Intestinal Worms Parasites
Intestinal worms and parasites that proliferate in the intestines of people are common in subtropical and tropical areas. These parasites and worms get into the body through the skin of the feet or through ingestion. Children are more susceptible to infections from worms.
Types of Worms: There are various types of intestinal worms, which include tape-worms, threadworms, hookworms, and roundworms.
• Roundworms: About 15 to 25 cm in length, roundworms are big intestinal parasites that are creamy-white in color and often infect children. The eggs of roundworms are passed in the stools and these eggs can stay alive, embedded in soil for several months.
• Hookworms: These are tiny worms that are about a centimeter in length. They hook themselves to the intestinal walls and are known to cause bleeding. These worms can even poison the patient.
• Pinworms: These small, white-colored worms are generally 6.35 cm in length.
• Threadworms: Tiny, thread-like worms, these creatures can be seen wiggling in the stools that kids pass. The female thread worm is a centimeter in length, and lays her eggs in the anal canal at night. There are more than 30 varieties of tapeworm infections that affect the body. The length of threadworms varies from a few inches to 10 to 30 feet.
Symptoms of Intestinal Worms
• Some of the symptoms of intestinal worms include headache, anemia, restlessness, bad dreams, hunger, dark circles under the eyes, foul breath, and diarrhea.
• Children and infants might become irritable, cranky and prone to tantrums.
• Roundworms can cause inflammation in the lungs and intestines. This is accompanied by the symptoms mentioned below – irritability, nervousness, fever, weight loss, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.
• Hookworms can cause children to become weak and pale and these worms also cause nutritional disorders and intense itching in and around the anus.
• Roundworms and tapeworms are known to cause convulsions in kids.
• Infection caused by thread worm can cause diarrhea, fever, cough, weight loss, constipation and itching around the anus.
Causes of Intestinal Worms
• The eggs of the worms are generally introduced into the body through contaminated water, food, and under-cooked meat.
• Since the eggs of these worms are sometimes embedded in soil, when children play in the mud, they can transfer the eggs into their mouths through dirty feet or fingers.
• When human waste is used to fertilize vegetables, then the chances of getting these worms is easier. So make sure that you clean all vegetables and fruits well before eating them.
