Advertising reports that all people are infected with parasites and need treatment.But right?
Which are parasites
The first thing you need to know: "parasites" and "worms" is not a disease, but a large group of many 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 ad says about the parasites in general, you can be sure: they want to mislead 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, for injuries, without specifying what question.In terms of treatment and possible consequences, some parasitic infections differ from others, such as mild bruising from breaking.
What symptoms can cause parasites
Different parasitic infections are common in different countries.There are still no accurate incidence statistics for many regions.However, it is impossible to talk about the epidemic: not all people are infected, according to advertising, but only some.
About 15 parasitic infections are most common in Europe.
Most importantly, 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 major parasitic infections can be briefly described as follows:
| Symptom | Infection |
| Dry cough | Ascariasis, toxocariasis, amvilostomosis, strungiidiasis, echinococcosis. |
| Skin rash similar to allergies | Such a symptom can be observed with infection with all types of worms.If the rash is localized in a particular place (such as on the legs), its cause may be amvilostomosis, structures, toxocarosis or schistosomosis. |
| Itching in the anus or genitals | Speakers |
| Fever, weakness, chills, severe abdominal pain | Lambiosis, optistorchiasis, clonorrhosis, trichinosis, schistosomosis. |
| Long diarrhea (diarrhea) | Lambliosis |
| Long -lastic abdominal pain | Ascaridosis, ankylostomosis, infection with bull tapeworm, dipylobotriosis, trichocephalosis, and strungidosis. |
| Severe muscle pain | Trichinosis, echinococcosis |
| Violation | Perhaps with many infections, including toxocariasis, ascariasis, toxoplasmosis, fasmolosis. |
| Under the skin | Fashiologist, ascariasis, pork infection, ankylostomosis. |
| Seizures of epilepsy, violation of speech, gait or coordination of movements | Echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, toxocarosis, cysticchosis (pork chain) |
| The appearance of blood in the urine | Shostsomosis |
| Choosing worms with stools | Acaridosis |
Advertising often associates many other symptoms with parasites: from poor appetite to hair loss.As a rule, it is simply a fabrication 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 stuff the mechanisms for transmitting any infection.It is enough to remember the common pathways of transmission and how to oppose the infection.
1. There are unwashed products, drink dirty water
Many infections are transmitted through contaminated soil products and water, including giardiasis, ascariasis, echinococcosis, ankylostomosis.
How to protect yourself
- Wash the vegetables and fruits carefully before meals.
- Wash your hands, especially after contact with the soil.
- Never drink water from unknown sources.
- During the trip (especially in developing countries), drink only bottled water.
2. There is raw or fish
This time of transmission is characteristic of tiniosis (pig tapeworm), trichinosis, dipylobotriosis, opistorchiasis and other infections.
How to protect yourself
- Do not eat raw meat or fish or there is only the fact that it has undergone veterinary control.
- Carefully cook meat and fish.
- The freezing of fish in a simple freezer at -18 C needs at least two weeks.But this will not kill particularly constant parasites, only industrial cold can destroy them.Therefore, the fish you have caught should be well cooked 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 peer games in kindergarten or school.
Another infection that is transmitted by infected people is cysticosis.
How to protect yourself
- Wash your hands before meals.
- During the trip, do not eat raw foods prepared by other people.For example, fruit peeled.
4. Contact with feces or fleas of infected animals
Thus transmits dipilidiosis, toxoplasmosis and other infections.
How to protect yourself
- Wash your hands after contact with animals or soil that could be infected with their stools.
- They periodically give antiparasitic animal agents and use fleas regularly.
5. Contact with infected water and soil
Some parasites (such as pathogens of earth scabies or schistosomosis) can penetrate the body through the skin when bathing or walking barefoot on infected soil.
How to protect yourself
- While traveling to tropical countries, always wear shoes.
- Never swim in strangers fresh tanks that can be contaminated by the sewer.
How to find out you have parasites
Blood or stool analysis to identify "all parasites at once" does not exist.The algorithms for the diagnosis of parasitic infections are very different and always depend on:
- What symptoms worry about a person.
- What infection can be infected based on the conditions of his life.
If a person has a symptom, the doctor must rule out all possible causes before diagnosing the infection.
Should I drink antiparasitic prevention drugs
No, this is the wrong tactic.First, various parasitic infections are given to different treatment.
There is no magic pill that would do well with all kinds of parasites.
Second, in order to prevent the effects of parasitic infections, it is much more important to prevent infection and not to be treated frequently.
If a person continues to associate with the source of infection, the effect of treatment lasts only a few days or weeks.But if the contact stops, many parasites die without treatment.
Is it possible to treat folk remedies
The use of folk remedies to treat parasites is a bad idea.
Truly effective folk remedies for parasites are not yet known.
In addition, many folk remedies have an annoying effect and cause parasites migration.And the latter is fraught with dangerous complications: intestinal obstruction, biliary blockage, etc.
What do you need to remember about parasitic infections
- Advertising of miraculous parasite means - lies.
- If a person is concerned about a symptom, you should pay attention to all possible reasons.
- Treatment should be directed against a specific infection.
- In many parasitic infections, prevention is much more important than treatment.And prevention is measures for elementary hygiene.