Worms– the popular name for helminths, parasitic worms that can live in the human body. Diseases caused by worms are called helminthiasis. 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.
Worms are believed to be a problem inherent in countries with low social security and poorly developed medical science. Supposedly, only poverty, the poor and even people who remain outside society, who have fallen from it, suffer from worms. Nothing like that! Any resident of any state can become infected with worms, regardless of his degree of prosperity. In this case we are not talking about exclusivity. 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 birth, people have acquired knowledge about methods of fighting, treating and preventing helminthiases. In this article we will know the most effective ones.
Prevention of helminthiasis in folk medicine
To prevent helminthiasis, traditional medicine recommends maintaining hand hygiene, thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables with clean water, eating well-cooked meat and disinfesting insects in food storage areas. Maintain cleanliness in places of residence, not only where people live directly, 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 graze. When relaxing in nature, it is important to monitor the cleanliness of the water in the reservoirs and its smell. Even running water can pose a risk of helminth infection if livestock have been swimming against the current. It is necessary to be wary of any stray animal, no matter how cute it may seem, and not allow contact with it. It is important to eat well, eat foods rich in vitamins and microelements. A healthy body has a strong immune system, which means the threat of infection decreases.
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, 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 for using onions as an anthelmintic is simple. Half a glass of finely grated onion should be poured with boiling water. Let it ferment and then take it before breakfast for ten days. It is also easy to prepare an anthelmintic remedy from garlic. Four large cloves of garlic need to be crushed into a paste and poured with fresh milk (preferably homemade). The mixture should be boiled and left to stand overnight. The resulting drug should be taken by sipping before meals. Onions and garlic help against enterobiasis (a disease caused by pinworms, parasites from the nematode family). 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 every day.
Often in collections of folk remedies it is recommended to combine horseradish with garlic to fight worms. Six cloves of garlic are ground into a fine paste, to which medium-sized crushed horseradish root is added. Half a liter of vodka is poured into the resulting mixture. The tincture is aged for ten days. The product should be consumed a spoonful before meals. Experts say that the drug helps not only with enterobiasis, but also with ascariasis (helminthiasis, caused by roundworms). An undoubted advantage of alcoholic 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 helminthiasis. The treatment method is as follows: you need to eat a bowl of sauerkraut half an hour before meals and wash it with brine. Within twenty days the worms will leave the infected body. I think both children and adults will be pleased with such a tasty treat. Reviews of people who have used this method emphasize 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). The combination of cabbage and carrots will only increase the effect of helminthiasis treatment.
Pumpkin
In the arsenal of folk remedies for worms in humans, pumpkin occupies a significant place. True, in this case not the vegetable itself is used, but its seeds. They contain substances that cause paralysis of the locomotor system of parasitic nematodes (pinworms and roundworms). Pumpkin seeds and the oil obtained from them are a remedy against worms recognized by academic medicine. Pumpkin seeds are a wonderful and very healthy delicacy, so they are great for preventing helminthiasis in children. But for treatment it is not enough to gnaw the seeds; you need to use their alcoholic 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 left to infuse in alcohol for three days. The tincture should be taken one tablespoon before each meal. The treatment lasts a week.
Helminthiasis are also treated using pumpkin oil. Treatment and prevention with pumpkin oil is suitable for very young children who cannot yet eat a handful of hard seeds. A 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 obtained from them), pumpkin is useful to both adults and children.
In conclusion it should be added that during treatment it is important to follow a diet and not eat coarse and heavy foods (fatty pork, legumes, raw cabbage).
Other herbal anthelmintics
If the previous section was about food, this one will focus on plant products that people don't eat. This includes medicinal herbs, leaves, bark and inedible parts of tree fruits.
Walnuts
It became known as an anthelmintic already in the time of Hippocrates. It was popularized here by the Kuban Cossacks. To prepare the decoction, dried walnut partitions are used, and freshly harvested 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: chopped walnut leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water, let stand for two hours, filtered and used a spoonful before meals. The treatment lasts three days. When preparing the decoction, the following proportions are observed: for two glasses of water - one chopped leaf and a dozen partitions of dried nuts. 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. just remember that walnut infusions and decoctions, like other natural remedies, cannot be used if you have an individual intolerance.
Aspen
Infusions from the bark of this tree help in the treatment of opisthorchiasis (a disease caused by the cat fluke - a parasite of the flatworm genus - which mainly affects the liver, gallbladder and pancreas). Prepare the infusion as follows:
- the bark of young poplars is harvested in spring;
- dry the bark slightly 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 cheesecloth or a rough cloth;
- New bark is added to the resulting liquid and the process is repeated;
- Leave the product to rest until a sediment appears which must be carefully separated from the liquid part.
Judging by the reviews, in folk medicine there is no more effective remedy than aspen bark against flat parasites. The infusion should be used after consulting 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 have reviewed only the most effective remedies, and therefore we will focus on the "hat trick".
Troychatka is a method of treating helminthiasis with a combination of three herbs: tansy (heads), wormwood and cloves (fruits). To start 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 maximum 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.