Common antihelmentics for roundworm treatment
Roundworm infection, also called nematodes, is rather unpleasant and uncomfortable disease, which arises when parasites inhabit human body. There are several types of roundworm infections, for instance, pinworms, hookworms, whipworms, ascariasis, which vary in length and habitat. Thus, several types thrive only in soil or animals, but, as it was mentioned above, a lot of them habitat human body as well. In most cases they live in intestines or in digestive tract, but some severe parasites may habitat muscles and even brain.
How are roundworms transmitted?
The best friend of roundworm infection is poor sanitation. The infection is transmitted with roundworm’s eggs. The most common way of its transmission is through feces. Thus, a person may become infected after touching infected animal’s feces and then touching food or mouth. Also infection may come to human organism with contaminated food or drink, for example, with undercooked meat of contaminated animal. Roundworm eggs also live in soil and may get into human organism when a person touches soil or walks barefoot.
What are the symptoms of roundworm infection?
Roundworm disease causes a range of rather unpleasant symptoms. Despite the fact that this infection is usually not life threatening, it’s very uncomfortable and may lead to different health problems. Thus, most common signs include but are not limited to:
- Perianal itching – the most wide-spread symptom;
- Abdominal and stomach pain;
- Vomiting and nausea;
- Diarrhea or blooding stool;
- Loss of appetite and, as a result, weight loss;
- Cough, wheezing or breath difficulties, which are the most confusing symptoms;
- Itching in eyes (may be caused by loiasis).
Still, some mild infections may not have any symptoms but light stomach pain. Most severe symptoms are caused by heavy infections.
Roundworm treatment
If you suspect that you or some other member of your family have helminths, don’t practice self-treatment, instead consult your doctor, and he’ll examine you and then prescribe an appropriate medicine. Nematodes are usually treated with anthelmintics. Most of them have paralytic effect on roundworms and thus expel them from the organism. Below is the list of most common medicine’s active components used for treatment of helminths:
- Albendazole;
- Levamisole;
- Mebendazole;
- Pyrantel;
- Piperazine adipate;
- Carbendacim;
- Tiabendazole.
The choice of the appropriate medicine depends on type and strength of infection you have. Some severe infections, like guinea worms, are removed surgically.
Keep in mind, that it’s much easier to prevent roundworm infection by practicing personal hygiene, than to cure it. All you have to do is to wash your hands regularly after using the bathroom, before eating, after coming home or touching animals; to cook and wash food in a proper way, and to explain the importance of these precautionary measures to your children, which are particularly at risk for infection. In other words, take care of yourself and you’ll be in good health and in a good mood.
These articles can be used for informational purposes only. To get an accurate diagnosis consult your doctor!