Helminths or worms are the common name for parasitic worms that live in the human body. Most of them live in the intestinal tract, however, some of them extend beyond the intestinal tract. Children are especially susceptible to worm infections. Due to insufficiently strong immunity, the inability to destroy parasites and a long period of latent infection, worms can cause serious harm to the child. This is mainly due to severe poisoning, allergic reactions and in some cases organ damage.
In this document we will look at the main causes of helminth infections, their types as well as the methods of treating them. This applies to both traditional and traditional medicine.
Cause of infection
First of all, it should be noted that protecting children from worm infection seems to be an almost impossible task. This applies to geohelminths and is due to their method of infection. However, there are many other types of worms with different infection mechanisms. We will discuss geohelminthiase and other worms in more detail below.
Worms developin soil and water, they then enter the human body and lay eggs there. Then, along with the feces, they return to the ground or water and the cycle repeats. When eating dirty fruits and vegetables, the risk of helminth infection is very high. Infection can also occur through dirty hands or through the skin of the feet.
Infected throughcontact with animals- is not a myth. When contacting, playing and living with animals infected with worms, the possibility of being infected with worms is unimaginable. Their eggs land on the skin or clothing, where they continue to mature and can sooner or later enter the body.
Biological helminth infections occur due toConsume unprocessed meat and fish products.Particularly dangerous are undercooked kebabs, poorly salted lard, sushi, unprocessed milk and undertreated fish. In addition to worms, when consuming these products there is also a risk of intestinal infections.
Infectionthrough insect bites- occurs rarely, since in most cases the insect lays larvae under the victim's skin. However, some types of worms are spread by insects.
With a strong immune system, the chances of contracting worms are much less. Moreover, over time, a person simply develops resistance to worms in his area. They do not have time to hatch or simply die immediately after hatching. However, when moving to new lands or when the immune system is weakened, the ability to protect against worms also weakens.
Types of worms
There are about 300 species of worms, but 70 are common. These can be divided into three broad categories:
- Nematodes or roundworms.Usually, children are infected with this worm. This species includes pinworms, whipworms, trichinella and roundworms.
- Tapeworms or cestodes.Infection with this species occurs through poorly processed meat. This species includes tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococci.
- Roundworm or trematode parasites.Most often, worms of this species cause opisthorchiasis, trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis and paragonimiasis.
In the majority of cases, worms are parasitic in the intestines, however, their eggs, along with the bloodstream, can spread throughout the body. As a result, the worms can begin to multiply in the liver, gallbladder, muscle tissue, lungs, and even the brain.
Symptom
Because worms are parasitic organisms, infection with them does not appear immediately. After all, the parasite's goal is to avoid the host's attention for as long as possible. That is why symptoms appear in case of repeated infections or after a long latent period.
Usually, the first symptoms only appear 2-4 weeks after the worm eggs enter the body. All symptoms are usually due to poisoning with helminthic waste products. In certain cases, namely when the child's immunity is weakened, helminth infections may appear earlier.
BetweenThe main signs of worms in childrencan distinguish:
- Increase appetite without gaining weight;
- Increased salivation;
- Feeling of abdominal pain, nausea and unstable stools;
- Dizziness and headache;
- The appearance of allergic reactions;
- Sleep disorders, worse sleep and increased irritability;
- Increased hair loss and splitting of nails;
- Frequent inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and genital tract.
With prolonged infection, developmental delays, dysfunction of internal organs and neurological abnormalities can be observed.
It is important to note that a strange odor in the child's mouth, stomach pain, frequent hiccups and teeth grinding at night are not signs of worm infection. These symptoms are just a myth.
Diagnostic features
With the variety of symptoms of this parasitic infection, making an accurate diagnosis is not the easiest task. First of all, you need to dostool analysisabout the presence of parasite nests. However, this is not the most reliable method. The problem is that in certain cases, in the body of a carrier of the disease there may be several individuals of the same sex that are unable to reproduce. Additionally, some species lay eggs extremely rarely, which makes it difficult to make a clear diagnosis. That is why the stool test for worms is performed three times, several days apart, because it is necessary to accurately capture the moment of parasite reproduction.
Parasitic infections may also be manifested by high eosinophil levels combined with low hemoglobin andGeneral blood test.For diagnosis, scraping for intestinal worms and examining the abdominal cavity with ultrasound or X-ray are also used. To clarify the diagnosis, doctors can use biological analysis of urine and feces, as well as immunological studies.
Once the exact type of parasite and the extent of damage caused to the body are determined, treatment can begin.
Methods of treating worms in children
Of course, the main method of treating helminths is medication. However, in certain cases, the use of traditional medicine is also allowed. It is important to remember that in most cases, folk remedies are not strong enough to cope with moderate infections, let alone severe ones. They should be used as an aid. Naturally, traditional medicine also has some limitations. These and other means will be discussed in more detail below.
Medicines
Drug treatment for helminth infections is aimed at killing the worms and reducing the level of toxins they release. When treating worms, especially in children, it is undesirable to use broad-spectrum drugs. The reality is that they are very powerful and their use, even in the correct dosage, can lead to serious problems. Furthermore, using the wrong medication can cause more harm than the parasites themselves. That is why it is important to make an accurate diagnosis and determine what type of parasite the child is infected with.
To remove toxins, vitamin complexes containing vitamins B and C, glucose solutions and water-salt infusions are used. In certain cases, antihistamines and diuretics are also used. And if the heart and liver are damaged, hormone treatment may be needed. To enhance the effect, people often use enzyme preparations that improve digestion, as well as intestinal absorbents that help remove parasite waste from the body.
Can folk remedies help?
In general, doctors do not recommend using folk remedies to treat worms. This is mainly because the power of folk remedies is often not enough to completely destroy the parasites. However, despite the fact that folk remedies cannot replace traditional methods, this does not mean that they should not be used. On the contrary, they will be an excellent complement to drug treatment. Among the most effective and safe folk remedies are the following.
Vegetable oilis an effective method against most types of helminths. The most effective are apricot, cedar and sea buckthorn oils; however, a safer choice for children would be flax oil or hemp oil. The oil should be consumed in its pure form, one teaspoon three times a day before meals. If your child refuses to eat, add it to porridge or soak bread in butter. The course of oil treatment is one week, after which you should take a break for two weeks.
Another effective treatment for helminths isPumpkin seeds. This is mainly due to the presence of cucurbitin in them, a rare amino acid that has anthelmintic effects. Pumpkin seeds can be consumed raw or made into milk. In their raw form, they are consumed in doses of 120 grams for children 3 to 7 years old, 200 grams for children 7 to 11 years old, and 300 grams for children under 13 years old. Milk from nuts can be prepared by passing 200 grams of nuts through a meat grinder, pouring two cups of boiling water over it and soaking the drink for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. Next, we filter the broth and feed it to the child throughout the day, before meals.
GarlicIt is also a popular remedy for helminths. It is commonly used to prevent parasitic infections, and also as an adjuvant for ringworm and ringworm. It is used as follows: finely chop two cloves of garlic and pour a glass of milk on top. The resulting drink is taken twice a day, a quarter of a glass, for four days.
For treatment purposes, medications are often useddouchewith herbal decoction. This is done to remove parasites from the intestinal lumen. Decoctions of wormwood, chamomile and other herbs are suitable for these purposes. You can also use a milk-garlic enema, the recipe of which was given above. When using an enema, it is important that its temperature is not lower than room temperature and that its volume does not exceed 100 ml. It is also important to increase the amount of fluid consumed in the form of mineral water or fruit juice.
Barrier methodOften used for helminthiasis caused by pinworms. Its essence is to block the lumen of the large intestine using special tampons moistened with vegetable oil or Vaseline. This is done so that adult worms do not migrate to the surface of the anus and continue to reproduce. The child's anal tract is clogged with sanitary napkins for a month. It is important to note that this method is not effective against extraintestinal forms of helminths or in severe cases of helminthiasis.
Before using any of the above methods, you should always consult and get approval from your pediatrician.
In addition to means aimed directly at combating parasites, auxiliary means can also be used. Any recipes that help improve digestion and remove toxins from the body are suitable. Substances containing lots of vitamins B and C also have good effects, you should consult your doctor before using.
Prevention of helminths in children
As we have learned, the majority of worm infections occur through the oral area. So, preventing parasitic infections mainly includesmaintain personal hygiene rules. Additionally, you should wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating, and make sure that fish, meat and dairy products have been adequately heat-treated. If you have pets, preventative antihelminthic therapy is recommended. And finally, you should keep your house clean.
In addition, there is an opinion that to prevent helminths, one should regularly use anthelmintic drugs. This opinion causes a lot of controversy in the medical field. Some doctors believe that using these drugs for prevention does not guarantee re-infection and puts additional stress on the body. This group of doctors believes that basic hygiene is enough to reduce the risk of infection. The second group of doctors believes that it is simply impossible not to use such drugs prophylactically, due to children's neglect of hygiene rules. The problem of disease prevention becomes even more acute if children are often exposed to animals on the street.
One way or another, only you can decide whether to use antihelminthics for preventive purposes or not. However, it's worth thinking about if:
- You are planning a trip to southern countries;
- The child goes to kindergarten;
- There are animals at home that visit the street;
- Children play in sandboxes or are constantly in contact with the ground;
- Children spend a lot of time in nature.