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 are called helminths in science. Human infection is called helminthiasis. This happens as a result of worm eggs entering our body. Contrary to popular belief that worms are exclusively a childhood disease, adults are also susceptible to a strong attack by parasites. Scientists believe that every fourth person on Earth is a carrier of this disease.

a parasitic worm from the human body

Where can I live

Adult helminths move through the body until they settle in the organs that are best for them. The eggs of the parasite enter the intestines and are deposited 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. Her lungs follow. There are very rare forms of the disease in which worms enter the eyeballs and muscles.

Classification

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

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 worm is luminal. This is the most common type of disease that affects the gut. Worms can be completely different: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, whips, broadworms, pinworms and others.

human parasitic esophageal worm

Stages of development

Worms in an adult can come from completely different sources. In order 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 a tank, on dirty hands. In this form they enter the oral cavity, then the stomach and are then absorbed in the intestines.

Already in the stomach, the larva hatches from the egg and begins its journey through the human body until it finds the ideal environment for further development. If it is an intestinal parasite, then you do not have to move for a long time. 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 turns into an adult helminth, which feeds on vitamins and minerals intended for the human body. The parasite lays eggs again and multiplies at a very high rate.

The time frame for the completion of all phases is from a few hours to a few days. During this period, it is important to find a good worm cure for the person.

Symptoms

There are not always clear signs of worms in humans. Symptoms may appear only in certain periods of disease development, and may not appear. When an adult lives in the body, it is extremely difficult to notice, because you can replace a disease with any other disease. Helminths can be detected at random by donating feces for tests.

To imagine what happens in the body, consider the example with the life cycle of a roundworm. This type of worm likes to travel and can be released in the process of moving through the body.

Ascarid infection can be caused by eating unwashed vegetables and fruits. The parasite lays eggs on the ground and they can easily reach the plants.

Once the worm egg enters 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 with little blood flow. His target is the lungs.

The larva grows in the lung tissue 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 the worm medicine will quickly help the person to get rid of them.

The patient begins to cough, has difficulty breathing, and the body temperature rises. In rare cases, an allergic rash occurs. This is how worms appear in humans. Symptoms and treatment will depend on the stage of development, as all of these signs can be mistaken for the common cold.

After the adult bites the path through the airways into the mouth, he will lay eggs for the person to swallow again, and so that they are in the gastrointestinal tract, from where the circle will start again.

abdominal pain with worms

Phases of the disease course

The symptoms of worms in an adult will be different, depending on at what stage of the disease. There can be two of them:

  1. Sharp
  2. Acquired.

The first phase occurs in the first days after infection, during the larvae 's journey through the body. The person may feel itchy, his skin will turn red and a rash will appear. A dry barking cough with choking attacks may occur. If you donate blood for tests, the result will show a significant increase in eosinophils.

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

A remedy for worms in a person will help to get rid of them only if an infection is accidentally detected. Men and women should listen carefully to their bodies. During the months that people will feed on parasites, the general condition of the organism will change. First of all, the metabolism suffers. After all, the peculiarity of helminths is that, attaching to the walls of the organs, they suck all the nutrients and minerals from the cells, which disrupts 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 schistosomes leads to anemia and vitamin deficiency.

Remember that worms also release their waste products into the human gut, which leads to the development of dysbiosis and over-reproduction of opportunistic organisms.

The immune system suffers. She weakens, allergies appear. The 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. Ankylostomide infection leads to anemia, because this type of helminth feeds exclusively on blood. So, the most important thing at any stage is to find a cure for worms for a person.

Diagnosis

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 the disease are minimal.

There will be such changes in the blood: leukocetosis - a shift of the leukocyte formula 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 have to take a fresh analysis, then the result will be accurate.

Earthworm prevention tablets for humans

Drugs produced in our country can be divided into two groups: those that have a broad spectrum of action and those that kill a particular type of helminth. Since there are more than 70 species of worms that infect humans, it is impossible without tests to determine which parasite has entered. Earthworm tablets for prophylaxis for a person should be prescribed by a doctor.

In medicine, all worms are divided into three groups:

  • nematodes;
  • cestodes;
  • trematode.

Treatment will depend on what type of helminth inhabits the body.

a man is infected with worms from a dog

Remedy for nematodes (roundworms)

This species includes: pinworms, roundworms, trichinae, vagoslava, toxocara. In children and adults, the first two representatives are most common.

The most suitable medicine in the form of a suspension or chewable tablet will be chosen by a specialist.

Medicines for cestodes (tapeworms)

Cestodes are a large number of helminth representatives. The most common are teniarinchiasis, cenurosis, alveococcosis, asparagus, broad tapeworm and others.

Broad-spectrum drugs are most commonly used, as 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. The organism is most often affected by opisthorchiasis (feline fluke), fascioliasis, clonorchiasis (Chinese fluke), pulmonary fluke, etc.

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

How to take earthworm tablets

No matter what type of worm has settled in the body of an adult or a child, remember the basic and most important rule: if the worm is found in one member of the family, then everything should be treated. Everything in the house should be disinfected. If there are pets, then you must first check them as well, because our pets can be a source of problems.

All anthelmintic drugs act on adults, not touching eggs and larvae. Therefore, the second rule sounds like this: two weeks after taking the medicine, the course must be repeated. This is especially true in cases of pinworms. These parasites are so cunning that they leave the larvae out of the body, and a person can re-infect themselves.

It is recommended to take the tablets in the morning, and make an enema for cleansing in the evening.

Be careful! Any medication must be taken as directed by your doctor. This is especially true for flatworm and tapeworm infections. They are so dangerous that treatment is carried out in a hospital. When removing them, the dosage must be strictly adhered to, with the calculation of the patient's weight and age, because the drugs are very toxic. Self-medication in such cases is unacceptable!

Worm prevention

Mothers' disputes over whether it is necessary to take worm prevention pills or not never stop. Some are convinced that this is a good way to protect themselves from dangerous consequences, as children are most susceptible to infection. Others think that it is unnecessary and do not want to burden the body with pills that are not needed.

Very often, school and preschool children are affected by pinworms. An enterobiasis test can be false negative and then a sick child, who has brought the parasites into the house or school, can infect anyone. Pinworm egg transmission occurs through household items, handling, pet hair, door handles, and other surrounding items.

Primary methods of prevention include adherence to the rules of personal hygiene. It is mandatory to wash your hands with soap and water after diffraction, before meals, after walking outside or visiting public places.

What if a child complains of itching in the anus? This is one of the most pronounced symptoms of pinworm infection. In that case, you need to get tested for enterobiosis as soon as possible. Let’s say a child complained in the evening and 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 precautionary measures:

  • the presence of furry pets;
  • constant games in the sandstone or the ground;
  • a trip to an exotic country;
  • the father is an avid fisherman or hunter.
washing hands to prevent worm infection

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 by synthetic substances, the folk method remains proven for prevention.

Consider the most effective recipes.

Onion, 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 you get a real worm remedy. Take 1 teaspoon a few days before breakfast. Due to the fact that the product turns out sweet, children will definitely drink it.

Carrot juice. Fresh carrots not only contain a storehouse of vitamins, but also have 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 some unpleasant disease.

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

  • Finely chop or squeeze the garlic. Roll the resulting porridge in small portions into gauze 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 both adults and children.
  • Enema with garlic. Another way to remove annoying neighbors from the gut. The solution should consist of water and garlic chopped into a porridge in proportion. For one glass you need to take a few cloves. The procedure is repeated 2 times a week.
  • Garlic with honey. Another option for a medicine for a child. To prevent the garlic from burning, it is mixed by a natural method. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day.
  • Garlic with milk. For fans of unusual taste, there is a milk-based medicine on offer. There are five crushed garlic cloves per liter of cow's product. The mixture is boiled and taken in small portions before bedtime.
wormwood to remove worms from the body

Herbal infusions

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

To prepare an herbal remedy, you need to choose bitter herbs 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 the improvement comes 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 ratio: 100 grams of dry mixture to 150 ml of boiling water. Close the lid and let it stand for 8-10 hours. It is necessary to take 30 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
  • Wormwood-based. This plant should be insisted on alcohol for a week. The ratio is 1: 1. 100 ml of alcohol per 100 grams of grass. Take 25 drops dissolved in a glass of water.
  • Effective tincture of walnut shells. It must be filled with alcohol per 100 grams of dry product, 150 ml of "fire" water.
  • Clove-based. Use dry unopened clove buds for tincture. Pour 100 grams of aromatic spice with a glass of boiling water and leave 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 against worms. Consider how to remove worms in humans with this product.

what's the secretThe fact that the shell of the pumpkin seeds contains a substance such as cucurbin, which is fatal to worms. Therefore, you should only use unpeeled green seeds.

pumpkin seeds for earthworms

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

The most powerful recipes are pumpkin seeds and castor oil. In the morning, one portion of unpeeled seeds should be eaten in the amount of 100 pieces. Then rinse it 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 a 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 recommended to repeat 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 to a pulpy state. Leave it to cook overnight, and take a spoonful of the mixture in the morning.