A person with intestinal worms may not have any symptoms, but threadworms (Enterobius vermicularis), the most common
The best way to diagnose this infection is to do a tape test. The best time to do this is in the morning before bathing, because pinworms lay their eggs at night. Steps for the test are: Firmly press the sticky side of a 1-inch (2.5 centimeters) strip of cellophane tape over the anal area for a few seconds.
Common signs include a cough, breathlessness or breathing difficulties but can include weight loss, lethargy, reduced appetite, anaemia and abnormal bleeding.
A person with intestinal worms may not have any symptoms, but threadworms (Enterobius vermicularis), the most common worm infection in Australia, often do cause symptoms. A person with threadworms (also known as pinworms) may have an itchy bottom or redness and scratch marks around the bottom.
Deworming is not always necessary, but is recommended for children who live in endemic areas once a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is over 20% and twice a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is 50%.
Eat more raw garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, beets, and carrots, all of which have been used traditionally to kill parasites. In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects. Drink a lot of water to help flush out your system.
Any pinworm eggs will stick to the tape, which your doctor can see under a microscope in a lab. A tapeworm infection is usually diagnosed by finding eggs or tapeworm segments in the stool. Your doctor may ask you to bring in a sample so a lab can look for eggs, larvae, or tapeworm segments.
Take the correct dewormer
When infected with worms, it should be dewormed periodically, for adults and children over 2 years old should be dewormed 2 to 3 times a year, ie every 4 to 6 months.
It is available without a prescription as a generic medication or under brand names such as Antiminth, Reese's Pinworm Medicine, Ascarel, and Pin-X.
Intestinal worms (also known as soil-transmitted helminths) affect more than 1.7 billion people worldwide including more than 1 billion children, according to the World Health Organization. The three most common intestinal worms are hookworm, ascaris (roundworm), and trichuris (whipworm).
Threadworms live about 5-6 weeks in the gut, and then die. However, before they die the female worms lay tiny eggs around the anus. This tends to be at night when you are warm and still in bed. The eggs are too small to see, but cause an itch around the anus.
It's common for children aged 5-10 years to get worms. Worm infections mostly don't cause symptoms. Sometimes children get coloured and itchy bottoms.
To halt the spread of worms, it's crucial to treat all members of the family – not just the youngsters! Adults should take a deworming treatment as soon as their little one shows any symptoms (which can include irritability, tiredness, loss of appetite and an itchy bottom, among others).
If deworming is ignored, these worms have the ability to form cysts in the liver and lungs leading to pneumonia and other neurological conditions. Although there is an increased amount of awareness worldwide about deworming among children, deworming among adults also requires more attention.
Do adults need deworming? Yes, parasitic worms can affect adults as well. Oral anti-parasitic medicines are prescribed by doctors for deworming adults.
Often they can go unnoticed, with few symptoms. But many times these infections cause serious illnesses, including seizures, blindness, heart failure, and even death.
Threadworm causes a very itchy bottom, which is usually worse at night. If your child is infected with threadworm, it is not usually serious and can be treated easily with medication.
If you have a large number of worms in the intestine, you might have: Severe abdominal pain. Fatigue. Vomiting.
COMBANTRIN® is effective against threadworm, and the rarer worms hookworm and roundworm only. If you suspect you have tapeworms, you should see your doctor. Diagnosing a tapeworm infection may require a stool sample to identify the type of worm.