Parasites in the human body – do folk remedies work?

Almost all of us have to deal with manifestations of helminthiasis. These parasites have coexisted with humans for so long that Hippocrates himself mentioned them in his writings. According to the World Health Organization, more than 5 billion people on earth are currently affected by various types of helminthiasis.The pharmaceutical industry regularly produces modern products aimed at neutralizing parasites in the human body; folk remedies for helminthiasis, which complement traditional treatments, have also not lost their relevance.

About worms

About 250 species of parasites live in human tissues and organs. All of these fall into two categories:

1. Flatworms (nematodes);
2. Roundworms (taenia and flukes).

Their size varies from a few millimeters to 10-12 m. The parasites soon reach sexual maturity, after which they have the ability to lay between ten and a hundred thousand eggs per day.These eggs can remain viable for a long time, even if the conditions they are exposed to are not the most favorable. Types of organisms affected by parasites (according to their developmental stage):

• The final host in which the worm develops to sexual maturity;
• An intermediate host in which the worm survives until one of its developmental stages.

Within the body of its final host, the parasite can complete its complete developmental cycle multiple times and live there for decades. For various types of parasites, humans can be the final or intermediate host, just as they can be shellfish, fish, and predators. Depending on the type of biological cycle, cases of parasitic infections are divided into:

1. Biological helminthiasis - the development of helminths occurs in organisms of different species;
2. Geohelminthes - Worm eggs spend part of their developmental cycle in the soil, with no intermediate host.

How do parasitic infections occur?

There are various ways in which worms enter the human body; they depend on social characteristics, physical and climatic factors, and food preferences. The main routes of parasitic infection:

• Through dirty hands, contaminated water, poorly processed food.
• When dust particles containing insect eggs are inhaled.
• through the skin.
• Serves as an intermediate host (Wuchereria bancrofti) after being bitten by a mosquito.
• When eating contaminated seafood, meat, fish (flukes).

The dietary habits of some northern ethnic groups recommend the use of light salt and raw fish. The prevalence of trichinellosis and hydatidosis is high in this population.

Which organs are affected by helminthiasis?

Helminth damage may be localized to many organs and tissues. The localization of worms depends on their developmental stage, so the same type of worm can inhabit different parts of the intestine at different stages of its existence. Organs affected by helminthiasis:

1. Large intestine - roundworms, pinworms.
2. Duodenum - Strongyloides stercoralis.
3. lymphatic vessels.
4. Lungs - Paragonimidae.
5. Subcutaneous tissue - Larva migrans.
6. Worms live in the hollow organs and tissues of the human body.

Depending on the location of the parasite, helminth infections are divided into the following types:

• Tissue (hydatid, cysticercosis);
• Luminal (taeniasis, pinwormiasis, ascariasis).

Some worms modify human tissue during their larval stage, forming capsules or pellets around themselves (Trichinella spiralis, Toxocara). There is a type of worm that in its larval stage migrates under human skin and in organ tissue (larvae).They temporarily live in the human body in the form of internal organs and skin; for them, humans are intermediate hosts.

Clinical manifestations of helminthiasis

Like many other infections, helminthiasis goes through two stages of development: acute and chronic. Their duration:

1. Acute phase - 2-3 weeks to several months;
2. Chronic stage - from 2-3 months to several years.

Although there are many types of worms and their sites of distribution, the symptoms in the acute phase have common manifestations - these are allergic symptoms and toxic effects on the human body:

• temperature rises slightly
• Muscle pain,
• rash,
• swelling of limbs,
• swollen lymph nodes,
• indigestion,
• Enlargement of the spleen and liver,
• Damage to the central nervous system.

Laboratory blood tests showed changes in its formula - eosinophilia and a significant increase in the number of white blood cells were diagnosed. The transition of helminthiasis to the chronic phase is marked by symptoms, depending on the organ affected by the parasite, the developmental stage, number and species of worms. In the chronic stage of helminthiasis, the following symptoms are diagnosed:

1. Indigestion and intestinal pain,
2. intestinal obstruction,
3. hemorrhagic colitis,
4. anemia,
5. vitamin deficiency,
6. sudden weight loss,
7. Obstructive jaundice, hepatitis (with liver damage),
8. Loss of certain functions of the central nervous system (when the parasite is located in the brain),
9. Inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs (pinworm migration into the vagina),
10. Stomach and intestinal ulcers (chronic strongyloidiasis),
11. Damage to muscle tissue, formation of capillary granulomas in the brain (severe trichinellosis),
12. Damage to the lymphatic system (due to nematode infection).

Helminthiasis caused by echinococcosis not only results in the formation of liver cysts, but bone tissue may also be destroyed by the parasite. This makes the bones brittle and increases the risk of fractures. Damage to the human body by the larvae of Dirofilaria protandans occurs in the form of subcutaneous nodules containing the parasite. This node is capable of penetrating the thickness of skin and mucous membranes.

By analyzing the symptoms of helminthiasis, one can be convinced that this disease has no stable clinical manifestations or clear specific signs.

Diagnosis of parasitic infections

If an accurate diagnosis is not made promptly, you may miss the time when treatment is most effective.The transition from acute to chronic stages of helminthiasis often masks the true cause of the disease.Parasitic infections can be mistaken for symptoms of a completely different disease. It is very important not to self-medicate but to seek medical help from an infectious disease specialist or parasitologist. His arsenal includes many modern methods for diagnosing parasitic infections:

• Laboratory examination of stool, bile, sputum, blood, urine, rectal and anal mucus scrapings, and duodenal contents for detection of parasites and their eggs and larvae;
• Ultrasound, radiography;
• Endoscopy, internal biopsy.

The most effective method is considered a serological test, a method that analyzes the serum for the presence of certain types of helminth infection antigens.

The test can reveal the presence of parasites even in the early stages of infection.

Treating Parasitic Infections with Traditional Methods

Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe an anthelmintic treatment and the duration of a post-treatment control study.All expert advice should be followed carefully to avoid complications.No need to remind you to follow hygiene precautions to prevent parasites from infecting your family and secondary infections.Proponents of the use of traditional recipes need to remember that use of these therapies is an adjunct and not a replacement for medical treatment.Like medications, conventional medicine has contraindications and side effects. That's why it's worth discussing with your doctor before using this method. Home Remedies:

• Eat peeled pumpkin seeds for two weeks, keeping the thin green skin on the seeds.
• Decoction of peel from one pomegranate, 3/4 tbsp. Take it with boiled water on an empty stomach, one and a half hours in advance, and take it in three doses. After a few hours, be sure to use laxatives to stimulate bowel movements.
• Enemas with freshly squeezed carrot juice (40 ml) should be given daily for 7 days.
• Consume garlic and preparations containing garlic regularly.
• Place a whole clove of garlic into the rectum (to combat pinworm disease).
• Take freshly prepared garlic juice (10-15 ml) and warm milk (1 cup) and drink it on an empty stomach and repeat the intake 1-2 times during the day.
• Stir a mixture of 50 grams of garlic and grated horseradish roots into half a liter of vodka. The mixture was injected for 1. 5 weeks and filtered. Mandatory dose – 1 tbsp. The infusion must be washed down before each meal. Effective against giardiasis.
• Garlic porridge enema shortly before going to bed can effectively fight pinworms and tapeworms. Enema: Stir 1 teaspoon in a glass of water. minced garlic. Regularly every week.
• 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons, decoction. milk, 1 tbsp. Lake-dried tansy flowers can be used as an enema. The enema mixture should boil for about 10 minutes. Perform 7 times and repeat the treatment after 10 days of rest to consolidate the curative effect.

Herbs and Cost:

1. 1 tsp. For dry mugwort, pour 400 ml (2 tablespoons) boiling water, drain, decoct and take 1-2 tablespoons. Take it three times a day, before each meal. Effective against ascariasis and pinworms.
2. Mix tansy (1 tablespoon of dried flowers) with 0. 5 liters of boiling water for 3 hours and give it as an enema into the rectum before going to bed. This product is prohibited for pregnant women and children.
3. Infuse for half an hour starting from 4 tablespoons. Lake unripe walnuts and a glass of boiling water with salt, filter and take it at the same time as a laxative. Effective against tapeworms, roundworms, and pinworms.
4. 1 tbsp. Pour 200 ml of boiling water over the tansy flowers and after an hour filter the infusion. Admission frequency is standard - Art. Lake 20 minutes before dinner. Therefore, it needs to be treated for 2-3 days and finished with laxatives.
5. Boil 1 kg of sorrel in 1 liter of boiling water for 2 hours (preferably in a water bath), strain and add a few tablespoons of sugar. The volume of the final product is 1 cup of decoction, drink 1-2 sips daily before meals.

Helminthiasis is a complex infection with diverse clinical manifestations. They can cause serious complications and cause irreversible damage to human health.Self-medication when infected with parasites is not acceptable. Traditional prescriptions should be used with extreme caution and only as adjuncts to medical therapy.