Worms are parasites that depend on other organisms for their lives, including humans. We are most easily infected with worms through drinking water or contaminated food. There are several types of worms. In this article, you can find information about the common symptoms caused by worms as well as some specific symptoms caused by tapeworms, pinworms, hookworms, whipworms and roundworms. Skip to step 1 for more information.
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Method 1 of 6: Recognizing Common Signs of Worms
Step 1. Watch for unexplained weight loss
If you have intestinal worms, the food is less absorbed than usual because the worms eat it. Therefore, you may experience weight loss while you eat normally; your body doesn't absorb calories and nutrients as it should because they are taken up by the worms.
If you start to lose weight, how many pounds will you lose. If you continue to lose weight, see a doctor
Step 2. Watch for unexplained difficulty defecating
If you have difficulty passing stools for no apparent reason, you may have intestinal worms. Worms can cause irritation in the intestines so that it interferes with your digestion. As a result, less water is absorbed by the body which will make it difficult for you to defecate.
For example, if you've been eating fiber-rich foods, drinking a lot, or doing other activities that normally make it easier for you to pass stool, and you're still having trouble, you may have intestinal worms
Step 3. Watch for symptoms of bloating after you return home from a new place
If you've recently traveled to a new place where you know there's a lot of intestinal worms, and you suddenly experience bloating, you may have contracted it. This bloating can be accompanied by abdominal pain.
If you're traveling abroad and have diarrhea, but you've been taking antidiarrheal medications, watch for bloating. Continued bloating after taking antidiarrheal medications can sometimes mean contracting worms
Step 4. Be aware because worms can make you never feel full or never feel hungry
Worms can make you feel very hungry even though you've just eaten, or feel very full even though you haven't eaten anything.
This is because the worms eat the food you've eaten, making you hungry, but they can also make you feel bloated, making you feel full
Step 5. Notice if you experience constant fatigue or tiredness
If you have worms, the worms will take all the nutrients from the food you eat, so you will still feel hungry. At the same time, a lack of these nutrients will lower your energy levels so you will tire easily. This will get you:
- Feeling tired constantly.
- Feeling tired after light activity.
- Always want to sleep instead of doing other work.
Step 6. Be aware that some people do not show any symptoms
Everyone can experience different symptoms when they have intestinal worms in their body. Always remember to visit a doctor after you travel abroad where there are known cases of intestinal worms. Better to be on guard than to regret later, especially when it comes to worms.
Method 2 of 6: Recognizing the Symptoms of Tapeworms
Step 1. Check your stool for tapeworms
If you are infected, tapeworms will be seen in the stool after a bowel movement or in your underwear. If you find tapeworms, contact your doctor immediately. Tapeworms are shaped like this:
- Small thread.
- Slightly whitish in color.
Step 2. Check if your eyes and skin are slightly pale
If you're worried about being infected with tapeworms, look at your eyes and skin in the mirror. Tapeworms can cause iron deficiency because they eat blood cells causing anemia. When you are dehydrated, your skin and eyes will become paler in color.
Because tapeworms can cause anemia, you can develop anemia. Signs of anemia include a faster heart beat, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating
Step 3. Watch for abdominal pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting
Tapeworms can block the openings and passages of the intestines as well as on the walls of the intestines. When the intestinal tract is blocked, you will experience abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Abdominal pain is generally only felt in the upper abdomen
Step 4. Watch for diarrhea
Tapeworms can attack and inflame the small intestine, causing the intestinal wall to secrete fluid. When there is excess fluid, the body will have a harder time absorbing the excess fluid, which can lead to diarrhea.
Step 5. Watch for signs of dizziness
This condition is very rare and generally only occurs in those infected with fish tapeworms. Fish tapeworms absorb so much vitamin B12 from the body that it causes a condition called megaloblastic anemia. The result is a decrease in red blood cells which can cause:
- Dizzy.
- Memory loss.
- dementia.
Method 3 of 6: Recognizing the Symptoms of Pinworms
Step 1. Pay attention if your skin is irritated and itchy
Pinworms can cause skin irritation. This happens because pinworms secrete toxins into the blood. When this toxin accumulates on the skin, it causes an itchy feeling that resembles eczema.
- This itching can be more pronounced at night because the worms tend to lay eggs at night.
- The itching can be more pronounced around the anus because that is where pinworms usually lay their eggs.
Step 2. Observe your sleep disturbances and mood swings
You may have trouble falling asleep or wake up more often than usual at night. Things like this can be a sign of a pinworm infection because the worm eggs can release toxins that enter the bloodstream. When this happens, toxins are carried to the brain and may interfere with brain function.
It can also make your mood change frequently; You can suddenly feel anxious when you were just feeling good moments before
Step 3. Watch for aches and pains in muscles and joints
Like itching and difficulty sleeping, the toxins released by pinworm eggs can also affect muscles and joints. This happens because the toxins from the eggs are delivered to the muscles and joints which can cause:
- Inflammation of muscles and joints.
- Pain or tenderness.
Step 4. Notice if you start grinding your teeth during sleep
If you suddenly start grinding your teeth at night that you've never done before, this could be a sign of a pinworm infection. The toxins released by pinworms can stimulate anxiety that makes you grit your teeth at night. Signs that you have chipped your teeth include:
- Your teeth become flattened or eroded.
- Your teeth become more sensitive than usual.
- Jaw pain.
- Jaw fatigue.
- Ear or head pain.
- Bite marks on the tongue or behind the cheeks.
Step 5. Seek immediate medical attention if you have or are currently having a seizure
In some severe cases, pinworm venom can cause seizures. This poison can cause disturbances in the brain so that it makes you have seizures. The signs of a seizure are:
- Snapping movements of the hands, feet, and other body parts.
- Feeling dazed or floating.
- Loss of control to urinate or defecate.
- Unexplained confusion or memory loss.
Method 4 of 6: Recognizing the Symptoms of Hookworms
Step 1. Watch for when your skin suddenly itches or develops a rash
If you have a hookworm infection, the first sign you may notice is that your skin is itchy more than usual. Itching occurs when hookworm larvae enter the skin. You may also feel swelling of the skin and redness in the area where it is most itchy. This is caused by the larvae entering the skin.
People usually feel itching due to hookworms on the hands and feet
Step 2. Watch for signs of nausea and diarrhea
When hookworms enter the intestines, they can worsen intestinal conditions and cause nausea and diarrhea. Hookworms can also secrete toxins that interfere with the digestive system. Nausea may occur with or without vomiting.
Watch for blood spots in the stool. Spots of blood can be red or black
Step 3. Watch for signs of cramping
Hookworms can cause inflammation of the large intestine. These worms can also irritate the walls of your intestines, starting from the large intestine, cecum, and rectum. When this happens you can experience stomach cramps.
Step 4. Watch for iron deficiency
This symptom only occurs in severe hookworm infections. Hookworms feed on blood directly from the host, which can make the host iron deficient. Signs that you are iron deficient include:
- Excessive fatigue and an overall feeling of weakness.
- Pale skin and eye color.
- Pain in the chest and head.
- Short breath.
Method 5 of 6: Recognizing the Symptoms of Whipworms
Step 1. Notice if you feel the urge to have a bowel movement frequently
This condition is called tenesmus. The immune system in our body can fight parasitic organisms such as worms; As a result, the digestive tract can become inflamed. Inflammation of the digestive tract can cause difficulty passing stools, which can progress to tenesmus or the feeling of wanting to have a bowel movement even on an empty stomach. This can cause:
- Stiffness or tension.
- Pain in the rectum.
- cramps.
Step 2. Watch for signs that the whipworm has blocked the intestinal tract
Whipworms can damage the walls or block the intestinal tract and lumen (vessels) in the intestine. When your intestines are blocked, you can suffer from:
- Stomach cramps.
- Nauseous.
- Gag.
Step 3. Watch for diarrhea and severe dehydration
Whipworms can bury their heads in the intestinal wall. This can increase fluid secretion and/or decrease the rate of fluid absorption in the colon. When the large intestine begins to excrete excess fluid, it becomes increasingly difficult for the body to reabsorb fluids, causing:
- Diarrhea.
- Dehydration or feeling always thirsty.
- Loss of electrolytes and nutrients.
Step 4. Seek immediate medical attention if you have rectal prolapse (unable to hold a bowel movement)
In the case of whipworm infection, the rectum loses control because the worm burrows its head against the intestinal wall. This can cause the muscles around the intestines to weaken, leading to rectal prolapse. This condition occurs when:
The lower part of the large intestine (which is located directly near the anal canal) is turned over so that it is slightly out of the body
Method 6 of 6: Recognizing the Symptoms of Roundworms
Step 1. Watch for signs of severe abdominal pain
Roundworms can clog the intestines because of their large size, and in some cases can grow to the size of a pencil. When the intestinal tract is blocked, you will experience severe abdominal pain. You may feel:
Pain in the stomach, like cramps that won't go away
Step 2. Pay attention if you experience itching around the anus
Roundworm eggs can secrete toxins into the body. These toxins can enter the body's system and cause the rectum to become itchy.
This itching can be felt more at night because the worms usually lay eggs at night when we rest
Step 3. Seek immediate medical attention if you catch worms when you sneeze or go to the bathroom
Breeding roundworms may begin to leave your body in search of a new host. This means that the worms can exit your body through several holes in the body. Roundworms usually get out of the body through:
- Mouth.
- Nose.
- Anal.
