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

worms in the human intestine

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

parasitic worm from the human body

Where they can live

Adult helminths move in the body until they settle in the organs that are best for them. The parasite eggs 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 it. There are very rare forms of the disease in which worms penetrate the eyeballs and muscles.

Classification

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

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

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

The second type of human worm is the lumen. This is the most common type of disease that affects the intestines. Worms can be completely different: hookworms, roundworms, tape, whip, wide tape, pin and more.

parasitic worm of human esophagus

Stages of development

Worms in an adult can appear from completely different sources. In order for the parasite to start growing in the body, it must enter through the mouth. Worm eggs can be found in raw meat, in untreated water from tanks, in dirty hands. In this form, 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 in the human body until it finds an ideal environment for further development. If it is an intestinal parasite, then you do not need 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.

In the third stage of development, the larva transforms 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 the stages is from several hours to several days. During this period, it is important to find a good treatment for worms for a person.

Symptoms

There are not always clear signs of worms in humans. Symptoms may occur only at certain stages of the disease or may not occur at all. When an adult lives in the body, it is extremely difficult to notice, because it can confuse a condition with any other disease. Worms 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 round worm. This type of worm loves to travel and in the process of moving inside the body can get out.

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

Once the worm egg enters the mouth and stomach, it begins to grow and turn into a larva, which very quickly (in 2-3 hours) enters the circulatory system and begins to move along 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 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, then treatment for the worms will quickly help a person get rid of them.

The patient begins to cough, shortness of breath and 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 airway into the mouth, it will lay eggs to be swallowed again by the person and so they are in the gastrointestinal tract, from where the cycle will start again.

abdominal pain with worms

Phases of the course of the disease

The symptoms of worms in an adult will be different, depending on the stage of the disease. There may be two of these:

  1. Sharp
  2. Acquired.

The first phase occurs in the first days after infection, during the travel of the larvae to the body. A person may experience itching, redness of the skin and rashes. There may be a dry cough with barking with suffocating seizures. If you donate blood for tests, the result will show a significant increase in eosinophils.

The transition to the second phase shows that a person's worms are installed in the right place and exist calmly, without interfering with anyone. This is a latent stage that may not occur for several years.

A medicine for worms in a person will only help you get rid of them if an infection is accidentally detected. Men and women need to listen carefully to their bodies. By the time humans feed on the parasites, the general condition of the body will change. Metabolism suffers first of all. Moreover, the peculiarity of helminths is that, they adhere to the walls of the organs, absorb all the nutrients and minerals from the cells, thus disrupting the functionality of the affected areas.

What can be the consequences

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

Do not forget that worms also release their waste into the human gut, resulting in dysbiosis and excessive reproduction of opportunistic organisms.

The immune system suffers. Slimming, 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 are the first to suffer. If the liver is damaged, jaundice may develop. Hookworm infection leads to anemia, as this type of helminth feeds exclusively on blood. So the most important thing at any stage is to find a worm medicine for a person.

Diagnostics

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

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

Worms in human feces are the safest and fastest way to detect them. You need to do the analysis fresh, then the result will be right.

Worm tablets for human prevention

The drugs produced in our country can be divided into two groups: those that have a wide range of action and those that kill a specific type of helminth. Since there are more than 70 types of worms that infect humans, it is impossible to determine without testing which parasite is inside. Worm tablets for prophylaxis for one person should be prescribed by a doctor.

In medicine, all worms are divided into three groups:

  • nematodes?
  • Kestodes?
  • trembling.

The treatment will depend on the type of helminth that lives in the body.

a man is infected with worms by a dog

Treatment for nematodes (roundworms)

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

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

Medicines for cysts (strips)

The Kestodes are a huge number of representatives of the helminths. The most common are meningitis, hemorrhage, alveolar granulation, diaper rash, broad band and others.

Most often, drugs with a wide range of action are used, as they are also used in the treatment of roundworms. Also suitable for precaution.

Remedies for fleas (broadworms)

Representatives of this class can be listed for a very long time. Most often, the body is affected by backwardness (cat), denervation, clonorchiasis (Chinese pneumonia), pulmonary knee and others.

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

How to take pills for worms

Regardless of the type of worm that is installed 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, then everyone should receive treatment. All items in the house must be disinfected. If there are pets, then first of all you should check them as well, as our pets can be the source of the problem.

All anthelmintic drugs work in adults without touching the eggs and larvae. Therefore, the second rule sounds like this: two weeks after taking the drug, the course should be repeated. This is especially true for nail cases. These parasites are so vicious that they leave the larvae out of the body and a person can become infected again.

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

Be careful! Any medication should be taken as directed by your doctor. This is especially true for infections with flatworms and tapeworms. They are so dangerous that the treatment takes place in a hospital. When removing them, the dosage must be strictly observed, taking into account the weight and age of the patient, since the drugs are very toxic. Self-medication in such cases is unacceptable!

Prevention of worms

Mothers' disagreements about whether or not it is necessary to take pills to prevent worms never stop. Some are convinced that this is a good way to protect themselves from dangerous consequences, because children are more susceptible to infection. Others find it unnecessary and do not want to burden the body with pills they do not need.

Too often, school and preschool children are infected with pinworms. An enterobiasis test can be false negative and then a sick child, having brought parasites into a home or school, can infect everyone. The worms' eggs are transported through household items, handshakes, pet hair, door handles and other surrounding items.

The main methods of prevention include the observance of the rules of personal hygiene. It is imperative to wash your hands with soap and water after the 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 common symptoms of a worm infection. In this case, you should be tested for enterobiasis as soon as possible. Let's say the child complained at night, then in the morning you have to run to the clinic.

If the result of the first scraping is negative and the itching persists, 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 precautionary measures:

  • the presence of furry pets;
  • continuous games in the sandbox or on the ground.
  • Travel to an exotic country.
  • The father is an avid fisherman or hunter.
hand washing to prevent worm infection

Folk recipes

Think about how to remove worms from a person at home. Recipes against helminths have been known since antiquity. And despite the fact that they are successfully replaced by synthetic substances, the folk method remains proven for prevention.

Let's look at the most effective recipes.

Onions, honey, aloe juice. Onions are considered the most versatile medicine. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anthelmintic action. Mix it in equal proportions with aloe juice and honey and get a real anti-worm medicine. Take 1 teaspoon for several days before breakfast. Due to the fact that the product turns out to be sweet, children will definitely drink it.

Carrot juice. Fresh carrot contains not only a storehouse of vitamins, but also has an anthelmintic effect. By 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 recipes for how to remove worms from a person at home:

  • Finely chop or squeeze the garlic. Wrap the resulting porridge in small portions in cheese, so that something like a candle comes out. Insert into the anus at night for 10 days. Such a drug is effective against worms and is used for adults and children.
  • Garlic enemas. Another way to remove annoying neighbors from the intestines. The solution should consist of water and garlic cut into porridge in proportion. For a glass, you need to get some cloves. The procedure is repeated 2 times a week.
  • Garlic with honey. Another option for pediatric medicine. In order not to burn the garlic, it is mixed by a natural method. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day.
  • Garlic with milk. For lovers of excellent flavors, a milk-based medicine is offered. There are five crushed garlic cloves per liter of cow product. The mixture is boiled and taken in small portions before bedtime.
absinthe to remove worms from the body

Herbal decoctions

From time immemorial all medicines have been made with herbs. Mother Nature knows best how to get rid of parasitic worms. It is time to systematize this knowledge.

To prepare an herbal medicine, you must choose bitter herbs such as cloves, wormwood, thyme, reed, cumin. Prepared decoctions should be taken daily. It will take a month for the body to be completely cleansed, but the improvement appears in 2-3 weeks of the course.

Consider the most famous recipes for herbal tinctures for the treatment of worms:

  • Based on tansy. Pour boiling water over the grass in the following ratio: 100 grams of dry mixture per 150 ml of hot water. Close the lid and let it stand for 8-10 hours. You should take 30 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
  • Based on the absinthe. This herb should persist in alcohol for a week. The ratio 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.
  • Based on clove. For 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 the worm. Think about how to remove worms in humans using this product.

What is the secret? The fact that the shell of the pumpkin seeds contains a substance such as zucchini, which is deadly to worms. Therefore, you should only use unpeeled green seeds.

pumpkin seeds for worms

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

The strongest recipe is pumpkin seeds and castor oil. A portion of unpeeled seeds in the amount of 100 pieces should be consumed in the morning. Then rinse with a teaspoon of castor oil. The latter has a laxative effect to remove parasites from the body.

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

Another healthy breakfast is pumpkin seeds and garlic. First, fry the beans in a pan without fat and water until golden brown. The mixture is then poured into a blender, the garlic is added and ground into a porridge. Let it boil overnight and in the morning take a tablespoon of the mixture.