"Diseases of civilization" are well known to all modern people - these are hard-to-treat allergies, frequent ARVI, runny nose and bronchitis, chronic fatigue and asthenia, stomach and intestinal problems, abdominal pain.Obsessive symptoms that force you to change your lifestyle and cause a lot of discomfort, which is often the reason for many visits to the doctor.The treatment ends, but the symptoms remain.
What can such violations indicate?
Poor health, increasing symptoms, inexplicable manifestations of various body systems - respiratory system, immune system, nervous system, digestive system and others - are usually attributed to the modern, busy rhythm of life, constant emotional and physical overload, which cause general fatigue and reduced immunity.In fact, this condition can have many causes, and very often the malaise is caused by a single negative factor, for example, a helminthic infection.In order to accurately determine the cause of the malaise and determine whether there is a parasitic infection, you should consult a doctor - a therapist, gastroenterologist or immunologist-allergist.
If there is a suspicion that the presence of parasites is causing the disease, the doctor prescribes tests for the presence of parasites.There are several tests available to determine helminthiasis.The treatment is mostly quite simple: special anthelmintic drugs are selected.If you ignore the problem, the presence of parasites in the body can lead to serious diseases and sad consequences.
Symptoms of parasitic infection in adults
Most adults associate intestinal worm infection with children, and this well-established opinion has an explanation: worm infection is indeed common in childhood, because small children may not follow hygiene rules, be in large groups of children, etc.However, helminthiasis also occurs in adults!Moreover, parasites in the body can cause symptoms that a non-medical person would never associate with a helminthic infection.
For example, parasites can contribute to the development of allergies, since they themselves (and their metabolic products) are allergens, and they also interfere with the functioning of immune defense mechanisms, which leads to a decrease in immunity.Various allergic reactions develop (runny nose, tearing, skin rash, swelling, diarrhea) to familiar foods, pollen, and household dust, and they quickly intensify.Against the background of changes in the immune system, frequent acute respiratory viral infections are observed, and the general state of health deteriorates.
As for the digestive system, they are infected with parasites
- pain in the upper abdomen, near the navel,
- bloating often occurs
- diarrhea,
- painful cramps in the lower abdomen,
- constipation,
- itch
Such symptoms may primarily indicate an infection with roundworms living in the small intestine, which is why the listed discomforts develop.Painful cramps in the lower abdomen, constipation and itching in the anus are more typical when lumps become infected, since they are localized in the large intestine.In case of any helminthic infection, the appetite worsens and may not only disappear, but also increase in strength.
Some helminthic infections, such as echinococcosis, opisthorchiasis, are asymptomatic.
Complications of helminthiasis that develop without treatment are the following (some of them are listed):
- anemia occurs due to impaired absorption of nutrients from the intestine, absorption of vitamins and proteins;studies show that even mild helminthic infection can cause such disorders;
- intestinal obstruction - mechanical obstruction of the intestine, most often occurs in children under 10 years of age, but adult patients also appear in world statistics;intestinal obstruction can cause death;
- bronchial obstruction (with ascariasis) and corresponding manifestations of the respiratory system;
- jaundice (with ascariasis) due to obstruction of the bile ducts.
Important!Adults can become infected with parasites if they eat thermally unprocessed food (fish, meat) or improperly washed vegetables.Dangerous intestinal worms can enter the human body from pets - dogs, cats, turtles, etc.Therefore, even adults should be tested at regular intervals to detect helminthic infection, especially if persistent symptoms from the digestive system are noted.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis
Due to the peculiarities of the life cycle of parasites, for example, in the case of ascariasis, some helminthic infections are extremely difficult to detect in the feces, in such cases, antibodies against the worm must be determined in the blood.When identifying pinworms, the analysis is informative (accurate).
Blood test to determine antibodies against helminths
These tests are prescribed to determine the presence of pathogens such as roundworm, toxocara and others in the body.The tests are accurate and make it possible to determine the presence of a parasite infection.
Important!At the end of the treatment, its effectiveness (removal of parasites) must be checked by carrying out repeated tests.
Frequent tests - specific tests for helminth infections, general and biochemical blood tests - help identify more dangerous health problems that require immediate treatment and can be fatal.For example, together with the examination of helminth infections, tests are prescribed to identify hidden viral infections that cause serious damage to the body and weaken the immune system - in the case of the Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and others.That is why any examination prescribed by the doctor can provide important information about the causes of the patient's poor health and allow him to start targeted treatment in time.
Treatment of helminthiasis in the clinic
Despite the unpleasantness of the situation, most helminthiasis is treated with special drugs.Modern anthelmintic drugs are well tolerated, do not cause serious side effects, and if the treatment regimen is followed, the doctor selects it individually, taking into account the condition of the body.Strict adherence to the rules for taking medications guarantees the complete removal of parasites from the body.
However, the treatment does not end there.It is necessary to eliminate the consequences caused by an intestinal worm infection in the body, therefore the doctor prescribes medicines that improve digestion (enterosorbents, probiotics, anti-inflammatories), anti-allergy drugs, expectorants, anti-anemia drugs (iron supplements), vitamin-mineral complexes, etc.I would like to note separately that the therapy is always strictly individual and depends on the peculiarities of each patient's body, so it is best to carry out the treatment under the supervision of a doctor.
The clinic provides patients with a unique opportunity to further improve their body's health with herbal medicines.The gastroenterologist, who is also qualified as a herbalist, individually selects the herbal mixture consisting of anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and anti-allergic herbs.Herbal courses help normalize digestion and eliminate unpleasant sensations - heartburn and belching, bloating and stool disorders, restore and support the body as comfortably as possible for the patient.The clinic also uses homeopathic treatment as a supportive treatment, as these drugs have a mild complex effect on various body systems.