Helminths or parasitic worms behave very stealthily in the human body.Symptoms of an immune response to a parasite infection can easily be confused with the flu, food poisoning, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.And you may not know that the infection with the pig worm, a 3-meter long tapeworm, lasts a lifetime - 2-3 years.Today we will talk about helminthiasis, as well as anthelmintic drugs and why you should not take them "only for prevention".
So first, let's give an introduction.Most of the helminths common in our area live in the intestines.However, some types of parasites can also settle in body tissues - muscles, lungs, brain, eyeball tissue, etc.
All helminths that parasitize the human body are divided into three categories:
- Roundworms - nematodes:Roundworms, pinworms, trichinella, hookworms, etc.Nematodes are the most "popular" parasitic diseases.According to the data of the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a billion people in the world are sick at the same time (in total, more than two billion people are infected with various helminths).
- Fluke worms are trematodes.They damage the liver, biliary and urinary tracts, pancreas, intestines, lungs and blood.The most common trematodes are opisthorchiasis, schistosomiasis, clonorchiasis, fascioliasis, etc.And some of them can provoke carcinogenesis - tumor development.
- Tapeworms are cetodes.Currently, 3500 of their species are known and each of them can parasitize the human body.Which cestode your body chooses depends on which country you live in.One of the main sources of infection with these parasites is fish that has not undergone complete heat treatment.Echinococcosis, dirofilariasis, taeniasis, taeniarhynchiasis are cestodiasis that affect not only humans, but also domestic animals.
Helminths suppress immune reactions, as a result of which the body's defense suffers even from severe infections.They cause allergies, digestive disorders and disrupt the functions of internal organs.The body is poisoned by metabolic products and decay of helminths, undergoes mechanical damage and suppresses the immune and nervous systems.
In addition, the presence of parasites:
- reduces the effectiveness of vaccination;
- complicates the course of various concomitant diseases;
- negatively affects the growth and development of children and the working capacity of adults;
- Causes a change in the intestinal biocenosis and activation of the growth of "bad" microflora (pathogenic and opportunistic - for example, fungi of the genus Candida, which cause candidiasis).
In general, the treatment of helminthiasis is really necessary.But you have to do it wisely.
Treatment of helminthiasis.Medicines for worms
Once upon a time, mainly herbal remedies were used to fight worms - male fern, cypress worm, oil of cenopodium, etc.Nowadays, synthetic substances are used for this purpose.Therefore, some outdated drugs (the above-mentioned herbal preparations, as well as hexylresorcinol, carbon tetrachloride, etc.) are excluded from the medicinal anthelmintic nomenclature, while others remain, but are used in a very limited way (wormwood and tansy flowers, thymol, sulfur, pumpkin seeds, etc.).
Modern anthelmintics are divided into groups according to their main effect on different classes of helminths (cestodes, nematodes, trematodes).Some medications can treat several different classes of helminths.But it is important to remember that there is no such thing as "the best medicine for worms" - it all depends on what kind of parasite has invaded your body.
Today, most anthelmintics are produced based on six main active ingredients - albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel, pyrantel, piperazine adipate and levamisole.Let's consider their features in more detail.
Albendazole
Albendazole drugs are effective against various parasites - both intestinal and living in other organs.Moreover, the effect of this substance depends on the time at which it was taken:
- Albendazole is not absorbed on an empty stomach, but simply passes through the digestive tract, destroying intestinal parasites;
- Along with fatty food, albendazole is absorbed and destroys parasites outside the intestines (muscles, liver, lungs, brain, other organs).
Therefore, the use of albendazole drugs should be clearly agreed with the doctor based on the diagnosis and the results of preliminary examinations.
Mebendazole
Compared to albendazole, mebendazole is less intensively absorbed and its action is mainly manifested in the gastrointestinal tract.Despite this, mebendazole can also be prescribed to fight helminths living in tissues - for example, in echinococcosis, when the echinococcal cyst is in such a place that it cannot be removed in time.
According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), albendazole and mebendazole should be used in helminthiasis caused by so-called soil helminths: roundworms, whipworms, worms.Both substances belong to the same group and have a similar effect - disruption of glucose absorption in the helminth's body.If there is a lack of glucose, the parasite dies of starvation.
The drugs albendazole and mebendazole are not "budget", but they are valuable because they have relatively few possible side effects.
Praziquantel
It is effective against trematodes (cat and lung goiter, schistosomes).It is used for the treatment of clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, opisthorchiasis, intestinal cestodiasis (taeniasis, tenyarynchiasis).Under the influence of praziquantel, parasites disrupt the absorption of glucose by body cells, which paralyzes and kills helminths.
Pyrantel
Pyrantel is practically not absorbed by the human body and, therefore, has a targeted effect only on those helminths that have settled in the intestines.It immobilizes worms sensitive to it, and in this immobile state they are expelled from the body.
Pyrantel drugs are approved for use by children 6 months and older - they can give the drug in the form of a suspension, because it is easier to dose (in the form of a tablet, the drug is approved for use only from 3 years old).In general, pyrantel is well tolerated, the main thing is to take it with or immediately after food.
Piperazine adipate
This substance affects the muscle and nerve cells of nematodes and roundworms, as a result of which the parasites become paralyzed and leave the intestines naturally (with feces).
In case of ascariasis, a two-day course of taking piperazine is usually prescribed, and in case of enterobiosis - 1-3 five-day courses with one-week breaks in between.Worms do not react to piperazine as quickly as roundworms - they are more resistant.Between courses, it is necessary to do enemas so that battalions of dead worms gradually come out of the intestines.
Levamisole
Levamisole paralyzes the muscles of roundworms and worms.Important!It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol within 24 hours after taking Levamisole.Otherwise, expect dizziness, rapid heartbeat, general weakness and other unpleasant consequences.These are all "disulfiram-like reactions";They are the basis of the action of drugs used to treat alcoholism and cause aversion to alcohol.
In general, levamisole differs from other anthelmintics in the most frequently developed side effects, even if it is not mixed with alcohol.These include headache, seizures, peripheral polyneuropathy, tremors, sleep disturbances, and confusion.
Another characteristic side effect of levamisole is olfactory hallucinations.Many people who took levamisole complained that for a few days after taking it, everything around them seemed to smell like bleach, smoke, "chemicals", etc.Of course, not all of these side effects occur in all cases and depend on many individual factors, but our job is to warn you that such situations are quite possible.
Why You Shouldn't Take Deworming Medicine 'Just to Be Safe'
It is strongly not recommended to take antiparasitic drugs "just for prevention", even if you have animals at home that go outside.The role of pets in infecting humans with parasites is greatly exaggerated.Yes, humans and dogs have a "common" parasite - Toxocara, but in most cases people become infected with Toxocara through street dirt, which contains particles of dog excrement and, therefore, Toxocara larvae.In addition, dogs and farm animals can be carriers of Echinococcus, a parasite dangerous to humans.However, you still cannot accidentally take anthelmintics.
The fact is that different drugs of this group not only act on different helminths, but also have different contraindications for use, as well as different side effects.Some of these side effects can be extremely severe because many anthelmintic drugs are toxic - because the worms cannot be neutralized otherwise: they are very resistant, like any other parasitic organism.Sometimes, after taking certain anthelmintics, for example, Decaris, as well as in the treatment of opisthorchiasis, it may be necessary to hospitalize the patient.
It is worth revealing the "toxic attacks" of your body only when the invasion is confirmed in the laboratory (checked for helminthiasis and received a positive result).
Therefore, you should not follow parasitophobia, despite the fact that it is constantly fed by aggressive advertising of various "miracle drugs" and Internet horror stories.We must not forget that the hygienic conditions in our country, at least, are far from the same as in Africa, where mass preventive deworming is fully justified.The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a list of countries in which helminth control is recommended.
Prevention of helminthiasis
Of course, prevention of helminth infection should be carried out.But this is not about drug prevention.To reduce the risk of catching "uninvited guests", just try to follow two basic rules:
- Wash your hands.The most common nematode infections in our region (toxocariasis, ascariasis, enterobiasis) and echinococcosis are not called dirty hands for no reason.Therefore, no matter how trivial it sounds, wash your hands often and thoroughly.Moreover, now, in the light of the coronavirus pandemic, this basic rule of hygiene has acquired even greater importance.
- Follow food hygiene.Parasite eggs can enter the body from unwashed fruits, vegetables and herbs - so rinse them well under running water.An increased risk is meat and fish that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment.Parasite larvae are especially common in carp and can also be found in salted caviar, especially pike, where broad tapeworm larvae like to settle.Raw ground beef and rare steaks may contain beef or pork tapeworm larvae.
In addition to normal heat treatment, there is another reliable way to disinfect meat and fish - freezing them.A household freezer with a temperature of -20°C is suitable for this.Keep fish or meat there for at least two days - and you can be sure: the larvae of most parasites cannot withstand such a "cold test".
As you can see, the complete prevention of helminthiasis is mainly a way of life, and not at all the regular use of toxic drugs.So, do not take medicines without special reasons, watch your diet and personal hygiene, and get tested periodically.