Helminths or worms are the general name for parasitic worms that live in the human body. Most of them live in the intestinal tract, but some extend beyond it. Children are particularly susceptible to infection with worms. Due to insufficiently strong immunity that cannot kill parasites and a long latency period of infection, worms can cause serious harm to a child. This is primarily due to severe poisoning, allergic reactions and, in certain cases, organ damage.
In this material we will consider the main causes of helminth infections, their types, as well as methods of their treatment. This applies to both traditional and traditional medicine.
Causes of infection
First of all, it is worth noting that protecting a child from infection with worms seems to be an almost impossible task. This applies to geohelminthiasis and is due to their method of infection. However, there are other types of worms with different infection mechanisms. Below we will talk about geohelminthiases and other types of worms in more detail.
Worms developin the ground and in the waterThey then penetrate the human body and lay their eggs there. Then they return to the ground or water along with the excrement and the cycle repeats. There is a very real risk of becoming infected with geohelminths when eating dirty fruits and vegetables. Infection is also possible through dirty hands or through the skin of the feet.
infection throughContact with animals- not a myth. When in contact, playing and sharing activities with an already infected animal, there is a non-illusory chance of becoming infected with worms. Their eggs end up on the skin or clothing, where they continue to mature and sooner or later enter the body.
Infection with biohelminthosis occurs due toConsumption of inadequately processed meat and fish products.Particularly dangerous are undercooked kebabs, poorly salted lard, sushi, unprocessed milk and under-cured fish. In addition to worms, there is also a possibility of intestinal infection when consuming these products.
infectionthrough insect bites- occurs quite rarely, as insects in most cases lay their larvae under the victim's skin. However, some types of worms are spread by insects.
If you have a strong immune system, infection with worms is much less likely. In addition, over time, a person simply develops resistance to worms in their environment. They do not have time to hatch or simply die shortly after hatching. However, when moving to a new area or when the immune system is weakened, protection against worms decreases.
Types of worms
There are about 300 species of worms, but 70 species are common. These types can be divided into three broad categories:
- Nematodes or roundworms.Children are most often infected with this type of 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.
- Trematodes or random parasites.Most often, worms of this species cause opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, schistosomiasis and paragonimiasis.
In the vast majority of cases, worms parasitize in the intestines, but their eggs can spread throughout the body along with the bloodstream. As a result, worms can multiply in the liver, gallbladder, muscle tissue, lungs and even the brain.
Symptoms
Since worms are parasitic organisms, infection with them does not occur immediately. Ultimately, the parasite's goal is to avoid the host's attention for as long as possible. This is why symptoms appear either with multiple infections or after a long latency period.
Typically, the first symptoms do not appear until 2-4 weeks after the worm eggs enter the body. All symptoms are usually caused by poisoning with waste products of helminthiasis. In certain cases, especially if the child's immunity is weakened, infection with helminthiasis may occur earlier.
UnderMain symptoms of worms in childrencan be distinguished:
- Increased appetite without weight gain;
- Increased salivation;
- stomach pain, nausea and unstable stools;
- dizziness and headaches;
- The occurrence of allergic reactions;
- sleep disturbances, poorer sleep and increased irritability;
- Increased hair loss and split nails;
- Frequent inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and genitourinary tract.
With prolonged infection, developmental delays, dysfunction of internal organs and neurological abnormalities are observed.
It is important to note that a strange smell from a child's mouth, stomach pain, frequent hiccups, and grinding of teeth at night do not at all indicate a worm infection. These symptoms are just a myth.
Diagnostic functions
Given the variety of symptoms of infection with this parasite, making an accurate diagnosis is not the easiest task. First of all, you need to do the followingStool analysisfor the presence of parasite nests. However, this is not the most reliable method. The fact is that in certain cases in the carrier's body there may be several individuals of the same sex who are incapable of reproduction. In addition, some species lay eggs extremely rarely, making a clear diagnosis difficult. That is why stool tests for worms are carried out three times with an interval of several days, since it is necessary to record the exact time of parasite reproduction.
Infection with the parasite can also be indicated by high levels of eosinophils combined with low hemoglobingeneral blood test.Curettage for enterobiasis and examination of the abdominal cavity with ultrasound or X-ray are also used for diagnosis. To clarify the diagnosis, doctors can resort to biological analyzes of urine and feces as well as immunological tests.
Once the exact type of parasite and the extent of damage to the body are determined, treatment can begin.
Methods for 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 permitted. It is important to remember that in most cases, folk remedies are not strong enough to cope with moderate, let alone severe, infections. They should be used as tools. Of course, traditional medicine also has a number of limitations. These and other means will be discussed in more detail below.
Medication
Drug treatment of helminth infection is aimed at destroying the worms and reducing the amount of toxins they release. When treating worms, especially in children, the use of broad-spectrum drugs is highly undesirable. The fact is that they have a very strong effect and their use, even with the correct dosage, can lead to serious problems. In addition, the wrong medication can cause more harm than the parasites themselves. That is why it is important to make an accurate diagnosis and determine which parasites the child is infected with.
To remove toxins, vitamin complexes with vitamins B and C, glucose solutions and infusions of water-salt solutions are used. In certain cases, antihistamines and diuretics are also used. And if the heart and liver are damaged, hormone therapy may be necessary. To enhance the effect, enzyme preparations that improve digestion, as well as enterosorbents that remove waste products of parasites from the body are often used.
Will folk remedies help?
In general, doctors do not recommend using folk remedies to treat worms. This is primarily due to the fact that the effect of folk remedies is often not enough to completely kill parasites. Although folk remedies cannot be an alternative to traditional remedies, this does not mean that they should not be used. Quite the opposite: They are an excellent supplement to drug treatment. The most effective and safe folk remedies include the following.
vegetable oilsare an effective method of combating almost all types of helminths. The most effective are apricot, cedar and sea buckthorn oils; however, a safer option for children would be linseed or hemp oil. The oil should be taken in pure form, one teaspoon three times a day before meals. If your child refuses to eat it, add it to the porridge or soak the bread in butter. Treatment with oil lasts a week, after which you should take a two-week break.
Another effective treatment for helminths isPumpkin seeds. This is largely due to the presence of cucurbitin, a rare amino acid that kills worms. Pumpkin seeds can either be eaten raw or processed into milk. In raw form they are consumed in 120 grams for children aged three to seven years, in 200 grams for children aged seven to eleven years and in 300 grams for children under thirteen years old. Milk from seeds can be prepared by passing 200 grams of seeds through a meat grinder, pouring two glasses of boiling water over them and letting the drink brew in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Next, we filter the broth and feed the child with it before meals throughout the day.
GarlicIt is also a common remedy for helminthiasis. It is often used to prevent infections caused by parasites and also as an adjuvant in enterobiasis and ascariasis. It is used as follows: Finely chop two cloves of garlic and pour a glass of milk over them. The resulting drink is drunk in a quarter glass twice a day for four days.
Medications are often used for treatment purposesEnemaswith herbal decoction. This is done to flush out 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 for which is given above. When using an enema, it is important that its temperature is not lower than room temperature and its volume does not exceed 100 milliliters. It is also important to increase fluid intake in the form of mineral water or fruit juice.
Barrier methodMost commonly used for helminthiasis caused by pinworms. Its essence is to block the lumen of the large intestine with special tampons moistened with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly. This is done so that adult worms do not migrate to the surface of the anus and continue to multiply. The child's anal canal is blocked with tampons for a month. It is important to note that this method is not effective in extraintestinal forms of helminthiasis or in severe enterobiasis.
Before using any of the above methods, you should always consult your pediatrician and get their approval.
In addition to agents that are aimed directly at combating parasites, aids can also be used. Any recipes that help improve digestion and remove toxins from the body will do. Substances with a high vitamin B and C content also have a positive effect. Before use you should consult your doctor.
Prevention of helminthiasis in children
As we have already found out, in most cases the worm infection occurs through the mouth area. Therefore, prevention of parasitic infection includes first and foremostCompliance with personal hygiene regulations. In addition, you should wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating them and make sure that fish, meat and dairy products have been adequately heat treated. If you have pets, preventive anthelmintic therapy should be carried out. Finally, keep your house clean.
In addition, there is an opinion that to prevent helminthiasis, one should regularly take anthelmintics. This opinion is very controversial in the medical field. Some doctors believe that the prophylactic use of such drugs is not a guarantee of re-infection and puts additional stress on the body. This group of doctors argues that basic hygiene is enough to reduce the risk of infection. The second group of doctors believes that, given children's neglect of hygiene rules, it is simply impossible to do without the prophylactic use of such drugs. The problem of prevention becomes even more urgent if the child is in constant contact with animals visiting the street.
One way or another, only you can decide whether it is worth using drugs against worms for prevention. However, it is worth considering whether:
- Plan a trip to southern countries;
- The child attends kindergarten;
- At home there are animals that visit the street;
- Children play in the sandbox or have frequent contact with the ground;
- Children spend a lot of time in nature.