Do you remember all the times you’ve come home from school or play as a child covered in sweat, some grime and soil? I remember getting an earful from my parents and getting reminded of how I should always wash my hands and keep myself clean after doing anything outside. During those times, I was always told, “Sige ka, you’ll get worms in your body if you put dirty fingers in your mouth!”
Growing up and learning of just how important good hygiene is in keeping me healthy, I make my fair share of reminders when it comes to my kids. Being a mom of three active kids, dealing with the flu or catching a cold or some other illness can be distressing enough, but acquiring a parasitic worm is another story.
Can you imagine having a monster like a pinworm or tapeworm in your body? The symptoms are horrible and can even be deadly! Luckily, my family has not been infected by any type of worm despite being out and about yet; but it has come to my attention that although having proper hygiene is a good preventive measure against infections, worms can be acquired from our environment, the food we eat and they can be passed on very easily. They can be contracted by getting a lick by your pet; eating poorly washed vegetables and infected meat; swimming in a pool with untreated water, and walking barefoot around the house. They are everywhere!
The other myth surrounding worms is that only children are susceptible to getting these nasty worms in their bodies. Correction – even we as adults can also get these worms. Yikes! The symptoms they bring range from fevers, diarrhoea, allergic reactions and more, and can really take a toll on an entire family’s health when not prevented and treated quickly.
Deworming With Antiox
Thankfully, deworming oral medication like Mebendazole (Antiox®) is available over the counter in leading drugstores. I first learned about Mebendazole (Antiox®) from our pedia, who constantly reminds us to deworm.
We’ve been using it since!
TIP!
If you have a child who refuses to take medication because ‘they taste awful’ (like our Caleb), you’ll be happy to know that Mebendazole (Antiox®) comes in chewable tablets and suspensions that are suitable for all ages. You can choose between two flavors: chocolate or banana. My kids really like the chocolate-flavored ones!
Not only does deworming prevent and treat the symptoms and physical ailments brought about by these parasites but they also promote better health, well-being and better performance in school and work. Depending on the severity of the infection, people in the community perform poorly and even frequently call in absent from their work or schools because their bodies are simply not in the best condition to do anything else.
There are several types of worms that we could contract from anywhere and Mebendazole (Antiox®) targets all of them – specifically pinworms, whipworms, large roundworms, hookworms, thread worms and tape worms.
So parents, please pass the message! Make your family worm-free and share this knowledge to your own communities. Get your friends and relatives, neighbors and town officials talking about worm awareness and affordable treatment. If we can get more and more people to consider and take on deworming, then we will have been able to create a safer environment for our kids.
Let’s spread this knowledge so we can better prevent the spreading of these worms in our homes and our communities. With Mebendazole (Antiox®) a worm-free family means a worm-free community.
