More than 10 million people worldwide become infected with helminths every year, according to WHO data.Helminthic attack is extremely dangerous for the body due to large-scale damage - mechanical and toxic.Helminths destroy tissues in 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 helminthiasis is important for adults and children.
One of the biggest difficulties when fighting worms is their removal from the body.Most drugs only affect adults and cause a serious chemical "blow" to health (therefore they should not be taken often).The cystic forms that remain in the body, the larvae, continue to multiply and destroy the body, reducing its ability to resist infections, chronic diseases and provoking the appearance of dangerous pathologies.
Therefore, the primary task is comprehensive prevention of worms, aimed at preventing their entry 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:
- take care of hygiene, especially if you are in a risk group - this includes children attending kindergarten and school, employees of sewage treatment plants, plumbers, summer residents and gardeners, agricultural workers and other workers;
- be aware of the quality of food and water;
- in addition, take protective measures, since compliance with the first two rules is not enough - take preventive courses with 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, apparently 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 helminthiasis
Infection with helminths very often occurs through the skin and contact with contaminated objects - structures in public places, toilets, even banknotes.Therefore, it is necessary in everyday life:
- wash your hands thoroughly after going to the toilet, come from outside before eating and personal hygiene, trim your nails on time (long manicure is an additional risk factor);
- perform regular wet antiseptic cleaning at home;
- monitor the cleanliness of underwear and used utensils;
- if you have pets, do regular check-ups, scheduled worming and therapy, prevent pets from coming into contact with stray dogs and cats, and only go in special places;
- fight mechanical vectors of helminths - flies, cockroaches, etc.
When visiting public places, be especially careful.You can get 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 small 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
As responsible as hygiene, you must 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 shellfish require prolonged heat treatment at high temperatures and preliminary exposure in the freezer for several days.
A few more recommendations:
- exclude rare steaks and raw fish from your diet, even sea fish - worm larvae can remain there for a very long time;
- do not eat dried sausages - due to their production technology, helminths are not completely destroyed in them;
- Do not picnic near livestock and poultry farms, open water bodies and other danger areas.
However, even prolonged cooking of meat and using only vegetables from your own garden does not provide a 100% guarantee that you are protected from helminthic attacks.It is necessary to take additional measures to remove worms from the body and prevent reinfection.
Preparations and natural agents for anthelmintic prophylaxis
There are many drugs that doctors prescribe to fight helminthiasis.They are usually taken once or twice because of their high toxicity, but they can destroy the metabolism of worms and remove them from the body.Therefore, people who care about their health take such medications even without a diagnosis - as a preventive measure.
Most often, broad-spectrum medicine is used for prevention.The drugs differ in the type of active substance, they help with different types of helminthiasis, and they should not be taken without prior diagnosis and a doctor's prescription.This can cause even more damage due to the "medication 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 horsetail, 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 regularly.For complete prevention, "folk recipes" are clearly not enough.
To provide omnidirectional protection against helminthic attack, create a constant "active" barrier and help the body independently fight parasites, special complexes are necessary.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.
Natural-based preparations contain natural bitter substances, 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 macro elements, 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 medication during three months (a break of one week is taken between each).The anti-parasite and health program is held once or twice a year, and if you are in a risk group three to four times a year.