Worms– the popular name for helminths, parasitic worms that can live in the human body. Diseases caused by worms are called helminthiases. The symptoms of helminth infections are very diverse, similar to the manifestations of many common diseases: renal colic, pneumonia, hepatitis, pancreatitis, intestinal dysfunction, indigestion. There are many varieties of worms that can infect the human body - more than two hundred species, of which at least twenty are common in Europe.
It is believed that worms are a problem inherent in countries with low social security and poorly developed medical science. Allegedly, only poverty, the poor, and also people who remain outside society, who have fallen out of it, suffer from worms. Nothing like this! Any resident of any state can become infected with worms, regardless of its degree of prosperity. There is no talk of any exclusivity in this case. Another thing is that developed societies are protected from diseases of this kind not only by advanced medicine, but also by their culture, in which, from the moment of its inception, the people have acquired knowledge about methods of fighting, treating and preventing helminthiases. In this article we will get acquainted with the most effective of them.
Prevention of helminthiases in folk medicine
To prevent helminthiases, traditional medicine advises maintaining hand hygiene, thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables with clean water, eating meat well-done, and disinfesting insects in food storage areas. Maintain cleanliness in places of residence, not only where people directly live, but also where pets and livestock live. Water should be drunk, if possible, boiled, and avoid drinking raw water from natural sources in areas where livestock is grazing. When relaxing in nature, it is important to monitor the cleanliness of water in reservoirs and its smell. Even running water can carry the threat of helminth infection if livestock has been swimming upstream. It is necessary to be suspicious of any stray animal, no matter how cute it may seem, and not allow contact with it. It is important to eat well, eat food rich in vitamins and microelements. A healthy body has a strong immune system, which means the threat of infection becomes less.
Food of plant origin as an anthelmintic agent
Treatment of worms with folk remedies includes a number of food products, the role of which in the treatment of helminthiasis is of no small importance.
Onion, garlic, horseradish
These are time-tested anthelmintic products; their constant use will help avoid the risk of infection. If it comes to treatment, then onions and garlic will also come to the rescue. During treatment, onions can be consumed by both children and adults, but it is not recommended to give garlic to young children. The method of using onions as an anthelmintic is simple. Half a glass of finely grated onion needs to be poured with boiling water. Let it brew, and then take it before breakfast for ten days. It’s also easy to prepare an antihelminthic remedy from garlic. Four large cloves of garlic need to be crushed into a paste and poured with fresh (preferably homemade) milk. The mixture should be boiled and allowed to stand overnight. The resulting drug should be taken by sip before meals. Onions and garlic help with enterobiasis (a disease caused by pinworms, parasites from the family of roundworms). Reviews about the benefits of onions and garlic are positive, but most of those who have recovered agree that garlic is more effective, especially if you not only take the milk-garlic mixture internally, but also do 100 ml enemas with it every day.
Often in collections of folk remedies there is advice to combine horseradish with garlic to fight worms. Six cloves of garlic are ground into a fine paste, to which are added medium-sized crushed horseradish root. Half a liter of vodka is poured into the resulting mixture. The tincture is aged for ten days. The product should be consumed one tablespoon before meals. Experts claim that the drug helps not only with enterobiasis, but also with ascariasis (helminthiasis, which is caused by roundworms). An undoubted advantage of alcohol tinctures is the possibility of long-term storage at home.
Sauerkraut
A recognized folk remedy for worms. Rich in vitamin C, sauerkraut significantly improves immunity and strengthens the body, reducing the risk of infection with worms. This tasty and healthy product serves not only for the prevention, but also for the treatment of helminthiases. The method of treatment is as follows: you need to eat a bowl of sauerkraut half an hour before meals and wash it down with brine. Within twenty days, the worms will leave the infected body. I think both children and adults will be happy with such tasty treatment. Reviews from people who have used this method note its effectiveness against pinworms.
Cabbage is often fermented together with another excellent anthelmintic - carrots, which are used in folk medicine to combat pinworms. It can be consumed separately in the form of juices (for children) and raw (for adults). Combining cabbage and carrots will only enhance the effect of treating helminthiasis.
Pumpkin
In the arsenal of folk remedies for worms in humans, pumpkin occupies a significant place. True, in this case it is not the vegetable itself that is used, but its seeds. They contain substances that cause paralysis of the locomotor system of parasitic roundworms (pinworms and roundworms). Pumpkin seeds and the oil obtained from them are a remedy for worms recognized by academic medicine. Pumpkin seeds are a wonderful and very healthy delicacy, so they are great for preventing helminthiases in children. But for treatment, simply gnawing on the seeds is not enough; you need to use their alcohol tincture. To prepare it, you need to take two hundred grams of peeled pumpkin seeds and a glass of medical alcohol. The seeds should be infused in alcohol for three days. The tincture should be taken one tablespoon before each meal. Treatment lasts one week.
Helminthiases are also treated by using pumpkin oil. Treatment and prevention with pumpkin oil is suitable for very young children who cannot yet eat a handful of hard seeds. One teaspoon of pumpkin oil is an excellent means of preventing helminthiasis, and also helps with constipation and poor digestion.
Alcohol tincture is a folk remedy for worms for adults. In its other forms (seeds and oil from them), pumpkin is useful for both adults and children.
In conclusion, it must be added that during treatment it is important to follow a diet and not eat rough and heavy foods (fatty pork meat, legumes, raw cabbage).
Other herbal anthelmintics
If the previous section was related to food, then this one will focus on plant products that people do not eat. This includes medicinal herbs, leaves, bark and inedible parts of tree fruits.
Walnut
It became known as an anthelmintic during the time of Hippocrates. It was popularized here by the Kuban Cossacks. Dried nut partitions are used to prepare the decoction, and freshly picked green leaves are used for the infusion. Leaves and partitions can be combined with each other, the effectiveness of the product will only increase. The infusion is prepared quickly - crushed walnut leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water, allowed to stand for two hours, filtered and used one tablespoon before meals. Treatment takes three days. When preparing the decoction, the following proportions are observed: for two glasses of water - one crushed leaf and a dozen dried walnut partitions. Cook for fifteen to twenty minutes and that’s it – the broth is ready. Use in the same way as the infusion.
Reviews of the use of this anthelmintic indicate its effectiveness against all intestinal parasites. you just need to remember that walnut infusions and decoctions, like other natural remedies, cannot be used if you have individual intolerance.
Aspen
Infusions from the bark of this tree help in the treatment of opisthorchiasis (a disease that is caused by the cat fluke - a parasite from the genus of flatworms - and primarily affects the liver, gall bladder and pancreas). Prepare the infusion as follows:
- the bark of young aspens is harvested in the spring;
- lightly dry the bark and then grind it in any convenient way;
- pour vodka into the bark in a ratio of one to five;
- insist for ten days;
- separate the liquid from the wood pulp by filtering through gauze or coarse cloth;
- New bark is added to the resulting liquid and the process is repeated;
- Allow the product to stand until a sediment appears, which must be carefully separated from the liquid part.
Judging by the reviews, there is no remedy in folk medicine more effective than aspen bark against flat parasites. The infusion should be used after consultation with a parasitologist, who will determine the dosage and duration of treatment. Contraindicated for children.
Herbs
In folk practice for the treatment of helminthiasis, herbs such as elecampane, tansy, chamomile, St. John's wort, immortelle, wormwood, cloves, and celandine are used. Each of these herbs deserves special attention, but in this article we examined only the most effective remedies, and therefore we will focus on the "triplet".
Troychatka is a method of treating helminthiasis with a combination of three herbs: tansy (heads), wormwood and cloves (fruits). To begin treatment with this method, you need to grind all the herbs into powder and, using a pharmacy scale, strictly adhere to the dosage. The resulting powders should be drunk three times a day, half an hour before meals, in the following dosage: tansy - 1 gram, cloves - 0. 5 grams, wormwood - 0. 3 grams. Reviews indicate the highest effectiveness of the method.
Contraindicated for children, as well as adults if they suffer from peptic ulcers, gastritis, or hypertension. The product should not be used by women during pregnancy and the menstrual cycle.
Traditional medicine has wide possibilities in the treatment of helminthiasis. But it is important to remember that even natural remedies can cause side effects or allergic reactions. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor before using this or that folk remedy.