What causes roundworms?
Each type of roundworm has different causes, as well as different symptoms.
What are the causes and symptoms of roundworm infection of your intestines (ascariasis)?
This type of roundworm spreads through poor hygiene. It often lives in human feces (poop). People catch it through hand-to-mouth contact.
If you have a roundworm infection of your intestines (ascariasis), you may not have symptoms. You may see live worms in your poop though. If you do have symptoms, they may include:
What are the causes and symptoms of hookworm?
People get hookworm by walking barefoot on dirt mixed with infected poop.
People may not notice symptoms if their health is otherwise good. If someone does have symptoms, the signs may include:
- Anemia, when you don’t have enough red blood cells, making you feel tired and weak.
- Colic, a lot of crying and fussiness in an otherwise healthy baby.
- Diarrhea.
- Mild abdominal pain and intestinal cramps.
- Nausea.
What are the causes and symptoms of pinworm?
Pinworm is the most common roundworm infection in the United States. It most often occurs in children and can spread easily in school or daycare. The infection starts when eggs enter the mouth and travel to the intestines. The eggs hatch and develop into adult pinworms.
A female pinworm then lays her eggs in and around the anus (opening of the buttocks). Without realizing it, people touch the eggs with their fingers. For example, a small child might touch or scratch their bottom or not wash hands after using the bathroom. Parents may not wash their hands properly after changing a diaper of a child with pinworms.
After touching an infected area, people may put their fingers in or near their mouths or touch surfaces. Pinworm eggs can attach to bedding, clothing, toys, doorknobs, furniture and faucets for up to two weeks.
Those with pinworm infections may experience mild symptoms or none at all. The most common symptom is itching around the anus or vagin*. The itching can become intense after a pinworm lays eggs.
What are the causes and symptoms of strongyloidiasis?
This type of roundworm mainly lives in tropical and subtropical areas, where it’s warm year-round. But it can also live in other regions during warmer seasons. People get infected by touching contaminated soil. Strongyloidiasis enters through the skin and travels to the intestines.
Some people may experience mild symptoms or none at all. If you have a moderate infection, you may feel:
Severe strongyloidiasis infections may cause:
- Anemia.
- Chronic (long-lasting) diarrhea.
- Weight loss.
What are the causes and symptoms of trichinellosis?
Trichinellosis is different than other roundworm infections. It’s not an intestinal infection. It affects your muscles. People get it through eating undercooked meat, especially sausage, pork, horse, walrus and bear meat.
Some people may experience mild symptoms or none at all. But you may feel tired or get stomach symptoms, including:
When trichinosis enters the muscles, you may get:
- Eye infection and rashes.
- High fever.
- Muscle pain and aches.
- Swelling in the eyes and face.
What are the causes and symptoms of whipworm?
You get whipworm by:
- Touching it with your hands.
- Eating food that has whipworms on it.
- Eating food that was grown in soil with whipworms.
There are usually no symptoms with whipworm. However, if you have a severe infection, you may experience:
- Blood in your poop.
- Diarrhea.
- Stomach pains that come and go.
- Weight loss.
- Anemia.
FAQs
While there are various kinds of roundworms, they usually all have the same treatment. Your provider will prescribe a medicine called albendazole. This medicine prevents the larvae from getting bigger or multiplying. The worms in your body then pass through your poop.
How do you treat pinworms and roundworms? ›
Treatment and recovery
Pyrantel pamoate is available without prescription. Treatment involves two doses of medication with the second dose given two weeks after the first dose. The medications kill worms but cannot kill eggs.
What is the best treatment for roundworm infection? ›
Other medicines such as albendazole, levamisole, and ivermectin are used in countries where roundworms are common. They are not often used in the UK unless under the advice of a specialist. Diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin is used for people with infection with filariasis.
How do you treat pinworm symptoms? ›
To treat pinworm infection, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pyrantel pamoate or prescribe medication to all members of your household to prevent infection and reinfection. The most common prescription anti-parasite medications for pinworms are: Mebendazole. Albendazole (Albenza)
What medicine kills roundworms in humans? ›
Mebendazole is a type of medicine for treating worms. It's used mainly for infections of the gut such as threadworms (sometimes known as pinworms) and other less common worm infections (whipworm, roundworm and hookworm). It works by stopping worms from using sugar (glucose) to live. This kills the worms.
What is the fastest way to get rid of roundworms? ›
Roundworm can be treated effectively with COMBANTRIN®, which effectively paralyses the worms inside the body and causes them to be passed out in faecal matter. It's recommended to perform another worm-check about 2-4 weeks later, if symptoms continue, and re-treat if necessary.
How can I deworm myself at home naturally? ›
Garlic, honey, pumpkin seeds, and papaya seeds are all touted as antiparasitic foods to include in your diet. Some natural practitioners go a step further and recommend a grain-free, sugar-free diet. Others recommend limiting fruit intake in order to further reduce dietary sugars.
Does apple cider vinegar help with roundworms? ›
Enzymes in apple cider vinegar are thought to have a beneficial effect against worms as the coating of the worm becomes weak and they then lose their grip on the intestinal wall. Spray the vinegar directly on the food; if your pup does not like the smell or taste, mix it in a bowl of wet food.
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.
How can you tell if a person has roundworms? ›
Have a red, itchy rash on your skin. Have stomach problems that last longer than two weeks — such as diarrhea or a stomachache. Have unexplained weight loss. See a worm or piece of a worm in your poop.
Raw garlic
Garlic is said to kill any existing eggs and prevent female pinworms from laying more eggs. You can ingest it in small doses or apply it topically like a salve. If you wish to ingest the garlic, dice up a clove and mix it into pasta or sprinkle it on bread. You can also eat the garlic on its own.
How do I check myself for parasites? ›
Taking a parasite test.
Various kits are now available that allow you to take a stool sample and send it to a lab for analysis and your healthcare provider can order this test for you.
How do you clean if you have pinworms? ›
Bathe carefully every day. Be sure to clean the skin around the anus. This will remove pinworm eggs. Showers may be better than baths because you have less chance of getting water that has pinworm eggs into your mouth.
What do roundworms look like in poop? ›
Roundworms are easily spotted in dog feces, appearing as spaghetti-like strands. Infected dogs may have a pot-bellied appearance and may suffer from vomiting or diarrhea. If untreated, roundworms can cause poor growth in puppies and general ill health in adults.
How often should I deworm myself? ›
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.
Are roundworms hard to get rid of in humans? ›
Some roundworm infections can last a long time, and there are many possible complications. People living in areas where roundworm infections are common may become infected more than once. Fortunately, most roundworm infections can be treated with antiparasitic medications.
How do you know if you have pinworms or roundworms? ›
The most common symptom of infection is anal itching, particularly at night, as worms migrate to the host's anal area to lay their eggs. While the infected person sleeps, female pinworms lay thousands of eggs in the folds of skin surrounding the anus.
How do you disinfect a house after roundworms? ›
Treatment generally consists of a general dewormer and environmental cleaning. Indoors, the floor should be vacuumed and cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner. Litter boxes and bedding should be scrubbed and laundered. All animals in the house should be dewormed together to ensure all infected animals are treated.
What happens if pinworms go untreated? ›
Do pinworms go away if they're untreated? No. Untreated pinworms lay more eggs, making it easier to spread the infection. Your child will need medicine to get rid of them.
