Deworming: Why you should do it and how often

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.

Worms are parasites that depend on the human intestines for both nutrition and survival.

The worms lead to poor nutrition, blood loss, and stunted growth by consuming resources intended for the human body.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), intestinal worms affect more than 2 billion people, especially in the world’s poorest regions. WHO recommends periodic deworming in children in areas where soil-transmitted helminths are common.

Experts note that parasites are organisms that live in and feed off a living host. There are a variety of parasitic worms that can take up residence in humans.

The risk of parasitic worm infection is higher in rural or developing regions and places where food and drinking water may be contaminated or have poor sanitation.

Here are the types of worms that cause infections.

Tapeworms

You can get a tapeworm by drinking water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae. Raw or undercooked meat is another way tapeworms can find their way into people.

A tapeworm looks like a long, white ribbon. They can grow up to 80 feet long and live in a human for up to 30 years.

Tapeworms embed their heads into the intestinal wall and remain there after a while they produce eggs that mature into larvae that migrate to other parts of the body.

Hookworms

The hookworm is a type of roundworm transmitted through faeces and contaminated soil.

They live in the small intestine, where they attach themselves to the intestinal wall with a “hook.”

They’re usually less than half an inch long. The most common way to make contact with this type of roundworm is to walk barefoot on soil that contains hookworm larvae. The larvae can pierce the skin.

Trichinella

Trichinella roundworms are passed among animals, humans get trichinosis, the disease caused by this roundworm, by eating undercooked meat that contains larvae.

Some of the symptoms of worm infestation include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, or vomiting, gas and bloating, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal pain or tenderness.

A person with intestinal worms may also experience dysentery. Dysentery is when an intestinal infection causes diarrhoea 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.

It is important to note some people may have intestinal worms for years without experiencing any symptoms.

One can prevent the spread of worms by practising proper hygiene including, washing your hands, especially before and after using the restroom, consuming clean water, consuming well-prepared food and washing fruits, vegetables, and salads in clean water.