To date, scientists know about 400 types of different helminths. They are capable of parasitizing almost all organs and systems in a person and causing a wide variety of diseases.
Worms are afraid of cleanliness, so the main prevention is compliance with basic rules of hygiene
According to statistics, parasites inhabit the body of every fourth person on our planet, and almost everyone encounters some species at least once in their life. Worm prevention remains one of the most pressing issues in modern medicine. What means can be used to prevent parasites from entering the human body?
general information
Depending on the means by which the prevention of helminth diseases is carried out, it can be of the following types:
- not medicinal;
- medical or traditional;
- Home remedies.
It is difficult to say which of these directions is optimal in the fight against worms. All complement each other, so the best impact will only be achieved with an integrated approach.
Non-drug methods
If you follow fairly simple rules, you can prevent invasive forms of worms from entering the body. The latter can get into the human body in the following ways:
- with dirty food or hands;
- when consuming food that has not undergone adequate heat treatment;
- when drinking poor quality water or water from untested sources.
Several times a day after getting off the street or interacting with pets, it is recommended that you wash your hands with soap and water.
Therefore, the unspecific prevention of worms consists in the following points:
- compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
- regular change of linen;
- timely cleaning in the house;
- correct handling of food before consumption;
- the use of water that meets sanitary and hygienic standards only from trustworthy sources.
It is believed that the rules of personal hygiene in children are neglected. But this phenomenon is not uncommon for adults. Regular hand washing should be a must before eating, after using the toilet, and when returning from public places. Doorknobs, handrails, bills, and all kinds of surfaces a person touches can be contaminated with parasite eggs.
They enter the body through the mouth. This is how geohelminths are transmitted - roundworms, pinworms, whipworms, nekator, hookworm, intestinal eel. Biohelminths, which require an intermediate host for full development and reproduction, enter the body when they eat food that has undergone inferior heat treatment.
For an adult who actively consumes sushi, poorly processed salted and smoked fish, steaks with blood, the likelihood of infection with tapeworms increases. They are considered to be the longest and most dangerous of all the helminths that can inhabit the human body.
When traveling to exotic countries, you need to be extremely careful and careful. Use only bottled water for drinking. If this is not possible, water must be boiled for drinking and boiling. You can use special preparations for water purification. Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly. When eating local dishes, you need to choose those that have undergone good heat treatment.
In a house where only adults live, wet cleaning should be done at least once a week, in a children's room - twice. Soft toys should be vacuumed, the rest should be washed in soapy water.
Pets should be checked regularly by a veterinarian, followed by anti-worm medication. If the patient follows these recommendations, it is entirely possible that they will not need pill treatment.
Medical prevention
As for the prevention of worms with pharmacological drugs, the scientists here have been divided into two large groups. The former believe that pill prophylaxis is safe and effective and should be done regularly. This applies to both adults and children. The second group opposes the use of pills for prophylactic purposes. She is of the opinion that by using quite toxic drugs to prevent worms, a person will do more harm to their body. This tactic is like firing a cannon at a flock of sparrows.
Considering that tablets against worms are still pharmacological agents, have certain indications and contraindications for use, and also have a number of side effects, they should only be used with a high probability of worm infestation. It can be suspected in such cases:
- contact with an infected patient - at home, in kindergarten, at school;
- the presence of domestic animals roaming free;
- the presence of clinical signs of the disease with negative laboratory test results.
The latter case deserves special attention. Very often, taking into account the patient's complaints, doctors suspect that he has parasites, and the results of laboratory tests remain negative. In such cases, doctors recommend what is known as prophylactic treatment against worms. The main symptoms are:
- general weakness;
- Malaise;
- Irritability;
- Sleep disorder;
- Problems with intellectual activity;
- Skin manifestations of unknown origin;
- Iron deficiency anemia.
The presence of a complex of these symptoms is an indication of the appointment of a traditional medicine for the prevention of worms.
Folk tunes
Conventional medicine also offers many preventive means against helminths. Compared to traditional pill treatment, folk remedies for worms have a number of advantages. First of all, they are relatively safe for the human body. Prevention and treatment with folk remedies for worms is rarely accompanied by undesirable phenomena and usually leads to a good result.
Relative cheapness makes them available to the absolute majority of the population of our country, and their relative safety allows them to be used as prophylactic agents against worms.
Tansy has a debilitating effect on worms. It is particularly effective as a prophylactic against pinworms and roundworms. These worms have no adaptations that would help them stay in the body. To prepare an infusion of tansy, pour a tablespoon of raw materials with a glass of boiling water and insist for an hour. After that, the infusion must be filtered and drunk in one course, a tablespoon three times a day before meals.
Wormwood is effective against tapeworms, roundworms and lamblia. For treatment and prevention, alcohol tincture is used, taken 20 drops three times a day for half an hour before meals.
Another effective remedy is pomegranate. The peel of a fruit is brewed with 0. 5 liters of boiling water. The resulting product must be drunk within 1. 5 hours. After 3 hours, you must take laxative tablets.
It is recommended to use birch tar as a prophylactic against lamblia. To do this, you need to drink it within 14 days. On the first day, a drop of tar is dissolved in a spoon of honey. Then a drop is added every day, increasing the number to eight. Such courses can be held no more than every six months.
Two tablespoons of pumpkin seeds should be mixed with cranberry juice. The remedy must be drunk on an empty stomach and take a laxative after three hours. It is used against both roundworms and tapeworms.
recommendations
Both pills and folk remedies for the treatment of worms should be taken only under the supervision of specialists. The attending physician must make the final decision on the appropriateness of parasite prophylaxis. He will inform you about the possibilities against worms and help you to choose the optimal method in each case.