Hymenolepidosis: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Hymenolepidosis is a chronic ailment that occurs when a worm called "dwarf tapeworm" enters the human intestine. This disease is not difficult to diagnose in children, but in adults, there may be difficulties in making a diagnosis. Today we learn what constitutes such an ailment as hymenolepidosis. Symptoms, treatment, prevention of this invasion will also be considered. We will determine the ways of infection with dwarf tapeworm, so that people cherish themselves and their loved ones from this helminth.

general characteristics

Hymenolepidosis is a parasitic disease caused by a flatworm. The disease is rapidly becoming a protracted one and is characterized by a serious imbalance of trace elements.

Dwarf tapeworm, getting into the human body, quickly finds its "home" - the intestines, where the helminth begins to parasitize and multiply, as a result of which a disease called "hymenolepidosis" is formed. Photos of dwarf tapeworm can be seen in this article. The maximum length of the worm is 5 cm. It has a spherical head equipped with four suction cups. Also, thanks to the presence of special hooks, the parasite is firmly fixed to the walls of the intestine, damaging the mucous membrane.

Hymenolepidosis is focal in nature, and the center may be a kindergarten, school, hospital and any other institution. According to statistics, people living in urban areas are most often affected by this disease. Quite often, this ailment is diagnosed in children aged 4-14 years. Hymenolepidosis in children occurs for a banal reason - as a result of non-compliance with personal hygiene requirements , when little boys and girls very often poke unwashed hands in their mouths. And since at a young age the immune defense is not yet fully formed, it cannot fully resist the parasite.

Worm Life Span

At a temperature of 20-25 degrees, dwarf tapeworm eggs retain their viability for 2 days, on the skin of a person they exist for 4 hours, in water or in a room with high humidity - 3-4 weeks. Worms die at temperatures above 60 degrees (during heat treatment - in 15 minutes), when cooled to minus 3 degrees - within 40 minutes.

Recognition of ailment

Now we’ll find out how doctors determine and diagnose their patients with “hymenolepidosis”. Diagnosis is as follows: examine the feces of the patient for the presence of worm eggs. Since the selection of eggs is due to the cyclical development of dwarf tapeworm, a true test is a three-fold study every 5 days. Moreover, the effectiveness of this method reaches 92-96%.

Infection pathways

The source of the disease is an infected person, less often - mice, rats, hamsters. Infection with such a dangerous ailment as hymenolepidosis, the symptoms of which will be described below, occurs when the larvae of insects, considered to be intermediate hosts, are inadvertently swallowed.

The parasite is transmitted as follows:

- the turn of the feces of the patient;

- through dishes, toys, pots;

- through contaminated food;

- due to non-compliance with sanitary standards (dirty hands, which then come into contact with the mouth).

Helminth eggs can live in the ground and in water, can be found on products with carrier insects (flies, mosquitoes, wasps), and can be transported with dust over long distances.

The risk group for infection with such an ailment includes children, educators, teachers, in a word, employees of child care facilities, as well as sellers of food products.

Signs of the disease in adults

Now we will determine what are the manifestations of such a dangerous ailment as hymenolepidosis. Symptoms, by the way, can be confusing even for experienced doctors, since disease indicators are standard for any helminthiasis. And in 30% of patients, the disease may not manifest itself at all.

However, the main complaints with this disease are:

• drawing pain in the abdomen;
• vomiting
• loss of appetite;
• lethargy, exhaustion;
• headache;
• the appearance of loose stool with secretions of mucus and even blood;
• bad mood (irritability, nervousness, apathy);
• weight loss.

If a person has long been infected with this ailment, then he may experience the following manifestations of the disease:

1. Vomiting
2. Cramps.
3. Dizziness and even loss of consciousness.
4. Memory impairment.
5. Bad sleep or even insomnia.
6. Abdominal cramps.
7. Disruption of the stomach, liver, intestines.

Signs of the disease in children

Hymenolepidosis in children develops faster than in adults, and manifests itself more clearly. The main signs of the disease in boys and girls are:

• lack of appetite;
• constant thirst;
• memory problems
• weight loss;
• nerve twitching, cramps;
• severe anemia;
• seizures of epilepsy.

Therapy

Hymenolepidosis, the treatment of which is preferably carried out in a hospital (in order to protect other people from possible infection), is eliminated with the help of pumpkin seeds, “Akrikhin” and “Fenasal” preparations. Male fern extract also helps . This medicine is dosed at the rate of 0.1 g of substance for 1 year of life, but not more than 1.0 g. Such treatment is carried out within one day. Therapy is carried out in three cycles with pauses between them of 10 days.

Before the start of each stage of treatment, preparation is carried out: easily digestible food is prescribed with a restriction of fats, and on the eve the patient takes a salt laxative (sodium sulfate) at the rate of 1 g of the drug for 1 year of life, but no more than 15 g for 1 time. And in the morning a cleansing enema is placed , on an empty stomach is given the essence of fern.

Lately “Fenasal” pills began to be used to get rid of such a dangerous disease as hymenolepidosis. In adults and children, therapy is carried out with a different dosage of this medicine:

1. Babies under 3 years of age are prescribed 0.5 g of the drug (corresponding to 2 tablets).
2. From 3 to 6 years - 1 g.
3. From 6 to 9 years - 1.5 g.
4. Children over 9 years old, as well as adults - 2 g.

Before taking the pills during the day, a person should take easily digestible food.

The entire dose of the Fenasal preparation is poured into 20 ml of hot water, triturated thoroughly, then poured into a glass and water is added to 1/3 of the container, stirred and drunk on an empty stomach. After 2 hours, take a light breakfast.

Therapy with this remedy consists of three 7-day cycles with a break of 1 week. On the first day of each stage, the drug is given in the indicated doses, and after 3 hours after taking the person drinks a laxative to eliminate dead helminths. In the next 6 days - 0.5 g, regardless of how old the patient is. Sodium sulfate is no longer accepted these days.

After treatment, the patient remains under the supervision of a doctor for at least six months. During this period, additional control studies of feces on helminth eggs are carried out. A person whose parasites are found in feces after this period is left under medical supervision for up to 1 year.

The Helmostop program as an effective method of eliminating dwarf tapeworm

The scheme developed by Novosibirsk scientists is an excellent method of cleansing the body of parasites. The Helmostop program eliminates dwarf tapeworm at any stage of its development. It improves immunity, accelerates the elimination of toxins from the liver. In this complex, scientists have selected all the necessary components for the rapid and most effective cleansing of the body from a parasitic worm:

1. Dry drinks “Maxfiber Berry” and herbal tea “Atlant Plus” gently free the digestive tract from toxins and contribute to the normalization of the microflora of the human body.
2. Capsules "Unkaria" and "Hercules" eliminate parasites at any stage of their development, eliminate allergic manifestations.
3. Tablets "Indole plus" and "Hepatocholan" cleanse the liver, eliminate congestion in the gallbladder.
4. Capsules "Vitaspectrum XL" catalyze all the processes of neutralizing and removing worms from the body, stimulate the development of personal antiparasitic immunity.

It is necessary to clarify which age category of the population in this case is considered hymenolepidosis. Treatment with the Helmpostop program is applied only to children over 12 years of age, as well as to adults. For children under 12 years of age, such drugs are not prescribed.

Helmostop program: instructions for use

So, here is the instructions for using this antiparasitic complex:

Stage 1. Duration - 10 days:

1. In the morning: 1 spoon (included in the package) of Maxfiber Berry.
2. In the afternoon: 1 tablet “Hepatocholan”, 2 capsules “Vitaspectrum XL”.
3. In the evening: 1 sachet of Atlant Plus tea.

At this stage of therapy, the intestines are cleaned, the outflow of bile is accelerated, and the immune system is stimulated.

Second phase. Duration - 30 days:

1. In the morning: 2 capsules "Hercules".
2. In the afternoon: 2 tablets "Indole plus" and "Hepatoholan".
3. In the evening: 2 pills "Hercules" and "Unkaria"; 1 sachet of herbal tea Atlant Plus (every other day).

At this stage of treatment, the process of deworming occurs, the outflow of bile is accelerated.

The third stage - duration - 10 days:

1. In the morning: 1 scoop of Maxfiber Berry and 2 Vitaspectrum XL capsules.
2. In the afternoon: 2 tablets "Unkaria" and 2 pills "Hepatoholan".
3. In the evening: 1 serving of Maxfiber Bery medicine and 1 Atlas Plus sachet of tea.

At this final stage, the process of excretion of helminths and bile is accelerated, the intestines are cleansed, immunity is stimulated, and possible allergy symptoms are reduced.

Activities aimed at preventing the development of the disease

Everyone should know what needs to be done so as not to become infected with a disease such as hymenolepidosis. Prevention of this disease is the strict implementation of such rules:

1. Compliance with personal hygiene standards and requirements is a mandatory hand washing after leaving the toilet, as well as before eating. Parents should observe the children and avoid situations where the kids bite their nails or put fingers in their mouths.
2. Destruction of flies, cockroaches, fleas in the house.
3. Mandatory heat treatment of raw fruits and vegetables.

To increase immunity, you should periodically drink a complex of vitamins to prevent the occurrence of a disease such as hymenolepidosis. If ailment If one of the family members was struck, then close relatives of the patient should definitely be examined for their dwarf tapeworm. Also on the day of treatment and within 3 days after it is necessary to handle the carpets with a vacuum cleaner or brush, as well as wash soft toys so that the parasite does not remain on these things. An excellent method of prevention will be quartzing of each room in the house where the patient was.

Measures of public events aimed at preventing the development of the disease:

1. When children enter kindergarten and school, children should be examined for worms.
2. Nutrition workers, teachers, educators should undergo medical examinations on a quarterly basis.
3. The whole family in which dwarf tapeworm was previously found in any of the members needs to be tested 2 times a year and observed by an infectious disease specialist.

Complications

There is practically no deterioration during the course of the disease. The only problem with long-term therapy is the development of dysbiosis. However, this complication is effectively treated by taking drugs with lactobacilli, such as Lactobacterin, Linex

Poultry infection

Dwarf tapeworm can affect not only humans. Hymenolepidoses of geese and ducks are often found in the vastness of our country. Birds become infected due to the ingestion of infected slugs, snails. A massive disease of geese and ducks usually begins 20-25 days after they are released into water bodies, rivers, unsuccessful for the disease called "hymenolepidosis". Symptoms of this invasion in birds are as follows: in the affected individuals, liquid feces come out, which in addition have an unpleasant odor. Young growth is thin, lags behind in growth. An unstable gait is observed in infected birds, convulsions appear, and sometimes limb paralysis occurs.

Treatment for geese and ducks

To get rid of hymenolepidosis, the drugs “Fenasal” and “Bithionol” are used. The first medicine is prescribed at the rate of 0.3 g per 1 kg of bird weight. It is given with food in a ratio of 1:30 (1 gram of medication per 30 g of food). Before giving the drug, geese or ducks must be kept on an 18-hour diet. The medicine “Bithionol” is given in the amount of 0.2 g per 1 kg of poultry mass. After deworming of geese and ducks during the day, you can not let out to ponds.

Today you learned what hymenolepidosis is, the symptoms of this ailment have been described, and effective methods of therapy have been presented. The best way to avoid this problem is prevention, which involves the fulfillment of a number of necessary conditions in order to prevent infection of the body with a dwarf tapeworm.