Prevention Of Ascariasis - Basic Rules So As Not To Get Sick

2023 Author: Riley Dean | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 09:15

Preventive measures against ascariasis

Content

• 1 Features of prevention of ascariasis

  1.1 What measures are taken by epidemiologists

• 2 Prevention for children: why the sandbox is dangerous

• 3 Healthy food against parasites

  • 3.1 What food strengthens the immune system
  • 3.2 Does a raw food diet save you from parasites
• 4 Hygiene in the kitchen
• 5 Working with the ground and the risk of ascariasis
• 6 Does it make sense to take tests for helminthiasis

Ascariasis is a helminth disease. Parasites enter the human body through the mouth and actively grow in the small intestine. You can become infected with helminths through dirty food, as well as through some household contacts.

The eggs of the worms easily penetrate the intestinal walls and go into the bloodstream, and he transports them to other organs. The lungs are the first to be hit, the parasites develop in them further, launch new pathological processes. Then the helminths again end up in the oral cavity, and from there pass into the intestines.

Features of prevention of ascariasis

Ascaris human

Since the disease is very dangerous, and the ways of infection are simple, preventive measures involve a whole range of actions. It even comes to the point that experts destroy the eggs of parasites that are still in the soil.

To create an optimal prevention regimen requires the study of a number of information.

So, experts determine:

• Features of everyday human activities;
• Living conditions of the population of the region;
• Features of the epidemic process.

The responsibility for this work is taken by the sanitary-epidemic service of the region or the settlement where the problem has emerged.

The degree of damage to the population by ascariasis is always being studied. Its classification implies three options: a non-intensive degree means the fact that no more than 6% of the population are sick with ascariasis, a medium-intensive degree assumes a threshold of 20% of the population with a parasitic disease, and an intensive degree is recorded if more than 20% of people in this area are diagnosed with ascariasis.

What measures are taken by epidemiologists

Prevention measures for human roundworm are, in the case of fixing the intensive degree of damage to the population, first of all, deworming. To prevent another epidemiological outbreak, it takes place twice a year. If a medium-intensity prevalence of the disease is found, then only those who have been diagnosed are subjected to deworming. Be sure to process the premises where the infected are often.

Also, in spring or early summer, experts are working to eliminate the eggs of parasites. In autumn, additional deworming is carried out. If for the first time they destroy those worms that people got infected with last year, then in the fall they are already fighting against the worms of the new season.

It is imperative that within three years after the preventive actions have taken place, specialists conduct a scatological examination twice a year. Only three negative results, confirming the absence of helminths, make it possible to remove the focus of the spread of the disease from this area.

Prevention for children: why the sandbox is dangerous

Children, due to their activity and lack of some personal hygiene skills, are more susceptible to infection with ascariasis. It is very important to teach the child the rules of behavior and basic skills of cleanliness, hygiene, and self-care. It is not difficult to catch the parasite, for example, one of the most dangerous places is the usual children's sandbox.

Not all sandboxes are equipped with a reliable protection system that protects them from cats and dogs, potential carriers of parasitic diseases. If the sandbox is not closed with a tight lid, if it is not looked after, then this place will really become dangerous. At the same time, not only stray animals can relieve themselves in the sandbox, but pets do not always pass by places that are completely inappropriate for this. Of course, in this case, a big question for the owners, but this is a matter of conscience, not disciplinary responsibility.

How can you make playing in the sandbox safe for your child?

Prevention for children

1. Teach your baby, while playing with sand, not to put anything in his mouth - no molds, no fingers, no other toys. Since usually very young children play in this place, who are not always able to fulfill such requirements, this condition is purely the responsibility of the parents. We saw that the child pulled his hands into his mouth - stop it immediately. Even a very small child can be taught that this cannot be done categorically.
2. Short-cropped nails are basic hygiene, but they also have to be reminded of. It is under the nails that sand with unsafe microorganisms can get stuck.
3. After a walk, wash your hands thoroughly under warm water and soap. You should always wash your hands when you come from the street.
4. Ask the housing and communal services workers (or other authorities responsible for the sandbox) how they take care of it, how long has the sand changed. The update should be at least once a year.
5. Comment on people whose pets are in the sandbox.

Of course, the safest thing to do is organize the sandbox yourself. And many parents today find all the necessary materials themselves, extract sand, build a structure according to the rules. You can cooperate with other parents, distribute responsibilities, even appoint sandbox duty officers. It is worth focusing on this, because there are sandboxes in all yards, preschool children practically all play there, and it turns out that this object is one of the most dangerous in terms of infection with worms.

It is also recommended to put sandboxes in sunny areas, since in such conditions the roundworm eggs die.

Healthy eating against parasites

Helminthic disease ascariasis - does its prevention depend on food intake? Of course, those experts are right when they say that a healthy diet is a real shield against worms.

Unfortunately, even impeccable hygiene and prevention does not exclude helminthic infection by 100%. The larvae of parasites can enter the body even with elementary inhalation of dust, with insufficiently washed products, or through contaminated water.

Normally, parasites should die already in the stomach, they should be killed by gastric juice. Then they are eliminated with feces, which is facilitated by intense intestinal peristalsis. Therefore, with proper support for the healthy work of the gastrointestinal tract, we organize ourselves reliable protection against the harmful effects of helminths.

Regular meals in small portions

How to keep the stomach and intestines working well?

1. Meals should be regular, small portions. Ideally, maintain a rhythm with your meals - eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks at the same time every day.
2. Include fermented milk products in the menu. Affordable and cheap fermented baked milk and kefir, as well as natural yoghurts are examples of such products. In addition, these dishes are allowed instead of a late dinner: useful for those who cannot go to bed on an empty stomach.
3. The food should be high in fiber. It is found in legumes, vegetables, and wholemeal flour.
4. An essential component for the health of the body is vegetable fats. Of the oils, give preference to olive and corn oils, less often include sunflower in the diet.
5. Maintain water balance.

The last point is worth clarifying. Many modern nutritionists are challenging the already tired theory of how important it is to drink two liters of water every day. They consider this idea exaggerated. Indeed, the water balance is important, but you should not set yourself a rate of 2 liters. Everyone has their own needs for water, and a thirsty organism will definitely give a signal. Drink when you want, but remember: these should not be sugary drinks, but plain water.

Experts even suggest conducting a simple test. Drink a sip of water, if in the process of drinking you want more - drink, the body needs water right now. If one sip did not trigger the thirst quenching reaction, if you no longer feel like drinking, you do not need to force yourself. Do not confuse the natural mechanisms of regulation: otherwise, the resulting failure will lead to the fact that you no longer know when you really want to drink.

What food strengthens the immune system

Of course, it should be said about those products that help the body fight against harmful agents that enter it. The most effective in this sense are B vitamins, vitamin A and ascorbic acid. There are many of them in seafood, so high-quality shrimp, squid and fish should be on the menu more often. Egg yolks in moderation are useful for everyone. Nuts, vegetable juices, and legumes are useful. If you cook soup with beans or peas, do not add meat to it - the vegetable protein is enough to make the soup rich.

It will be useful to include in the menu by-products - for example, heart or liver, ventricles. This is also a tricky move for home accounting, these products are available and cheap.

The real leaders in terms of the concentration of active ascorbic acid are currants, rose hips and sea buckthorn. Be sure to freeze currants in season, and then add them to homemade cottage cheese desserts, cook compotes. You can make delicious tea on sea buckthorn, and this product will be a huge contribution to the prevention of not only helminthiasis, but also colds.

There is a lot of valuable vitamin C in parsley, dill, as well as broccoli and bell peppers. Greens should be on the table every day: add finely chopped dill and parsley to the soup, only after removing the pan from the heat. Better yet, sprinkle a handful of greens directly into a serving of not very hot, but warm soup. This way you get the maximum vitamins from the greens.

Does a raw food diet save you from parasites

Many adherents of a raw food diet assure that only fresh vegetables and fruits can help the body expel parasites. Of course, this is a rather controversial statement. It is possible to kill roundworms only by a complex of actions, and the first point in this complex is the reception of antihelminthic devices. But there is a grain of salt in the advice of raw foodists: such food cleanses the intestines, liver and biliary tract well. Most importantly, do not go to extremes; approach each treatment point wisely.

The same can be said about fasting. Therapeutic fasting, carried out under the supervision of a specialist, can significantly improve the condition. But independent attempts to unload the body can cause many problems.

If a raw food diet is considered a prevention of human roundworm, some types of cleansing can be used as a preventive natural therapy.

1. Garlic. This cleansing is also called the Genghis Khan method. A glass of peeled garlic cloves and a liter of sour juice is what you need to clean. After several days of medical fasting, the cloves of garlic are eaten in the amount that is comfortable for a person, and then washed down with plenty of sour juice. The procedure is performed before bedtime. The number of sessions is equal to your possibilities: someone will eat this glass in two days, someone needs a week.

   

   Peeled garlic cloves

   

   Sour juice

2. Lemon eucalyptus. For a week and a half, you need to drink lemon juice late in the evening, and in the morning put an enema from eucalyptus broth. Before this, the colon is cleansed with warm water.
3. Berry and fruit. For several days, you only need to eat berries and fruits. Choose 2 types of berries and 2-4 types of fruits, no more, distribute them by meals.

All such schemes, methods must be discussed with your doctor. Do not think that classical medicine looks down on both raw food and fasting. Many of the principles of these techniques are embedded in traditional therapeutic techniques. Therefore, a competent doctor will tell you how to safely and effectively apply the advice of the same raw foodists.

Hygiene in the kitchen

This rule is unshakable: all other actions to prevent helminthiasis, and ascariasis including, will be in vain if your kitchen is not all right in terms of hygiene.

Clean kitchen rules:

1. Everything that goes into food should be taken only with clean hands. Wash your hands thoroughly before cooking, always with soap. If distracted (for example, opening the front door), hands need to be washed again. Always wash your hands after handling raw meat, fish, and after contact with detergents and cleaning agents.
2. Clean and tidy nails, you can work with gloves. If there is even the slightest wound on the skin, it should be one hundred percent hidden (plaster, bandage).
3. You need to work in an apron, your hair is matched. This makes it less likely that pathogenic bacteria will enter food.
4. When sneezing or coughing, be sure to cover your respiratory system to protect food from germs.
5. The kitchen must be clean. Don't start cooking until you are sure the order is in order. Clean tables, floors, cooking surfaces are not just wishes, but hygiene rules. Of course, it's not worth getting to the point of clinical sterility: there should be a balance in everything. But cleanliness is a mandatory requirement of hygiene.
6. Kitchen zoning. For a competent housewife, the entire kitchen environment is divided into two parts: conditionally "dirty", where you manipulate raw products, and clean, where you will act with ready-made ingredients.
7. Raw products cannot come into contact with prepared food. After slicing raw meat on the board, wash the board immediately. Wash all cooking utensils that come into contact with raw food immediately. Use different knives for ready meals and raw ones.
8. It is recommended to keep garbage in the kitchen only in closed containers and in bags inside containers. The further the bucket is hidden, the less the risk of intestinal infections.

Finally, there should be no outsiders in the kitchen at the time of culinary activities. If a neighbor comes to you, oblige her to wash her hands, even if she will not help you cook. Prohibit household members from entering the kitchen in outdoor shoes and outerwear.

Groundwork and the risk of ascariasis

Ascaris larvae live in the soil - this is their usual habitat. Therefore, the greatest danger is the work on the land. Digging the beds and weeding is not harmful in itself, but the lack of hygiene after the completion of the work is really dangerous.

What not to do in the garden:

• Work in the same clothes that you wear at home;
• Touch your face and mouth with dirty hands;
• Taste the harvest directly from the garden;
• Talking while working on a mobile phone, etc.

Elementary rules deserve a reminder: all these even accidental actions can lead to infection with ascaris, and the disease can significantly worsen the quality of life.

Does it make sense to get tested for helminthiasis

Definitely, yes - do not get tested regularly for helminths. During your annual medical check-up, take the time for this simple, affordable analysis.

What can be passed to check for parasitic diseases:

• Analysis of feces for the presence of eggs of parasitic worms;
• Scraping for enterobiasis;
• Blood sampling for the determination of helminths.

Of course, ideally, you need to go through a comprehensive study. But you can at least donate blood: preparation for this test is the same as preparing for a general blood test from a vein. Blood is taken from the patient on an empty stomach, the day before delivery, do not drink any medicine, two days before blood sampling, do not eat fatty and fried foods.

If the test is positive (i.e., if a parasitic infection is found), you will probably be referred to an infectious disease doctor. He will determine the appropriate treatment regimen, possibly prescribe additional tests and examinations. After the main course of treatment, there is always a control stage: you need to know that the parasite is defeated.

Owners of pets, cats and dogs should definitely be tested for helminths, because they are always at risk. And your pets should be regularly checked for worms, if necessary, treated. Very often, doctors find helminthiasis in young children, in whose house cats and dogs live.

Ascariasis is too serious a disease to ignore. Fortunately, parasites can be overcome, and it is not difficult, not very expensive, not painful for the patient. But it's easier not to put yourself at risk of infection, because the best treatment is prevention.