Preparations for worms in humans are divided into broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum drugs. They are used in various forms of helminthiases. I must say that earlier adults and children could get rid of worms only by taking folk medicines: garlic, pumpkin seeds, male fern extract, chenopodium oil, all kinds of herbs (wormwood, tansy, etc.). The pharmaceutical industry has come a long way these days. Today, a variety of synthetic preparations for worms are produced, which are not only more effective than traditional medicine, but sometimes less dangerous.
Which medicine to choose?
The appointment of any anthelmintic drug should be carried out by a doctor, since different drugs for worms have different activity, that is, they affect different groups of parasites. In Russia today, more than seventy species of helminths have become widespread, which are capable of infecting the human body. The most common and well-known infestations that occur in many schoolchildren are pinworms. Also, children often have roundworms, Giardia. When treatment of worms in children is required, drugs are selected taking into account age,type of invasion and available contraindications. There are a lot of anthelmintic drugs in the arsenal of doctors today, but the most commonly prescribed drugs are Vermox, Pirantel, Dekaris, Vormil, Nemozol.
As already mentioned, all parasites are divided into groups. There are three of them: roundworms (nematodes), tapeworms (cestodes) and flatworms (trematodes). Each group is sensitive only to certain medications, therefore, in order to understand which drugs for worms to use, you first need to find out the type of helminth that struck. The choice in favor of this or that medicine also depends on the general state of he alth of the person.
Drugs from nematodes
This group of parasites includes pinworms, trichinella, roundworm, toxocara and whipworm. Most often people are affected by pinworms and roundworms, other helminths are much less common. The best drugs for nematode worms are:
- "Decaris" (active ingredient - levamisole);
- drugs "Vermox", "Vormin", Vermakar", "Piperazine", "Mebex", "Vero-Mebendazole" (active ingredient - mebendazole);
- drugs "Nemozol", Vormil" (active ingredient - albendazole);
- preparations "Pirantel", "Nemocide", "Helmintox", "Combantrin" (active ingredient - pyrantel pamoate);
- medicines "Pyrivinium", "Pircon", "Vanquin" (active ingredient - pirvinium embonate);
- drugs "Medamin" (active ingredient - carbendacim).
Extraintestinal hookworms should be treatedother means: "Ivermek" (active ingredient - ivermectin), "Ditrazine citrate" (active ingredient - diethylcarbamazine).
All these drugs for worms in humans act only on adults, and they do not have a significant effect on larvae and eggs, as a result of which, even after taking the medicine, self-infection is possible. To avoid this, two weeks after the initial therapy, the course should be repeated.
When treating worms in children, the drugs in most cases are the same as in adults, but at a lower dosage. For greater efficiency in removing parasites from the body, you can drink a laxative or do enemas along with medication.
Cestode drugs
This group of helminths includes an extensive list of names: shadowarchinosis, coenurosis, sparganosis, dipilidiosis, echinococcosis, hymenolepiasis (dwarf tapeworms), alveococcosis, teniosis and cysticercosis (pork tapeworms), teniidosis (bovine tapeworm), diphyllobothriasis (broad tapeworms) etc.
Drugs from worms of this group are used as follows:
- Medication "Fenasal" (active ingredient - niclosamide). Suitable for all intestinal tapeworms.
- Medication "Akrikhin" (active ingredient - mepakrin). Eliminates infestations with dwarf and bull tapeworm, wide tapeworm. Also effective for giardiasis.
- Means "Nemozol" (active ingredient - albendazole). We have already mentioned it above, it is effective both for nematodes and formixed invasions, giardiasis, echinococcus, neurocysticercosis and even extraintestinal cestodiasis.
Drugs against trematodes
This is a very broad class of helminths, including such parasites as clonorchiasis (Chinese flukes), opisthorchias (cat flukes), paraganimiasis (lung flukes), fascioliasis (liver flukes), watsoniosis (liver flukes), cercariosis, dicroceliasis (lanceolate flukes), metagonimiasis, schistosomiasis, gastrodiscoidoses, nanophyetosis, heterophyosis, methorchiasis, fasciolopsidiasis, eurytremosis.
When infested by parasites of this group, the following medicines are used:
- Means "Biltricid", "Cisticide", "Cesol", "Azinox" (active ingredient - praziquantel). They have an extensive spectrum of activity and are used to treat many types of worms from the class of flatworms.
- Preparations "Bitionol", "Chloxil". These funds are intended for the treatment of extraintestinal trematodes.
Deworming pills for prevention
Many people wonder about the advisability of using anthelmintic drugs for preventive purposes. On this point, the opinions of experts differ. Some believe that it is not necessary to drink worming pills for prevention, because the medicine taken today does not protect against the risk of infection, say, tomorrow. To avoid invasion, you must follow the rules of personal hygiene, wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating, and change your underwear regularly. This is what prevention is all about. And in vain taking drugs for worms, which,by the way, very toxic, a person only loads his body in vain.
Other experts disagree with this opinion. They say that if there are children of preschool or primary school age in the family, it is necessary for adults and children to take preventive measures for worms every six months.
Helminths in children
Preschoolers and schoolchildren in our country have a very high level of infection with pinworms (enterobiosis). In this case, scraping often gives a false negative result, and the symptoms can be mild. As a result, parents may not even know that parasites live in their child's body. In this regard, experts say, it is simply necessary to take Pirantel, a medicine for enterobiasis, prophylactically once every six months. It is very easy to pick up pinworms - they are transmitted by shaking hands, through household items, doorknobs, clothes, bedding, animal hair. Therefore, children should be taught hygiene from an early age. If a child does not wash his hands after using the toilet, outside and before eating, and does not change his underwear daily, then permanent self-infection (reinfestation) may occur.
It happens that a child complains of nausea, itching in the anus and pain in the abdomen, but at the same time, scraping for enterobiosis does not reveal infection with pinworms. In such a situation, parents should insist that the doctor do two repeat tests: the next day and two weeks later. When a child is diagnosed with enterobiasis, the whole family should be treated.
Indications forprophylactic anthelmintic medications
- Frequent contact with the ground (children who like to play in the sandbox, rural residents).
- The presence of pets (for prevention, pets can be given drops from Profender worms).
- Regular presence of a child in a closed children's team.
- Frequent trips to exotic countries.
- Football, beach volleyball.
- Hobbies such as fishing and hunting.
Dewormers for pregnant women
As it has already become clear, helminths can affect absolutely any person, and especially often they settle in the body of weakened people. It is not uncommon for parasites to be found in pregnant women. However, during the period of bearing a baby, it is forbidden to take funds from worms, because they are so toxic that they can cause more harm to the fetus than the helminthic invasion itself. In exceptional cases, pregnant women are allowed to take the medicine "Piperazine", but only as prescribed by the doctor and not in the first trimester.
In the presence of pinworms, self-healing is possible, because these parasites live only a couple of weeks, and if you carefully observe hygiene, steam your underwear every day, then the risk of reinfestation is minimized.
In conclusion
Want to save yourself from having to take toxic anthelmintic drugs? Then do not neglect the elementary rules of personal and intimate hygiene, wash your hands regularly with soap after coming from the street, visitingtoilet, contact with pets. Also remember to wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Stay he althy!
