How to recognize and remove worms from the body
Helminthiasis, as a rule, is associated with childhood, when a child does not yet understand how important personal hygiene is for health. However, with the development of modern medicine, parasite infestation is difficult to prevent for sure in both children and adults. Sometimes, we do not even realize that dangerous guests have settled in our body, the course of the disease can be erased, and the symptoms resemble signs of other ailments. It should be remembered that worms can cause severe poisoning and affect the functioning of any organ, therefore it is so important to timely detect helminthiasis and begin to fight it.
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Symptoms of worms in humans
At the initial stage of body poisoning parasites the disease does not have a clearly pronounced clinical picture, the symptoms can be confused with another ailment, for example, associated with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. With a large accumulation of worms or their reaching a significant size, other general signs are added that indicate the settlement of uninvited guests:
- poor appetite or, on the contrary, an unreasonable desire to eat everything (especially sweets) - Feeling of bitterness in the mouth, profuse salivation;
- vomiting, nausea;
- bruxism (teeth grinding at night);
- bloating, bubbling, flatulence;
- sharp pains in the abdomen, localized near the umbilical cavity;
- bowel disorder, which manifests itself in an alternation of constipation and diarrhea;
- a constant desire to scratch the anus;
- muscle cramps, drowsiness, an increase in body temperature up to 37 degrees;
- intoxication of the body can manifest itself in various allergic reactions, rashes, itching, nails and hair become more brittle and fall out;
- a large accumulation of helminths causes iron deficiency, weight loss, sometimes obesity occurs as a protective reaction of the body;
- if the larvae of parasites enter the lungs and upper respiratory tract, a dry, exhausting cough appears, a prolonged runny nose that can cause the development of pneumonia;
- in children infected with worms, intoxication manifests itself in the form of malfunctions from the nervous system - irritation, lethargy, loss of strength, deterioration of attention and memory, restless sleep;
- a general decrease in immunity - frequent colds from the slightest draft, flowing into serious chronic ailments.
Modern medicine associates the phenomenon of parasitic invasion with the development of various types of tumors. Patients infected with helminths are at risk for cancer, since the destructive activity of parasites affects the development of inflammatory processes and damage to the intestinal mucosa, on the functioning of which, as you know, the general state of human health depends. 
Causes of worms in humans
Helminths, or worms among the people, are able to settle in the body of animals and humans, at the moment there are more than a hundred of their species. Some are relatively safe and do not pose a serious threat to life and health, others require immediate attention to a specialist.
The most common types of helminths:
- Pinworms are tapeworms, ranging in size from 5 mm to 1 cm in length. The first symptoms of penetration can be noticed within a few hours, when the female lays an egg, which causes unbearable itching in the anus, as well as abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea. Children who neglect the rules of hygiene are most exposed to infection.
- Roundworms are larger parasites (10-40 cm), usually settle in the intestines and their life cycle is about a year. During this time, depending on individual characteristics, a person may feel both a slight malaise and more serious symptoms of invasion.
- Vlasoglav got its name from its long and thin body (up to 4 cm), with its sharp "tail" it affects the mucous membranes intestines sucking blood.
- Trachinella is another type of helminth that gets to humans with food, for example, when eating meat of wild and domestic animals that has not been sufficiently heat-treated. With the blood flow, the larvae of the parasites spread throughout the body and cause severe poisoning and damage to organs and systems. In severe cases, it can cause death.
- Giardia, unlike other tapeworms, are incomparably small in size, however, they cause no less harm, especially with regard to children. Helminth sticks to the intestinal walls, depriving a person of many vital substances. It gets through contaminated water, fruits and vegetables, household items.
- The liver fluke is a type of flatworm. Infection with them is possible when eating river fish, which causes a dangerous disease of opisthorchiasis.
- Bovine and pork tapeworm are the largest of the helminths, their length reaches 10 meters. It is quite easy to expel the parasite from the body, but if this is not done in time, its activity can affect the functioning of the nervous system and liver.

If we talk about a possible infection with helminthiasis, then medicine identifies 4 main ways:
- Alimentary or oral-fecal route - the larvae of worms are on the surface of dirty vegetables and fruits or in the meat of domestic and wild animals, enter the body with food. The danger is increased if fresh food has just been plucked from the beds, as there are many types of parasites in the soil and animal excreta.
- With the contact route, the larvae are transmitted directly from person to person. This option is very common in children's groups.
- Waterway - parasite eggs are found in polluted water bodies.
- Less often, infection with worms occurs due to the bite of blood-sucking insects.

How to remove worms
If you initially choose the medication way to get rid of worms, then you will not be able to avoid taking antihelminthic drugs. Broad-acting drugs provide very fast results and the risk of re-infection is low. But taking them without consulting a doctor is unsafe, such drugs have an increased level of toxicity and can cause serious harm to health.
How effective this or that remedy will help you get rid of parasites depends on its type. In any case, first you need to carry out the appropriate diagnostics and find out what kind of guests have settled in your body.
The most popular anthelmintic drugs are:
- Helmintox is used to treat both adults and children; it mainly removes pinworms and roundworms.
- Albendazole is a broad spectrum drug that helps fight all types of helminths.
- Pirantel effectively removes tapeworms from the body - pinworms and ascaris, is suitable for children, the dose is calculated depending on age and weight.
- Vermox is one of the most inexpensive means in the fight against parasites, it removes about 10 types of worms, is contraindicated in pregnancy, lactation and under 2 years of age.

Folk remedies for worms
Many people consider helminthiasis a shameful disease that affects only disadvantaged segments of society. In fact, everyone can become infected with parasites, but not everyone wants to see a doctor with this delicate problem. Proven ways to remove worms at home will come to their aid.
One of the most harmless methods is cleansing enemas, which will not only effectively remove parasites, but also help get rid of their waste products. The liquid for the enema can be different: milk, herbal poison or garlic solution (per liter of water - 8 ground cloves). The procedure is repeated every three days in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Recipes with pumpkin seeds are just as helpful. For this, half a kilogram of seeds is cleaned from the upper film, poured into a mortar in portions and ground, gradually adding about 50 ml of water. For taste, you can put a little honey in the mass. Then we eat the mixture for an hour, wait three hours and drink a laxative. After a couple of days, you need to do a cleansing enema.
For adults, a recipe made from bitter wormwood and rubbing alcohol is suitable. To forget about parasites, take 100 g of dried grass and pour 250 ml of alcohol. The mixture should be tightly covered and infused for 7 days. 20 drops are taken in the morning, afternoon and evening before meals. 
Prevention of worms in humans
The most reliable method of antihelminthic prophylaxis is a combination of two methods - specific and non-specific. The first is the intake of drugs on a synthetic basis. The need for these measures is controversial in the medical community, however, it gives more lasting results.
Prevention with the help of medications is recommended to be carried out twice a year - in the spring, after the snow melts and in the fall, with the arrival of the first frost. The prophylactic course is the intake of two anthelmintic drugs.
In some cases, measures must be taken immediately, for example, if one of the family members is already infected with parasites, especially with the first symptoms of helminthic invasion - itching in the anus, nausea, and upset stools.
Other indications:
- after a trip to exotic countries;
- with pets;
- if there is constant contact with the soil;
- on trips to children's health institutions.
Non-specific methods include a standard list of hygiene compliance:
- washing hands before eating;
- regular linen change;
- thorough cleaning of products from contamination;
- heat treatment of meat and fish.


