Anthelmintics: Definition, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, preventions, treatments

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What are Anthelmintic Drugs?

Anthelmintic medications are such type of preparations that used to treat worms infection in the human body. Among the other helminths (also, so called intestinal worms or parasitic worms),  Nematodes, Trematodes, and Cestodes are very common forms of infectious worms. These worms are basically infected to the vital parts of the body, most importantly, intestine, blood, liver, lungs, tissues as well. the main purpose of these anthelmintic medicines are to prevent the worms infection in the major organs and tissues, as well as eradicate the worms larvae, eggs, dead bodies from the infected individual or host body.

What are the common symptoms of worm infections?

Though, some kinds of worms do not reveal any symptoms, but in most cases, the following symptoms are observed from the infected host when the worms become matured enough to develop their quantities by maintaining the reproductive cycle inside the body - 

  • Nausea
  • vomiting
  • Anorexia
  • Weight loss
  • Growth retardation
  • Reduce the cognitive power
  • Abdominal pain or discomfort
  • Flatulence
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Rash
  • Anal itching 
  • Weakness
  • Diarrhea or watery stools
  • Dysentery or bloody stools
  • Find out worms outside the anus (especially during sleeping at night time) or in the stool.

What are the causes to lead the worm infections?

There are several types of worms that can lead to wide ranges of worm infections either individually or combinedly, namely Whipworms, Hookworms, Threadworms, Tapeworms, Pinworms, Roundworms. However, these worms can be infected to other people by a plethora of ways, such as - 
  • Eat foods that are not properly boiled or cooked (especially animal meats).
  • Consume fresh vegetables and fruits without washing properly.
  • Use contaminated or worms present water either for drinking or other essential purposes.
  • Improper sanitation (not properly clean, dry and ready to use for others).
  • Poor maintenance of Personal hygiene (not wash hand regularly by using soap water before food and after pooping).
  • Use fingers for anal itching.
  • Live in a contaminated damp places.
  • Touch the contaminated surfaces.
  • Use the contaminated clothing.

What are the ways to correctly diagnose worm infections?

If the worm infections diagnose very early, then the treatment takes very short periods of time to eliminate worms from the host body. Beside the physical examinations by a Doctor, Some tests are very helpful for properly detecting the worm infections which are highly recommended by healthcare provider to give the specific and effective treatments for infected person. Among the test - 

  • Fecal or Stool Sample test (Parasite's physical appearance test).
  • Stool Culture for clearing which type of worm is causing the infection, if needed.
  • Blood test for finding out antibodies due to presence of parasite's in the blood.
  • Microscopic Keto-Katz Technique
  • Scotch tape test by using microscope to detect the parasite eggs.
  • Endoscopy
  • Colonoscopy
  • MRI or CT
  • X-ray

How to prevent or reduce the worm infections?

There are some preventive measures which assisted a lot to reduce or protect the worm infections spread out around the world population. 
  • Ensure meat items boiled properly at a certain temperature (minimum 71 degree C).
  • Ensure proper cleaning of vegetables and fruits before cooking and eating.
  • Drink pure water.
  • Clean cloth on regular basis.
  • Avoid touching the contaminated surfaces.
  • Always maintain personal hygiene, proper sanitation.
  • Wash both hands thoroughly up to wrest at least 20 second with soap water before food and after defecation.
  • Try to make the living places always dry, clean, environment friendly.
  • Treat all family members at the same time.
  • Counsel with Doctor as early as possible if any symptoms are identified by yourself.

What are the treatments for worm infections?

Different worm infections have different first-line therapy which is also known as a drug of choice (DOC). In addition to first-line therapy, second-line, third-line therapy are also applicable based on patient age, physical conditions, worm infection type, drug-drug interactions, and so on. The healthcare provider knows very well about the right dosage and accurate treatment plan for specific worm infections, so people should not do late to treat themselves if any symptoms identified. Another, the most significant thing is that do not give some worm medicines (albendazole, mebendazole, thiabendazole, Ivermectin) directly to pregnant women as these drugs have severe effects on baby. The common generic names are given below that are mostly used to the treatment of worm infections - 
  1. Albendazole (Albenza or Albenda or Zentel): This medicine is used to treat Echinococcosis (Hydatid disease), Cysticercosis, Ascariasis (roundworm disease), Trichinosis, Filariasis, Microsporidiosis ( a fungal infection). To increase the absorption of albendazole drug inside body, need to take with a rich-fat meal.
  2. Mebendazole (Vermox or Mebex or Mebew): This medicine is used to treat the infections caused by whipworms (Trichuriasis), roundworms (Ascariasis),  hookworms, pinworms (Enterobiasis). 
  3. Ivermectin: This is used in the treatments of strongyloidiasis (Threadworm disease), Onchocerciasis (River blindness). It has also beneficial effect to treat pediculosis and scabies.
  4. Pyrantel Pamoate: This is very effective for the treatments of roundworms, hookworms, pinworms infections and only for intestinal infections.
  5. Diethylcarbamazine: This is used for the first-line therapy of filariasis.
  6. Niclosamide: It is used as an alternative of Praziquantel therapy in case of treating Diphyllobothriasis, Taeniasis infections. 
  7. Praziquantel: This is useful in the treatments of numerous worm infections, such as paragonimiasis, Schistosomiasis, Clonorchiasis, Taeniasis, Cysticercosis, Diphyllobothriasis by making the paralysis of worms.