Helminths or parasitic worms behave very mysteriously in the human body.The symptoms of an immune reaction to an infection caused by parasites can easily be confused with the flu, food poisoning, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.And you may not know that a pig is a tapeworm, a tapeworm that reaches 3 meters, during its entire life - 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 give an introduction.The most common helminths in our area live in the intestines.However, certain types of parasites can also settle in body tissues - muscle, lung, brain, eyeball tissues, etc.
Worms that parasitize the human body can be divided into three categories:
- Roundworms - nematodes:roundworms, pinworms, trichinella, hookworms, etc.Nematodes are the most popular parasitic diseases.According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people in the world are infected with them at the same time (in total, more than two billion people are infected with various helminths).
- Fungal worms are trematodes.They affect the liver, bile 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 - the formation of tumors.
- Tapeworms are cestodes.Currently, 3,500 species are known, and all of them are capable of parasitizing the human body.Which cestodes your body chooses depends on which country you live in.One of the main sources of infection with these parasites is fish that have not undergone complete heat treatment.Echinococcosis, dirofilariasis, taeniasis, teniarynchiasis are cestodiiasis that affect not only humans but also domestic animals.
Helminths suppress immune reactions, as a result of which the body's defenses suffer even in severe infections.They cause allergies, indigestion and disrupt the functioning of internal organs.The body is poisoned by the metabolic products and decomposition of intestinal worms, it suffers from mechanical damage and suppression of the immune and nervous systems.
In addition, the presence of parasites:
- reduces the effectiveness of vaccinations;
- complicates the course of various simultaneous diseases;
- negatively affects the growth and development of children, as well as the working capacity of adults;
- it changes the intestinal biocenosis and activates the growth of "bad" microflora (pathogenic and opportunistic - for example, fungi of the Candida genus that cause candidiasis).
In general, it is really necessary to treat helminthiasis.But this must be done wisely.
Treatment of helminthiasis.Medicines against worms
Once upon a time, mainly herbal remedies were used to combat worms - male fern, cypress wormwood, chenopodia oil, etc.Today, synthetic materials are used for this purpose.Therefore, some obsolete drugs (the above-mentioned herbal drugs, as well as hexylresorcinol, carbon tetrachloride, etc.) are left out of the medical anthelmintic nomenclature, some remain, but are used in a very limited way (wort and tansy flowers, thymol, sulfur, pumpkin seeds, etc.).
Modern anthelmintics are divided into groups, depending on the main effect they have on helminths of different classes (cestodes, nematodes, trematodes).Some drugs can treat several different classes of helminths.However, it is important to remember that there is no such thing as a "best cure for worms" - it all depends on what parasite has invaded your body.
Today, most anthelmintic drugs are based on six main active ingredients - albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel, pyrantel, piperazine adipate and levamisole.Let's take a closer look at their properties.
Albendazole
Albendazole preparations are effective against various parasites - both those living in the intestinal tract and those living in other organs.In addition, the effect of this substance depends on when it is taken:
- on an empty stomach, albendazole is not absorbed, but simply passes through the digestive system, destroying the intestinal parasites;
- Together with fatty foods, albendazole is absorbed and destroys parasites outside the intestinal system (muscles, liver, lungs, brain, other organs).
Therefore, the use of albendazole drugs must be clearly agreed with the doctor based on the results of the diagnosis and preliminary tests.
Mebendazole
Compared to albendazole, mebendazole is absorbed less intensively, and its effect is mainly manifested in the gastrointestinal tract.Nevertheless, mebendazole can also be prescribed to combat helminths living in tissues - for example, in echinococcosis, when the echinococcal cyst is in a place where it cannot be immediately removed.
According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), albendazole and mebendazole should be used to treat intestinal worms caused by so-called soil intestinal worms: roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms.Both substances belong to the same group and have a similar effect - disrupting the absorption of glucose in the body of the helminth.If there is a lack of glucose, the parasite will starve to death.
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 fungi, schistosomes).Clonorchiasis, paragonimiasis, opisthorchiasis, intestinal cestodiasis (taeniasis, teniarynchiasis), etc.used for treatment.As a result of praziquantel, the parasites interfere with the glucose uptake of the body's cells, which paralyzes and kills the helminths.
Pyrantel
Pyrantel is practically not absorbed in the human body, so it only has a targeted effect on helminths settled in the intestines.It immobilizes worms that are sensitive to it, and in this immobilized state they are excreted from the body.
Pyrantel products are approved for children 6 months and older - the drug can also be administered in the form of a suspension, as it is easier to administer (the drug is only approved in tablet form from 3 years of age).In general, pyrantel is well tolerated, the main thing is to take it during or immediately after a meal.
Piperazine adipate
This substance affects the muscle and nerve cells of nematodes and roundworms, causing the parasites to become paralyzed and leave the intestines naturally (along with the feces).
In the case of ascariasis, a two-day course of piperazine is usually prescribed, and in the case of enterobiasis (pinworms) a course of 1-3 five-day courses, with weekly breaks in between.Pinworms do not react as quickly to piperazine as roundworms - they are more resistant.Enemas should be given between courses to gradually empty the battalions of dead dumplings from the intestines.
Levamisole
Levamisole paralyzes the muscles of roundworms and hookworms.IMPORTANT!It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol within 24 hours after taking Levamizol.Otherwise, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, general weakness and other unpleasant consequences can be expected.All of these are “disulfiram-like reactions”;they form the basis of the effect of drugs used in the treatment of alcoholism and which cause an aversion to alcohol.
In general, Levamisole differs from other anthelmintic drugs in the most common side effects, even if it is not mixed with alcohol.These include headache, seizures, peripheral polyneuropathy, tremors, sleep disorders and confusion.
Another characteristic side effect of Levamisole is olfactory hallucinations.Many people who have taken Levamisole have complained that for a few days after taking it, everything around them seemed to smell like bleach, smoke, "chemicals", etc.Of course, these side effects do not occur in all cases and depend on many individual factors, but our task is to warn that such situations are very possible.
Why you shouldn't take anthelmintics "just to be safe"
It is strictly not recommended to take antiparasitic drugs "just for prevention", even if there are animals at home that are walked outdoors.The role of domestic animals in infecting humans with parasites has been greatly exaggerated.Yes, humans and dogs have a "common" parasite called Toxocara, but in most cases people become infected with Toxocara through street dirt, which contains particles of dog feces and, accordingly, Toxocara larvae.In addition, dogs and farm animals can be carriers of the Echinococcus parasite, which is also dangerous to humans.However, you should still not randomly take dewormers.
The fact is that different drugs belonging to this group not only act on different helminths, but also have different contraindications and side effects.Some of these side effects can be extremely serious because many anthelmintics are toxic - because otherwise you cannot neutralize the worms: they are very tenacious like any other parasitic organism.Sometimes after taking certain anthelmintic drugs, such as Dekaris, as well as when treating opisthorchiasis, it is even necessary to take the patient to the hospital.
It is only worth exposing your body to "toxic attacks" if the invasion has been confirmed in a laboratory (tested for helminthiasis and received a positive result).
Therefore, one should not follow the example of parasitophobia, even if it is constantly fed by aggressive advertising of various "miracle drugs" and horror stories on the Internet.Let's not forget that the hygienic conditions in our country are at least far from the same as in Africa, where mass preventive deworming is fully justified.The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided a list of countries in which continuous monitoring of intestinal worms is recommended.
Prevention of helminthiasis
Of course, prevention of helminth infection should be avoided.But this does not mean drug prevention.To minimize the risk of catching "uninvited guests", simply try to follow two main rules:
- Wash your hands.The most common nematode infections in our region (toxocariasis, ascariasis, enterobiasis) and echinococcosis are not without reason called diseases of dirty hands.Therefore, as trivial as it sounds, wash your hands often and thoroughly.Moreover, now, against the background of the coronavirus epidemic, this basic hygiene rule has gained even more meaning.
- Maintain food hygiene.Parasite eggs can also enter the body from unwashed fruits, vegetables and herbs - so rinse them thoroughly under running water.Meat and fish that have undergone insufficient heat treatment also pose an increased risk.The larvae of the parasites are found especially in fish of the carp species, and they can also be found in salted caviar at home, especially in pike, where the larvae of the broad tapeworm like to settle.Raw ground meat and rare steaks may contain beef or pork tapeworm larvae.
In addition to normal heat treatment, there is another reliable method for disinfecting meat and fish - freezing.A household freezer with a temperature of -20°C is suitable for this.Keep the fish or meat there for at least two days - and you can relax: the larvae of most parasites cannot withstand such a "cold test".
As you can see, the complete prevention of helminthiasis is mostly a way of life, and not at all the regular use of toxic drugs.Therefore, do not get carried away with medicines for no particular reason, take care of your diet and personal hygiene, and have regular examinations.