Other types of worms may not cause any symptoms (for example pork and beef tapeworms or Strongyloides stercoralis) or only cause symptoms a long time after infection (for example dog tapeworm) or if there is heavy infection. Symptoms may include diarrhoea, tiredness and weakness, abdominal pain and weight loss.
Digestive tract (stomach, intestine, liver, colon, and rectum) with intestinal worms causes abdominal pain, weakness, Diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, anemia, Malnutrition with deficiencies of vitamins (B 12) minerals (iron), fats, and protein.
Symptoms of intestinal worms
diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. gas and bloating. fatigue.
Symptoms and Causes
Sleeplessness: Because anal itching is worse at night, people suffering from a pinworm infection can have trouble sleeping, which can lead to decreased concentration, tiredness and weight loss.
If left untreated, the intense itching and scratching associated with these infections will result in secondary bacterial infections. Some of these may be difficult to treat. Untreated people can continue to infect other people.
Pinworm infection (called enterobiasis or oxyuriasis) causes itching around the anus which can lead to difficulty sleeping and restlessness. Symptoms are caused by the female pinworm laying her eggs. Symptoms of pinworm infection usually are mild and some infected people have no symptoms.
A stool ova and parasite, or O&P, test is a simple way of diagnosing parasite infections. This test determines whether parasites and their eggs are present in your stool. The stool O&P test is a common way to find out if you have parasites in your digestive tract.
The swallowed larvae return to the small intestine and grow and mature into adults. This happens about 2 months after the egg was swallowed. Adult worms live in the small intestine for 1 to 2 years.
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.
Some types of worms can infect people. Some can be caught in Northern Ireland and others are only caught abroad. Most worm infections aren't serious and can be easily treated with medicine.
Severe or persistent threadworm infections can cause: loss of appetite. weight loss. skin infection around the anus if bacteria enter any scratches caused by itching – wearing cotton gloves while sleeping may help prevent this.
This is why you may need to take another dose 2 weeks later to help prevent reinfection. How long does it take to work? 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.
However, parasitic infections still occur in the United States, and in some cases, affect millions of people. Often they can go unnoticed, with few symptoms. But many times these infections cause serious illnesses, including seizures, blindness, heart failure, and even death.
If you have a large number of worms in the intestine, you might have: Severe abdominal pain. Fatigue. Vomiting.
Other intestinal worm infections are also treated with medicines that kill the parasite without harming the person, such as albendazole, mebendazole, ivermectin and praziquantel. Your doctor or a gastroenterologist will advise on the appropriate medicine and the dose. The worms are then usually passed out of the body.
Sometimes worms are visible in the anal area, on underwear, or in the toilet. In stool, they look like small pieces of white cotton thread.
PCR Test - Bacteria
Technology for detecting parasites and other pathogens has improved dramatically since 2013. This PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test looks for the genetic fingerprint of a wide range of pathogens. This is a far more sensitive test than the old fashioned technique of looking through a microscope.
Some, but not all, parasitic infections can be detected by testing your blood. Blood tests look for a specific parasite infection; there is no blood test that will look for all parasitic infections.
Complications. Typical pinworm infections don't cause serious problems. In rare circumstances, heavy infestations can cause infection of female genitals. The parasite can travel from the anal area up the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes and around the pelvic organs.
Pinworm infestation is very rarely fatal; death and morbidity are from secondary infection. A 28% to 68% increased risk for appendicitis is associated with pinworm infestation.
Pinworms don't cause any harm (just itching and restless sleep), and it won't take long to get rid of them.
Pinworms can usually be treated completely with two doses of over-the-counter medicine called pyrantel pamoate, available in the United States under the brand names Pin-X and Reese's Pinworm Medicine. Take one dose immediately and another dose two weeks later.
Threadworms do not go away by themselves, and people do not build up immunity to them, so they must be treated in order to eradicate them totally from the body.