“Diseases of civilization” are well known to every modern person: difficult-to-treat allergies, frequent ARVI, runny nose and bronchitis, chronic fatigue and asthenia, problems with the stomach and intestines, abdominal pain.Obsessive symptoms that force you to change your lifestyle and cause a lot of discomfort, which often become the reason for numerous visits to the doctor.Treatment ends, but symptoms remain.
What can such violations indicate?
Poor health, increasing symptoms, unexplained manifestations of various body systems - respiratory, immune, nervous, digestive and others - are usually "attributed" to the modern, busy rhythm of life, constant emotional and physical overload, which cause general fatigue and a decrease in immunity.In fact, this condition can have many reasons, and very often the discomfort is caused by only one negative factor, for example, helminthic infestation.In order to accurately determine the cause of the malaise and also find out whether there is a parasitic infection, you need to consult a doctor - a therapist, gastroenterologist or immunologist-allergist.
If it is suspected that the presence of parasites is the cause of the disease, the doctor prescribes parasite detection tests.There are several tests available to determine helminthiasis.Treatment is mostly quite simple: specific anthelmintic drugs (anthelmintics) are selected.If you ignore the problem, the presence of parasites in the body can lead to serious illnesses and sad consequences.
Symptoms of a parasitic infection in adults
Most adults associate helminth infection with children, and there is an explanation for this well-established opinion: helminth infestations are indeed widespread in childhood, because young children may not follow hygiene rules, are found in large groups of children, etc.However, helminthiasis also occurs in adults!Additionally, parasites in the body can cause symptoms that a non-medical person would never associate with a helminthic infestation.
For example, parasites can contribute to the development of allergies, because they themselves (and their metabolic products) are allergens, and they also disrupt the functioning of immune defense mechanisms, leading to a decrease in immunity.Various allergic reactions develop (runny nose, watery eyes, rash, swelling, diarrhea) to familiar foods, pollen, house dust, and quickly intensify.Against the background of changes in the immune system, frequent acute respiratory viral infections are observed and general health deteriorates.
On the side of the digestive system, when infected by parasites, there is
- pain in the upper abdomen, near the navel,
- bloating often occurs
- diarrhea,
- painful cramps in the lower abdomen,
- constipation,
- itching
Such symptoms may indicate infection with roundworms, which live mainly in the small intestine, which is why the listed unpleasant sensations develop.Painful cramps in the lower abdomen, constipation and itching in the anus are more typical with pinworm infection, since they are localized in the large intestine.With all helminthic infestations, the appetite is impaired and can not only disappear, but also intensify.
Some helminthic infestations, for example echinococcosis, opisthorchiasis, are asymptomatic.
Complications of helminthiasis that develop without treatment include the following (some of them are listed):
- anemia is due to poor absorption of nutrients from the intestine, absorption of vitamins and proteins;studies show that even a mild degree of helminthic infestation can cause such disorders;
- intestinal obstruction - mechanical blockage of the intestine most often occurs in children under 10 years of age, but adult patients also appear in world statistics;intestinal obstruction can lead to death;
- blockage of the bronchi (with ascariasis) and corresponding manifestations of the respiratory system;
- jaundice (with ascariasis) due to blockage of the bile ducts.
Important!An adult can become infected with parasites by consuming non-thermally processed foods (fish, meat) or insufficiently washed green vegetables.Dangerous helminths can enter the human body from pets - dogs, cats, turtles, etc.This is why even adults should undergo periodic testing for helminthic infestation, especially if persistent symptoms from the digestive system are observed.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis
Some helminthic infestations are extremely difficult to detect in stool due to the peculiarities of the parasite life cycle, for example with ascariasis.In such cases, it is necessary to determine anti-helminth antibodies in the blood.When identifying pinworms, the analysis is informative (accurate).
Blood test to determine antibodies to helminths
These studies are prescribed to determine the presence of pathogens such as roundworms, toxocara and others in the body.The tests are accurate and can determine the presence of a parasitic infection.
Important!At the end of the treatment, it is necessary to check its effectiveness (elimination of parasites) by carrying out repeated studies.
Frequently performed tests - specific tests for helminthic infestations, as well as general and biochemical blood tests - help identify more dangerous health problems that require immediate treatment and can be fatal.For example, in conjunction with testing for helminth infections, tests are prescribed to identify hidden viral infections that cause serious damage to the body and weaken the immune system - for Epstein-Bar virus, cytomegalovirus and others.This is why any test prescribed by a doctor can give him important information about the reasons for the patient's poor health and allow him to start targeted treatment as soon as possible.
Treatment of helminthiasis in the clinic
Despite the unpleasant nature of the situation, most helminthiasis is treated with the help of special medications.Modern anthelmintic drugs are well tolerated, do not cause serious side effects, and if the treatment regimen is followed, they are selected individually by the doctor, taking into account the condition of the body.Strict compliance with the rules for taking medications guarantees the complete elimination of parasites from the body.
But the treatment doesn’t stop there.It is necessary to eliminate the consequences caused by helminthic infestation in the body, therefore the doctor may prescribe drugs that improve digestion (enterosorbents, probiotics, anti-inflammatories), antiallergic drugs, expectorants, antianemic drugs (iron supplements), vitamin-mineral complexes and others.I would especially like to emphasize that therapy is always strictly individual and depends on the characteristics of each patient's body.It is therefore preferable to carry out the treatment under the supervision of a doctor.
The clinic offers patients a unique opportunity to further improve their body health through medicinal plants.A gastroenterologist, also certified herbalist, will individually select a plant mixture based on medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and antiallergic effects.Herbal medicine courses help to normalize digestion and eliminate discomfort - heartburn and belching, bloating and stool disorders, restoring and supporting the body is as comfortable as possible for the patient.The clinic also uses homeopathic treatment as supportive treatment, since these drugs have a mild complex effect on various systems of the body.