More than 10 million people around the world are infected with helminths every year, according to WHO data.Helminth infestation is extremely dangerous for the body due to large-scale damage - mechanical and toxic.Helminths destroy the tissues of the intestines and other organs of the body (even the heart and brain), poison people with phenolic poisons, formaldehyde and other dangerous residues, absorb vital macro- and microelements;Helminthiasis prevention is important for adults and children.
One of the main difficulties in combating worms is their removal from the body.Most medications only affect adults and cause a serious chemical “blow” to your 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 main task is the 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.
- take care of your hygiene, especially if you are in a risk group - this includes children who attend daycare and school, employees of sewage treatment plants, plumbers, vacationers and gardeners, agricultural workers and others;
- pay attention to the quality of food and water;
- in addition, take protective measures, because it is not enough to comply with the first two rules - taking preventive courses of anthelmintics, using natural remedies, special treatments and rehabilitation complexes.
The difficulty in preventing helminthiasis is due to the fact that they enter the body not only through contaminated water and unwashed hands, but also through the air through which eggs and cysts are transported, apparently safe foods and other sources.Already two to four weeks after infection, patients develop acute helminthiasis, which then becomes chronic, with different but always dangerous symptoms.However, prevention must begin with controlling hygiene and lifestyle.
Hygienic prevention of helminthiasis
Helminth infection often occurs through the skin and contact with contaminated objects - structures in public places, bathrooms and even banknotes.Therefore, in everyday life it is necessary:
- wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, coming from outside, before eating and performing 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, have regular exams, scheduled deworming and therapy, prevent pets from coming into contact with stray dogs and cats and only walk in special places;
- combat 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, swimming pools, coming into contact with birds and animals, playing on the beach, in the 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 in their mouths.It is impossible for parents to monitor the quality of sand in the sandbox and protect playgrounds and parks from stray animals and rodents.Therefore, the issue of anthelmintic prophylaxis for children is very acute.The most unpleasant thing is that you can catch parasites simply in the air, walking and without touching the ground.
Food control
As responsible as hygiene, it is necessary to treat the quality of products and their processing.Vegetables, fruits and herbs are usually washed in cold water, but this is not enough to kill the parasites.It is necessary to at least pour boiling water over them.Meat, fish and seafood require prolonged heat treatment at high temperatures and preliminary exposure in the freezer for several days.
A few more recommendations:
- exclude from your diet undercooked steaks and raw fish, even sea fish - worm larvae can remain there for a long time;
- do not eat cured sausages - due to their production technology, helminths are not completely destroyed;
- Do not picnic near livestock and poultry farms, open bodies of water and other danger areas.
However, even prolonged boiling of meat and using only vegetables from your own garden do not give a 100% guarantee that you are protected against helminth infestations.Additional measures must be taken to remove the worms from the body and prevent reinfection.
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 worms' metabolism and remove them from the body.Therefore, people concerned about their health take these medications even without a diagnosis – as a preventive measure.
Most often, broad-spectrum medications are used for prevention.The medicines differ in the type of active substance, help with different forms of helminthiasis and should not be taken without prior diagnosis and medical prescription.This can cause even more damage due to “medication shock”.
Another preventive therapy option is natural remedies.Among the most famous:
- pumpkin seeds (necessarily with a green shell);
- garlic, onion and ginger;
- walnut kernel tincture;
- 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 regularly eat raw garlic and pumpkin seeds.For complete prevention, “folk recipes” are clearly not enough.
To provide omnidirectional protection against helminthic infestations, create a constantly “active” barrier and help the body independently fight parasites, special complexes are needed.These products include various medicines that eliminate existing worms, restore the nutrient balance disturbed by them and gently restore the normal state of the internal environment.
Natural-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 enzyme activity of the intestine, 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 helminth infection, it is recommended to take a special complex and medications within three months (a week break is made between each).The antiparasitic and health program is carried out once or twice a year, and if you are in a risk group, three to four times a year.