Worms in humans: possible causes, symptoms, diagnosis, therapy and preventive measures

worms in the human intestine

Worms in humans are quite an unpleasant phenomenon that can take a long time to appear. Parasitic worms in science are called helminths. The human infection is called helminthiasis. This happens as a result of the worm eggs entering our body. Contrary to popular belief that worms are a purely infantile disease, adults are also susceptible to a strong parasite attack. Scientists believe that one in four people on earth is a carrier of this disease.

parasitic worm of human body

Where can they live

Adult helminths move through the body until they settle in the organs that are best for them. The eggs of the parasites enter the intestines and are deposited there. This is the most common location. It is easy to find worms in the intestines and eliminate them.

Second in popularity among worms is the liver. The lungs follow. There are very rare forms of the disease in which the worms penetrate the eyeballs and muscles.

Classification

Human worms are classified according to their location. There are types of tissues and luminals.

Tissues are those that live in organs. They can cause the following diseases:

  • paragonimiasis is a type of damage to lung tissue by worms;
  • echinococcosis - liver damage;
  • cysticercosis - of the brain;
  • filariasis - lymph nodes.

The second type of human worms is luminal. This is the most common type of disease that affects the intestines. Worms can be completely different: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms, broad tapeworms, pinworms, and others.

parasitic worm of human esophagus

Development phases

Worms in an adult can appear from completely different sources. In order for the parasite to begin to develop in the body, it must enter through the mouth. Pinworm eggs can be in raw meat, in untreated water in reservoirs, in dirty hands. In this way, they enter the oral cavity, then the stomach, and are then absorbed by the intestines.

Already in the stomach, a larva hatches from an egg, which begins its journey through the human body until it finds an ideal environment for its subsequent development. If it is intestinal parasites, you do not have to move for long. If it is pulmonary or cerebral, the larva will move through the bloodstream until it settles in the correct place.

In the third stage of development, the larva turns into an adult helminth, which feeds on vitamins and minerals destined for the human body. The parasite lays eggs again and reproduces at a very high rate.

The deadline to complete all stages is from several hours to several days. During this period, it is important to find a good remedy for worms for a person.

Symptoms

There are not always clear signs of worms in humans. Symptoms may appear only during certain periods of the development of the disease or they may not appear at all. When an adult lives in the body, it is extremely difficult to notice, because a disease can be confused with any other disease. Helminths can be detected randomly by donating feces for testing.

To imagine what happens in the body, consider an example with the life cycle of a roundworm. This type of worm loves to travel, and in the process of moving through the body, it can manifest itself.

Ascaris infection can be caused by eating unwashed fruits and vegetables. The parasite lays eggs in the soil and they can easily penetrate plants.

After the worm's egg has entered the mouth and stomach, it begins to grow and turns into a larva, which very quickly (within 2-3 hours) enters the circulatory system and begins to move along the small flow. blood. Its target is the lungs.

In lung tissue, the larvae grow into an adult, which will have little space, and will have to eat the cells of the alveoli and small bronchi. At this stage, the first symptoms appear, and if the diagnosis is correct, the remedy for worms will quickly help a person to get rid of them.

The patient begins to cough, attacks of shortness of breath, and the body temperature rises. In rare cases, an allergic rash appears. This is how worms appear in humans. Symptoms and treatment will depend on the stage of development, because all of these signs can be mistaken for a common cold.

After the adult bites his way through the respiratory tract to the mouth, he will lay eggs for the person to swallow again, and for them to be in the gastrointestinal tract, from where the circle will begin again.

abdominal pain with worms

Phases of the course of the disease.

Symptoms of worms in an adult will be different, depending on the phase of the course of the disease. There may be two of them:

  1. Sharp
  2. Acquired.

The first phase appears in the first days after infection, during the larvae travel through the body. A person may experience itchiness, their skin will become red, and rashes will appear. There may be a dry, barking cough with choking fits. If you donate blood for testing, the result will show a significant increase in eosinophils.

The transition to the second phase indicates that a person's worms have settled in the right place and exist calmly, without interfering with anyone. This is a latent stage that may not appear for even several years.

A medicine for worms in a person will help to get rid of them only if an infection is accidentally detected. Men and women must listen carefully to their bodies. Over the months that people feed the parasites, the general condition of the body will change. The metabolism suffers first and foremost. After all, the peculiarity of helminths is that, adhering to the walls of the organs, they suck all the nutrients and minerals from the cells, as a result of which the functionality of the affected areas is disturbed.

What can be the consequences

There are parasites that cause dangerous conditions in the body. For example, the existence of trichinella or schistosoma leads to anemia and vitamin deficiency.

Do not forget that worms also release their waste products into the human intestine, as a result of which dysbiosis and excessive reproduction of opportunistic organisms develop.

The immune system suffers. She weakens, allergies appear. A person becomes susceptible to viral attacks and gets sick more often.

If human worms are not treated, the consequences can be unpredictable. Each type of parasite affects different organs and they are the first to suffer. If the liver is damaged, jaundice can develop. Hookworm disease leads to anemia, since this type of helminth feed exclusively on blood. So the most important thing at any stage is to find a medicine for worms for a person.

Diagnostics

Only two tests will help save lives. This is a general blood and stool test. With an annual physical exam, the risks of missing a disease are minimal.

There will be such changes in the blood: leukocetosis - a shift in the formula of leukocytes to the right and an increase in the number of eosinophils.

Worms in human feces are the safest and fastest way to detect them. You need to take the test again, then the result will be correct.

Tablets for worms for prevention in humans.

The drugs produced in our country can be divided into two groups: those that have a wide spectrum of action and those that kill certain types of helminths. Since there are more than 70 types of worms that infect humans, it is impossible to determine without testing which parasite has been introduced. Tablets for worms for prophylaxis for a person must be prescribed by a doctor.

In medicine, all worms are divided into three groups:

  • nematodes;
  • cestodes;
  • flukes.

Treatment will depend on the type of helminths that live in the body.

a man gets infected with worms from a dog

Cure for nematodes (roundworms)

This species includes: pinworms, roundworms, trichinella, vagoslav, toxocara. In children and adults, the first two representatives are found most often.

A specialist will select the most suitable drug in the form of suspensions or chewable tablets.

Medicines for tapeworms (tapeworms)

Cestodes are a large number of representatives of helminths. The most frequent are teniarinchiasis, cenurosis, alveococcosis, sparganosis, broad tapeworm and others.

Most often, drugs with a wide spectrum of action are used, as they are also used in the treatment of pinworms. Also suitable for prophylaxis.

Medications for trematodes (flatworms)

Representatives of this class can be listed for a long time. Most often, the organism is affected by opisthorcosis (feline trematode), fascioliasis, clonorchiasis (Chinese trematode), pulmonary trematode, and others.

Do not self-medicate, a specialist will select tablets for flatworms.

How to take pills for worms

Regardless of the type of worm that has settled in the body of an adult or a child, remember the basic and most important rule: if a worm is found in a family member, everyone should be treated. All elements of the house must be disinfected. If there are pets, you should check them first as well, as our pets may be the source of the problem.

All drugs against worms act on adults, without touching the eggs or larvae. Therefore, the second rule sounds like this: two weeks after taking the drug, the course must be repeated. This is especially true for cases of pinworms. These parasites are so cunning that they leave the larvae out of the body and a person can become re-infected.

It is recommended to take the tablets in the morning and in the evening to make a cleansing enema.

Be careful! All medications should be taken as directed by your doctor. This is especially true for flatworm and tapeworm infections. They are so dangerous that treatment is done in a hospital. When withdrawing them, the dose should be strictly observed, with the calculation of the weight and age of the patient, since the drugs are very toxic. Self-medication in such cases is unacceptable!

Worm prevention

Mothers' disputes about whether it is necessary to take pills for the prevention of worms or not never cease. Some are sure that this is a good way to protect themselves from dangerous consequences, because children are the most susceptible to infections. Others consider it unnecessary and do not want to overload the body with pills that are not necessary.

Most often, children of school and preschool age are affected by pinworms. An enterobiasis test can be false negative, and then a sick child, who has brought parasites into a home or school, can infect everyone. The transfer of pinworm eggs occurs through household items, handshakes, pet hair, door handles, and other surrounding objects.

The main methods of prevention include compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. It is imperative to wash your hands with soap and water after diffraction, before eating, after walking outdoors or visiting public places.

What if the child complains of itching in the anus? This is one of the most pronounced symptoms of pinworm infection. In this case, you should get tested for enterobiasis as soon as possible. Let's say the child complained at night, then in the morning he has to run to the clinic.

If the result of the first scraping is negative and the itching continues, the test should be repeated two days later for a week and then another two weeks.

If it is characterized by one of the following statements, you should take preventive measures:

  • the presence of furry pets;
  • constant games in the sandbox or on the floor;
  • travel to an exotic country;
  • the father is an avid fisherman or hunter.
washing hands to prevent infection with worms

Popular recipes

Consider how to remove worms from a person at home. Recipes against helminths have been known since ancient times. And despite the fact that they are successfully replaced with synthetic substances, the popular method is still proven for prevention.

Let's consider the most effective recipes.

Onions, honey, aloe juice. Onions are considered the most versatile remedy. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anthelmintic effects. Mix it in equal proportions with aloe juice and honey and get a real medicine against worms. Take 1 teaspoon for several days before breakfast. Because the product is sweet, children will surely drink it.

Carrot juice. Fresh carrot contains not only a reservoir of vitamins, but also has an anthelmintic effect. Drinking it on an empty stomach, you can enrich the body with energy throughout the day, and at the same time prevent an unpleasant disease.

Garlic is one of the most effective remedies for worms. Consider the recipes on how to remove worms from a person at home:

  • Finely chop or squeeze the garlic. Roll the resulting porridge in small portions in cheesecloth so that it becomes something like a candle. Insert it into the anus at night for 10 days. Such a remedy is effective against pinworms and is used for adults and children.
  • Garlic enemas. Another way to remove unpleasant neighbors from the intestines. The solution should consist of water and garlic minced into mush in a proportion. For a glass, you need to take a couple of cloves. The procedure is repeated 2 times a week.
  • Garlic with honey. Another option for a child's medicine. To prevent the garlic from burning, it is mixed with a natural method. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day.
  • Garlic with milk. For lovers of extraordinary tastes, a milk-based medicine is offered. There are five crushed garlic cloves per liter of beef product. The mixture is boiled and taken in small portions before going to bed.
wormwood to remove worms from the body

Herbal teas

Since time immemorial, all medicines were prepared with herbs. Mother Nature knows best how to get rid of parasites. It is time to systematize this knowledge.

To prepare a herbal remedy, you need to choose bitter plants such as cloves, wormwood, thyme, calamus, cumin. Prepared infusions should be taken every day. It will take a month to completely cleanse the body, but improvement occurs in 2-3 weeks of course.

Consider the most famous recipes for herbal tinctures for treating worms:

  • Based on tansy. Pour boiling water over the herb in the following ratio: 100 grams of dry mix per 150 ml of hot water. Close the lid and let it rest for 8-10 hours. You should take 30 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
  • Based on absinthe. This herb should be insisted on alcohol for a week. The ratio is 1: 1. For 100 grams of herb, 100 ml of alcohol. Take 25 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
  • Effective tincture on walnut shells. It must be filled with alcohol for every 100 grams of dry product, 150 ml of "fire" water.
  • Clove-based. For the tincture, use unopened dried clove buds. Pour 100 grams of aromatic spice with a glass of boiling water and leave it for at least 3 days. The daily dose of the drug is 30 drops per glass of water.

Pumpkin seeds against worms

Pumpkin seeds are safe for both children and adults. This is a very popular folk remedy for deworming. Consider how to eliminate worms in humans using this product.

What is the secret? The fact that the shell of pumpkin seeds contains a substance like cucurbine, which is fatal to worms. Therefore, you should use only unpeeled green seeds.

pumpkin seeds for worms

Cucurbine does not kill worms, it only paralyzes them. Adults are deprived of the ability to move, cling to body cells, suck in nutrients, which means that they will soon die naturally and be excreted through a person's anus.

The most powerful recipe is pumpkin seeds and castor oil. A portion of unpeeled seeds in the amount of 100 pieces should be eaten in the morning. Then wash it off with a teaspoon of castor oil. The latter has a laxative effect to eliminate parasites from the body.

Mix pumpkin and honey. First, grind the seeds into mush in a blender, then add a little honey. Eat muesli in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of treatment is several days. It is advisable to repeat it after 2 weeks.

Another healthy breakfast is pumpkin seeds and garlic. First, the beans are fried in a skillet without fat and with water until golden brown. Then the mixture is poured into a blender, garlic is added and ground to a soft state. Let it sit overnight and in the morning take a tablespoon of the mixture.