Many of us, after a summer vacation, will think about the presence of worms (helminths).
Some people think that it is necessary to get rid of them at any cost, 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 know the famous Dr. House. In one of the series there was a case where a teacher got sick right in class. The children were frightened, and the doctors did not know what was happening to her, because she was in a very serious condition. Each doctor promoted his theory. Some thought the patient had a tumor, others that she was suffering from inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain. The protagonist of the TV series, Dr. House himself, solves this problem by finding the culprit for the teacher's troubles. It was a movie that tortured women. The teacher then prescribed pill treatment and recovered.
Although this series may seem like a fantasy, the script of this series is made by real professionals. The actual cases of worm infection also look like a myth, but, unfortunately, the consequences can not 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 the prevention of worms
People, when they hear about various miraculous cures for the destruction of these parasites, forget everything just to get rid of them.
We have developed such an intense aversion to these animals that even when we think about them, it gets bad. We are ready to try ourselves even with the most "abnormal" medicines, to drink all kinds of dubious herbs and even to make garlic enemas.
It is very important not to overdo it with any medication and to stop it in 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. This can prove to be an entire police history of pest control.
On our planet, more than 300, 000 species of helminths are known to affect vertebrates. There are 300 species of helminths in humans (according to other sources, more than 12, 000 species). So to be treated with anything just will not work. Although it is good that most of them are located 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 in the world is characterized by specific worms. And everyone has a different form of entry into the body.
How many species of helminths are there on Earth?
Schistosomes
Africa and Asia are famous for their schismatics. And you can get infected from them very simply if you swim in a local fresh water tank or drink water from local springs. Schistosomes mainly enter the body through the urogenital organs.
How to avoid schistosomiasis?
If you do not swim in fresh water and wash only with boiling water, in principle, you can avoid it.
Filari and elephantiasis (filariasis)
You can also "meet" with friends during your holidays in Fiji, Mozambique, Goa, Tahiti, but also in Egypt. The main carriers of these pests are mosquitoes (local mosquitoes).
Filars are dangerous because they cause 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 infection with petals?
The basic rule is not to let mosquitoes get close to 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 this way you can catch other types of parasites. In the "harmless" sand are often hidden various parasitic larvae, which can very quickly penetrate the body even from the skin of the feet! So sometimes after returning from a trip, you can find some kind of larva under the skin. Like in a horror movie!
How to avoid infection with such parasites? You only walk with shoes and it is not recommended to lie on the sand or grass without a mat.
Unexpected succes
The most dangerous food is raw fish and also uncooked.
The inflatable is one of the many parasites that can be found in raw fish in:
- China;
- Japan.
After tasting a piece of such fish (means infected), after 1/2 - 1 month you may feel unpleasant feelings in the liver area, as well as a rash.
This does not just transmit the swelling. Many worms wait for the next host to bite a raw fish. Lovers of caviar, sushi, salted and dried fish are also at risk.
How to avoid inflammation infection?
First of all, exclude from the menu any kind of exotic dishes from raw fish. If you still can not avoid getting such dishes, at least eat them only in good, certified restaurants.
If you buy raw fish in the market or from strangers, then you must definitely cook it already, otherwise you risk it.
Trichinella and trichinosis
What do you think, there are no other worms? Make no mistake, we found them in other well-known products.
Here Europeans love bloody steaks. And here is another danger - hair loss.
Other helminths can not even compare with this, because Trichinella is one of the most dangerous! They can settle on muscle tissue and lead to death.
In addition to trichinella, such a European dinner can "give" other parasites: pork and beef ribs.
How to avoid hair and tapeworm infection?
Eat well-prepared meat dishes only in good restaurants.
round worms and worms
Even when eating vegetables and fruits, we need to think about the fact that there is another threat of infection: roundworms and pinworms. That's why our mothers taught us to wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Most of the time, the threat comes from spicy herbs (herbs), which bring us from the southern regions.
How to avoid infection with roundworms and worms?
If you bought grass in the market, then 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 separately. Like this!
Positive aspects of worms
I think the thought that such "pets" roam is not very warm. But let us be optimistic, because life is beautiful.
The microcosm around us is full of all kinds of surprises:
- bacteria,
- viruses,
- parasites.
And we contain whole kilos of such biomass and there is nothing pathological in it. We are not designed to live in a completely sterile environment, where we will simply die.
Some of these organisms have a positive effect, because they are involved in improving immunity, in the synthesis of certain vitamins and digestion works differently thanks to them.
I do not want to call helminths useful animals for humans, but there are those that are safe (intestinal parasites) and particularly dangerous (parasites that live in other organs: lungs, liver, eyes, and even the brain! ). In the latter case, everyone is thinking about how to recover quickly, because the problem is very serious.
It happens that the helminths leave the body of the owner, even when he is not aware of their existence in his body.
For example, you can get rid of worms with a head of garlic or through hormonal changes (in the case of a pregnant woman) everything is possible. If you decide to go it cheap and risk the low bandwidth you are only fooling yourself. Thus, they can complicate the condition by penetrating the bile ducts and causing liver abscess. So keep in mind that regular prevention is not always helpful! It is best to get tested at the hospital for the presence of helminths.
Symptoms of a worm infestation
How do I proceed? Worms surround us everywhere and, thus, we can easily become infected, their treatment without diagnosis is not recommended and the diagnosis of helminths is not an easy task. Worms are very good at disguising themselves as other diseases.
And the 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 certain symptoms, as it turns out, to make the correct diagnosis. You can not do without a parasitologist examination.
Of course, no one can help you better than a doctor. Here are some things to look for when selecting yours:
- During recent vacations in various parts of the world, you ate various dubious local 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 high fever, urticaria, redness, itching, body rash, chills, bloating and abdominal pain.
If you find out about your condition, then you should see a parasitologist.
Personal hygiene rules to avoid getting infected by worms
Food
- Let's start with the fact that in exotic countries you can only drink bottled water.
- The fruit, even if it looks very appetizing, must be peeled or boiled. In simple form, their use is not recommended in any case.
- Other questionable products are
- uncooked meat;
- raw fish (of any form, even sea).
- Freshly squeezed juices are also prohibited. Fruit juice does not always go through a thorough washing process.
Refuse to use such products.
Beach
Do not risk walking barefoot on sand, grass, paths in exotic countries. Use sunbeds and slippers.
bathroom
Swimming in freshwater reservoirs in India, Central Africa and South America is prohibited. There are so many parasites that even the movie "Alien" looks like a children's fairy tale compared to them.
mosquitoes
Mosquitoes (or mosquitoes) are very dangerous parasites because they are serious carriers of many infections and helminths.
Avoid direct contact with them.
You must use repellents, wear long-sleeved clothes, sleep under the canopy.
linen
It is strictly forbidden to dry clothes in the air in exotic countries.
The problem is that flies from tropical countries love to lay eggs in it, and when you wear swimming pools, larvae will hatch which can cause dermatitis.
Where to test for worms?
Examine only at specialized government clinics. Doubtful institutions are not recommended to do such tests.
One of the reasons for not contacting such clinics is the fact that they can find anything you want even if you have nothing.
Yes, yes, to stick with you, they may prescribe unnecessary treatments there. They will tell you that modern universal diagnosis sees everything, even where standard analyzes see nothing. Do not believe the charlatans and do not hesitate to go to the standard public clinics.
Now let's talk about the so-called universal diagnostics. In such a case as the detection of helminths, this is not possible.
If they have to urinate in the bladder, if in the intestines - after feces, if in the muscle mass - then they have to do an x-ray of the muscles, if in the liver - an ultrasound.
What did you think? The positive results of such analyzes can only alert you to eliminate them as soon as possible. You only take the medicines that the parasitologist advises you, because accuracy and precision are very important in this matter.
What should we remember about helminths?
Theoretically, helminths can be infected almost anywhere - in the city, on vacation, in tropical countries, in the forest. But as the statistics say, even in such cases, not everyone is infected with them. Those who follow the basic rules of hygiene, as a rule, reduce the risks of infection for themselves.
- The main thing is not to panic and do not take any medicine for prevention, because there are no universal treatments for worms. Even worm tablets have their own classification according to different forms of helminths. It turns out that some pills help some parasites, while others do not. Your doctor will better determine your diagnosis and prescribe the right pills. If you take care of your pets (cats and dogs) by prescribing regular anthelmintic drugs and if none of the symptoms mentioned above bother you, then you have nothing to worry about.
- If you have any doubts about this, then go to the doctor. Do not forget to tell us what you ate and where you were.
- As I told you before, you should only get tested in good specialized clinics. In bad clinics, you can spend a lot of money and you will not be able to receive treatment.
- Any medications taken for prevention can only do harm. Do not use them "only for prevention", otherwise you can destroy the intestinal flora and even "win" toxic hepatitis. Echinococcosis is very dangerous and therefore the initiative for something like this can blow up the cyst where the larva is located. This can be fatal.
- If you have been referred to "some worm food supplements" at "some clinic", this does not mean that you will all get better. Many of these products contain toxins that can cause allergies and may not work.
The most common myths about helminths
Marine fish do not contain parasites
Who told you that? Most of the worms contain fish that have not undergone the necessary treatment or that, after catching, have not been cleaned immediately before freezing. This increases your chances of getting infected.
Dogs can catch worms more easily than cats
Indeed, dogs have such a habit of tasting the feces of their relatives. The most dangerous helminths that can "get" from dogs are echinococci - very dangerous parasites of the liver and lungs. For prevention, prescribe a course of treatment to animals 4 times a year. So dogs can be more dangerous to it than cats.
Only children can catch worms
Did you believe? This can only be seen because children are less expensive, wash their hands less often and sometimes do not follow the rules of hygiene. Hygiene rules are therefore important for everyone!
A person who has been infected with worms can infect others
Of course it is true. Being close to such a "patient" you take risks, but you may not even know it. So after a handshake, wash your hands just in case. You can be particularly easily infected with pinworms (enterobiosis) 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.