Dorothy FarrarAntiparasitic
Antiparasitic drugs are used to combat internal and external parasites. There is talk of parasite infestation when only the parasite benefits from the interaction.
What are antiparasitics?
Parasitic infestation is not such a problem for humans today as it was in almost every previous century. The definition of a parasite is a living being that uses resources from another without providing resources for it itself. For example, ticks live on the blood of their host, but the host does not benefit from the tick infestation.
However, parasites can cause serious damage to their host and must therefore be combated with antiparasitic drugs. In addition to control, there is also the possibility of prevention, which, due to improved living conditions, affects pets more than humans. In this way, the human owner of an animal is also protected, since he is most likely to get the parasite from his pet. If the infestation has not yet occurred, antiparasitics are often easy and low-risk to use, while highly effective antiparasitics accompany surgical interventions to remove parasites for some parasites. The aim of an antiparasitic is always to rid the patient of the parasite with as few risks and side effects as possible and to kill it thoroughly in the process.
Effect and medical application
Antiparasitics have either a preventive or combative effect. Among the simplest preventative antiparasitics are repellents, which are designed to repel insects. Scented candles, sonic devices or essential oils can easily be used as repellents. There are also antiparasitics against parasites such as mites, fleas , worms and ticks and protozoa such as amoebas. Defensive antiparasitics keep parasites from invading the host in the first place. For example, they go into the blood and do not harm the host, but poison the parasite.
Antiparasitic drugs used to treat an infestation, at best, kill the parasite and allow the host’s body to shed them. However, since this is not always possible, some preparations kill only a few parasites over a long period of time, since an immediate death of all parasites would put too much strain on the host’s body. For example, some types of worms should not be completely killed with an antiparasitic because the patient’s body would be overwhelmed with excretion. In most cases, surgical methods and antiparasitic drugs are used at the same time, especially since some parasites can leave behind damage to internal organs that require additional treatment.
shapes and groups
Antiparasitics can be divided into active ingredients for endo- and ectoparasites. This means internal and external parasites. Fighting off an external parasite is often preventative and therefore easier than fighting an internal parasite. Antiparasitics are also named according to the parasites they kill. Acaricides are active ingredients against mites of all kinds, antihelminthics are effective against worms such as the tapeworm, antiprotozoals are the combined antiparasitics against protozoa such as amoebas or the pathogen of toxoplasmosis .
dosage
In the case of antiparasitics, the dosage also determines how many parasites can be killed. With many ectoparasites, the more of them that can be repelled, the better. An insect repellent can therefore be used in high doses as required, for example in the form of a scented candle or an essential oil. For internal parasites, the dosage must be adjusted to the host’s ability to shed dead parasites.
The goal is to dose the antiparasitic high enough to gradually kill all parasites, but leave the body enough capacity to eliminate them before the dead parasites can become dangerous to it through decomposition. This is not a problem for protozoa, but for larger invaders such as worms it can be relevant for the dosage. Basically, the dosage is always important when the antiparasitic is used internally, since it then comes into direct contact with the host body.
Herbal, natural and pharmaceutical alternatives
Antiparasitics are powerful drugs that alone have proven to be very effective against parasites. Especially in the defense there are some natural possibilities to support medication. For pets, for example, there are sprays that are supposed to ward off fleas and ticks, for example tea tree oil is used. Pesky parasites like insects can often be kept away with scented candles, essential oils, and other human-friendly methods. Parasites that pass on diseases such as Lyme disease or malaria can be combated in principle, but vaccination is more effective if there is a risk – for example when traveling to malaria areas.
Interactions and side effects
One of the most likely side effects of an antiparasitic is that it kills the parasites too quickly and the body cannot eliminate them quickly enough. In these cases, however, surgical removal of parasites can provide an effective remedy. Depending on the antiparasitic, this can of course have other side effects, which vary from active ingredient to active ingredient.
Since highly effective antiparasitics are administered under medical supervision anyway, the attending doctor will explain to the patient in detail about the interactions and side effects and explain to him what physical processes he can expect. When treating pets with species-specific antiparasitics, it is to be expected that these could be intolerable for humans and that the animal should not be stroked for a few hours after application until the active ingredient, which is usually applied externally, has absorbed.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.