“Diseases of civilization” are known to every modern person - these are difficult-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 many discomforts, which often become the reason for numerous visits to the doctor.Treatment ends, but symptoms persist.
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, hectic rhythm of life, constant emotional and physical overload, which leads to general fatigue and reduced immunity.In fact, there can be many reasons for this condition, and very often the malaise is caused only by a negative factor, for example, helminthic infestation.In order to accurately determine the cause of the malaise, and also to find out whether there is an infection with parasites, you need to see a doctor - a therapist, gastroenterologist or immunologist-allergist.
If there is a suspicion that the presence of parasites is the cause of the disease, the doctor prescribes tests for the presence of parasites.Several tests are available to detect helminthiasis.For the most part, treatment is quite simple: certain anthelmintics (anthelmintics) are selected.If you ignore the problem, the presence of parasites in the body can lead to serious illness and sad consequences.
Symptoms of a parasite infection in adults
Most adults associate helminthic infection with children, and there is an explanation for this popular belief: helminthic infestation is in fact common in childhood because small children may not follow hygiene rules, stay in large groups of children, and so on.However, helminthiases also occur in adults!In addition, parasites in the body can cause symptoms that a person unfamiliar with medicine would never associate with a helminth infestation.
For example, parasites can contribute to the development of allergies because they themselves (and their metabolic products) are allergens and also disrupt the function of immune defense mechanisms, which leads to a decrease in immunity.Various allergic reactions develop to familiar foods, pollen, house dust (runny nose, tearing, rash, swelling, diarrhea), which quickly intensify.Against the background of changes in the immune system, acute respiratory viral infections are often observed and the general state of health worsens.
On the part of the digestive system there is an infection with parasites
- Pain in the upper abdomen, near the navel,
- Bloating occurs frequently
- 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 occur.Painful cramps in the lower abdomen, constipation and itching in the anus are more common when infected with pinworms, as they are localized in the large intestine.With any helminthic infestation, appetite is impaired and may not only disappear, but also increase.
Some helminthic infestations, for example echinococcosis and opisthorchiasis, are asymptomatic.
Complications of helminthiasis that occur without treatment include the following (some of which are listed):
- Anemia occurs due to impaired absorption of nutrients from the intestines, the absorption of vitamins and proteins;Studies show that even mild helminth infestation can cause such disorders;
- Intestinal obstruction – mechanical intestinal obstruction, which occurs most often in children under 10 years of age, but adult patients also appear in world statistics;Intestinal obstruction can lead to death;
- congestion of the bronchi (with ascariasis) and corresponding manifestations of the respiratory system;
- Jaundice (with ascariasis) due to obstruction of the bile ducts.
Important!An adult can become infected with parasites by eating thermally unprocessed foods (fish, meat) or inadequately washed vegetables.Dangerous helminths can enter the human body from domestic animals - dogs, cats, turtles, etc.That is why adults also need to undergo regular tests to detect helminth infestation, especially if persistent symptoms of the digestive system are observed.
Diagnosis of helminthiases
Some helminthic infestations are extremely difficult to detect in feces due to the peculiarities of the life cycle of parasites, for example in ascariasis.In such cases, it is necessary to determine antibodies in the blood to helminths.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 allow you to determine the presence of a parasitic infection.
Important!At the end of treatment, the effectiveness (elimination of parasites) must be verified through repeated studies.
Frequently performed tests - specific tests for helminth infestation as well as general and biochemical blood tests - help detect more dangerous health problems that require immediate treatment and can be fatal.For example, in conjunction with tests for helminth infections, tests are prescribed to identify hidden viral infections that seriously damage the body and weaken the immune system - for the Epstein-Bar virus, cytomegalovirus and others.That is why any examination prescribed by the doctor can provide important information about the reasons for the patient's poor health and allow him to start targeted treatment in a timely manner.
Treatment of helminthiasis in the clinic
Despite the unpleasant situation, most helminthiasis is treated with special medications.Modern anthelmintics are well tolerated, do not cause serious side effects and, if the treatment regimen is followed, are selected by the doctor individually, taking into account the condition of the body.Strict adherence to the rules for taking medications guarantees the complete elimination of parasites from the body.
However, the treatment does not end there.It is necessary to eliminate the consequences of helminthic infestation in the body, so the doctor may prescribe drugs that improve digestion (enterosorbents, probiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs), anti-allergic drugs, expectorants, antianemic drugs (iron preparations), vitamin-mineral complexes and others.I would especially like to emphasize that therapy is always strictly individual and depends on the body characteristics of each patient, so it is best to carry out the treatment under medical supervision.
The clinic offers patients a unique opportunity to further improve their body health with herbal medicines.A gastroenterologist, also a certified herbalist, individually selects a herbal mixture based on medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and anti-allergic effects.Herbal medicine courses help to normalize digestion and eliminate discomfort – heartburn and belching, flatulence and stool disorders, restoring and supporting the body as comfortable as possible for the patient.The clinic also uses homeopathic treatments as supportive care as these medicines have a mild complex effect on various body systems.