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

worms in the human intestine

Worms in humans are a rather unpleasant phenomenon that may not appear for a long time. Parasitic worms in science are called helminths. Human infection is called helminthiasis. This happens as a result of the eggs of worms entering our body. Contrary to popular belief that worms are a purely childhood disease, adults are also susceptible to a strong attack from parasites. Scientists believe that every fourth person on earth is a carrier of this disease.

parasite worm from the 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 settle there. This is the most common location. It is easy to find worms in the intestines and remove them.

In second place in popularity among worms is the liver. The lungs follow her. There are very rare forms of the disease in which worms get into the eyeballs and muscles.

Classification

Human worms are classified according to their location. There are luminal and tissue types.

Tissue 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, tapeworm, whipworm, broad tapeworm, pinworms and others.

human esophagus parasite worm

Stages of development

Worms in an adult can appear from completely different sources. For the parasite to start developing in the body, it must enter through the mouth. Worm eggs can be in raw meat, untreated water from reservoirs, on dirty hands. In this form, they enter the oral cavity, then into the stomach and then are 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 further development. If these are intestinal parasites, then you do not have to move for long. If it is pulmonary or cerebral, then the larva will move through the bloodstream until it settles in the right place.

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

The time frame for completing 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 may not appear at all. When an adult lives in the body, it is extremely difficult to notice this, because you can mistake an ailment for any other disease. Helminths can be detected randomly by donating feces for tests.

In order 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 can give itself out.

Ascaris infection can be caused by the consumption of unwashed vegetables and fruits. The parasite lays eggs on the ground and they can easily get on plants.

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

In the lung tissue, the larva grows until it becomes an adult, which will have little space, and it will have to eat the cells of the alveoli and small bronchi. At this stage, the first symptoms appear, and if the diagnosis is correctly made, then the remedy for worms will quickly help a person 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 these signs can be mistaken for a common cold.

After the adult gnaws its way through the respiratory tract into the mouth, it will lay eggs for the person to swallow them again, and so that they are in the gastrointestinal tract, from where the circle will begin anew.

abdominal pain with worms

Phases of the course of the disease

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

  1. Sharp
  2. Acquired.

The first phase appears in the first days after infection, during the travel of the larvae through the body. A person may experience itching, his skin will turn red, and rashes will appear. There may be a dry barking cough with suffocating attacks. If you donate blood for tests, 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 even for several years.

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

What can be the consequences

There are parasites that cause dangerous conditions in the body. For example, the existence of trichinella or schistosome 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 may develop. Hookworm infection leads to anemia, since this type of helminths feed exclusively on blood. So the most important thing at any stage is to find a medicine for worms for a person.

Diagnostics

Just two analyzes will help save lives. This is a general analysis of blood and feces. With an annual physical examination, the risks of missing an illness are minimal.

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

Worms in feces in humans are the surest and fastest way to detect them. You need to take the analysis fresh, then the result will be correct.

Tablets for worms for prevention for humans

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

In medicine, all worms are divided into three groups:

  • nematodes;
  • cestodes;
  • trematodes.

Treatment will depend on what type of helminth is inhabiting the body.

a man becomes 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 most often found.

The most suitable medicine in the form of suspensions or chewable tablets will be selected by a specialist.

Drugs for cestodes (tapeworms)

Cestodes are a huge number of representatives of helminths. The most common are teniarinhoses, cenurosis, alveococcosis, sparganosis, broad tapeworm and others.

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

Medicines for flukes (flatworms)

Representatives of this class can be enumerated for a very long time. Most often, the organism is affected by opisthorchosis (cat fluke), fascioliasis, clonorchiasis (Chinese fluke), pulmonary fluke and others.

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

How to take pills for worms

Regardless of what type of worm has settled in the body of an adult or a child, remember the basic and most important rule: if a worm is found in one family member, then everyone should be treated. All items in the house need to be disinfected. If there are pets, then first of all you need to check them too, since our pets can be the source of the problem.

All drugs against worms act on adults, without touching eggs and 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 outside the body, and a person can re-self-infest.

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

Be careful! Any medications must be taken as directed by your doctor. This is especially true for cases of infection with flat worms and tapeworms. They are so dangerous that the treatment is carried out in a hospital. When removing them, the dosage must 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!

Prevention of worms

Disputes of mothers 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 most susceptible to infection. Others consider it unnecessary and do not want to burden the body with pills that are not needed.

Very often, children of school and preschool age are affected by pinworms. An analysis of enterobiasis can be false-negative, and then a sick child, having brought parasites to a house or school, can infect everyone. The transfer of pinworm eggs occurs through household items, handshake, pet hair, door handle and other surrounding objects.

The primary methods of prevention include adherence to the rules of personal hygiene. It is imperative to wash your hands with soap and water after diffraction, before eating, after walking outside, 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 need to get tested for enterobiasis as soon as possible. Let's say the child complained in the evening, then in the morning you need to run to the clinic.

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

If you are characterized by one of the following statements, then you should take preventive measures:

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

Folk 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 folk method remains 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. Due to the fact that the product turns out to be sweet, children will surely drink it.

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

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

  • Finely chop or squeeze the garlic. Roll the resulting porridge in small portions into cheesecloth so that it turns out something like a candle. Insert 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 chopped into porridge in a ratio. For one 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 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 cow's product. The mixture is boiled and taken in small portions before bedtime.
wormwood for removing worms from the body

Herbal infusions

From time immemorial, all medicines were prepared with herbs. Mother Nature knows best how to get rid of parasite worms. It's time to systematize this knowledge.

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

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

  • Based on tansy. Pour boiling water over the grass in the following proportion: 100 grams of dry mixture per 150 ml of hot water. Close the lid and let stand for 8-10 hours. You need to take 30 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
  • Based on wormwood. This herb needs to be insisted on alcohol for a week. The proportion is 1: 1. For 100 grams of grass, 100 ml of alcohol. Take 25 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
  • Effective tincture on walnut shells. It must be filled with alcohol per 100 grams of dry product, 150 ml of "fire" water.
  • Clove-based. For tincture use dry unopened clove buds. Pour 100 grams of aromatic spice with a glass of boiling water and leave for at least 3 days. The daily dose of the medicine 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 worming. Consider how to remove worms in humans using this product.

What's the secret? The fact that the shell of pumpkin seeds contains a substance such as cucurbin, which is fatal to worms. Therefore, you need to use only unpeeled green seeds.

pumpkin seeds for worms

Cucurbin does not kill worms, but only paralyzes them. Adults are deprived of the ability to move, grab onto the cells of the body, suck out nutrients, which means that they will soon die naturally and be excreted through the anus of a person.

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

Mix pumpkin and honey. First, grind the seeds into porridge 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 grains are fried in a pan without fat and water until golden brown. Then the mixture is poured into a blender, garlic is added and ground into a mushy state. Let it brew overnight, and in the morning take a tablespoon of the mixture.