Worms

Worms are small parasitic organisms that can affect adults and children. There are many different types of worm infections that can affect the human body. They are all caused by different factors.

Tapeworms

A tapeworm is a long ribbon-like worm that can be caught from eating food and drinking water that is contaminated with tapeworm eggs and larvae. Most people who are infected may not be aware they are carrying them.

If they are ingested as eggs, they may develop into larvae that migrate out of the intestines and form cysts in other tissue like lungs or the liver. These cysts can become very serious.

If ingested as larvae, they develop into adult tapeworms in the intestines and normally cause few or no symptoms.

Tapeworm infections limited to your intestines are easily treated with oral medication. However, when they migrate to other parts of the body, treatment can be difficult and if left untreated can be life threatening.

Good personal hygiene such as washing hands before and after eating and avoiding raw or uncooked food will prevent you from getting a tapeworm infection.

Threadworms

Threadworms are usually passed on by poor hygiene. Threadworms are spread through skin contact or objects that are contaminated with the eggs of the worms. They enter the mouth and grow into adult worms in the gut.

The main symptoms include itching around the anus and vulva. It is worse at night when the worms come to the skin surface to lay eggs. You may be able to see the worms in stool. For children, you can press a small strip of sticky tape to the skin around the anus as soon as they wake up in the morning.

It is possible to get rid of the worms by taking a single dose of anti-parasitic drugs. It is important for the whole family to take the treatment at the same time.

As with all types of worms, good hygiene is essential to reduce the risk of worm infections. You should also de-worm your pets and keep your front lawn clear of pet stool.

Other Worms

There are hundreds of different worms that can affect you. Most are harmless and may be important in medical research in such conditions as asthma and allergic diseases.

In tropical countries where sanitation standards are poor and medical facilities are also poor, worms can be life threatening.

Examples of thee worms include flukes and the hookworm. Worm diseases like elephantiasis can cause long term disability and is transmitted by mosquitoes.

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