Switch to हिंदी

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Sexual Health, Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Sexual Health, Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

हिंदी
  • Fitness
    • Weight loss
    • Yoga
    • Diet
    • Healthy recipes
    • Weight training
    • Body-Mind-Soul
  • Beauty
    • Home Remedies
    • Hair Care
    • Hair Loss
    • Skin Care
    • Anti-ageing
    • Make-up
  • Diabetes
  • Diseases
    • Natural Remedies
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Women’s Health
    • Stress
    • Symptoms A-Z
    • Health A-Z
    • Diseases A-Z
  • Love & Sex
    • Love and Relationships
    • Sex Guide
    • Sex Queries
    • Contraception
    • Sex Positions
    • STDs
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy week-by-week
    • Pregnancy Guide
    • Infertility
    • Conceiving
    • Labour & Delivery
  • Parenting
    • Baby Care
    • Breastfeeding
    • Children’s Health
    • Children’s Nutrition
  • News
  • Galleries
    • Fitness
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Pregnancy
  • Videos
Home / Health News / Bizarre: 100 tapeworm eggs found in an 8-year-old’s brain who also suffered from epileptic seizures

Bizarre: 100 tapeworm eggs found in an 8-year-old’s brain who also suffered from epileptic seizures

The girl suffered from headaches and epileptic seizures due to the tapeworm infection

By: Debjani Arora   | | Updated: July 23, 2018 6:36 pm
Tags: Brain  Brain Activity  Girl  Tape worm  

Till now we had heard that parents of young kids are always concerned about worms infection in the intestine and for obvious reasons. The worms can act as parasites robbing the child of all the vital nutrients and leaving the kid malnourished. But never did we think these worms can take refuge in a young child’s brain. But there are bizarre things that can happen within the human body and today we heard the weirdest one that shook our disbelief. Doctors found some 100 tapeworm eggs in the brain of an eight-year-old girl from Gurgaon and the investigation wasn’t an easy one. Here are six signs and symptoms of the tapeworm infection every parent should know. 

Previously the young girl complained of severe headaches and often had epileptic seizures for the past six months. Doctors diagnosed her with neurocysticercosis, a condition which is the result of accidental ingestion of eggs of Taenia solium (ie, pork tapeworm), usually due to contamination of food by people suffering from taeniasis. Neurocysticercosis is also is the most common parasitic disease of the nervous system and is the main cause of acquired epilepsy. It is also marked with cysts growth in the brain due to the infection. So concluding the case of neurocysticercosis doctors put the little one on steroids as her brain also swelled up.

However, it was not just about cysts. A CT scan revealed that the cysts were in fact 100 tapeworms that reached her brain through the bloodstream from the stomach. This is a very rare occurrence and it baffled the medical fraternity and the parents alike.

The girl was put on steroids for a prolonged period to reduce the swelling in the brain which led to weight gain and she ended up putting almost 20 kilos. The side-effects of which were breathlessness and immobility. But the heavy medications failed to put a stop to the epileptic seizures and headaches. Doctors said the treatment began by reducing her swelling with decongestants and later steroids. Gradually the tapeworm eggs were treated with anti-parasitic drugs. Eventually, she was able to walk and resume school.

“The scan of the girl’s brain showed more than a hundred white dots, formed due to tapeworm eggs. Such an infection is caused by accidentally eating foods infested by tapeworms. When eggs reach the brain through the nervous system, they cause neurocysticercosis, which is characterised by a severe headache, epileptic seizures and confusion,” Dr Praveen Gupta, director of the neurology department, Fortis Hospital in Gurugram. He added that at the time of admission she was almost unconscious due to these cysts and a large amount of swelling.

“Her treatment began by reducing her swelling with decongestants and later steroids and the tapeworms were treated by starting anthelmintic therapy with albendazole under observation. Later the steroids and antihelmintic therapy were weaned off. She lost all the weight gain and was able to walk and resume school,” said Dr Gupta. Here are five foods that can give you worms. 

“We had absolutely no idea that our healthy and cheerful daughter could ever get such an infection. Fortunately, she got treated before the eggs could hatch and do more damage to her brain,” said the girl’s father. “Tapeworm infestation of the brain is caused by eating improperly washed fruits, vegetables and undercooked meat infected by the pork tapeworm,” said Dr Gupta.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published : July 23, 2018 6:32 pm | Updated:July 23, 2018 6:36 pm
Read Disclaimer

Talking therapy not beneficial for schizophrenia treatment, finds study

Talking therapy not beneficial for schizophrenia treatment, finds study

Drug for Parkinson's may also benefit heart failure patients, says study

Drug for Parkinson's may also benefit heart failure patients, says study

Please Wait. Article Loading ....

Related Stories

Diabetes: Your brain'll have to bear the brunt of your elevated sugar levels

Diabetes: Your brain'll have to bear the brunt of your elevated sugar levels

Brain networks and suicide: What’s the connection?

Brain networks and suicide: What’s the connection?

Bad memories can be a real pain: Know how to forget them

Bad memories can be a real pain: Know how to forget them

Is your youngster obese? It may hit his brain

Is your youngster obese? It may hit his brain

Researchers develop new way to detect exchange of information in brain

Researchers develop new way to detect exchange of information in brain

Health News in Hindi

Migraine: जब हो माइग्रेन तो ना खाएं ये 3 चीज़ें, बढ़ सकती हैं गम्भीर सिरदर्द से जुड़ी समस्याएं

Migraine: जब हो माइग्रेन तो ना खाएं ये 3 चीज़ें, बढ़ सकती हैं गम्भीर सिरदर्द से जुड़ी समस्याएं

Diet Tips:  35 की उम्र के बाद ऐसे प्लान करें महिलाएं अपनी डायट, करीना कपूर की डायट प्लान से सीख सकती हैं बहुत कुछ

Diet Tips: 35 की उम्र के बाद ऐसे प्लान करें महिलाएं अपनी डायट, करीना कपूर की डायट प्लान से सीख सकती हैं बहुत कुछ

डायबिटीज रोगियों के लिए अनोखा डाइट प्लान जिसमें इंसुलिन इंजेक्शन लेने की जरूरत नहीं

डायबिटीज रोगियों के लिए अनोखा डाइट प्लान जिसमें इंसुलिन इंजेक्शन लेने की जरूरत नहीं

Healthy Indian Winter Food: ठंड के मौसम में खाएं ये 4 देसी फूड, मिलेगा पोषण, गर्मी और ऊर्जा

Healthy Indian Winter Food: ठंड के मौसम में खाएं ये 4 देसी फूड, मिलेगा पोषण, गर्मी और ऊर्जा

Home Remedies for Stress: 3 नैचुरल चीज़ें जो तनाव से दिलाती हैं राहत, करें इन्हें अपनी डायट में शामिल

Home Remedies for Stress: 3 नैचुरल चीज़ें जो तनाव से दिलाती हैं राहत, करें इन्हें अपनी डायट में शामिल

Read All

Recent Posts

  • Wake up, stretch and have a beautiful day
  • Teenage depression is common: Know how to deal with it
  • Prevent hair fall by adopting healthy practices
  • Dry cough at night can be irritating: 5 home remedies that promise relief
  • Weight loss: How can you keep those extra kilos from coming back?

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com
+91 – 22 – 6697 1234
Landline Phone number 91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

Useful Links

  • Weight Loss
  • Keto Diet Tips
  • Quick Weight Loss Tips
  • Power Yoga
  • Yoga and Diet Tips
  • Yoga Surya Namaskar
  • Weight Loss Yoga Poses
  • Quick Diabetic Diet Recipes
  • Diabetes Diet Tips
  • Clove Oil Beauty Benefits
  • To Loss Belly Fat
  • Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Cancer
  • Symptoms of Chikungunya
  • Symptoms of Dengue
  • Hepatitis b
  • Diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Swine Flu
  • Back Pain
  • Slipped Disc
  • Teeth Sensitive
  • Breast Cancer
  • EBOL Virus
  • Dengue
  • Malaria
  • International Yoga Day
  • Symptoms of Vitamin B12
  • Acne
  • Vitamin D Deficiency
  • Quit Smoking
  • Celebrity Fitness
  • Flat Abs
  • Apple Cider Vinegar

We respect your privacy

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Author Profiles

Copyright © 2019 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved.