How Often Should I Deworm? Parasite Symptoms, Causes, Treatment (2024)

  • Symptoms
    • What Are Symptoms of Intestinal Worms?
  • Causes
    • What Causes Intestinal Worms?
  • Diagnosis
    • How Are Intestinal Worms Diagnosed?
  • Treatment
    • What Is the Treatment for Intestinal Worms?
  • Guide

How Often Should I Deworm? Parasite Symptoms, Causes, Treatment (1)

Deworming is not always necessary, but is recommended for children who live in endemic areas once a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is over 20% and twice a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is 50%.

Worldwide, there are hundreds of types of worms (helminths) that can infect humans. Common types of worms that can infect people include roundworm, tapeworm, whipworm, hookworm, and threadworm.

Deworming is a way to get rid of intestinal worms or parasitic worms by the use of an anthelmintic medication.Not everyone needs to deworm.

  • Parasitic worms are usually found in contaminated food and water in poor communities or areas where cleaning does not occur regularly.
  • People who walk barefoot in high-risk areas, people who do not have a good body or food hygiene due to poor living conditions or unclean habits, people who handle pets, and people who handle raw meat are most likely to contract worms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends deworming of children who live in endemic areas:

  • Once a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is over 20%
  • Twice a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is 50%

People at greatest risk for illness from worms include:

  • Preschool and school-aged children
  • Females of reproductive age
  • Adults in certain high-risk occupations such as tea-pickers or miners

What Are Symptoms of Intestinal Worms?

Common symptoms of intestinal worms are:

  • Fever
  • Abdominal pain or tenderness
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Gas
  • Rectal itching
  • Redness or rash on the buttocks
  • Fatigue
  • Urinating frequently
  • Tiredness
  • Weakness
  • Irritability
  • Hunger
  • Dehydration
  • Blood in the stool
  • Worms in stool
  • Problems sleeping
  • Loss of appetite
  • Wheezing
  • Cough

Symptoms of severe infestations of intestinal worms may include:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Abdominal distention (bloating)
  • Anemia (due to hookworm infestation)
  • Weight loss (due to tapeworm infestation)

What Causes Intestinal Worms?

There are hundreds of types of worms (helminths) that can infect humans. People may become infected if they swallow worm eggs, larvae, cysts, or adult worms that live in food, drink, soil, and feces.

Some worm eggs are so small they can only be seen using a microscope and these tiny eggs can be airborne.

How Are Intestinal Worms Diagnosed?

Intestinal worms are diagnosed with a patient history which may include questions about recent travel to an area where worms are endemic A physical exam will be performed which may involve checking under fingernails if worms are suspected because worms often leave their eggs under the fingernails and the hands are the primary way worms get inside the body through ingestion.

Tests used to diagnose intestinal worms may include:

  • Fecal tests to check for infection
  • Blood tests to detect parasites
  • Colonoscopy
  • Imaging tests to check other organs for signs of damage from the parasite
  • Tape tests
    • A piece of tape is placed over the anus while the patient sleeps to check for signs of worm eggs

What Is the Treatment for Intestinal Worms?

Treatment for intestinal worms may not be necessary if a person has a healthy immune system.

When treatment is needed it may include one or more antiparasitic medications to get rid of the intestinal worm such as:

  • Albendazole
  • Mebendazole
  • Ivermectin for the control of S. stercoralis

In addition, medicines may be recommended to reduce inflammation or other symptoms, such as nausea.

Everyone in the family should be treated, even if they don’t have symptoms.

Home remedies that can help relieve the discomfort of intestinal worms and may help get rid of worms include:

  • Garlic
    • Raw garlic may act as a natural dewormer for children by killing parasites and expelling them out of the body
  • Pumpkin seeds
    • Contain cucurbitacin, which can paralyze worms and make it impossible for them to survive inside the body
  • Raw papaya
    • Contains the enzyme papain, which works as an anthelmintic to kill intestinal worms, and papaya seeds help expel worms out of the body
  • Carrots
    • Rich in Vitamin A, theyhave immune-boosting properties to helpfight against intestinal worms
  • Turmeric
    • Has medicinal and antiseptic properties and helps eliminate parasitic worms from the body
  • Coconuts
    • Rich in lauric acid, which forms into monolaurin, a compound known for enhancing immunity

Talk to your doctor before taking any home remedies for intestinal worms.

Reviewed on 8/3/2022

References

REFERENCES:
Image source: iStock Images
https://gidocjhb.co.za/deworming-importance/
https://www.disabled-world.com/health/digestive/humanworms.php
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections

How Often Should I Deworm? Parasite Symptoms, Causes, Treatment (2024)

FAQs

How often should you deworm? ›

Worms are a very common source of illness for both adults and children, so experts recommend that deworming should be done two times a year, or every six months, beginning at the age of two years. Deworming is the process of eliminating intestinal parasites, such as worms, using medication.

How long does it take to get rid of parasitic worms? ›

Treatment to get rid of worms

If you have worms, a GP will prescribe medicine to kill them. You take this for 1 to 3 days. The people you live with may also need to be treated. Any worms in your gut will eventually pass out in your poo.

Can I deworm every month? ›

It can be harmful to health health of the patient, even endangering the patient's life. To prevent and eliminate worms, each person should periodically deworm every 6 months.

How to get rid of parasites in your body? ›

Some infections clear on their own, but most people need prescription antiparasitic drugs to get rid of intestinal parasites. These drugs work by paralyzing parasites, stopping their growth, or killing the parasite or its eggs.

Should adults deworm themselves? ›

To halt the spread of worms, it's crucial to treat all members of the family – not just the youngsters! Adults should take a deworming treatment as soon as their little one shows any symptoms (which can include irritability, tiredness, loss of appetite and an itchy bottom, among others).

Can I check myself for worms? ›

One way to detect pinworms is to shine a flashlight on the anal area. The worms are tiny, white, and threadlike. If none are seen, check for 2 or 3 additional nights. The best way to diagnose this infection is to do a tape test.

How do I know if I have parasites? ›

Fecal testing (examination of your stool) can identify both helminths and protozoa. Stool samples must be collected before you take any anti-diarrhea drugs or antibiotics, or before x-rays with barium are taken. Several stool samples may be needed to find the parasite.

What does your skin look like if you have parasites? ›

How do you know if you have a skin parasite? There are several clinical manifestations of skin parasites: itchiness, skin rashes, skin discoloration, eczema, small nodules on the skin, wounds from excessive skin scratching. In addition, presence of tiny furrows on the skin, in the case of mites infestation.

What do parasites look like in stool? ›

For roundworms, you may find pieces of worms or large, live worms in your feces. For pinworms, you may see thin, white worms that appear like pieces of thread. Pinworms, which are about the length of a staple , are sometimes visible around the anal region at night, when females lay their eggs on the surrounding skin.

How often should humans deworm? ›

Share: This is an automatically translated article. Worms, parasitic flukes cause many harms to the host body, so it is recommended to periodically deworm every 6 months. But there are many people who do not know when to use deworming medicine?

What to eat to deworm? ›

Foods to keep worms at bay

- Eat raw garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, beets and carrots, all of which have been used traditionally to kill parasites. - Drink a lot of water to help flush out your system. - Eat fibre, which may help get rid of worms.

What foods should you avoid after deworming? ›

After taking the medicine, you can completely eat and drink normally. Note: Deworming drugs can cause some side effects such as nausea, dizziness, headache, digestive disorders, abdominal pain, transient diarrhea.

Do humans need to deworm regularly? ›

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends deworming of children who live in endemic areas: Once a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is over 20% Twice a year when the prevalence of soil-transmitted parasitic worms in the community is 50%

How do I deworm myself naturally? ›

In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects. Drink a lot of water to help flush out your system. Eat more fiber, which may help get rid of worms.

How do I know I have worms? ›

A person with intestinal worms may also experience dysentery. Dysentery is when an intestinal infection causes diarrhea with blood and mucus in the stool. Intestinal worms can also cause a rash or itching around the rectum or vulva. In some cases, you will pass a worm in your stool during a bowel movement.

Can you over deworm? ›

Question: Can too much deworming actually be a bad thing? Answer: While it is unlikely a horse will become ill or suffer harmful effects from being dewormed too often, in the long term, all horses' health can be compromised by the development of parasite resistance to dewormers.

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