Almost each of us has had to deal with manifestations of helminthiasis. These parasites have been living with humans for so long that Hippocrates himself mentioned them in his writings. According to WHO statistics, more than five billion people on Earth are currently suffering from various types of helminthiasis.
The drug 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:
- flat worms (nemotodes);
- nematodes (tapeworms and trematodes).
Their size varies from a few millimeters to 10-12 M. Parasites become sexually mature very quickly, after which they acquire the ability to lay ten to one hundred thousand eggs per day.
These eggs remain viable for a long time, even if the conditions under which they are not the most favorable. Types of organisms affected by parasites, according to the stage of their development:
- the final host, where helminths can develop up to the stage of 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 carry out a complete 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 host, as well as mollusks, fish and carnivores. According to the type of life cycle, the cases of parasite infestation are classified into:
- biohelminthiasis - the development of helminth occurs in organisms of various types;
- geohelminthiasis - helminth eggs spend part of their development cycle in the soil, without an intermediate host.
How does a pest infestation work?
The ways in which helminths enter the human body are very diverse, they depend on social characteristics, natural and climatic factors and food preferences. The main ways of helminth infection:
- Through dirty hands, contaminated water, poorly processed food.
- When inhaling dust particles with worm eggs;
- Through the skin;
- After a mosquito bite as an intermediate host (Wuchereria bancrofti);
- When eating contaminated seafood, meat, fish (flukes).
The nutritional characteristics of some northern populations suggest the food use of lightly salted and raw fish. In this population, the prevalence of trichinosis and echinococcosis is high.
Which organs are affected by helminthiasis
The defeat of 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 its existence can parasitize in different parts of the intestine. Organs affected by helminthiasis:
- Large intestine - nematode, pinworms;
- Duodenum - Strongyloides stercoralis;
- lymphatic vessels,
- Lungs - Paragonimidae;
- Subcutaneous tissue - Larva migrans.
- Helminths parasitize the 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 helminths in the larval stage transform the tissues of the human body, forming capsules or granules (trichinella, toxocara) around them. There is a type of helminth that migrates to the larval stage and under a person's skin and into the tissues of his organs (larval helminths).
Their temporary stay 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 goes through two stages of development: acute and chronic. Their duration:
- acute phase - 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 phase have common manifestations - these are symptoms of allergies and toxic effects on the human body:
- a slight increase in temperature;
- muscular pain,
- skin rashes,
- edema of the limbs,
- swollen lymph nodes,
- dyspepsia,
- enlargement of the spleen and liver,
- Damage to the CNS.
A laboratory blood test indicates a change in its formula: eosinophilia is diagnosed and a significant increase in the number of leukocytes. The transition of helminthiasis to the chronic stage is characterized by symptoms that depend on which organ is affected by the parasites, 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 blockage,
- 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 localization of parasites in the brain),
- inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs (when pinworms migrate into the vagina),
- ulcer of the stomach and intestines (with chronic strongyloidosis),
- damage to muscle tissue, formation of granulomas in the capillaries of the brain (with severe trichinosis),
- damage to the lymphatic system (if infected with roundworms).
With helminthiases caused by echinococci, not only liver cysts are formed, but parasites can damage bone tissue. This makes the bones brittle and creates an additional risk of bone fractures. The defeat of the human body by the larvae of Dirofilaria repens occurs in the form of the formation of a subcutaneous node 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, no clear specific signs.
Diagnosis of parasite infestation
If you don't make an accurate diagnosis in time, you can miss the moment when started treatment might be most effective.
The transition from acute to chronic helminthiasis often masks the true cause of the disorder.
Parasite infection can be mistaken for symptoms of completely different diseases.
It is extremely important not to self-medicate, but to seek medical help from an infectious disease specialist or parasitalogue. In his arsenal there are enough modern methods for diagnosing parasitic infection:
- laboratory examination of feces, bile, sputum, blood, urine, rectal e
- 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 analyzing blood serum for the presence of an antigen for infection with certain types of helminths.
This study can show the presence of parasites even in the early stages of the infection.
Treatment of parasitic infection by folk methods
Based on the results of the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes anthelmintic therapy, the timing of the control study after treatment.
All recommendations of a specialist must be followed carefully to avoid complications.
It is not necessary to remember the observance of preventive hygiene measures that will prevent the infestation of parasites and secondary infections of family members.
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.
Like medicines, traditional medicines have contraindications and side effects. That's why it's worth discussing this method with your doctor before using them. Home remedies:
- Taking the peeled pumpkin seeds for 2 weeks, keeping the thin green peel on the seed.
- A decoction of the peel, removed from a pomegranate in 3/4 tablespoons. boiling water. The remedy should be 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 (40ml) 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) along 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.
- Infuse 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. L. before each meal, the infusion must be washed. Effective in giardiasis.
- Enema with garlic gruel, taken shortly before bedtime, is effective for pinworms and tapeworms. Enema solution: mix in a glass of water 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic. Conduct regularly during the week.
- A decoction of 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. milk, 1 tbsp. L. dried tansy flowers are given as an enema. The enema mixture should be boiled for about 10 minutes. Carry out 7 times, the effect of the treatment can be resolved by repeating the course after a ten-day break.
Herbs and taxes:
- 1 tsp dried absinthe pour 400 ml (2 tablespoons) of boiling water, strain and cool, take an infusion of 1-2 tbsp. L. three times a day before each meal. Effective for ascariasis and enterobiasis.
- Tansy (1 tbsp. Dried flowers) and 0, 5 liters of boiling water leave 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. L. unripe walnuts and a glass of boiling salted water are filtered and taken at the same time as a laxative. Effective against tapeworms, ascariasis, enterobiasis.
- 1st l. tansy flowers pour 200 ml of boiling water, an hour after the infusion is filtered. The admission frequency is standard - art. L. 20 minutes before meals. Then 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 this in a water bath), filtered, you need to add a couple of tablespoons of sugar. 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 harm to human health.
It is unacceptable to self-medicate when infected with parasites. Folk recipes should be used with extreme caution, only as an adjunct to drug therapy.