Treatment of Chagas disease, which is caused by the bite of an insect called “barbier”, should be started as soon as possible after diagnosis and is done with the use of Benznidazole, a free pest control medicine offered by THE SUS.
Usually treatment is done with 2 to 3 doses of the drug per day, for 60 consecutive days, the dose should be guided by a doctor and usually varies according to age and weight, following these criteria:
- Starting treatment as soon as possible is not only important to ensure the cure of the infection.
- But also to avoid damaging the organs.
- As well as to reduce the risk of transmission of the disease to others.
In rare cases, there may be an intolerance to benznidazole, which may be perceived by signs such as changes in skin characteristics, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.If this happens, it is important to return to your doctor to stop using Benznidazole and start.treatment with another drug, which is usually Nifurtimox.
During treatment, it is ideal to see your doctor once a week or every 15 days and have at least two blood tests during treatment for better follow-up of results.
Understand what symptoms Chagas disease may indicate
Because there is a risk of toxicity to pregnancy, treatment of Chagas disease is not recommended in pregnant women, either after childbirth or, in very severe cases, during pregnancy.
When treatment is not performed, there is a risk that the infection will pass from mother to child during pregnancy or even during childbirth.
Because the diagnosis is made by a blood test that assesses the presence of antibodies that fight the disease, and that these antibodies can also pass from mother to child, remaining active for up to 9 months, several blood tests may be needed in the baby during this period to assess the amount of antibodies and determine whether treatment should be initiated in the baby.If the amount of antibodies decreases, it means the baby is not infected.
Improvement of symptoms usually occurs gradually from the first week of treatment and includes reduced fever, improved discomfort, decreased abdominal swelling, and disappearance of diarrhea.
Although symptoms may improve until the end of the first month, treatment should be continued for 2 months to ensure that parasites inserted into the body by the insect bite are completely removed.test at the end of treatment.
When treatment is not started or is not performed correctly, symptoms may go away after 2 months, however, the parasites continue to develop and infect various organs of the body.
In these cases, the person may have new symptoms again up to 20 or 30 years after the first infection.However, these symptoms are more severe and are related to damage to various organs, such as the heart, lungs and intestine, which is life-threatening.