Parasitic diseases are widespread among the population, many people at least once in their life encounter them, it is almost impossible to completely insure against their occurrence. However, many of them lead to other, more serious diseases. Parasites can cause disturbances in the work of various organs, often they begin to treat the consequences of a parasitic infection, the main problem is clarified much later.
Parasites can attack any organ system, they can be in the intestines, in the liver, live on the skin, some can even get to the brain. The main thing is to identify the lesion at an early stage, when it does not affect several organs and does not become extensive, then it will be much easier to get rid of the parasites.
Types of parasites
There are a great many parasites infecting various organs. These are not only worms that live mainly in the intestines and other worms. Parasites in the human body can be of other types. All of them can be divided into several groups:
- worms (roundworms, worms, pinworms, echinococcus and others);
- protozoan parasites (lamblia, intestinal Trichomonas, chlamydia, toxoplasma);
- fungal parasites (candida);
- bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus aureus);
- viruses (flu, herpes, smallpox, rotavirus and others).
However, worms are most often associated with the word "parasites". Their manifestations and treatment tactics are usually very similar.
Symptoms
Symptoms of parasite infestation often remind of other diseases, therefore, when they are detected, it is important to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis, which will show whether a person is sick due to parasites or it is worth looking for another cause. The main symptoms of parasitic diseases are as follows:
- Diarrhea. It comes from the waste products of certain types of parasites.
- Constipation. Some worms, growing up, block the passage of the intestines, which can even cause intestinal obstruction. Parasites can also cause jaundice by blocking the bile ducts.
- Constant bloating. Gas production often occurs when infected with worms.
- Pain in muscles and joints. Similar to arthritis pain. They develop during the migration of parasites in the body.
- Allergic reactions. Parasites are strong irritants, and they themselves and their waste products can cause allergies. In addition, they cause damage to the intestinal tissue, which forces the immune system to work more actively and respond to this irritation with allergic reactions.
- Various skin lesions - rashes, acne, dermatitis and other skin diseases. Papillomas are also a sign of parasitic infection.
- Iron deficiency anemia.
Weight jumps can also be a symptom. A person can dramatically lose weight or gain weight. Weight loss may be associated with a lack of appetite, digestive disorders. A sharp increase in mass is usually associated with a drop in blood sugar levels, the patient begins to feel constant hunger.
Negative symptoms from the nervous system. The activity of parasites literally poisons the body, which can lead to disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. These include severe anxiety in general, increased anxiety, and mild depression.
Other things to look out for:
- The grinding of teeth in me is bruxism. This is the reaction of the nervous system to the presence of an irritant in the body.
- Sleep disturbances. Sometimes it appears due to itching in the anal area at night, this is a sure sign of worms.
- Dysbacteriosis.
- Chronic fatigue, general malaise.
- Immunity disorders, increased morbidity, frequent colds.
- Respiratory diseases. Parasites can reach the respiratory tract and cause coughs, pneumonia, and even asthma attacks.
Important! If similar symptoms are present, you should be tested for a parasitic infection.
More about the manifestations of parasitic diseases
People react to foreign bodies in different ways. In certain forms of helminthiasis, the symptoms of the presence of parasites in the body of an adult become noticeable several years after the colonization of organs. In young patients, the first manifestations are often noticeable at the initial stage of the disease.
How to identify worms in children?
The spread of helminths in these patients is much higher. As a result, the following signs of the presence of parasites appear:
- Weakness
- Sleep quality worsens
- Loss of appetite, usually accompanied by a slowdown in physical development
- Unreasonable aggression, nervousness and irritability appear
- Stool is disturbed, and in most cases constipation is a consequence of this
- Gnashing and itching of the anus are signs of certain worms.
What are the abnormalities to identify helminths in adults?
The parasitic organism lingers in the mouth, which is facilitated by special enzymes. This is only the first obstacle to the larvae and eggs of helminths. Further, moving in the human body, helminths enter the digestive tract, where they are exposed to gastric juice and antibodies produced by the body. This means that there is a natural cleansing of the intestines from parasites, and the spread is slower.
However, over time, the following symptoms appear:
- Changes in the work of the central nervous system: headache, dizziness, worsening sleep, tendency to irritation, aggressiveness
- Diseases of certain organs develop: pancreatitis, pneumonia, appendicitis, duodenitis, etc.
- Pallor of the skin indicates parasites, sometimes jaundice develops
- Worms can be recognized by stool disorder: constipation replaces diarrhea and vice versa
- Flatulence, intestinal motility is disturbed
- Another manifestation is abdominal pain
- Allergic reactions in different forms.
How do worms affect general health?
Weakness is noted, as worms are almost always found in the human intestine. In this case, the microflora is disrupted, which affects the absorption of nutrients, which means that a person does not receive enough vitamins and microelements. As a result, the body weakens and immunity decreases. Under such conditions, the body becomes susceptible to viruses, bacterial infections. The liver is among the first to suffer.
If a disease of a certain organ develops (be it the heart, kidneys, organs of vision, liver), and the classical treatment regimen for such cases does not bring results, it is necessary to assume the development of parasitic diseases in humans. If you try to treat them, a person can recover pretty quickly.
Classification of parasites
All organisms are classified into two main groups:
- Intestinal
- Extraintestinal.
Representatives of two species live inside humans, but in different parts of the body. For example, intestinal parasites in humans always colonize the digestive organs. Extraintestinal forms of helminths tend to infect tissues: muscles, brain, visual organs, etc. In addition, all external organisms living in the human body are divided into types, taking into account the structure of the body:
- Unicellular (they are the simplest, for example, lamblia)
- Helminths: pinworms, roundworms and the like.
There are several classes of worms:
- Nematodes;
- Trematodes;
- Cestodes.
The first class includes roundworms, for example, ascaris. The second class is represented by flukes, flukes. Cestodes are called flat helminths, including tapeworm.
Reasons
The main causes of parasitic diseases are careless contact with sick people and neglect of personal hygiene rules. Children who spend a lot of time playing outside are often infected, especially small ones who practice in the sandbox.
Thus, at risk are people who do not wash their hands after the street and after eating, do not wear barrier protection when in contact with infected patients, and share their personal hygiene products with other people. Also, the risk of infection exists if meat products, vegetables and fruits are poorly processed.
Diagnostics
It can be difficult to diagnose parasitic diseases, especially in the early stages, their symptoms are often reminiscent of other diseases.
The most common parasite tests are faeces and swabs. These methods will help determine the presence of parasites in the intestine and their type, but will not be able to show their presence in other organs.
At the moment, there are much more reliable methods for detecting parasitic diseases, they can be more expensive than conventional analysis, but their accuracy is much higher. First of all, these include a blood test for parasites - ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The accuracy of this method is 99%, it helps to determine not only the presence of parasites, but the dynamics of the lesion and the number, wherever there are foreign organisms.
In addition to blood tests, there are other methods, for example:
- ultrasound and radiography;
- computed tomography;
- endoscopy and endobiopsy;
- RNGA;
- RSK;
- RIF.
The required research is chosen by the doctor, in each case they may be different. It is the parasites that the parasitologist deals with, although initially you should contact the doctor who deals with the organ system with which the unpleasant symptoms are associated. For example, if the manifestations of a parasitic disease are associated with the digestive system, you should contact a gastroenterologist.
Important! It is impossible to independently reliably determine the presence of parasites in your body; tests are required.
How to get rid of parasites?
With parasites, a complex intervention is needed. Most of them have a long lifespan, and treatment also depends on the form in which the parasites are currently present in the body. It is necessary to take into account other factors, for example, diseases that appeared against the background of parasitic infection.
Preparations
Medicines for parasites are usually available in the form of tablets, they have a wide spectrum of action, one remedy can work against several species at once. There are many herbal preparations that are milder.
Medicines can be applied either once or as a course. It all depends on the stage of the parasitic disease, the type of parasites, the presence or absence of some symptoms.
It is worth remembering that drugs have a huge number of side effects. Antiparasitic drugs have a strong toxic effect on the body, so they should be taken with caution. Also, you cannot combine them with other medicines.
Often, after a course of medication, you need to cleanse the body, because not all dead parasites come out naturally. Decomposing in the body, they can cause severe toxicosis.
After courses of drugs, you should start restoring immunity. Vitamin complexes, diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help with this.
Important! You cannot take antiparasitic drugs on your own.
Cleansing the body at home
Some of the measures against parasites can be taken at home, especially for organisms infecting the intestines. At home, you can cleanse the intestines, but it is worth remembering that not all products are equally good, some, for example, cleaning with soda, can be dangerous to health.
Monastic tea
Monastery tea is often recommended against parasites. This drink contains many useful medicinal plants: sage, yarrow, oak bark, mint and many others. It is believed to help fight parasitic diseases.
The course of treatment with monastery tea lasts three weeks, and no more than a glass of drink is needed per day. Taking such tea will increase immunity and help the body to cope with parasites, however, it is not suitable as an independent medicine, it is better to combine it with conservative treatment, and then use it for prevention.
Another name for monastery tea is intohis, sometimes it can be found like this.
Tansy: How to Take
Tansy is one of the herbs from parasites, the second name of this plant, worm, speaks for itself. The methods of using this herb differ depending on the type of parasite.
The following recipe helps with worms and ascaris. You need to take one tablespoon of dried flowers and pour one glass of hot water. Insist for four hours, then strain. You need to take such an infusion four times a day, one tablespoon before meals.
Bitter wormwood
Wormwood is another medicinal plant that helps fight parasites. This herb is effective for children and adults, the only negative is the unpleasant taste.
To comfortably take wormwood against worms, place the crushed plant in gelatin capsules. For a child you need no more than one fourth of a teaspoon, for an adult - one second. On the first day of admission, one portion is needed, then one portion is added every day. Thus, there should be seven servings on the eighth day. Further, seven capsules until the end of the second week of admission.
You can also make enemas based on wormwood.
Birch tar
Birch tar is a natural antiseptic that helps fight worms and other internal parasites. One drop of tar is taken for a teaspoon of honey, take this mixture at bedtime for twelve days. This method has almost no contraindications, tar with honey can be used for children.
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds help with parasites. There are several recipes for taking them for medicinal purposes. You can simply eat two tablespoons of pumpkin seeds every morning before meals, then wait about an hour and empty your intestines. This method works well against tapeworm.
Against worms, it is advised to take one glass of ground roasted seeds, mix with a glass of honey, add a teaspoon of baking soda. This mixture should be infused for ten days. Take one spoonful on an empty stomach long before breakfast.
Garlic: How To Take
Garlic has disinfecting properties, it is believed that it is harmful to worms. The most useful and harmless to the body is a honey-garlic mixture against parasites.
To do this, take 300 grams of garlic juice and mix with 500 grams of honey. Boil this mixture over low heat in a water bath for half an hour, stirring occasionally and removing the resulting foam. Cool the resulting mixture, transfer to glassware, store in a cool dark place. For worms, take one tablespoon about 3-4 times a day, exclusively before meals.
Flax and carnation
On the basis of flax and clove seeds, you can make a kind of seasoning that has an antiparasitic effect.
Grind flax seeds and cloves in a coffee grinder in the same ratio. Such a remedy can be added to food when cooking, the main thing is not to eat more than 25 grams of medicine per day. Sometimes breaks should be taken. This remedy helps with all types of parasites.
Important! It is worth remembering that many of the medicinal plants can cause allergies. If you develop an individual intolerance, they should be discarded.
How to treat parasites
If symptoms are found that indicate the presence of parasites in the intestines or other organs, treatment can be carried out using folk remedies. They allow you to quickly get rid of worms and prevent the development of serious complications.
Popular Recipes
Unconventional treatment involves the use of natural ingredients. usually decoctions or infusions are made from them. Such means allow you to expel worms and carry out a complete cleaning of the internal organs. For each patient, you can choose your own therapy regimen. The most popular recipes are:
- Coriander seeds - heat in a pan without oil, crush and consume up to three times a day.
- Watermelon seeds - chop and mix with milk. Drink two glasses a day.
- Chanterelle mushrooms - have a negative effect on most parasites, but after heat treatment these properties disappear. Therefore, a tincture is made from the mushrooms: grind the product, pour in vodka and send it to a dark, cool place for fifteen days. Take a spoon before going to bed.
- Onions - chop to a state of gruel and pour boiling water over, leave for ten hours, use inside.
- Elecampane - brew and boil for five minutes. Insist at night, and take on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Celandine - mix with boiling water and send to a water bath for a quarter of an hour. After forty minutes, strain and drink up to three times a day.
- Wormwood - chop the grass, pour hot milk, insist and drink the whole portion in the morning.
- Ginger - Pass through a blender and consume within six days.
- Cloves - taken in powder form after meals.
- Pumpkin seeds - they contain a poisonous substance that is dangerous for parasites. Raw, shelled seeds can be eaten before meals or mixed with warm milk.
Other Methods
At home, the treatment carried out with the help of folk remedies is complemented by a set of measures that allow you to quickly get rid of parasites living in the human body. We are talking about cleansing enemas. For their implementation are used:
- Garlic - can be combined with milk or herbal infusions.
- Baking soda - heat water to a temperature of forty-two degrees, add powder and stir thoroughly. Soda can be added to three liters of warm water.
Wormwood and tansy work well for an enema. The herbs are mixed, poured over with hot water and boiled. Cool the broth, add a clove of garlic, leave for three hours and strain. The procedure should be done before bedtime. Another option is pumpkin seed oil. A variety of recipes can be used for an adult. The main thing is to choose a remedy suitable for eliminating a specific type of helminths.
Laundry soap against helminths
One of the options for treating parasites in the body is with regular laundry soap. It is used for washing hands after walking, going to the toilet, etc. The soapy solution kills all microbes on the skin and prevents them from getting inside the body. In the morning and after each act of defecation, it is recommended to wash the anus with laundry soap - it destroys both parasites and their eggs. With the help of the product, you can wash razors, washcloths, combs.
It is difficult to cleanse the body of unwanted guests, but it is quite possible. If you decide to use non-traditional remedies, you need to be patient and persistent, as they do not give instant results. Sometimes the course of treatment takes several weeks. In addition, to achieve the desired results, all recipes must be applied correctly and regularly.
How the infection occurs
It is not for nothing that many people do not like to touch doorknobs and pet animals on the street, because this is the fastest way to pick up parasites. Infection usually occurs by:
- Handshake;
- Household items;
- Door handles;
- Animal fur;
- Clothes, household items;
- The patient's bedding.
It is sometimes impossible to exclude all factors, because a child can pick up an infection in a kindergarten or school, just like adults in public transport and other places.
Even lovers of raw steaks and rolls can, along with the delicacy, pick up parasites that live in raw products that have undergone insufficient heat treatment.
Sometimes the symptoms of parasites in the body are found many years later, and a person does not even remember during what period he ate unwashed fruit or stroked a cat.
The main thing is prevention
This does not mean that you need to constantly get tested, but it does mean that you need to engage in prevention:
- Wash hands with soap and water more often;
- Use antibacterial wipes;
- Don't touch animals on the street;
- Do not eat unwashed vegetables and fruits and not fried fish and meat.
Those who have small children should be especially careful, because they are often carriers of various parasites that can be picked up in the sandbox, on the railing or in other places.
If a child is attending a kindergarten, then the seeding tank and the delivery of feces are mandatory, so it is not difficult to identify the disease.
Adults have a problem with that. Rarely a doctor may require you to take feces for analysis, and it is for helminths.
The patient himself should take care of this, especially those who love exotic cuisine and extreme relaxation.
If there are parasites, the symptoms can be different, but where are these or those more common?
How to prevent infection?
You must first understand how to determine the presence of parasites in the body. If the suspicions are confirmed, treatment is prescribed. You need to follow simple rules so that the situation does not repeat itself:
- Parasites in the stomach and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract end up through dirty hands. This means that you need to wash them often.
- Change of linen, bed.
- Room cleaning.
- Cleaning of products, pay special attention to vegetables, fruits. Meat and fish must be processed.
- To prevent signs of the presence of various parasites in the human body, clothes and underwear must be subjected to high-temperature processing. After washing, things are ironed with an iron.
- Water is filtered, boiled.
Thus, if the question arose of how to check for the presence of worms, an examination is carried out to diagnose helminthiasis. It is also possible to identify worms through external examination, observing the symptoms. The treatment is carried out in a comprehensive manner, but before that, the body is cleansed.