Helminths or worms is the general name for parasitic worms that live in the human body. Most of them live in the intestinal tract, however, some of them extend beyond it. Children are particularly susceptible to worm infection. Due to insufficiently strong immunity, which is not capable of killing parasites, and the long latent period of infection, worms can cause serious harm to a child. This is primarily due to severe intoxication, allergic reactions and, in certain cases, organ damage.
In this material, we will look at the main causes of helminth infection, their types, as well as treatment methods. This applies to both conventional and traditional medicine.
Causes of infection
First of all, it is worth noting that protecting a child from worm infection seems to be an almost impossible task. This refers to geohelminthiasis and is due to their mode of infection. However, there are other types of worms, with different infection mechanisms. Below we will discuss geohelminthiasis and other types of worms in more detail.
Worms are developingin soil and water, after which they enter the human body and lay eggs there. Then, together with the excrement, they are returned to the ground or water and the cycle repeats itself. When you eat dirty fruits and vegetables, there is a very real chance of getting geohelminthic infections. Infection is also possible through dirty hands or through the skin of the feet.
Infection throughcontact with animals- not a myth. During contact, play and joint activities with an already infected animal, there is a real chance of getting infected with worms. Their eggs land on the skin or clothing, where they continue to mature and sooner or later can enter the body.
Biohelminthosis infection occurs due toconsumption of insufficiently processed meat and fish products.Undercooked kebab, lightly salted fat, sushi, unprocessed milk and insufficiently dried fish are particularly dangerous. In addition to worms, there is also a chance of getting an intestinal infection when consuming these products.
Infectionthrough insect bites- happens quite rarely, because in most cases insects lay their larvae under the victim's skin. However, some types of worms are spread by insects.
With a strong immune system, worm infection is much less. Moreover, over time a person simply develops a resistance to the worms in their area. They don't have time to hatch or simply die soon after hatching. However, when moving to a new area or when the immune system is weakened, the protection against worms weakens.
Types of worms
There are about 300 species of worms, but 70 species are common. These types can be divided into three broad categories:
- Nematodes or roundworms.Children are most often infected with this type of worm. This species includes pinworms, whipworms, trichinella and roundworms.
- Tapeworms or cestodes.Infection with this species occurs through poorly processed meat. This species includes tapeworms, tapeworms and echinococci.
- Trematodes or fluke parasites.Most often, worms of this species cause opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis, schistosomiasis and paragonimiasis.
In the vast majority of cases, worms parasitize in the intestines, however, their eggs, along with the bloodstream, can spread throughout the body. As a result, worms can begin to multiply in the liver, gallbladder, muscle tissue, lungs, and even the brain.
Symptoms
Since worms are parasitic organisms, infection with them does not occur immediately. After all, the parasite's goal is to avoid the host's attention for as long as possible. Therefore, symptoms appear either in case of multiple infections or after a long latent period.
Usually, the first symptoms do not appear until 2-4 weeks after the worm eggs enter the body. All symptoms are usually caused by poisoning by helminth waste products. In certain cases, i. e. when the child's immunity is reduced, helminthiasis infection can appear earlier.
AmongThe main signs of worms in childrenthey can vary:
- Increased appetite without weight gain;
- Increased salivation;
- Abdominal pain, nausea and unstable stool;
- Dizziness and headache;
- Occurrence of allergic reactions;
- Sleep disorders, sleep deterioration and increased irritability;
- Increased hair loss and splitting nails;
- Frequent inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and genitourinary tract.
In case of prolonged infection, retardation of development, dysfunction of internal organs and neurological abnormalities are observed.
It is important to note that a strange smell from the child's mouth, abdominal pain, frequent hiccups and grinding of teeth at night do not in any way indicate an infection with worms. These symptoms are just a myth.
Diagnostic features
Given the various symptoms of infection with this parasite, establishing an accurate diagnosis is not the easiest task. First of all, you have to dostool analysisfor the presence of parasite nests. However, this is not the most reliable method. The thing is that in certain cases in the body of the carrier there can be several individuals of the same sex that are not capable of reproduction. In addition, some species lay eggs extremely rarely, which makes it difficult to make a clear diagnosis. That's why stool tests for worms are done three times with an interval of several days, because it is necessary to catch the exact moment of parasite reproduction.
Parasite infection can also be indicated by a high level of eosinophils in combination with low hemoglobingeneral blood test.Scraping for enterobiosis and examination of the abdominal cavity with ultrasound or X-ray are also used for diagnosis. To clarify the diagnosis, doctors can resort to biological analysis of urine and feces, as well as immunological studies.
After determining the exact type of parasite, as well as the level of damage to the organism, treatment can be started.
Methods of treating worms in children
The main method of treating helminths is, of course, drugs. However, in certain cases, the use of traditional medicine is also allowed. It is important to remember that in most cases folk remedies are not strong enough to deal with a moderate, let alone a severe, infection. They should be used as aids. Of course, traditional medicine also has a number of limitations. These and other means will be discussed in more detail below.
Medicines
Treatment of helminth infections with drugs aims to destroy the worms and reduce the level of toxins they release. When treating worms, especially in children, it is highly undesirable to use broad-spectrum drugs. The fact is that they have a very strong effect and that their use, even with the correct dosage, can lead to serious problems. Moreover, the wrong medicine can cause more harm than the parasites themselves. That is why it is important to make an accurate diagnosis and determine which type of parasite the child is infected with.
To remove toxins, vitamin complexes containing vitamins B and C, glucose solutions and infusions of water and salt solutions are used. In certain cases, antihistamines and diuretics are also used. And if the heart and liver are damaged, hormone therapy may be needed. Enzyme preparations that improve digestion, as well as enterosorbents that remove parasite waste products from the body, are often used to enhance the effects.
Will folk remedies help?
In general, doctors do not recommend using folk remedies to treat worms. This is primarily due to the fact that the power of folk remedies is often not sufficient to completely destroy parasites. However, despite the fact that folk remedies cannot become an alternative to traditional means, this does not mean that they should not be used. On the contrary, they will be an excellent addition to drug treatment. Among the most effective and safer folk remedies are the following.
Vegetable oilsare an effective method of combating almost all types of helminths. Apricot, cedar and sea buckthorn oils are the most effective, however, a safer option for children would be linseed or hemp oil. The oil should be consumed in its pure form, one teaspoon three times a day before meals. If the child refuses to eat it, add it to porridge or dip bread in butter. The course of oil treatment is one week, after which you should take a break of two weeks.
Another effective treatment for helminths ispumpkin seeds. This is primarily due to the presence of cucurbitin in them, a rare amino acid that kills worms. Pumpkin seeds can be consumed raw or with milk. In raw form, 120 grams are consumed for children from three to seven years old, 200 grams for children from seven to eleven years old and 300 grams for children up to thirteen years old. Seed milk can be prepared by passing 200 grams of seeds through a meat grinder, pouring two glasses of boiling water and boiling the drink for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. Then we filter the broth and feed it to the child during the day, before meals.
GarlicIt is also a common remedy for helminthiasis. It is often used to prevent infection by parasites, and also as an adjuvant for enterobiosis and ascariasis. It is used as follows: finely chop two cloves of garlic and pour a glass of milk over it. The resulting drink is drunk twice a day, a quarter of a glass, for four days.
Medicines are often used for the purpose of treatmentenemawith herbal decoctions. This is done to expel the parasites from the intestinal lumen. Decoctions of wormwood, chamomile and other herbs are suitable for these purposes. You can also use a milk and garlic enema, the recipe for which is given above. When using an enema, it is important that its temperature is not lower than room temperature, and the volume does not exceed 100 milliliters. It is also important to increase the amount of fluid consumed in the form of mineral water or fruit juices.
Barrier methodIt is most often used for helminthosis caused by pinworms. Its essence is blocking the lumen of the large intestine using special tampons moistened with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly. This is done so that adult worms do not migrate to the surface of the anus and continue to reproduce. The child's anal passage is blocked with tampons for a month. It is important to note that this method is not effective in extraintestinal forms of helminthosis, as well as in cases of severe enterobiasis.
Before using any of the above methods, you should always consult and get the approval of your pediatrician.
In addition to the means aimed directly at controlling parasites, auxiliary means can also be used. Any recipe that helps improve digestion and remove toxins from the body will be good. Substances with a high content of vitamins B and C are also beneficial. Consult a doctor before use.
Prevention of helminthiasis in children
As we have already learned, the vast majority of cases of worm infection occur through the oral area. Therefore, the prevention of parasite infection primarily involvescompliance with the rules of personal hygiene. In addition, vegetables and fruits should be washed well before eating, and also make sure that fish, meat and dairy products are subjected to sufficient heat treatment. If you have pets, it is necessary to carry out preventive anthelmintic therapy. And finally, you should keep your house clean.
In addition, there is an opinion that for the prevention of helminthiasis, anthelmintic drugs should be taken regularly. This opinion is very controversial in the medical field. Some doctors believe that the prophylactic use of such drugs does not guarantee re-infection and creates additional stress for the body. This group of doctors claims that basic hygiene is enough to reduce the chance of infection. Another group of doctors believes that it is simply impossible without the prophylactic use of such drugs, given the neglect of children's hygiene rules. The issue of prevention is even more acute if the child is constantly in contact with animals that visit the street.
One way or another, only you can decide whether it's worth using wormers for prevention. However, it's worth considering if:
- Are you planning a trip to southern countries;
- The child goes to kindergarten;
- At home there are animals that visit the street;
- Children play in the sandbox or have frequent contact with the ground;
- Children spend a lot of time in nature.