and cutaneous forms, a person for them is an intermediate host.
Clinical manifestations of helminthiasis.
Like many other infections, helminthiasis passes through two stages of development: acute and chronic. Its duration:
- acute stage - from 2-3 weeks to several months;
- chronic stage - from 2-3 months to several years.
Despite the variety of types of helminths and their localization, the symptoms of the acute stage have common manifestations - these are symptoms of allergies and toxic effects on the human body:
- a slight increase in temperature;
- Muscle pain,
- skin rash,
- extremity edema,
- enlarged lymph nodes,
- dyspepsia,
- enlargement of the spleen and liver,
- CNS damage.
A laboratory blood test indicates a change in its formula: eosinophilia and a significant increase in the number of leukocytes are diagnosed. The transition from helminthiasis to the chronic stage is marked by symptoms that depend on the organ affected by the parasites, on the stage of development of the worms, their number and variety. In the chronic stage of helminthiasis, the following symptoms are diagnosed:
- dyspepsia and pain in the intestines,
- intestinal obstruction,
- colitis in hemorrhagic form,
- anemia,
- avitaminosis,
- drastic weight loss
- obstructive jaundice, hepatitis (with liver damage),
- loss of some functions of the central nervous system (with the localization of parasites in the brain),
- inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs (when pinworms migrate to the vagina),
- ulcer of the stomach and intestines (with chronic strongyloidiasis),
- damage to muscle tissue, the formation of granulomas in the capillaries of the brain (with severe trichinosis),
- damage to the lymphatic system (when infected with nematodes).
With helminthiases caused by echinococci, not only liver cysts are formed, but parasites can damage bone tissue. This causes the bones to become brittle and creates an additional risk of bone fractures. The defeat of the human body by Dirofilaria repens larvae occurs in the form of the formation of a subcutaneous nodule containing parasites. This node is able to move in the thickness of the skin and mucous membranes.
Analyzing the symptoms of helminthiasis, one can be sure that there is no stable clinical picture of this disease, and no clear specific signs.
Diagnosis of parasite infestation
If you do not make an accurate diagnosis in time, you may miss the moment when the treatment started could be most effective.
The transition of helminthiasis from the acute stage to the chronic form often masks the true cause of the ailment.
Infection with parasites can be confused with symptoms of completely different diseases.
It is extremely important not to self-medicate, but to seek medical help from an infectious disease specialist or parasitologist. In his arsenal there are enough modern methods for diagnosing parasitic infections:
- laboratory examination of feces, bile, sputum, blood, urine, rectum and
- prianal scraping of mucus, duodenal contents to detect parasites, their eggs and larvae;
- Ultrasound, radiography;
- Endoscopy, endobiopsy.
The most effective method is considered to be a serological test - a method of testing blood serum for an antigen for infection with certain types of helminths.
This study can show the presence of parasites even in the early stages of infection.
Treatment of parasitic infection with folk methods
According to the results of the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes anthelmintic therapy, the time of the control study after treatment.
All recommendations of a specialist must be followed carefully to avoid complications.
It is not necessary to remind about the observance of preventive hygiene measures that will prevent the infestation of family members with parasites and secondary infection.
Supporters of the use of folk recipes should remember that the use of these funds is an auxiliary method that does not replace drug treatment.
Just like medicines, traditional medicines have contraindications and side effects. That is why it is worth discussing this method with your doctor before using them. Home remedies:
- Take peeled pumpkin seeds for 2 weeks, keeping the thin green skin on the seed.
- A decoction of the peel, extracted from a pomegranate in 3/4 tbsp. boiling water. The remedy is drunk on an empty stomach, this should be done in an hour and a half, dividing the broth into three doses. After a few hours, be sure to stimulate the stool with any laxative.
- Enemas with freshly squeezed carrot juice (40 ml) should be done daily for 7 days.
- Regular use of garlic and preparations containing it.
- The introduction of a whole clove of garlic into the rectum (against enterobiasis).
- Reception of freshly prepared garlic juice (10-15 ml) together with warm milk (1 glass), the mixture should be drunk on an empty stomach, the remedy should be repeated 1-2 times during the day.
- Infusion 50 g of a mixture of garlic and grated horseradish root in half a liter of vodka. The mixture is infused for 1. 5 weeks, filtered. Mandatory dose - 1 tbsp. Ibefore each meal, the infusion must be washed down. Effective in giardiasis.
- Garlic porridge enema, taken shortly before bedtime, is effective for pinworms and tapeworms. Enema solution: Stir in a glass of water 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic. Perform regularly throughout the week.
- A decoction of 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. milk, 1 tbsp. The dried tansy flowers are administered as an enema. The enema mixture should be boiled for about 10 minutes. Perform 7 times, the effect of treatment can be corrected by repeating the course after a break of ten days.
Herbs and rates:
- 1 tsp dried wormwood pour 400 ml (2 tablespoons) of boiling water, strain and cool, take an infusion of 1-2 tablespoons. three times a day before each meal. Effective for ascariasis and enterobiasis.
- Tansy (1 tablespoon of dried flowers) and 0. 5 liters of boiling water are left for 3 hours and enter as an enema into the rectum before going to bed. The drug is contraindicated in pregnant women and children.
- Infusion for half an hour from 4 tbsp. Iunripe nuts and a glass of boiling salted water are filtered and taken simultaneously with a laxative. Effective against tapeworm, ascariasis, enterobiasis.
- 1stIthe flowers of tansy pour 200 ml of boiling water, an hour later the infusion is filtered. The admission frequency is standard - art. I 20 minutes before meals. Therefore, you need to be treated for 2-3 days, finish taking the infusion with a laxative.
- A decoction of 1 kg of sorrel and 1 liter of boiling water is boiled for 2 hours (it is better to do it in a water bath), filtered, a couple of tablespoons of sugar should be added to it. The volume of the final product is 1 glass of broth, it should be drunk 1-2 sips a day before meals.
- Helminthiases are complex infections with a multicomponent clinical picture. They can cause serious complications, cause irreversible damage to human health.
It is unacceptable to self-medicate when infected with parasites. Folk recipes should be used with extreme caution, only as an accompanying adjuvant to drug therapy.