Advertising reports that all people are infected with parasites and need treatment.But is it so?
Who are parasites
The first thing you need to know: "parasites" and "worms" is not one disease, but a large group of very different infections.There are few common features:
- All parasites are more or less adapted to life within a person.
- They do not bring benefits to a person, but can cause significant harm.
If the advertisement says about parasites in general, you can be sure: they want to deceive you.
Talking about the treatment or diagnosis of parasites in general, without mentioning the type of infection, is as wrong as to say, for example, about injuries, without specifying what kind of question.In terms of treatment and possible consequences, some parasitic infections differ from others, like a light bruise from a fracture.
What symptoms can cause parasites
Different parasitic infections are common in different countries.For many regions, there is no exact statistics on the incidence yet.However, it is impossible to talk about the epidemic: not all people are infected, according to advertising, but only some.
In Europe, about 15 parasitic infections are most common.
The most important thing is that you need to remember: different parasitic infections can cause different non -specific symptoms.This means that the same symptoms can be caused by many other causes.
Possible symptoms of the main parasitic infections can be briefly described as follows:
| Symptom | Infection |
| Dry cough | Ascariasis, toxocarosis, anquilostomosis, strungyloidosis, echinococcosis. |
| A rash on the skin, similar to allergies | Such a symptom can be observed when infected with all types of worms.If the rash is localized in a specific place (for example, on the leg), its cause may be anquilostomosis, stringedosis, toxocarosis or schistosomosis. |
| Itching in the anus or genitals | Speakers |
| Fever, weakness, chills, severe abdominal pain | Lambiosis, opisthorchiasis, Clonorchosis, trichinellosis, schistosomosis. |
| Long diarrhea (diarrhea) | Lambliosis |
| Long -lasting abdominal pains | Ascaridosis, ankylostomosis, infection with bull tapeworm, diphyllobotriosis, trichocephalosis, strungyidosis. |
| Severe pain in the muscles | Trichinellosis, echinococcosis |
| Visual violation | Perhaps with many infections, including toxocarosis, ascariasis, toxoplasmosis, fasciolosis. |
| Service under the skin | Fasciolosis, ascariasis, pork infection, ankylostomosis. |
| Bouts of epilepsy, violation of speech, gait or coordination of movements | Echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, toxocarosis, cystycchosis (pork chain) |
| The appearance of blood in the urine | Shistosomosis |
| Selection of worms with feces | Acaridosis |
Advertising often connects many other symptoms with parasites: from poor appetite to hair loss.As a rule, this is just a fiction of charlatans who exploit the fear of patients and their ignorance in this very complex area of medicine.
How to get infected
To reduce the risk of infection, you do not need to cram the mechanisms of transmitting each infection.It is enough to remember the general transmission paths and how to resist the infection.
1. There are unwashed products, drink dirty water
Many infections are transmitted through polluted soil products and water, including giardiasis, ascariasis, echinococcosis, ankylostomosis.
How to protect yourself
- Wash the vegetables and fruits thoroughly before meals.
- Wash your hands, especially after contact with the soil.
- Never drink water from unknown sources.
- During travel (especially in developing countries), drink only bottled water.
2. There is raw or fish
This transmission path is characteristic of tyniosis (pork tapeworm), trichinellosis, dipillobotriosis, opisthorchiasis and other infections.
How to protect yourself
- Do not eat raw meat or fish or there is only the fact that veterinary control has passed.
- Carefully cook meat and fish.
- Freeze fish in an ordinary freezer at a temperature of -18 C needs at least two weeks.But this will not kill particularly persistent parasites, only industrial frost can destroy them.Therefore, the fish that you caught yourself must be well boiled and frying: 20 minutes after boiling or heating.
3. Contact with an infected person
Such a mechanism is characteristic of enterobiosis (pinworms).Most often, children are infected with this infection during games with peers in kindergarten or school.
Another infection that is transmitted from infected people is cystiscosis.
How to protect yourself
- Wash your hands before meals.
- During travel, do not eat raw foods prepared by other people.For example, fruits peeled from the peel.
4. Contact with feces or fleas of infected animals
So transmitted Dipylidiosis, toxoplasmosis and other infections.
How to protect yourself
- Wash your hands after contact with animals or soil that could be infected with their feces.
- Periodically give an animal antiparasitic agents and regularly use fleas.
5. Contact with infected water and soil
Some parasites (for example, pathogens of earthen scabies or schistosomosis) can penetrate the body through the skin when you bathe or go barefoot on infected soil.
How to protect yourself
- While traveling to tropical countries, always wear shoes.
- Never swim in unfamiliar fresh reservoirs that can be polluted by sewage.
How to understand that you have parasites
Analysis of blood or feces to identify "all parasites at once" does not exist.Parasitic infections diagnostics algorithms are very different and always depends on:
- What symptoms are worried about a person.
- What infection it can be infected based on the conditions of his life.
If a person has a symptom, the doctor should exclude all possible causes before diagnosing the infection.
Do I need to drink antiparasitic drugs for prevention
No, this is wrong tactics.Firstly, different parasitic infections are given to different treatment.
There is no magic pill that would have coped well with all types of parasites.
Secondly, to protect against the consequences of parasitic infections, it is much more important to prevent infection, and not often treated.
If a person continues to contact the source of infection, the effect of treatment persists only a few days or weeks.But if the contact stops, many parasites die without treatment.
Is it possible to be treated with folk remedies
Using folk remedies for treating parasites is a bad idea.
Really effective folk remedies for parasites are not yet known.
In addition, many folk remedies have an annoying effect and cause migration of parasites.And the latter is fraught with dangerous complications: intestinal obstruction, blockage of biliary tract, and so on.
What you need to remember about parasitic infections
- Advertising of miraculous means from parasites - lies.
- If a person is concerned about a symptom, you need to pay attention to all possible reasons.
- Treatment should be directed against a specific infection.
- With many parasitic infections, prevention is much more important than treatment.And prevention is elementary hygiene measures.