Worm infestations happen when worms infect your intestines and other parts of your body. You may experience digestive symptoms such as stomach discomfort and diarrhoea if you have intestinal parasites. Worms can create difficulties if left untreated. One of the most common forms of intestinal parasites in humans is worms, commonly known as parasitic worms. Most intestinal worm infections are only mildly contagious and easily cured with medicine.

Here’s everything you need to know about worm infestations and how they affect you.

Types of worm infestations

Worms in your digestive tract pass through and are eliminated in your stool. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, worms might be found in your faeces. Worms in human faeces can take on a variety of forms. You may find bits of worms or huge, live worms in your stool if you have roundworms. Pinworms can be identified by thin, white worms that resemble thread. Pinworms, roughly the size of a staple, can be seen around the anal area at night when females lay their eggs on the surrounding skin.

In a lab, a doctor can examine a sample of your faeces for evidence of worms or parasites.

Know the symptoms of having intestinal worms

While the common symptoms of worm infestations include irritability, weight loss, stomach soreness, bed wetting, and blood in stools. Other than this, each worm infection may show different symptoms:

• Tapeworm infection causes jaundice, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, overfeeding, and even malnutrition.
• Diarrhoea, passing worms in faeces, dry cough, and fever are all symptoms of roundworm infection.
• Pinworm infection causes itching around the anus, difficulty sleeping, and uncomfortable urination.
• Wheezing, coughing, exhaustion, and anaemia are all symptoms of hookworm infection.

Treatments for intestinal worms

Deworming pills, easily accessible at pharmacies, are used to cure worms. Even if no symptoms exist, the entire family should be treated if a threadworm infection is present. You should also maintain stringent cleanliness measures while taking the medication to avoid re-infestation.

Other treatments for intestinal worm infections may include albendazole, mebendazole, ivermectin, and praziquantel, which destroy the parasite without affecting the host. Your doctor or a gastroenterologist will advise you on the best medication and dosage. So, make sure you consult your doctor before taking medicines.

Hydatid illness is a dangerous and sometimes deadly condition caused by the canine tapeworm. Cysts can form in the liver, lungs, spleen, or kidneys, and very rarely in the brain. In such cases, cysts must be removed.

How do you keep intestinal worms at bay?

The best approach to avoid worms is to practice good hand hygiene and keep your fingernails short. They are more prevalent in tropical or subtropical climates. To avoid these worms, take the following precautions:

• Hand washing with soap before cooking, eating, playing, changing diapers, using the restroom, and handling an animal or animal excrement
• Consume no raw or undercooked meat, fish, or poultry
• Clean fruits and vegetables using clean water
• Safe, clean water to drink
• Disinfecting toys and clothing for children
• Washing and drying linen in the sun on a regular basis
• Avoid going barefoot
• Disinfecting the area and cleaning away animal excrement
• Keeping your pet clean