Anthelmintic drugs are used to treat various types of helminthiasis (infection with parasites) and their prevention.According to WHO, 95% of the world's population faces helminth infestation and almost everyone takes deworming pills at least once in their life.Therefore, it is so important to understand the existing range of pharmacological agents, the features of their use, the specificity of their action and possible side effects.
Anti-worm medications are divided into two categories: broad-spectrum tablets and drugs that selectively act on a specific type of worm.Broad spectrum drugs act as a toxin for most known parasites.But targeted drugs are safer for humans and provide a guaranteed result when making an accurate diagnosis.
Previously, only herbal remedies were used to treat worms.The most famous anthelmintic herbs are tansy, pumpkin seeds, garlic, male fern extract, cloves, yarrow, dandelion and others.In terms of preventing helminthic infestations, taking herbal preparations has proven to be effective.Their composition is balanced, not dangerous to humans (in the absence of individual intolerance), and with long-term use they create an environment unfavorable for the development of worms.
How does parasite infection occur?
Unfortunately, many people neglect preventive measures, believing that parasitic diseases are the lot of third world countries or people who neglect personal hygiene.To catch worms, you don’t have to eat unwashed food, hug street cats, or eat raw meat and fish.
The eggs of many parasites (cysts) - roundworms, pinworms, echinococci - are microscopic in size and are found in the soil.Along with dust, cysts rise into the air and are inhaled by people.Once in the human body, the parasite begins its development: a larva hatches from the egg, which then transforms into an adult.
You can become infected with worms through contact with a sick person.At the same time, a person often does not know what is the source of infection: for a long time, helminthic infestation occurs without symptoms.And only after a few years it is discovered that the health has been severely undermined by parasites.
Worm eggs can be found on household items and are carried by insects.There are many ways of infection, so prevention of parasitosis is indicated for both adults and children.
Types of parasitic worms and methods of combating them
The method of infection with parasitic worms, the symptoms of helminthiasis and the tablets suitable for treatment of worms depend on the class of the causative agent of the disease.There are three classes of parasites: cestodes, trematodes and nematodes.
Remedies for cestodes
Cestodes are tapeworms that cause specific diseases in humans: cestodias.There are more than 3,500 helminths in this class, 30 of which pose a direct threat to human health.The most famous representatives of cestodes: dwarf, pork and bovine tapeworms, tapeworm.To combat these parasites, deworming agents containing praziquantel and albendazole are used.
All cestodes have a similar structure: their body is divided into a head, neck and body, consisting of many segments.There are hooks on the head for fastening in the host’s intestines.Each segment of the helminth is a kind of “factory” for the production of eggs: cestodes are very fertile and are capable of producing up to 2 million cysts daily.Together with feces, the eggs enter the environment, where the life cycle of cestodes begins.
The helminth cyst in a protective shell enters groundwater, from there into plants and, together with grass, is eaten by farm animals.In their body, cysts are activated, and larvae hatch from them and spread throughout the body of the intermediate host.When a person eats contaminated meat, the larvae enter his gastrointestinal tract, where they penetrate the intestinal walls and develop into a sexually mature individual.If the larvae enter the blood or lymph, they, along with fluids, are spread throughout the body and settle in any organs and tissues: muscles, lungs, heart, brain and spinal cord.Some parasitic worms from the class of cestodes live up to 20 years, during which they slowly eat a person from the inside.Since cestodes have almost completely lost the digestive system, helminths take nutrients from the host's intestines.The human body quickly begins to suffer from lack of nutrition and vitamin deficiencies.
The most common infestations caused by cestodes are hymenolipedosis, diphyllobothriasis, cysticercosis, and teniarinchiasis.Despite the fact that each helminthic infection has its own specifics, all cestodiases are characterized by some common symptoms:
- The gastrointestinal tract and liver are mainly affected.An exception is cysticercosis, in which pork tapeworm larvae can penetrate any tissue, including skin, muscle, brain and spinal cord;
- Severe mechanical damage to the intestinal mucosa is caused at the sites of attachment of the scolex - subsequently erosion and ulcers form;
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract develop: pain appears in the intestines, stool is disrupted, vomiting is possible, the patient begins to lose weight, appetite changes (either increases or disappears);
- Neurological symptoms appear: fatigue, sleep disturbances, irritability, and with cysticercosis also headaches and mental disorders.
Properly selected anti-worm medications can quickly get rid of the infestation.
Trematodes and medications for this type of helminth
Unlike cestodes, trematodes or flatworms affect all organs and tissues, causing severe systemic disorders in the human body.The most famous helminths from this class are schistosomes, liver flukes and cat flukes.The structure of all trematodes is approximately the same: adult individuals have a flattened, leaf-shaped body of varying sizes, for example, in liver flukes - up to 2 mm.
The life cycle of the parasite is quite complex with several intermediate hosts.Trematode eggs end up in freshwater bodies and then into the body of the mollusk.A larva emerges from the cyst and undergoes a series of metamorphoses, as a result of which it becomes mobile and active.The cercaria leaves the body of the first intermediate host and invades the body of the fish.Here the helminth larva forms a protective capsule around itself and waits until the fish is eaten by the final host - a person.In the human gastrointestinal tract, the protective shell is destroyed, and the parasite begins to actively explore its new habitat, entering the bloodstream and spreading throughout the body.The “favorite” habitat of trematodes is the liver, bile ducts, and other peritoneal organs.
Preparations for trematode worms contain active substances such as praziquantel, triclabendazole, bithionol, their dosage and course duration vary depending on the type of infestation.Any synthetic medicine for worms is a poison that is dangerous both for helminths and for humans.Therefore, taking anthelmintics is accompanied by serious side effects (including the development of comatose states) and has many limitations.
The general symptoms for all trematodes are as follows:
- Acute allergic reactions: the appearance of rash, itching and irritation on the skin;
- Discomfort when urinating, the appearance of cloudy sediment in the urine;
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract: diarrhea, the appearance of unpleasant heaviness every time after eating, pain and vomiting;
- Anemia;
- Insomnia, increased irritability;
- Decreased immunity and associated frequent colds.
If you do not take medicine for worms on time, problems appear in the functioning of the organs affected by the parasite.If trematodes have settled in the liver, cirrhosis develops; if the genitourinary system is affected, then blood may be present in the urine, women experience vaginal bleeding, and infertility is possible.
Remedies for nematodes: how to get rid of parasites?
The third class of parasitic worms are nematodes or roundworms.In total, it has more than 24,000 species, but not all of them lead a parasitic lifestyle.The most well-known nematode helminths are roundworms, pinworms and trichinella, which cause ascariasis, enterobiasis and trichinosis, respectively.Ascariasis is one of the most common helminthic infestations: according to WHO, every fourth person on the planet suffers from it.In total, parasitologists count more than 45 species of nematodes that pose a threat to humans.
They all have a similar rounded body shape, but the sizes of nematodes can vary from microscopic (about 80 microns) to simply gigantic (up to 8 meters).The life cycle of nematodes is approximately the same; let’s consider it using the example of roundworms.The eggs of the parasite, along with water, food or air, enter the body of the final host - humans.When swallowed into the gastrointestinal tract, the cyst hatches into a larva that pierces the intestinal wall and enters the bloodstream.Together with the blood, the helminth spreads through tissues and organs, affecting all systems, and settles in the lungs.Together with sputum, the larvae are coughed up and swallowed a second time by the host, again entering the intestines.Here, a sexually mature individual develops from the roundworm larva, which begins to produce new eggs.
For the treatment of nematodes, various drugs for worms are selected, usually based on piperazine adipate, mebendazole, levamisole.General symptoms for all nematodes:
- Allergic reaction to the skin: rashes, itching;
- Intestinal upset: diarrhea, mucus in the stool, abdominal pain, increased gas formation;
- If the lungs are affected - cough, blood in the sputum;
- From the nervous system: fatigue, sleep disturbances, increased irritability, apathy.
Methods of helminth infection: where do parasitoses come from?
Maintaining personal hygiene and high-quality heat treatment of food is not enough to prevent helminthic infestations.A remedy for worms will be needed not only if a person regularly spends weekends in the country or keeps farm animals.There are many ways to become infected with helminths:
- Inhale parasite cysts along with dust.Microscopic eggs of worms are contained in the soil and, together with dust, rise into the air, settling on household items and clothing.This is one of the most common ways of contracting parasitic diseases.
- Consume food and water contaminated with worms.Helminth larvae and their eggs are present in meat, fish, milk, fruits, vegetables, herbs and water.To avoid helminthic infestation, you need to not only wash your hands, but also heat-treat all food and drink only boiled water.But this does not provide a 100% guarantee that anti-worm medications will not be needed: cysts can get on the skin during cutting of an infected product.
- Contact with a sick animal or person.Worm eggs are present on the fur of sick animals (including domestic ones), from where they are transferred to clothing, toiletries, dishes and swallowed by humans.You can also catch a helminthic infestation through contact with a sick person: for example, by shaking hands.Therefore, in closed groups (kindergartens, boarding houses), preventive tablets against worms are regularly taken.
- Take a walk in the park or visit an endemic area.A number of parasitic worms are able to penetrate the human body through unaffected areas of the skin.These include filariae: they literally pierce the skin and reach the bloodstream, entering various tissues of the human body.
In order to recognize a helminthic infestation in the early stages and take anti-worm medications in a timely manner, you need to know the main symptoms of parasitic diseases.
General symptoms of helminthic infestations
Parasitic worms infect all types of organs and tissues, disrupting their functioning and gradually destroying the human body.Many helminthic infestations have specific symptoms associated with damage to a specific organ: for example, with filariasis, the conjunctiva of the eye may become cloudy, and with cysticercosis, a severe neurological disorder may develop, including seizures and paralysis.
But the severity of symptoms in parasitic diseases is directly related to the number of cysts ingested, the specifics of the parasite’s life cycle, and its age.Therefore, many infestations are asymptomatic at first; a person notices slight malaise and dizziness, without even thinking about the need to take deworming medication.When a patient goes to the doctor with an illness, the specialist does not assume he has a helminthic infestation, but begins symptomatic treatment.The patient feels better for a while, but then the symptoms return and intensify.Because the root cause - helminths - has not been eliminated.This is due to the difficulty of detecting parasitosis: conventional tests and scrapings are not indicative.And only when severe disorders appear: the liver begins to fail, ulcers open in the intestines, and it turns out that the patient has long been a carrier of parasites.
Symptoms indicating the possibility of parasitosis:
- Allergic reactions on the skin.Redness, the appearance of hives, eczema, itching - all this may indicate the presence of worms in the body.Often helminthic infestations are accompanied by respiratory tract allergies: rhinitis, redness of the eyes, swelling of the nasopharynx.
- Gastrointestinal disorders.Diarrhea or constipation, discomfort in the stomach and intestines, pain in the right hypochondrium - all this indicates the appearance of helminths in the body.Nausea and vomiting, mucus and blood in the stool are also common symptoms of helminthic infestations.At the same time, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract are often periodic and appear during the migration of parasites.
- Neurological disorders.Any helminths gradually poison the human body with their toxins, affecting the human nervous system.Headaches, insomnia, apathy, fatigue, increased excitability and irritability appear.Together with sweating and pale skin, such symptoms indicate infection with helminths.
- Reduced immunity.Parasitoses cause acute immunological reactions in the form of allergies, but gradually the body no longer has the strength to fight helminths and immunity decreases.The body becomes “open” to bacteria and viruses: people infected with parasites are more likely to suffer from acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, and are at risk for HIV, oncology and diseases of unknown etymology (for example, Alzheimer's disease).
As the infestation progresses, the symptoms become more severe.Appears:
- Gastrointestinal ulcers, gastric and intestinal bleeding;
- Cirrhosis, peritonitis, cholecystitis, purulent cholangitis;
- Formation of adhesions on the organs of the genitourinary system, leading to infertility;
- Endocarditis, heart murmurs, disturbances in the functioning of the heart muscle;
- Pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, pleural prolapse.
If treatment for helminthic infestation is not started in time, it will lead to serious disruptions in the functioning of all organ systems and death.The presence of one or more symptoms is a serious reason to think about the presence of parasitosis and undergo a course of anthelmintic therapy.
Preventive use of deworming tablets
Since the risk of infection with parasites is high, every responsible person is faced with the question: is it necessary to take anti-worm medications for prevention?Here the opinions of infectious disease specialists and parasitologists differ.Synthetic antihelminthic drugs are toxic and have a large number of contraindications.However, if one of the family members has a helminthic infestation, in order to avoid reinfestation, everyone is recommended to take a course of anthelmintics.
Preventive antihelminthic measures are indicated in families with small children: among them there is a high risk of infection with enterobiasis, and the test for it (smear from the anus) is often false negative.Therefore, preschoolers are often prescribed tablets with pyrantel once every six months.But such treatment for worms is only half effective: chemicals affect only adult helminths, while the larvae and eggs of parasites remain in the child’s body, continue to develop and harm it.
Also, residents of agricultural areas, during sowing and harvesting, travelers before visiting exotic countries, hunters and fishermen should not neglect antihelminthic prophylaxis.All these categories of citizens are at risk of parasite infection.Typically, preventive measures against parasites are carried out twice a year: in spring and autumn.
Treatment of helminthic infestations in children
Most deworming tablets are indicated for use by children over 2 years of age.What to do if a parasitic disease is diagnosed in an infant?This is not uncommon: often the fetus becomes infected in the womb if its mother is susceptible to helminthic infestation.If an infant is diagnosed with helminthiasis, treatment should be strictly controlled by a pediatrician: the specialist prescribes the correct dosage and selects anti-worm medications that are safe for the child’s body.
In some cases, doctors recommend waiting until the child is older to reduce the danger from the toxic effects of the deworming drug.But this is not always justified: with serious parasitic diseases, the child stops both in physical and mental development.His body is gradually poisoned by helminth toxins, metabolic processes are disrupted, and the child’s body does not receive enough macro- and microelements necessary for life.All organ systems suffer, inflammation of the intestines, liver, bile ducts, lungs, and heart develops.This creates a huge risk to life: parasitosis leads to death.
Therefore, it is so important to prevent helminthic infestations in children and to undergo a preventive anthelmintic course before conception, and to observe the rules of personal hygiene during pregnancy.
Tablets for worms during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a contraindication for taking most medications for worms, especially in the first trimester, when the main tissues and organs of the fetus are formed.Doctors prescribe anthelmintics only if a woman's life is at risk if treatment is not started immediately.
To cure helminthic infestations, pregnant women are prescribed drugs based on piperazine.But the optimal solution would be to take a preventive anthelmintic course before conceiving a child.
The choice of drugs for worms
Deworming agents are selected taking into account:
- Type of helminthic infestation;
- Degree of infestation;
- The patient's current condition and history.
Not only the type of anti-worm tablets is selected individually, but also their dosage and course of administration.Often, concomitant medications are prescribed to facilitate the evacuation of adult helminths and their larvae (for example, laxatives).Prebiotics, immunomodulating drugs, and vitamin complexes also help in the fight against parasites.
Only systematic treatment allows you to completely get rid of helminthic infestation, remove parasites from the body at all stages of the life cycle, including eggs, and eliminate the consequences of the disease.
How else are worms dangerous?
Helminths affect all organ systems and tissues; severe infestations lead to the gradual destruction of the human body and death.But helminthic infections are dangerous not only for this.
Parasites feed on the body of their host; they literally “drink all the juices” from the body.As a result of helminthic infestations, vitamin deficiencies develop; a person does not receive essential micro- and macroelements, such as selenium, zinc, copper, and iron.Metabolic processes in cells are disrupted, vitamins are not synthesized, and concomitant degenerative diseases develop, such as scurvy.Due to vitamin deficiency due to parasitic diseases, hair falls out, the skin becomes dry and gray, the functioning of the nervous system deteriorates: periods of apathy alternate with attacks of irritability, normal sleep disappears.
In addition to the fact that helminths “eat” all the useful substances, they also poison the human body with their waste products - dangerous toxins.Parasite poisons are poorly excreted by the kidneys and liver, whose functions are already impaired due to helminthiasis.Gradually, toxins accumulate in the blood and spread throughout the body, causing such frequent symptoms of parasitosis as allergies, decreased immunity, and headaches.Over time, the symptoms worsen: tremors appear in the limbs, vision is impaired, and internal bleeding begins.Every organ becomes inflamed: doctors diagnose chronic cholangitis, intestinal and stomach ulcers, cirrhosis, bronchitis and pneumonia appear in the respiratory system, the heart “makes noise” - endocarditis develops.
Therefore, anti-worm remedies must work in a comprehensive manner: not only remove helminths from the human body at all stages of their life cycle, but also eliminate toxic poisoning and replenish the lack of nutrients.
The most common types of worms
| Type of helminth (name of disease) |
Organs and tissues affected by worms |
| Alveococcus (alveococcosis) |
Liver, brain, lungs.Less commonly, the kidneys, peritoneum, spleen, and muscles are affected. |
| Ascaris (ascariasis) |
Small intestine, lungs, bile ducts. |
| Bull tapeworm (taeniarinhoz) |
Upper gastrointestinal tract |
| Whipworm (trichocephalosis) |
Large intestine, appendix. |
| Dwarf tapeworm (hymenolepiasis) |
Gastrointestinal tract. |
| Chinese fluke (clonorchiasis) |
Duodenum, liver, bile ducts. |
| Cat fluke (opisthorchiasis) |
Small intestine, bile ducts, liver. |
| Pulmonary fluke (paragonimiasis) |
Lungs, subcutaneous tissue, brain, muscles. |
| Tapeworm (diphyllobothriasis) |
Small intestine. |
| Pinworms (enterobiasis) |
Caecum and appendix. |
| Pork tapeworm (taeniasis or cysticercosis - if tapeworm develops in the human body) |
Small intestine, skin and subcutaneous tissue, muscles, spinal cord and brain, eyes, bones, any internal organs. |
| Trichinella (trichinosis) |
Intestines, any organs that the parasite enters, including the central nervous system, eyes, skin. |
| Echinococcus (echinococcosis) |
Intestines, liver, lungs, and cysts can also form in other organs. |