Humans are hosts to nearly 300 species of parasitic worms and over 70 species of protozoa, some derived from our primate ancestors and some acquired from the animals we have domesticated or come in contact with during our relatively short history on Earth.
It is estimated that around 80% of both adults and children have parasites in their gut. People can be infected with these parasites in a number of ways. The most common route is through the faecal oral route.
Humans are the only host of threadworms. The adult worms live in the lower intestine, coming out of the anus at night to lay their eggs. Children with threadworms can get the eggs under their fingernails when scratching their itchy bottoms at night.
Adult worms can live up to 7 years in a person's lymph system. The disease only spreads from person to person through mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites an infected person, they can spread the tiny worms to other people they bite.
Treatment to get rid of worms
If you have worms, your GP will prescribe medicine to kill them. You take this for one to three days. The people you live with may also need to be treated. Any worms in your gut will eventually pass out in your poo.
Parasites can live in the intestines for years without causing symptoms.
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%.
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.
Use an anthelmintic medication (aka a medicine used to destroy worms). Some anthelmintic medicines, like mebendazole, thiabendazole, and albendazole, starve and kill the worms. Other medicines, like ivermectin and praziquantel, paralyze the worms so they pass in your stool.
Most worm infections are not serious and can be easily treated with medicine.
Some worms cause few or no symptoms, but some can cause severe complications over time. Anyone who believes they may have an intestinal worm should contact a doctor as soon as possible for a diagnosis and prompt treatment. Effective treatment usually involves the use of medication.
Why? Most people do not know they are infected or at risk, or don't have access to appropriate care. And often, health care providers are unfamiliar with these parasitic infections, and may not diagnose or treat them appropriately.
Parasites exist, and it is estimated that the majority of people may have parasites in their bodies. Moreover, up to 100 different species of parasites can nest in one person at a time.
But they share approximately 14,000 genes with humans, scientists found, comprising about 70 percent of the human genome. These genes can be traced back to an ancestor of both acorn worms and humans that lived more than 500 million years ago, during a period known as the Cambrian explosion.
Parasitic Infection Signs & Symptoms
Parasites can live in the intestines for years without causing symptoms. When they do, symptoms include the following: Digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, or gas. Skin disorders like eczema, hives, or unexplained chronic itching.
Not deworming can cause malnutrition, intestinal perforation, death –Paediatricians.
So, try to stay away from carbs like rice, bread, pasta, and sugary fruits like grapes and mango. You may also discuss this with your doctor. Coffee, meat and dairy can create an acidic environment, which is again loved by parasites. Some may find it easy to give up on Meat and dairy, but coffee can be no-go.
The medicine should start to work straight away but it may take several days to kill all the worms. It's important to take the medicine as a pharmacist or doctor tells you. Do not stop early if you have been told to take it for several days.
Deworming drugs are associated with increases in weight after a single dose.
The Deworming Process after a Few Days
You may be surprised to still see live worms in your dog's feces after deworming them, but this is normal. While this can be an unpleasant image, it's actually a good thing — it means the worms are no longer living inside your dog!
So, what are a few warning signs of a parasitic infection? Digestive issues such as constipation or diarrhea are some of the most common. A few other issues patients may experience include fatigue, intense bloating/gas after meals, and sugar cravings.
If you've noticed a sudden influx in the number of worm casts on your lawn, it's probably due to a change in weather. Earthworms thrive in damp weather which is why your lawn might be covered in worm casts during autumn and damp winter months.
First, the clean-out process for the colonoscopy is very thorough (if you've had one you know what I mean) and it wipes out any obvious parasites. Even more important, is the fact that parasites actually live INSIDE the colonic wall which will not be seen with the camera.