Regardless of what you’ve been told, it’s not completely clear how worms survive the acid in the stomach. Fortunately, there are several ways to kill them. One such method is ingesting a plant called berberine, which is found in goldenseal and coptis. In another study, papaya seed porridge reduced the number of roundworm eggs in children’s stools. Porridge containing anti-parasitic medication was effective, but the porridge without it increased egg counts.

Symptoms of worm infection

There are some basic symptoms of a worm infection that you may notice. For instance, your child may have itchy stools and a vaginal discharge. Some people may also experience allergic reactions, food sensitivities, and nutrient deficiencies. These symptoms may not be present immediately, and the infection may be going undetected for many years. The good news is that you can easily cure worm infections.

Most people who are infected with worms do not have noticeable symptoms. The first and most common sign is a sore tummy. Worms live in your child’s gut and produce carbondioxide, which is why they have a foul odor. Moreover, your child may also have a vague ache in the abdomen. A rash around the anus can be an indication of worm infestation. Worms can also cause a lack of concentration and anemia, which can cause poor performance. Symptoms of a worm infection vary between children and adults, so it is important to be checked by a pediatrician to make sure your child is not suffering from this.

Diagnosis

To diagnose a worm infestation, a doctor must determine if you have intestinal worms. A worm infestation is not dangerous but can cause health problems, such as excessive appetite, pain, and a weakened immune system. Besides causing pain, a worm infestation can affect your digestive system, which can lead to other health issues, including epilepsy and diabetes. When a person has intestinal worms, the worms may block the bile duct and the intestinal tract. The result is abdominal pain, gas, and other symptoms of inflammation.

Fortunately, the treatment for intestinal worms is relatively simple. Drugs for anthelmintic worms, such as praziquantel, are effective at killing both larvae and eggs, as well as the adult worms. The medication can be gotten over-the-counter or prescribed by a doctor, depending on the type of worm.

Treatment

It’s not entirely clear why worms don’t die in the stomach’s acid, but it’s possible that a parasitic worm was unable to survive in the digestive system. This is because parasitic worms have lost their digestive system and instead developed special organs for attachment to host tissues. The parasites also need a way to survive in the stomach’s acid in order to avoid digestion by bacteria and parasitic worms. However, some worms, such as Strongyloides, are able to live in the stomach for decades, causing symptoms such as heartburn, bloating, and other intestinal distress.

In addition to this, the digestive tract’s acidic environment also enables the worms to breed and lay eggs. Female worms can lay as many as 200,000 eggs a day. This can result in serious consequences for the patient, including paralysis and lethal bacterial infections. Worms can reproduce rapidly in the stomach, and there are no effective ways to eliminate them with stomach acid.

Prevention

In order for a worm to mature, it needs a specific sequence of environmental signals. Incomplete signals result in nonspecific resistance that prevents further development. Because of this, the worm may not die after prolonged survival at the larval stage, but instead undergo pathology caused by an inflammatory response. If you’ve been infected for a long time with a worm, you may want to seek preventative measures.

People get worms in different ways. Some go through their skins while young and can be accidentally swallowed. Some are transmitted by infected insects or animals. Prevention is key, including using proper handwashing practices and making sure that you thoroughly wash your hands before preparing food. Infection with worms is rare in the U.S., but precautionary measures are a good idea, including cooking meat to an internal temperature of 145 degF or above.