What
are these worms that come into my digestive system?
There
are many worms that live as parasites within the human intestines.
Some worms may be as long as a meter such as
tapeworm
or as small as in millimeters such as
pinworms
The commonest worms that could be found in the human intestine are
the
roundworm
and
hookworm.
There are also other kinds of worms that can be in the human intestine
but are quite rare.
How
do I get these worms?
These
worms are swallowed as eggs or as larvae in the food or water that
we have. Sometimes these eggs are present in the soil in the sandboxes
and playgrounds and playing would spread these eggs from the soil
onto all hands where they could remain under our fingernails. Putting
our fingers into the mouth may cause the eggs to pass into our system.
These eggs and larvae then hatch in the intestine and reside as
adult worms over there. They then lay thousands of eggs that pass
in our stools and spread to other people thus continuing the cycle
of infection.
What
do these worms do in our body?
These
worms are
parasites
i.e. they live off other organisms. These worms take nourishment
from the food that we eat. Hookworm may also suck blood from our
body. Sometimes these worms may block the intestine and not allow
the stool to pass. Pinworms may also cause itching around the anal
region.
How
do I get rid of the worms?
Generally
worms are very common in children. Your doctor may give you medicine
if he suspects that you may be having worms in the intestine. This
medicine will remove the worms from the intestine and you will be
able to see them in your stools next day. The medicine may have
to be repeated after 3 months to ensure that no eggs remain in the
intestine. Your doctor may ask for a stool examination and even
may do a test by placing a small piece of tape on your anus. This
tape will be seen under the microscope to see if there are any eggs.
Your doctor may also give the anti-worm medicine to all the people
in the house.
How
do I prevent myself from getting worms?
The
best way to prevent would be to
wash
your hands with soap and water before
eating food, after using the toilet and after playing outside.
Also
keep your fingers short and clean and then worms can remain on an
outside scene".
"Play
I used to in the mud everyday
Never on soap, my hands I lay
Passed I did a huge worm in stools today
Now I wash & scrub my hands after I play".