More than 10 million people around the world are infected with helminths every year, according to WHO data.Helminthic infestation is extremely dangerous for the body due to large-scale harm - mechanical and toxic.Helminths destroy tissues of the intestines and other organs of the body (even the heart and brain), poison people with phenolic, formaldehyde poisons and other dangerous waste products, absorb vital macro- and microelements; prevention of helminthiases is important for adults and children.
One of the main difficulties when fighting worms is their removal from the body.Most medications affect only adults and cause a serious chemical “blow” to health (therefore they should not be taken frequently).The cystic forms remaining in the body, the larvae, continue to multiply and destroy the body, reducing its ability to resist infections, chronic diseases and provoking the occurrence of dangerous pathologies.
Therefore, the primary task is comprehensive prevention of worms, aimed at preventing their penetration into the body and creating its own protective barrier - normal, healthy microflora in the intestines, a properly functioning immune system, etc.To do this you need:
- takes care of hygiene, especially if you are in a risk group - this includes children attending kindergarten and school, employees of sewage treatment stations, plumbers, summer residents and gardeners, agricultural and other workers;
- be attentive to the quality of food and water;
- additionally take protective measures, since compliance with the first two rules is not enough - take preventive courses of anthelmintic drugs, use natural remedies, special treatment and rehabilitation complexes.
The difficulty of preventing helminthiasis is caused by the fact that they enter the body not only through raw contaminated water and unwashed hands, but also through the air through which eggs and cysts are carried, seemingly safe food and other sources.Already two to four weeks after infection, patients develop acute helminthiasis, then it becomes chronic, with different, but always dangerous, symptoms.Nevertheless, prevention must begin with control of hygiene and lifestyle.
Hygienic prevention of helminthiases
Infection with helminths very often occurs through the skin and contact with contaminated objects - structures in public places, toilets, even banknotes.Therefore, in everyday life it is necessary:
- wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet, coming from outside, before eating and personal hygiene, trim your nails on time (long manicure is an additional danger factor);
- regularly carry out wet antiseptic cleaning at home;
- monitor the cleanliness of underwear and utensils used;
- if you have pets, conduct regular examinations, scheduled deworming and therapy, prevent pets from coming into contact with stray dogs and cats, and walk only in special places;
- fight mechanical vectors of helminths - flies, cockroaches, etc.
When visiting public places you need to be especially careful.You can become infected by swimming in open water, a pool, contact with birds and animals, playing on the beach, in a sandbox or on the grass in a park.Particularly vulnerable to worms are young children who explore the world around them “by touch” and try to put everything they see into their mouths.It is impossible for parents to monitor the quality of sand in the sandbox and protect playgrounds and parks from street animals and rodents.Therefore, the issue of anthelmintic prophylaxis for children is very acute.The most unpleasant thing is that you can get parasites simply from the air, walking and not touching the ground.
Food control
Just as responsible as hygiene, you need to treat the quality of products and their processing.Vegetables, fruits and herbs are most often washed in cold water, but this is not enough to kill parasites.It is necessary to at least pour boiling water over them.Meat, fish, and seafood require long-term heat treatment at high temperatures and preliminary exposure in the freezer for several days.
A few more recommendations:
- exclude from your diet rare steaks and raw fish, even sea fish - worm larvae can remain there for a very long time;
- do not eat dry-cured sausages - due to their production technology, helminths are not completely destroyed in them;
- Do not have picnics near livestock and poultry farms, open water bodies and other areas of danger.
However, even long-term boiling of meat and using only vegetables from your own garden does not provide a 100% guarantee that you are protected from helminthic infestation.It is necessary to take additional measures to remove worms from the body and prevent re-infection.
Preparations and natural remedies for anthelmintic prophylaxis
There are many medications that doctors prescribe to combat helminthiasis.They are usually taken once or twice due to their high toxicity, but they can destroy the metabolism of worms and remove them from the body.Therefore, people concerned about their health take such medications even without a diagnosis - as a preventative measure.
Most often, broad-spectrum medications are used for prevention.The drugs differ in the type of active substance, they help with different forms of helminthiasis, and they should not be taken without prior diagnosis and a doctor’s prescription.This can cause even more harm due to the “medicine shock”.
Another preventive therapy option is natural remedies.Among the most famous:
- pumpkin seeds (necessarily with a green shell);
- garlic, onion and ginger;
- tincture of walnut kernels;
- herbal infusions with tansy, wormwood, celandine and other natural bitters.
The effectiveness of natural remedies is not very high, the dose required for prevention is difficult to calculate, and few people conscientiously eat raw garlic and pumpkin seeds on a regular basis.For complete prevention, “folk recipes” are clearly not enough.
To provide omnidirectional protection against helminthic infestation, create a constantly “active” barrier and help the body independently fight parasites, special complexes are needed.Such products include several drugs that eliminate existing worms, restore the balance of nutrients disturbed by them, and gently restore the normal state of the internal environment.
Naturally based preparations contain natural bitters, vital microelements that absorb helminths (zinc, iodine, selenium, magnesium, copper, etc.) and do not cause side effects.Complex:
- eliminates and protects against 150 types of worms in all forms - cysts, eggs, larvae, adults;
- improves the enzymatic activity of the intestines, eliminates dysbiosis, restores the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and liver;
- compensates for the lack of micro- and macroelements, promotes the removal of heavy metals from the body;
- improves external and internal condition, helps fight a wide range of chronic diseases.
To prevent helminthic infection, it is recommended to take a special complex and medications in a course of three months (a break of a week is taken between each).The anti-parasitic and health program is held once or twice a year, and if you are in a risk group, three to four times a year.