According to the who helminth infections in the world is struck by about 4.5 billion people, of which about 10-20% are children-preschoolers. But despite the availability of information about research developed by the prevention and treatment of parasitic diseases is still shrouded in a large number of myths.
Parasites are a lot of third world countries
The countries of Asia and Africa, with their warm climate really are a perfect environment for worms. Also true is the fact that the incidence of helminth infections is higher in countries where sanitary requirements, and timely identification of patients with parasitic diseases is not carried out in full.
But prosperous in social and economic terms countries are not free from worms. So, helminthiasis affects one in three Europeans. It turns out that worms can be easily infected both in Russia and in Ukraine. But it should be noted, if these countries are found mainly in the intestinal helminthiasis in Asian countries is widely disseminated extraintestinal helminthiasis.
Foods from your garden – safe
There is an opinion that all the market is dangerous, and the fact that your own garden is safe. This is a misconception. To get worms from eating a product from the garden very easily. Even if the person himself planted in his own garden vegetables and berries, he could not be sure that the earth clean of worms. That is why vegetables, fruits and berries should always be washed thoroughly before use. Especially good to wash the herbs, because among its leaves remain helminth eggs. By the way, vegetarians quite often suffer from parasitic diseases due to consumption of insufficiently washed and cleaned plant foods.
Another danger is that gardeners often falling asleep the beds with manure to berries and vegetables grow faster. Manure can be worms and their eggs, and even bacteria. Strawberries can grow well under the same cover, but using it can be easy to get a parasitic disease.
Worms are not only in soil but also water. Before drinking water from an unknown well is also a good think.
From Pets to get worms, it is impossible
Pets can be affected by worms, but not all parasites are dangerous to humans. People can get from Pets Toxocara, Echinococcus, and Toxoplasma. This does not mean that the animal is immediately necessary to get rid of. Enough regularly to animals prevention of anthelmintic drugs.
But do not forget that the animal is able to bring on their paws after a walk helminth eggs. Therefore, when the animal returns home to wash his paws. In addition, children need to explain that with street animals and birds it is better not to contact. Such simple measures will protect the child from likely to be infected with helminthiasis.
Anthelmintic drugs for the prevention
Widespread and opinions that periodically need to receive preventive course of treatment with Anthelmintics. Modern antiparasitic drugs are very effective in the treatment of helminthiasis. But this is quite a serious drugs which can hard transferred by the person. Their purpose is always correlated risk between the possibility of infestation and potential side effects from the medication. The who recommended prevention antiparasitic drugs, but only in endemic areas.
So, if the prevalence of geohelminths in a certain area is 20% – recommended prevention medicines once a year, if this figure reaches 50% means twice a year. In such situations, the probability of Contracting worms is very large, and therefore the potential risk from side effects of drugs is much less than from the disease itself.
The movement of worms in the body can be felt
The movement of the parasite through the intestines, vessels, or easy to feel impossible. If people seriously talk about any of that – you should go to a therapist, because this phenomenon is nothing short of visceral hallucinations.
Another thing is a cutaneous form of helminthiasis. For example, when dirofilariasis parasite migrates under the skin and is able to travel long distances. Worms are capable of, for example, one day will move from the groin to collarbone. Its movement can cause discomfort, itching. Moreover, one can even notice the movement of worms. The parasite that causes dirofilariasis loves the sclera of the eye. In this case, the patient himself in the mirror to see in the eye of the parasite.
Worms and their waste products are inherently allergens. They cause inflammatory changes in the body, suppress the immune system. Therefore, helminth infections can be accompanied by skin rash, itching. This is all the result of toxic-allergic effects of helminths on the human body.
Helminthiasis can become a kind of triggering factor for development of atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease characterized by a genetic predisposition. Infection with helminths cannot be considered the cause of these diseases. But helminthiasis support the allergic inflammatory process, contributes to the chronic undulating course of atopic dermatitis.
Intestinal parasites can be diagnosed by a blood test
Modern laboratories offer a large number of various integrated packages for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites. So, the package may log a diagnostic method called ELISA. All that is needed for this analysis – a blood sample of the patient.
The method is based on the detection of the parasite, and antibodies thereto. Detection of antibodies to a particular parasite suggests that people in contact with this parasite. But it is not known whether the person is sick right now or has it already been ill once this helminthiasis. In addition, the method has a weak sensitivity and specificity, and therefore the probability of false negative and false positive results is present.
ELISA should be performed at the toxocariasis, trichinosis, toxoplasmosis, echinococcosis, opisthorchiasis and fasciolata. For the diagnosis of other intestinal infections gold standard is a three-time microscopic examination of feces. Here lies another misconception people have when they believe that once a negative result is enough to exclude the presence of helminthiasis. Only three-time microscopic examination can give this assurance. Against most intestinal helminths results of the blood tests are not a reliable indicator.
Squeaks in my sleep teeth means worms
Gnashing of teeth in the medical literature is called bruxism. It is, in fact, spasmodic contraction of the masticatory muscles, causing the jaw to shrink and there is a grinding noise.
There is an opinion, if a person grinds her teeth in her sleep – so he’s got worms. We can assume that helminths and their toxins affect the Central nervous system and lead to excessive nervous irritability. This leads to spasm of the masticatory muscles and the appearance of the rattle. However, to confirm this hypothesis is not possible, because research in this direction was carried out.
Currently, the physicians associated with the appearance of bruxism with nervous tension and stress.
