Long-term worm infections can cause chronic fatigue, malnutrition, anemia (due to blood loss or B12 deficiency), and significant digestive issues like pain, bloating, and blockages, potentially leading to severe complications such as appendicitis, pancreatitis, or even organ damage if parasites travel to the brain, eyes, or lungs, with children often suffering growth problems.
From tapeworm infections
Problems that may happen include: Anemia. Long-term infection with a fish tapeworm may lead to the body not making enough healthy red blood cells, also called anemia. This can happen because the tapeworm keeps the body from getting enough vitamin B-12.
Yes, some parasitic worms, like Strongyloides and Ascaris, can cause an itchy or scratchy throat as their larvae travel through the lungs and airways on their way to the intestines, leading to respiratory symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and throat irritation. Another possibility, though rarer, is a worm getting stuck in the throat itself after eating contaminated raw fish, causing a tingling or foreign body sensation.
Sometimes, individuals with taeniasis can see tapeworm segments (called proglottids) being passed through the anus and in the stool. Taeniasis can lead to urticaria, an itchy rash of weals and hives.
You know you might have parasites through digestive issues (diarrhea, bloating, pain), fatigue, unexplained weight loss, skin problems (rashes, itchiness), sleep disturbances (insomnia, teeth grinding), increased appetite, muscle aches, or even seeing worms or eggs in your stool; however, many infections have few or no symptoms, so a doctor's diagnosis via stool sample, blood tests, or other imaging is needed for confirmation.
Intestinal worms are parasites — they survive by living in or on another living thing (the host) and getting their food from it. Threadworms, the most common worm infection in Australia, can cause an itchy bottom or redness and scratch marks around the anus (back passage).
Are threadworms harmful? Not usually. The worst thing about them is the itch and discomfort around the anus. This sometimes wakes children from sleep.
Most often, the infection is caused by eating food or drinking water that is tainted with roundworm eggs. Ascariasis can cause symptoms such as stomach pain, vomiting, fever and cough. Serious health issues called complications can happen if many worms grow inside the body.
Parasites drain nutrients from your body, leaving you with a constant feeling of fatigue. Digestive issues: Frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain, or bloating can be signs of a parasitic infestation. These digestive disturbances affect not only your physical well-being but also your daily comfort.
Symptoms of threadworms
The worms usually come out at night while your child is sleeping. Other symptoms include: extreme itching around the anus or vagina, particularly at night.
Impact of Dental Worms on Oral Health
Untreated dental worm infestations can lead to various complications and risks, including tooth decay, gum disease, and abscesses. If left untreated, dental worms can cause long-term damage to the teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues, resulting in irreversible oral health problems.
Chronic parasite infection can alter the commensal flora of the gut, resulting in reduced airway inflammation/allergy and inflammatory bowel disease.
In this study, the risk of psychiatric disorders in the pinworm infections subjects is higher than the unexposed group as per the adjusted HR 4.581 (95% CI: 2.214–9.480, p < . 001, Table 2).
The most common parasitic infections include:
A pharmacist can help if you have: small, white worms in your poo that look like pieces of thread. extreme itching around your anus, particularly at night.
10 Warning Signs of Parasitic Infections
Symptoms may vary depending on the type of worm, but general complaints include: Bloating and recurrent abdominal pain. Weakness, fatigue, or pale appearance. Loss of appetite or unexplained increase in hunger.
Any symptoms or signs patient might have, specifically itch (particularly intense, nocturnal, perineal itching is common with threadworms) and if any recurrent abdominal pain. Any previous episodes of threadworm. Any sleep disturbance and irritability at night. Any symptoms of vulvovaginitis.
Malaria Parasite (Plasmodium)
Not only a killer parasite, but one of the world's biggest killers, the malaria parasite is responsible for around 600,000 deaths a year.
Threadworms are small, thin, white, thread-like worms between 2mm and 13mm long. They infect human guts (intestines). They are common in children, but anyone of any age can be affected. Threadworms live for about 5-6 weeks in the gut, and then die.
Knowing if you have parasites involves recognizing symptoms like digestive issues (diarrhea, bloating, pain), unexplained weight loss, fatigue, skin rashes, or muscle aches, but often infections are subtle or asymptomatic, so a doctor's diagnosis through stool samples or blood tests is crucial for confirmation, especially if you have persistent symptoms like fever, extreme fatigue, or blood in your stool.
You'll usually take mebendazole as a single dose to treat threadworms, but you might need to take it for around 3 days for some other types of worm infection. It starts to work straight away but it may take several days to kill all the worms.
(The infection caused by cysts is called cysticercosis or, when the cysts form in the brain, neurocysticercosis.) These cysts cause few symptoms until the cysts degenerate and the larvae die, triggering inflammation, swelling, and symptoms such as headaches, seizures, personality changes, and mental impairment.