Most cases of cysticercosis affect the muscles or skin, and in such cases, it is common for no symptoms to develop. In this way, treatment is generally not necessary because the body is able to eliminate the larvae.
However, when larvae affect the eyes, it is very common for symptoms to appear as double or blurred vision, and treatment is necessary to avoid complications such as blindness. Thus, the doctor may prescribe vermifuge remedies, such as:
- Albendazole;
- Praziquantel.
In addition, the use of corticosteroids, such as betamethasone or prednisolone, as well as anti-inflammatories, such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen, may be necessary according to the symptoms presented by each person to relieve discomfort.
In cases of cysticercosis in the heart or of more severe cases, where the symptoms do not improve with the treatment, it may be necessary to have surgery in the hospital, with general anesthesia, to remove the larvae from the tissues of the body.
How To Treat Cerebral Cysticercosis
Cerebral cysticercosis is one of the most severe forms of the disease, because the larva can cause brain damage, generating intense symptoms or complications. Therefore, treatment is usually done in the hospital with medicines directly in the vein.
Although the deworming remedies used in these cases are the same, the doctor usually attempts to control the symptoms caused by the larvae in the brain, such as convulsions, by using anticonvulsants such as phenytoin or carbamazepine, and corticosteroids, prior to initiation. decrease brain swelling.
Prevention of cysticercosis
To prevent cysticercosis, it is recommended:
- Drink drinking water, mineral or filtered;
- Always wash your hands, especially before meals and after using the bathroom;
- Prepare food thoroughly by rinsing with clean or filtered water;
- Do not fertilize the soil with human faeces or sewage;
- Do not consume foods that you suspect have been prepared under poor hygienic conditions.
In addition to these precautions, it is important not to irrigate the garden with river water and to give clean water to the animals.
In most cases, cysticercosis appears as a complication of a specific type of tapeworm, Taenia solium, so the treatment of teniasis should be done as soon as possible. Here's how to identify and treat teniasis.
