Helminthiases are a group of parasitic diseases characterized by a high degree of infection. Helminth eggs are highly resistant and can remain for a long time on various surfaces in the environment, while maintaining their vitality. It's sad that helminth eggs surround us everywhere: in soil, water, soil, dust, food and pet fur. However, it is quite easy to prevent infection, just follow some preventive measures: personal hygiene standards and general health standards. After all, worm prevention is the best way to protect yourself from helminth invasion.
Forms of infection with helminthiasis
You can get infected with worms in the following ways:
- when eating contaminated meat and fish;
- by eating unwashed vegetables and herbs, fruits and berries;
- by dirty hands;
- some parasites that live in water are able to penetrate the skin;
- through infected insects, which are intermediate hosts of larvae;
- through infected feces;
- through pets infected with parasites.
Prevention of Worms in Adults
The prevention of worms in humans is not limited to the observance of personal hygiene rules, pharmacological preparations are also used for prophylactic purposes. Synthetic anthelmintics are only prescribed by a specialist, depending on the age, weight and general condition of the patient. You should not self-medicate and take these medications on your own, as the parasites are of different types and live not only in the intestines but also in other organs. Also, don't forget that with the wrong dose of the drug or uncontrolled ingestion of it, you can harm the body a lot.
First, if the wrong dose is applied, the parasites do not die, but migrate from the gastrointestinal tract to other organs.
Second, anthelmintic drugs are very toxic, they can cause severe body poisoning 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 personal hygiene rules. But in some cases it is enough to observe only personal hygiene, while in others these measures are few, they are complemented with drugs. Only the doctor determines in which cases the usual preventive measures are sufficient and in which they should be supplemented with pills.
Compliance with personal hygiene rules
However, everyone is familiar with the well-known saying that it is easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. Before the illness makes itself felt, it is best to observe the basic rules of personal hygiene. Furthermore, preventive actions are quite simple and very effective. Protective measures against parasitic infection:
- frequent hand washing with soap and water, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating;
- frequent change of underwear and bedding;
- high quality heat treatment for meat and fish;
- refusal to eat raw meat and fish products, as well as rare or rare steaks;
- thorough washing of vegetables, herbs, fruits and berries under running water;
- use smoked, salted or dried fish with extreme care,
- after any contact with pets, hands must be washed well, and the cat's bed must be cleaned with protective gloves, and it is necessary to treat the cat's tray and bowls with disinfectant;
- ironing underwear and bedding after washing;
- do not use water from unknown sources for food and do not swim in unknown water bodies;
- cut your nails short, as helminth eggs can remain in the nail cavity even after washing your hands well;
- regularly deworm pets;
- wear 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, as babies are not able to carry out personal hygiene on their own. In addition, at this age, they get to know the world around them, savoring everything. Therefore, there is a high probability of developing a parasitic invasion in a child. In this case, the child's parents take preventive measures. However, it is impossible to keep up with babies, at this age they are quite active and can become infected with helminthiasis in a moment.
For the prevention of worms in children, it is necessary to:
- usually wash your child's hands, from an early age, to get him used to the basics of personal hygiene;
- ironing baby underwear and bedding;
- disinfect your toys and wash your soft toys in hot water;
- do not allow pets to sleep in the same bed with your child;
- teach your child to wash their hands after each contact with pets;
- subjecting the child's food to a high-quality heat treatment;
- wash vegetables and fruits well under running water;
- keep the child's room clean and tidy;
- treat the place where the child is crawling with a disinfectant (if the child is less than 1 year old).
If a sudden infection occurs, only your doctor should prescribe methods for treating helminthiasis. You should not self-medicate as your child's health and life are at stake.
Anthelmintic drugs are strong toxic agents. It is necessary to treat the child with them very carefully and under the strict supervision of the attending physician. Only the doctor prescribes the type and dose of medication, as each medication has indications for different ages.
It is possible to administer worm drugs to a child only when he has been accurately diagnosed with a parasitic invasion. Otherwise, you must not expose the child to the toxic effects of anthelmintic medications. Parents must coordinate all their actions with the treating physician only.
How to take worm pills
All worm medications are divided into:
- narrow spectrum drugs;
- 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 tapeworm). In addition, some drugs affect the respiratory system of helminths, others cause muscle paralysis, others interrupt the glucose absorption process, and still others block metabolic processes in the worm's body. All of these actions contribute to the death of the parasites and their elimination 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 start of the cold spell. It is necessary to use medications at the same time when the patient has symptoms caused by the parasite invasion. As a rule, they are:
- stomachache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- itchy anus;
- weakness and general malaise;
- insomnia;
- weight loss.
Anthelmintic therapy is performed for a maximum of 3-5 days. With a single dose of worm medicine, not all parasites can die, and the rest are able to migrate from the intestine to other organs and even have time to lay eggs. After two weeks, it is necessary to repeat the ingestion of anthelmintics to destroy the newly emerged helminths.
Antelmite therapy includes three stages, which last approximately two weeks:
Anthelmintic drugs
In the pharmacological market, worm tablets present themselves very well, in fact, in different price categories. For the prevention of worms, the following pharmacological agents are used:
Levamisole based
Medicines help to improve the body's defenses by producing the necessary antibodies in the blood. In addition, the drugs inhibit the process of glucose oxidation (glycolysis), causing the parasites to die. Medicines are effective for various parasitic invasions. Side effects are seen in the form of nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Mebendazole based
The most effective in the treatment of ascariasis, enterobiasis and trichocephalosis. The medications interrupt the parasite's metabolic processes, thus causing its death. Funds are highly toxic as they can accumulate in the body. For this reason, you should not use them alone without a prescription as they can cause serious damage to the body. Contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation, as well as in the presence of chronic pathologies.
Albendazole based
The drugs effectively destroy helminths and protozoa, so they are suitable for use in mixed parasitic infections. It should be used with caution in people with liver disease. Dosage and frequency of use are individually selected in each specific case, as it depends on the type of parasite and the degree of infection. The use of these drugs for prophylaxis is a very reliable protection against various types of parasites.