Many of us will think about the presence of worms (helminths) after the summer holidays.
Some think that they need to be solved at all costs, others, on the contrary, believe that these parasites are even very useful for the body. Who will tell us the truth?
Surely many of you are familiar with the famous Dr. House. In one of the series, there was a case when one teacher fell ill in class. The children were scared, and the doctors did not know what was happening to her, because she was in a very difficult condition. Each doctor promoted his theory. Some thought that the patient had a tumor, others that she was suffering from inflammation of the cerebral vessels. The protagonist of the television series, Dr. House, solves this problem by finding the culprit for the teacher's suffering. It was a tape that tortured a woman. Then the teacher was prescribed a course of treatment with pills and she recovered.
Although this series may seem like a fantasy, the script of this series is done by real professionals. The real cases of worm infection are also similar to the myth, but, unfortunately, the consequences cannot always be corrected, as in the case of the series. How do we know if we are infected or not? Are we in danger or not?
About worm prevention
People, when they hear about various miraculous drugs to destroy these parasites, forget about everything just to get rid of them.
We have developed such a strong aversion to these animals that we feel bad even when we think of them. We are ready to test ourselves with the "most abnormal" drugs, drink all kinds of suspicious herbs, and even make garlic enemas.
It is very important not to overdo it with any medications and stop on time. In the case of parasitic diseases, one should be careful in choosing medicines for helminths, because without taking the right medicines we can even complicate the situation. Do not take anything for treatment! It is very important to know what you are struggling with, which medicine helps, which dose is optimal and what contraindications it has. So it could turn out to be a whole detective story in the fight against parasites.
It is known on our planet that more than 300, 000 species of helminths affect vertebrates. There are 300 species of helminths in humans (according to other sources, more than 12, 000 species). So, to treat yourself with anything, it just won’t work. Although it is good that most of them are in the tropics. Only if we do not take such "tourists" from tropical countries where we like to relax (Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Thailand).
Every region of the world is characterized by certain worms. And everyone has a different form of entering the body.
How many species of helminths exist on Earth?
Schistosomes
Africa and Asia are known for their schistosomes. And you can get infected with them very easily if you swim in a local freshwater tank or drink water from local sources. Schistosomes mainly enter the body through the genitourinary organs.
How to avoid schistosome infection?
If you do not swim in fresh water and wash yourself only with boiled water, in principle you can avoid it.
Filariasis and elephantiasis (filariasis)
You can "get acquainted" with filarias during your vacation on the islands of Fiji, Mozambique, Goa, Tahiti, but also in Egypt. The main vectors of these parasites are mosquitoes (local mosquitoes).
Filariasis is dangerous because it causes filariasis (elephantiasis) which affects the lymph nodes and is very difficult to treat.
Mosquitoes are also dangerous because they can be carriers of leishmaniasis (caused by leishmaniasis) and malaria. Leishmaniasis affects the mucous membranes and skin.
How to avoid filariasis infection?
The main rule is not to allow mosquitoes to approach you, let alone bite you. Use curtains, repellents and special mosquito nets.
When in the tropics, avoid running or walking barefoot on local trails or sandy shores. The fact is that you can catch other types of parasites this way. Various parasitic larvae often hide in the "harmless" sand, which can penetrate the body very quickly, even through the skin of the feet! So sometimes after returning from a trip you can find some kind of larva under the skin. Just like in some horror movie!
How to avoid infection with such parasites? Walk only in shoes and it is not recommended to lie on the sand or grass without a mat.
Fluke
The most dangerous food is raw fish, but also uncooked.
Butterfly is one of the many parasites that can be found in raw fish in:
- China;
- Japan.
After tasting a piece of such fish (meaning infected), after 1/2 - 1 month you may feel discomfort in the liver area, as well as a rash.
Not only is fluff transmitted in this way. Many worms are waiting for the next host to bite the raw fish. Lovers of caviar, sushi, salted and dried fish are also at risk of contracting flu.
How to avoid flu infection?
First of all, exclude from the menu all kinds of exotic raw fish dishes. If you still can’t refrain from taking such dishes, at least eat them only in good, certified restaurants.
If you buy raw fish at the market or from foreigners, then you definitely have to cook it already, otherwise you run the risk.
Trichinella and trichinosis
What do you think, no other worms? Don't be confused, we found them in other well-known products.
Europeans love blood steaks here. And here lies another danger - trichinosis.
Other helminths cannot even be compared to this, because Trichinella is one of the most dangerous! They can settle in muscle tissue and lead to death.
Apart from Trichinella, such a European dinner can "give" other parasites: pork and beef tapeworm.
How to avoid trichinosis and tapeworm infection?
Eat well-prepared meat dishes only in good restaurants.
roundworms and pinworms
Even when we eat vegetables and fruits, we must think about the fact that there is another danger of infection: roundworms and pinworms. That is why our mothers taught us to wash fruits and vegetables before eating. The threat most often comes from herbs (green), which are brought to us from the south.
How to avoid infection with roundworms and pinworms?
If you bought greens at the market, be sure to rinse it well. First, leave the grass in the water for an hour so that the helminth eggs on the leaves sink to the bottom of the pot, and only then wash each leaf individually. I like this!
Positive aspects of worms
I don't think the thought of such "pets" wandering is very warm. But let’s be optimistic, because life is beautiful.
The microcosm around us is filled with various surprises:
- bacteria,
- viruses,
- parasites.
And we have whole kilograms of such biomass and there is nothing pathological in that. We are not designed to live in an absolutely sterile environment, where we will simply die.
Some of these organisms have a positive effect, because they are involved in strengthening the immune system, the synthesis of certain vitamins, and digestion thanks to them works differently.
I don’t want to call helminths useful animals for humans, but there are those that are safe (intestinal parasites) and especially dangerous (parasites that live in other organs: lungs, liver, eyes, and even the brain! ). In this second case, everyone is thinking about how to recover quickly, because the problem is very serious.
It happens that helminths leave the body of the owner, even when he does not know about their existence in his body.
For example, you can get rid of worms with a head of garlic, or hormonal changes (in the case of pregnant women) everything is possible. If you decide to rebel against these parasites without knowing what you are fighting against, you can infuriate them. Thus, they can complicate the situation by penetrating the bile ducts and causing a liver abscess. So keep in mind that regular prevention is not always helpful! It is better to pass the control in the hospital for the presence of helminths.
Symptoms of worm infestation
How next? Worms surround us everywhere and we can get infected so easily, it is not advisable to treat them without a diagnosis, and diagnosing helminths is not an easy task. Worms hide very well in other diseases.
And what is most interesting: the bigger the helminth (there are giants that reach up to 10 meters), the calmer it behaves. Thus, it is not always possible to analyze only some symptoms, it turned out, in order to identify the correct diagnosis. You can't do without a parasitologist's examination.
Of course, no one can help you better than a doctor. Here are some cases where you need to be sure to get tested:
- during a recent vacation in different parts of the world you ate various home-made suspicious delicacies, swam in hotel pools where the water was not chlorinated, walked barefoot on the beach, lay naked on the sand, grass, touched local dogs and cats;
- you have fever, hives, redness, itching, body rash, chills, bloating and abdominal pain.
If you find out your situation, then you must visit a parasitologist.
Rules of personal hygiene so as not to get infected with worms
Food
- Let's start with the fact that in exotic countries you can only drink bottled water.
- Fruit, even if it looks very tasty, must be peeled or cooked. In simple form, their use is by no means recommended.
- Other questionable products are
- uncooked meat;
- raw fish (any shape, even marine).
- Freshly squeezed juices are also prohibited. Juice squeezing fruit does not always go through a thorough wash.
Refuse to use such products.
The beach
Don’t risk walking barefoot on sand, grass, trails in exotic countries. Use a deck chair and slippers.
Bathing
Swimming in freshwater reservoirs in India, Central Africa and South America is prohibited. There are so many parasites that even the movie "Alien" seems like a children's fairy tale compared to this one.
mosquitoes
Mosquitoes (or mosquitoes) are very dangerous parasites because they are serious carriers of many infections and helminths.
Avoid direct contact with them.
You should use repellents, wear long-sleeved clothes, sleep under a canopy.
bedding
It is strictly forbidden to dry clothes in the air in exotic countries.
The problem is that flies from tropical countries like to lay eggs on it, and when you put on swimming trunks, larvae that can cause dermatitis will hatch.
Where to do worm detection tests?
Take tests only in specialized state clinics. Suspicious institutions are not recommended to perform such tests.
One of the reasons you do not contact such clinics is the fact that they can find everything you want in them even if you have nothing.
Yes, yes, to get you hooked, I can prescribe you unnecessary treatments there. It will tell you that modern universal diagnostics sees everything, even where standard analyzes see nothing. Don’t trust charlatans and feel free to go to standard public clinics.
Now let's talk about the so-called universal diagnostics. In a case such as helminth detection, this is not possible.
If they have to urinate in the bladder, if in the intestines - then feces, if in muscle mass - then they will have to do an X-ray of the muscles, if in the liver - ultrasound.
What did you think? The positive results of such analyzes can only warn you to get rid of them as soon as possible. Take only the medication recommended by your parasitologist, because accuracy and precision are very important in this matter.
What to remember about helminths?
Theoretically, helminths can be infected almost anywhere - in the city, on vacation, in tropical countries, in the woods. But according to statistics, not everyone is infected with such cases. Those who adhere to basic hygiene rules, as a rule, reduce the risk of infection.
- The main thing is not to panic and not to take any prevention drugs, because there are no universal remedies for worms. Even earthworm tablets have their own classification according to different forms of helminths. It turns out that some pills help with some parasites, while others do not. The doctor will best determine your diagnosis and prescribe the right pills. If you take care of your pets (cats and dogs) by regularly prescribing anthelmintics and if none of the above symptoms bother you, you have no reason to worry.
- If you have any doubts about this, go to the doctor. Don't forget to tell us what you ate and where you were.
- As I have already told you, you only need to be tested in good specialized clinics. You can spend a lot of money in bad clinics, and you will not be able to be treated.
- All medications taken for prevention can only do harm. Do not use them "only for prevention", otherwise you can destroy the intestinal flora, and even "earn" toxic hepatitis. Echinococcosis is very dangerous and that is why the initiative for something like that can blow up the cyst in which the larva is located. This can be fatal.
- If you have been recommended "some dietary supplements for worms" in "some clinic", that does not mean that you will all be better. Many of these products contain toxins that can cause allergies and may not have an effect.
The most common myths about helminths
Marine fish do not contain parasites
who told you thisMost worms contain fish that have not undergone the necessary processing or that have not been cleaned immediately before freezing after being caught. This increases your chances of getting infected.
Dogs can get worms more easily than cats
Indeed, dogs have such a habit of tasting the feces of their relatives. The most dangerous helminths that can be "taken" from dogs are echinococci - very dangerous parasites of the liver and lungs. For prevention, prescribe treatment to animals 4 times a year. So dogs can be more dangerous than cats.
Only children can get worms
Did you believe? This can only be done because children are less precise, wash their hands less often and sometimes do not follow the rules of hygiene. So, hygiene rules are important for everyone!
A person infected with worms can infect others
Of course it is true. You run the risk of being close to such a "patient", but you may not know it. Therefore, wash your hands after handling just in case. You can get pinworms (enterobiasis) especially easily, because they are the most common helminths. Also, very often dirty children can infect their parents, so teach your children to follow the rules of hygiene.