Helminths or worms are 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 especially vulnerable to infection with worms. Due to insufficiently strong immunity, which is not capable of killing parasites, and a 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 methods of treating them. This applies to both traditional and traditional medicine.
Causes of infection
First of all, it is worth noting that protecting a child from infection with worms seems to be an almost impossible task. This applies to geohelminthiasis and is due to their method of infection. However, there are other types of worms, with different mechanisms of infection. We will discuss geohelminthiases and other types of worms in more detail below.
Worms developin soil and water, after which they enter the human body and lay their eggs there. Then, along with excrement, they return to the ground or water and the cycle repeats. When eating dirty fruits and vegetables, there is a very real chance of contracting geohelminthic infections. Infection is also possible through dirty hands or through the skin of the feet.
Infection throughcontact with animals- not a myth. When contacting, playing and joint activities with an already infected animal, there is a non-illusory chance of becoming infected with worms. Their eggs land on the skin or clothing, where they continue to mature and can sooner or later enter the body.
Infection with biohelminthoses occurs due toconsuming under-processed meat and fish products.Particularly dangerous are undercooked kebab, poorly salted lard, sushi, unprocessed milk and insufficiently cured fish. In addition to worms, when consuming these products, there is also a chance of getting an intestinal infection.
Infectionthrough insect bites- happens quite rarely, since in most cases insects lay their larvae under the skin of the victim. However, some types of worms are spread by insects.
With a strong immune system, infection with worms is much less likely. Moreover, over time, a person simply develops resistance to worms in his area. They do not have time to hatch or simply die shortly 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.Most often, children become 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, gall bladder, muscle tissue, lungs and even in the brain.
Symptoms
Considering that worms are parasitic organisms, infection with them does not appear immediately. After all, the parasite's goal is to avoid the host's attention for as long as possible. That is why symptoms appear either in the case of multiple infections or after a long latent period.
Typically, the first symptoms appear only 2-4 weeks after worm eggs enter the body. All symptoms are usually caused by intoxication of waste products of helminthiasis. In certain cases, namely when the child’s immunity is reduced, infection with helminthiases may appear earlier.
Amongmain signs of worms in childrencan be distinguished:
- Increased appetite without weight gain;
- Increased salivation;
- Painful sensation in the stomach, nausea and unstable stool;
- Dizziness and headaches;
- The appearance of allergic reactions;
- Sleep disturbances, worsening sleep and increased irritability;
- Increased hair loss and splitting of nails;
- Frequent inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and genitourinary tract.
With prolonged infection, developmental delays, dysfunction of internal organs, and neurological abnormalities are observed.
It is important to note that a strange odor from a child’s mouth, abdominal pain, frequent hiccups and grinding of teeth at night in no way indicate a worm infection. These symptoms are just a myth.
Diagnostic features
Given the variety of symptoms of infection with this parasite, making an accurate diagnosis is not the easiest task. First of all, you need 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 may 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 establish a clear diagnosis. That is why stool tests for worms are done three times at intervals of several days, since it is necessary to catch the exact moment of parasite reproduction.
Infection with the parasite may also be indicated by a high level of eosinophils in combination with low hemoglobin withgeneral blood test.For diagnosis, scraping for enterobiasis and examination of the abdominal cavity with ultrasound or X-ray are also used. To clarify the diagnosis, doctors may resort to biological analysis of urine and feces, as well as immunological studies.
Once the exact type of parasite is determined, as well as the level of damage caused to the body, treatment can begin.
Methods of treating worms in children
The main method of treating helminths, of course, is medication. 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 cope with moderate, let alone severe, infection. They should be used as aids. Naturally, traditional medicine also has a number of limitations. These and other means will be discussed in more detail below.
Medicines
Drug treatment for helminth infection is aimed at destroying the worms and reducing the level of toxins released by them. When treating worms, especially in children, it is highly undesirable to use broad-spectrum medications. The fact is that they have a very strong effect and their use, even with the correct dosage, can lead to serious problems. Moreover, the wrong drug can cause more harm than the parasites themselves. That is why it is important to make an accurate diagnosis and determine what type of parasites the child is infected with.
To remove toxins, vitamin complexes containing vitamins B and C, glucose solutions and infusions of water-salt solution are used. In certain cases, antihistamines and diuretics are also used. And if the heart and liver are damaged, hormonal therapy may be required. To enhance the effects, enzyme preparations that improve digestion are often used, as well as enterosorbents that remove waste products of parasites from the body.
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 enough 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. Quite the contrary, they will be an excellent addition to drug treatment. Among the most effective and safe folk remedies are the following.
Vegetable oilsare an effective method of combating almost all types of helminths. The most effective are apricot, cedar and sea buckthorn oils; however, a safer option for children would be flax or hemp oil. The oil should be consumed in its pure form, one teaspoon three times a day before meals. If your child refuses to eat it, add it to porridge or soak bread in butter. The course of treatment with oil is a week, after which you should take a break for 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 either raw or made into milk. In their raw form, they are consumed in 120 grams for children aged three to seven years, 200 for children aged seven to eleven, and 300 grams for children under thirteen years of age. Milk from seeds can be prepared by passing 200 grams of seeds through a meat grinder, pouring two glasses of boiling water over them and infusing the drink for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. Next, we filter the broth and feed the child with it throughout 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 enterobiasis and ascariasis. It is used as follows: finely chop two cloves of garlic and pour a glass of milk over them. The resulting drink is consumed twice a day, a quarter glass, for four days.
For treatment purposes, medicinal drugs are often usedenemaswith herbal decoctions. This is done in order to flush out parasites from the intestinal lumen. Decoctions of wormwood, chamomile and other herbs are suitable for these purposes. You can also use a milk-garlic enema, the recipe for which was given above. When using an enema, it is important that its temperature is not lower than room temperature, and its 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 methodMost often used for helminthiasis caused by pinworms. Its essence is to block the lumen of the large intestine using special tampons moistened with vegetable oil or Vaseline. This is done so that adult worms do not emigrate 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 for extraintestinal forms of helminthiasis, or in cases of severe enterobiasis.
Before using any of the above methods, you should always consult and obtain the approval of your pediatrician.
In addition to means aimed directly at combating parasites, auxiliary means can also be used. Any recipes that help improve digestion and remove toxins from the body will do. Substances high in vitamin B and C are also beneficial. You should consult your doctor before use.
Prevention of helminthiasis in children
As we have already found out, the vast majority of cases of worm infection occur through the oral area. Therefore, prevention of parasite infection primarily includesmaintaining personal hygiene rules. In addition, you should thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits before eating, and also make sure that fish, meat and dairy products have undergone sufficient heat treatment. If you have pets, preventive anthelmintic therapy should be carried out. And finally, you should keep your house clean.
In addition, there is an opinion that to prevent helminthiasis one should regularly take anthelmintic drugs. This opinion is very controversial in the medical field. Some doctors believe that prophylactic use of such drugs does not guarantee re-infection and puts additional stress on the body. This group of doctors argue that basic hygiene is enough to reduce the chance of infection. The second group of doctors believes that it is simply impossible to do without prophylactic use of such drugs, given children’s neglect of 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 is worth using anti-worm medications for prevention purposes. However, it’s worth thinking about if:
- Are you planning a trip to southern countries;
- The child attends kindergarten;
- There are animals at home that visit the street;
- Children play in the sandbox or have frequent contact with the ground;
- Children spend a lot of time in nature.