How to get rid of pinworms? This question is asked by every patient with enterobiasis. Nowadays, there are many anthelmintic drugs. Each of them has its own characteristics, side effects and has its own scope. To understand the whole variety of drugs for parasites, you need to understand the principle of their action. It is also important to know for which age group a particular remedy is intended for a patient.
What are pinworms
Pinworms are small white worms. They are roundworms. Their length is not more than 1 cm. They parasitize in the human intestine. These worms do not live long, only 2 months, but manage to lay a huge number of eggs. Parasites do not reproduce in the intestines. At night, the female crawls out of the anus into the perineum to lay eggs. This causes severe itching and skin irritation in humans.
How infection occurs
Pinworm infectionhappens very easily. These are the most common parasites. The infection is transmitted through dirty hands. A sick child or adult scratches the anus, while helminth eggs fall under the nails. With insufficient hand washing, a person can transmit the infection to others. Also, the patient leaves helminth eggs on all objects with which it comes into contact. The flies can then transfer them to food. Thus, the invasion spreads rapidly. Usually, if there is one infected person in the house, then other family members will soon find pinworms.
These worms are especially easily transmitted to children. A small child often has a habit of sucking his thumb or putting objects in his mouth. In this way, parasites enter the body.
There are also cases of self-infection, when a sick person passes pinworm eggs through dirty hands to himself. Often people get an invasion from pets (cats and dogs). Pinworm eggs live on the hair of sick animals. And if a person stroked an infected cat or dog, and then washed his hands poorly, then he can get an invasion.
Symptoms of enterobiasis
The disease caused by pinworms is called enterobiasis. Within 2 weeks after infection, a person does not feel any changes in well-being. But then he shows the first signs of infection, and he can pass the infection to others.
Enterobiosis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- At night there is a strong itch in the anus.
- Disturbed by dyspeptic phenomena: nausea, pain instomach, diarrhea.
- Sometimes small white inclusions can be seen in the feces. These are dead helminths coming out.
- Women experience inflammation of the vagina due to the penetration of parasites into the genitals from the rectum.
- In rare cases, a cough may occur due to worms entering the respiratory system.
Enterobiosis can be complicated by appendicitis. Inflammation occurs due to the entry of worms into the process of the caecum.
It is not necessary to remove helminths without consulting a doctor. Before you get rid of pinworms, you need to undergo a diagnosis. It is important to determine the type of worm in order to choose the right drug. After all, different drugs can affect certain types of parasites.
Treatment methods
What to do with pinworms? First of all, you need to contact an infectious disease specialist or parasitologist. He will select the most suitable anthelmintic agent that will quickly remove the parasites. However, it must be remembered that agents that have a detrimental effect on worms are to some extent toxic to humans. Therefore, they often cause unpleasant side effects such as headaches and nausea.
Before the doctor, the question often arises: how to remove pinworms in young children and pregnant women? In this case, experts try to choose the most gentle remedy with a minimum of side effects. But at the same time, the active component of the drug should have an effective effect on pinworms.
You can also use home remedies for worms. However, before using them, you should consultwith a doctor. Folk recipes should not completely replace drug treatment, they can only supplement therapy with anthelmintic drugs.
Probiotics, enterosorbents and vitamins are used as auxiliary methods of therapy. This helps to eliminate the effects of pinworm parasitism in the body. Such drugs restore the microflora, saturate the body with vitamins, and also remove helminth toxins.
Many patients are interested in how to get rid of pinworms in a short time and forever? It must be remembered that most drugs destroy only adult worms, but do not affect eggs and larvae. In addition, self-infection of the patient through poorly washed hands is not excluded. Therefore, it is not always possible to remove helminths from the first time, and a second course of therapy is often required.
The dosage of anthelmintics is selected by the doctor individually. depending on the age and weight of the patient. 7-10 days before the use of anthelmintic drugs, flour, sweet, fried and fatty foods, as well as fast food and pasta, should be excluded from the diet. During this period, you should eat more fruits, vegetables and dairy products.
The following will be a brief overview of medications and folk remedies for pinworms.
Anthelmintic "Pirantel"
The drug has the most gentle effect on the human body and causes the most minimal side effects. The active component of the drug does not kill, but paralyzes the body of worms. Therefore, this remedy is not so toxic to humans. Immobilized parasites thencome out with feces. "Pirantel" from pinworms can be given even to children over the age of 6 months. The dosage is calculated by the doctor individually, depending on the weight of the patient. The drug paralyzes only adult parasites, it has no effect on eggs and larvae. Therefore, the reception of this remedy is repeated after 2 weeks.
Vormil drug
The active ingredient of the tablets or suspension is albendazole. It disrupts the metabolism in the body of helminths, which leads to the death of worms. The drug can fight not only with adults, but also with larvae. However, it does not work on eggs. This medicine for pinworms for children and adults can be used from the age of 2 years. However, pregnant women should not take this anthelmintic. Among the side effects of this medicine are dyspepsia, as well as headache, dizziness and drowsiness.
Vermox tablets
The active ingredient in Vermox tablets is mebendazole. This substance does not allow the body of worms to absorb glucose. As a result, parasites die from exhaustion within 2-3 days. This medicine has the same side effects as the drug "Vormil", but undesirable effects are noted more often than when taking drugs with albendazole. This medicine for pinworms in adults and children is prescribed from the age of 2 years. Do not take the drug during pregnancy and lactation.
Remedy"Dekaris"
"Dekaris" is produced in the form of tablets of 50 mg and 150 mg. Their active ingredient levamisole causes paralysis of adult helminths. Then the worms themselves leave the body under the influence of intestinal peristalsis. This is a fairly effective drug, it removes worms in 3-5 days, after 2 weeks the treatment is repeated. Like many other anthelmintic drugs, this medicine is not used during pregnancy and lactation. In the treatment of pinworms in children with "Decaris", only 50 mg tablets are used. An adult dosage of 150 mg can be bad for a child's he alth. The drug can be taken from 3 years.
Drug "Piperazine"
Often, women expecting a baby are interested in: what to do with pinworms during pregnancy? After all, most anthelmintic drugs are prohibited during this period. However, there is a medicine for worms, which is not contraindicated when carrying a fetus, this is "Piperazine". This is the only drug for helminths that doctors allow pregnant and lactating mothers to take. This pinworm medicine for children and adults can be used from 3 years of age.
The active component of the drug only paralyzes the worms, but it does not ensure the release of parasites from the body. Therefore, after taking Piperazine, you need to do a cleansing enema or take laxatives. Otherwise, there is a danger of intoxication with the decay products of helminths.
Anthelmintic "Vanquin"
The drug "Vanquin" affects only pinworms, it is not used against other types of worms. Its active component, pirvinium embonate, causes enzymatic disturbances in the body of worms, which leads to their death. This medicine for pinworms in adults and children is available in the form of tablets and suspensions. It can be taken from 3 months of age.
When using "Vanquin" in the recommended doses, it rarely causes side effects. This medicine may turn stool red. The drug is taken once, if necessary, the therapy is repeated after 2-3 weeks.
Folk recipes with garlic
Many people are interested in how to get rid of pinworms with home remedies. One of the products that can expel helminths is garlic. You can use the following recipes:
- Pour a glass of milk into a saucepan and boil 5 garlic cloves in it. They must first be cleaned, but not crushed. This decoction is taken 1 teaspoon 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
- Garlic from pinworms is also taken as a tincture. To do this, take 400 ml of vodka and pour 10 crushed garlic cloves. A container with tincture is placed for 7 days in a dark place. This remedy is only suitable for adults, as it is prepared with alcohol.
- You can put 1 chopped head of garlic and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper into a glass of curdled milk. The remedy is drunk at night.
Garlic can be not onlyuse inside, but also do enemas with this vegetable. To do this, 4-5 crushed cloves are placed in half a liter of warm boiled water. This composition is infused for 1 hour. Next, the solution is filtered, and the volume is adjusted to 1 liter. An enema with this composition is done for 3-5 days. However, such a remedy is not suitable for treating pinworms in children, as garlic water can cause a burning sensation.
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are a good remedy for several types of parasites. However, the processed product from the store will not work. Only raw seeds can be used to control pinworms. They are eaten on an empty stomach for 30 g, and after a few hours they take a laxative or put an enema. It is good to mix the seeds with olive oil.
You can boil 1 tablespoon of seeds in 1 glass of milk. This remedy is taken in the morning or afternoon for 2 weeks.
Means with wormwood
An infusion of bitter wormwood is a good remedy for pinworms. 10 g of grass should be poured with 500 ml of boiling water. The container with the liquid must be wrapped in a cloth and put to cool. This remedy is taken 2 tablespoons before meals. The decoction has a rather bitter taste. You can also dry the herb, grind it, and take it as a powder.
An infusion of another variety of this plant, wormwood, also helps against pinworms. But this remedy is not intended for oral administration, but for anthelmintic enemas.
How to prevent reinfection
After expelling parasites from the body, it is very important to prevent re-infections. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap after every visit to the toilet. It is necessary to change bed linen every 2-3 days, and underwear - daily, while it must be carefully ironed with a hot iron. Despite severe itching, you should still try not to scratch the anus. It is useful to apply zinc ointment to the skin around the rectum. This will help reduce itching and irritation. Nails should be cut as short as possible so that worm eggs do not accumulate under them.
