Worms are parasitic diseases caused by worms that usually take shelter in the intestines.
The main symptoms of worms are: abdominal pain, nausea, appetite changes, lack of mood, weakness, weight loss, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea with or without blood loss and problems respiratory. In more severe cases it can lead to brain damage.
The worms can affect adults and children, being more common in places with lack of basic sanitation and good hygiene conditions. The disease-causing worms may have a flattened body (phylum of flatworms) or cylindrical body (phylum of roundworms).
In Brazil, the most common worms are as follows:
Worms caused by Flatworms
- Schistosomiasis
- taeniasis and Cysticercosis
- Hydatid cyst (Hidatidosis)
Worms caused by Roundworms
- ascariasis
- Yellow (hookworm)
- Infestation by larva migrans (geographic bug)
- Trichinosis
- Filariasis (Elephantiasis)
- Oxyurosis
Streaming
The transmission of worms occurs mainly due to the lack of basic sanitation, hygienic care and food preparation.
The life cycle of worms includes three stages: egg, larva and adult stage. Most of the time, humans are infected at the egg stage. As it is a parasitic disease, man serves as a host for the worm to complete its life cycle.
Among the main forms of transmission are:
- Direct or indirect contact with already contaminated human or animal feces;
- Consumption of water or food contaminated with worm eggs;
- Contamination through minor bruises or skin wounds.
Treatment and Prevention
Diagnosis is made through laboratory tests, such as feces and blood, in order to discover the worm that causes the disease. For the treatment, medicines called dewormers can be used, some of which act against different types of worms.
Prevention involves basic sanitation, proper cleaning and storage of food, consumption of filtered water and the habit of washing hands.
To avoid worms, some recommendations can be followed:
- Wash your hands frequently;
- Properly wash food, especially those that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables;
- Keep your nails always cut and clean;
- Avoid walking barefoot;
- Drink filtered or boiled water;
- Avoid consuming raw meat.
