Helminths or parasitic worms behave very secretly in the human body.Symptoms of an immune reaction to parasite infection can easily be confused with the flu, food poisoning, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.And you may not be aware of the infection with a pig tapeworm, a tapeworm that reaches 3 meters in length, for the entire life span - 2-3 years.Today we will talk about helminthiasis, as well as anthelmintic drugs and why you should not take them "just for prevention".
So first let's make an introduction.Most common helminths in our area live in the intestines.However, some types of parasites can also settle in body tissues - muscles, lungs, brain, tissues of the eyeball, etc.
All helminths that parasitize the human body are divided into three categories:
- Roundworms - nematodes:roundworms, pinworms, trichinella, pinworms, etc.Nematodes are the most "populated" parasitic diseases.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people in the world are simultaneously infected with them (in total, more than two billion people are infected with various helminths).
- Fluke worms are trematodes.They affect the liver, bile and urinary tract, pancreas, intestines, lungs and blood.The most common trematodes are opisthorchiasis, schistosomiasis, clonorchiasis, fascioliasis, etc., and some of them can provoke carcinogenesis - the development of tumors.
- Tapeworms are cestodes.Currently, 3,500 of their species are known and each of them can parasitize the human body.Which cestode your body chooses depends on where you live.One of the main sources of infection with these parasites is fish that has not undergone complete heat treatment.Echinococcosis, dirofilariasis, taenia, teniarynchiasis are cestodiases 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 provoke allergies, digestive disorders and disrupt the functions of internal organs.The body is poisoned by metabolic products and decay of helminths, suffers from mechanical damage and suppression of the immune and nervous systems.
In addition, the presence of parasites:
- reduces the effectiveness of vaccines;
- complicates the course of various concomitant diseases;
- negatively affects the growth and development of children and the ability to work of adults;
- provokes a change in the intestinal biocenosis and the activation of the growth of "bad" microflora (pathogenic and opportunistic - for example, fungi of the genus Candida, which cause candidiasis).
In general, it is really necessary to treat helminthiases.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 wormwood, chenopodium oil, etc.Nowadays, synthetic substances are used for these purposes.Therefore, some obsolete drugs (the above-mentioned herbal drugs, as well as hexylresorcinol, carbon tetrachloride, etc.) are excluded from the medicinal anthelmintic nomenclature, and some remain, but are used very little (wormwood and tansy flowers, thymol, sulfur, pumpkin seeds, etc.).
Modern anthelmintics are divided into groups depending on their main effect on helminths of different classes (cestodes, nematodes, trematodes).Some medications can treat several different classes of helminths.But it is important to remember that there is no concept of "the best cure for worms" - it all depends on the type of parasite that has invaded your body.
Today, most anthelmintic drugs are produced on the basis of six main active ingredients - albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel, pyrantel, piperazine adipate and levamisole.Let's examine their properties in more detail.
Albendazole
Albendazole preparations are effective against various parasites - both intestinal and those living in other organs.In addition, the effect of this substance depends on the time at which it is taken:
- on an empty stomach, albendazole is not absorbed, but simply passes through the digestive tract, destroying intestinal parasites;
- Together with fatty foods, albendazole is absorbed and destroys parasites outside the intestines (muscles, liver, lungs, brain, other organs).
Therefore, the use of albendazole drugs must be clearly agreed with the doctor based on the diagnosis and the results of preliminary tests.
Mebendazole
Compared to albendazole, mebendazole is absorbed less intensively and its effect is mainly manifested in the gastrointestinal tract.Despite this, mebendazole can also be prescribed to fight helminths living in tissues - for example, in case of echinococcosis, when the echinococcal bladder is in such a place that it cannot be removed immediately.
According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), albendazole and mebendazole should be used for helminthiases caused by so-called soil helminths: roundworms, whipworms, hookworms.Both substances belong to the same group and have a similar effect - disruption of glucose absorption in the body of the helminth.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
Effective against trematodes (cat and lung, schistosomes).It is used for the treatment of clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, opisthorchiasis, intestinal cestodiasis (taenia, teniarynchiasis), etc.Under the influence of praziquantel, parasites disrupt the uptake of glucose by body cells, which paralyzes and kills the helminths.
Pyrantel
Pyrantel is practically not absorbed in the human body, and therefore has a targeted effect only on those helminths that have settled in the intestines.It immobilizes the worms that are sensitive to it and in this immobilized state they are eliminated from the body.
Pyrantel preparations are approved for use by children aged 6 months and older - they can be given the drug in the form of a suspension, as it is easier to dose (in the form of tablets, the drug is approved for use only from 3 years).In general, pyrantel is well tolerated, the main thing is to take it with food or immediately after it.
Piperazine adipate
This substance affects the muscle and nerve cells of nematodes and roundworms, as a result of which the parasites are paralyzed and leave the intestines naturally (along with the feces).
For ascariasis, a two-day course of taking Piperazine is usually prescribed, and for enterobiasis (leg worms) - 1-3 five-day courses with weekly breaks between them.Worms do not respond to piperazine as quickly as roundworms - they are more resistant.Between courses, it is necessary to do enemas in order to gradually remove the battalions of dead worms from the intestines.
Levamisole
Levamisole paralyzes the muscles of roundworms and worms.IMPORTANT!Drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited 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 for the action of drugs used in the treatment of alcoholism and which cause aversion to alcohol.
In general, Levamisole differs from other anthelmintics in side effects that develop more often, 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, "chemical" etc.Of course, all these side effects do not occur in every case and depend on many individual factors, but our duty is to warn you that such situations are quite possible.
Why You Shouldn't Take Deworming Medicines 'Just to Be on the Safe Side'
It is not strictly recommended to take antiparasitic drugs "just for prevention", even if you have pets at home that roam outside.The role of pets in infecting humans with parasites has been greatly exaggerated.Yes, humans and dogs have a "common" parasite - Toxocara, but in most cases people become infected with Toxocara through road dirt, which contains particles of dog excrement and, accordingly, Toxocara larvae.In addition, dogs and farm animals can be carriers of the Echinococcus parasite, which is also dangerous for humans.However, you still cannot take anthelmintics randomly.
The fact is that different drugs from 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 otherwise you cannot neutralize the worms: they are very persistent, like any other parasitic organism.Sometimes, after taking some anthelmintics, for example Dekaris, as well as when opisthorchiasis is treated, hospitalization of the patient may also be necessary.
It is worth exposing your body to "toxic attacks" only when the invasion is laboratory confirmed (tested for helminthiasis and received a positive result).
Therefore, you should not follow the path of parasitophobia, although it is constantly fed by aggressive advertising of various "miracle drugs" and horror stories on the Internet.Do not forget that the hygienic conditions in our country are, at least, far from the same in Africa, where preventive mass deworming is fully justified.The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a list of countries in which continuous helminth control is recommended.
Prevention of helminthiasis
Of course, prevention of helminth infection should be done.But what is meant here is not drug prevention.To minimize the risk of catching "uninvited guests", just try to adhere to two main rules:
- Wash your hands.The most common nematode infections in our area (toxocariasis, ascariasis, enterobiasis) and echinococcosis are not without reason called diseases of dirty hands.Therefore, however trivial it may seem, wash your hands often and thoroughly.Moreover, now, against the background of the coronavirus pandemic, this basic rule of hygiene has taken on even greater meaning.
- Maintain food hygiene.Parasite eggs can enter the body from unwashed fruit, vegetables and herbs – so rinse them well under running water.Meat and fish that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment also pose an increased risk.Parasite larvae are especially common in carp species of fish, and they can also cut you off in salted caviar at home, especially on pike, where broadhead 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 home refrigerator 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 lifestyle, and not at all the regular use of toxic drugs.So, don't get carried away with medications without special reasons, watch your diet and personal hygiene and do periodic tests.