Helminthiasis is a group of parasitic diseases characterized by high levels of infection.Helminth eggs are highly resistant;they can survive for a long time on different surfaces in the environment, while retaining their vitality.The sad reality is that helminth eggs surround us everywhere: in soil, water, soil, dust, on food and pet hair.However, preventing infection is quite easy;To do this, you just need to follow some precautions: personal hygiene rules and general hygiene standards.After all, worm prevention is the best way to protect yourself from helminth infections.
Infection routes of helminths
You can get 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 have the ability to penetrate the skin;
- through infected insects, which are intermediate hosts for larvae;
- through infected feces;
- through pets infected with parasites.
Prevention of worms in adults
Prevention of worms in humans is not limited to compliance with personal hygiene rules;Pharmacological drugs are also used for preventive purposes.Synthetic dewormers are prescribed only by a specialist, depending on the patient's age, weight and general health.You should not self-medicate and take such drugs yourself, because parasites are of different types and they live not only in the intestines, but also in other organs.Also, do not forget that if you take the wrong dosage of the drug or use it uncontrolled, you can cause great harm to your body.
First, when using the wrong dosage, the parasites do not die but move from the digestive tract to other organs.
Second, dewormers are very toxic;they can cause serious poisoning of the body and liver damage.
Third, most anthelmintic drugs only affect adults, while their larvae and eggs are unharmed.
Worm prevention is a set of measures that are not limited to medications or personal hygiene rules.It's just that in some cases it is enough to simply observe personal hygiene, while in others these measures are not enough, they are supplemented with pharmacological agents.Only a doctor can determine in which cases the usual preventive measures are enough and in which cases supplementation with pills is necessary.
Maintain personal hygiene rules
However, everyone is familiar with the famous saying that diseases are easier to prevent than to cure.Before the disease breaks out, it is better to adhere to the basic rules of personal hygiene.In addition, preventive measures are quite simple and very effective.Measures to protect against parasitic infections:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating;
- regularly change underwear and bed linen;
- High-quality heat treatment of meat and fish;
- refuse to eat raw meat and fish products, as well as lightly or medium grilled steak;
- Thoroughly wash vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries under running water;
- Use smoked, salted or dried fish with extreme caution,
- After contact with pets, you should wash your hands thoroughly and clean the cat litter box with protective gloves;you should also treat your cat's tray and bowl with a disinfectant;
- iron underwear and bed sheets after washing;
- do not use water from unknown sources for food and do not swim in unfamiliar waters;
- keep fingernails short because helminth eggs may remain in the nail cavity even after thorough hand washing;
- Regularly deworm your pet;
- Use protective gloves when cleaning the premises as well as when working in the garden.
How to protect children from parasites
Young children are potential victims of helminths because they cannot yet perform personal hygiene on their own.In addition, at this age children also get acquainted with the world around them and experience everything.Therefore, the possibility of children being infected with parasites is very high.In this case, the child's parents will take preventive measures.However, it was impossible to keep track of the children;At this age they are quite active and can be infected with helminths immediately.
To prevent worms in children, you need:
- Wash your child's hands regularly and teach him basic personal hygiene from an early age;
- Iron the child's underwear and bedsheets;
- disinfect children's toys and wash soft toys with hot water;
- Do not let pets sleep in the same bed as children;
- Teach your children to wash their hands after each contact with pets;
- Baby food must be heat treated with high quality;
- Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly under running water;
- keep the child's room clean and tidy;
- Treat the crawling area with an antiseptic (if the child is under 1 year old).
If an infection suddenly occurs, only a doctor should prescribe treatments for helminthiasis.You should not self-medicate because your child's health and life are at risk.
Antihelminthic drugs are highly toxic.Children should be treated with them with extreme caution and under the close supervision of the attending physician.Only a doctor prescribes the type and dosage of the drug, because each drug has different age indications.
You can only give your child antihelminthic medication when he or she has been accurately diagnosed with a parasitic infection.Otherwise, you should not expose your child to the toxic effects of anthelmintics.Parents should coordinate all their actions only with the attending physician.
How to take deworming medicine
All anthelmintic drugs are divided into:
- narrow spectrum drugs;
- broad-spectrum medicine.
The first drugs act on a specific type of helminth and destroy only them.The second drug affects almost all different types of parasites (round, flat and tapeworm).In addition, some drugs affect the respiratory system of helminths, others cause muscle paralysis, others block the process of glucose absorption, and others block metabolic processes in the worm's body.All these actions contribute to the destruction of parasites and their removal from the body.
Experts believe that prevention of helminthiasis should be carried out twice a year.Once in early spring and the second time in late autumn, before the onset of the cold period.The medicine should be used at the same time the patient experiences symptoms due to parasitic infection.Usually this is:
- stomach-ache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- itching in the anus;
- general weakness and malaise;
- insomnia;
- losing weight.
Anthelmintic therapy is carried out for no more than 3-5 days.With just one dose of anthelmintic, not all parasites can die, but the remaining ones are able to move from the intestines to other organs and can even lay eggs.After two weeks, you need to repeat the deworming medication to kill newly appeared worms.
Antihelminthic therapy consists of three phases, lasting about two weeks:
- The first week is the time to prepare for the expulsion of parasites from the body.For these purposes, they maintain a light diet and take medications that improve bile flow and the functioning of the digestive tract.
- The second stage includes direct deworming medication.The course of treatment is 5 days.
- The third stage is the removal of dead parasites from the body.For these purposes, laxatives and enemas are used.The final stage is very important, because helminth corpses can begin to decompose, causing severe poisoning in humans.
Anthelmintic medicine
On the pharmaceutical market, worm medicine is sold very well, and there are many different prices.The following pharmacological agents are used to prevent worms:
Based on levamisole
The drug helps improve the body's defenses by creating the necessary antibodies in the blood.The drug also inhibits glucose oxidation (glycolysis), which causes the death of the parasite.The drug is effective against many different types of parasites.Side effects such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are observed.
Based on mebendazole
They are most effective in treating ascariasis, intestinal worms and whipworms.The drug disrupts the metabolic process in the parasite's body, thereby causing the parasite to die.These products are highly toxic because they can accumulate in the body.For this reason, you should not use them on your own without a doctor's prescription, as they can cause serious harm to the body.Contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation, as well as in the presence of chronic diseases.
Based on albendazole
The drug effectively kills both helminths and protozoa, and is therefore suitable for use in mixed parasitic infections.Should be used with caution in people with liver disease.Dosage and frequency of use are selected individually in each specific case, as it depends on the type of parasite and the degree of infection.The use of these drugs for preventive purposes is quite reliable protection against various parasites.