Is it normal to have worms

A child with threadworms may be irritable, not sleep very well and lose their appetite. Threadworms come out of the anus at night to lay their eggs between the buttocks, causing extreme itching. They look like small white threads moving about and may be seen with a torch. The threadworms may also be seen on the surface of the stools poo if a person has a heavy infestation. 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. Some worms cause anaemia. Once they have entered humans by penetrating the skin, the larvae of some worms, for example dog hookworm Ancylostoma caninum or Strongyloides, can migrate under the skin causing diagnostic pink or red curving tracks known as larva migrans or larva currens. The tracks may be raised and cause intense itching. There may be tingling or prickling half an hour after the larvae penetrate the skin.

Threadworms are usually acquired by ingesting the eggs. 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. The eggs can then be spread via bed linen, bathroom fittings and other items, even food. The eggs can survive for around 2 weeks like this on surfaces.

Some other types of worms enter humans when their larvae penetrate the skin, often through bare feet. Dog hookworms can be caught like this through the skin. This commonly happens by being barefoot outdoors and coming into contact with larval hookworms in soil or sand contaminated with stool from an infected dog.

Pork tapeworm Taenia solium and beef tapeworm Taenia saginata can be acquired from eating undercooked meat containing cysts of the tapeworm larvae. These infections are not common in Australia, and are usually only acquired overseas. Dog tapeworms Echinococcus granulosus are yet another type of tapeworm. A person may then ingest an egg and become infected. Patting an infected dog may be enough to get infected. Dwarf tapeworms Hymenolepsis nana are acquired by ingesting dwarf tapeworm eggs or are transmitted between people in areas of poor sanitation and hygiene.

Whipworm Trichuris trichiura infection happens if a person ingests the eggs from contact with infected soil, or by eating foods grown in soil that contains whipworm eggs. Some types of intestinal worms, such as tapeworms, may disappear on their own if you have a strong immune system and healthy diet and lifestyle.

However, depending on the type of intestinal worm infection, one may require treatment with an antiparasitic medication. See your doctor if you:. Your treatment plan will be determined based on the type of intestinal worm you have and your symptoms. Tapeworm infections are usually treated with an oral medication, such as praziquantel Biltricide , which paralyzes the adult tapeworm. The praziquantel Biltricide causes the tapeworms to detach from the gut, become dissolved, and then pass out of your body through your stool.

Common treatments for a roundworm infection include mebendazole Vermox, Emverm and albendazole Albenza. Symptoms typically begin to improve after a few weeks of treatment. Your doctor will most likely take and analyze another stool sample after treatment is complete to see if the worms have disappeared. Intestinal worms increase your risk for anemia and intestinal blockages.

Complications occur more frequently in older adults and in people who have suppressed immune systems, such as people with HIV or AIDS infection. To prevent intestinal worms, regularly wash your hands with soap and hot water before and after using the toilet and before preparing or eating foods.

A little mucus is commonly found in stools, but if you see more mucus than normal, you may need to consult your doctor. Here's why. Hookworms are parasites that affect the small intestine and lungs. The sooner we can test for parasites, identify which type you have and start treating you, the sooner you can start to feel better.

By Elie M. Abemayor, MD, Sc. Blog Videos. What is a parasite? So if you're itchy and sore on your bottom, tell your mom or dad. And if you see worms in your underwear or in the toilet, you should tell a parent right away. You should know, though, that some people with pinworms don't have any symptoms at all. If you might have pinworms, your mom or dad will take you to the doctor so you can get medicine to get rid of the worms. To see if you have pinworms, the doctor may have your parent help you do an easy test at home.

Your parent will place a small piece of tape on the skin around your anus at night or when you first get up in the morning, then take it off and bring it to the doctor. It doesn't hurt at all, and the doctor will look at the tape under a microscope to see if there are any eggs on it.

He or she might also take some samples from under your fingernails to see if there are any eggs. If you have pinworms, don't worry. They don't cause any harm just itching! Your doctor will give you some medicine to take right away and then again 2 weeks later to be sure the worms are gone.