Intestinal Worms: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment And More

Children are more prone to developing intestinal worms. There can be several causes of intestinal worms. Read on to find out.

Children are affected by several diseases in their developmental years. One of the most common problems that affect a child's body is intestinal worms. These worms are present in their stomach due to an unclean environment and require the child to go through deworming to get rid of the worms.

What are intestinal worms? What causes them?

Intestinal worms or parasitic worms are types of intestinal parasites that exist in the gastrointestinal tract. These worms can create discomfort as they feed off the human body. Children are more prone to develop stomach worms which impact their growth and development. If these worms are not removed from the body, they will multiply in the intestines, causing more damage to the body.

There can be several causes of intestinal worms. Some of them are:

Symptoms of intestinal worms

Some common symptoms of intestinal worms are:

Diarrhoea
Nausea
Bloating
Loss of appetite/weight loss
Fever and dry cough
Anaemia
Wheezing
Pain while urinating
Fatigue
Abdominal pain

Some children may also suffer from Dysentery or intestinal infection which leads to diarrhoea. Kids with Dysentery may notice blood and mucus in stools. In some cases, children may also pass stomach worms during bowel movements.

How do stomach worms affect children?

Children are more prone to developing intestinal worms due to direct contact with soil and playing in an unclean environment. Sometimes children roam around the soil, which can be contaminated due to lack of sanitation and infected animals. These parasites can also be transmitted through toys, dirty hands and other instruments which the child can put into their mouths. The parasites travel from their mouths to the intestines thus, affecting the body.

Treatment of intestinal worms

Intestinal worms can sound scary and frightening, but they can be treated with medications. Some types of tapeworms can be managed with a healthy immune system. Deworming is necessary to remove infections caused by the worms. The treatment and medications will depend on the type of worms and the severity of the condition. Mebendazole is a common medication given to children for treating worm infections. Pyrantel is another safe deworming medicine given to children.

Deworming tablets usually do not cause any harm to the body. But make sure you reach out to a healthcare provider before taking any medications. By taking deworming tablets, children can get rid of the worms through bowel movements.

Preventing intestinal worms

Teach your child to wash their hands properly after playing, using the toilet and before and after eating food. Other tips you must follow to prevent intestinal worms are:

Make sure that your child is playing in a safe and clean environment.
Wash fruits and vegetables well before your child consume them.
Ask your child to not play or walk barefoot on the soil or grass.
Give your child boiled water instead of drinking water from public tanks.
Make sure your child is eating food cooked under hygienic conditions.
Avoid raw meat and fish.
Teach your child to not eat food that falls on the floor. Wash or reheat food that has fallen on the floor.

Do not ignore severe symptoms like having blood or pus in the stools and having elevated body temperature. Also, if the child is suffering from vomiting too frequently, feels dehydrated and tired. Some types of worms can even disappear themselves with a healthy lifestyle.

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