Symptoms of Tapeworms in Humans
Tapeworms come from eating undercooked meat from infected animals or from foods or drinks contaminated by tapeworm eggs and larvae. Tapeworms develop into two different forms. Tapeworms ingested as eggs will develop into larvae that move out of the intestine into soft tissue of the lungs or liver and form cysts. When ingested as larvae, tapeworms develop in the intestines and have grown longer than 12 feet.
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Symptoms Of Intestinal Tapeworm
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Most people will show no symptoms of intestinal tapeworm. When symptoms occur, they might include nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, weight loss and a loss of appetite. You may be able to notice pieces of the tapeworm in your stool.
Symptoms Of Invasive Tissue Tapeworms
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Tapeworm eggs forming cysts on internal tissue can cause organ damage. The symptoms can include fever, bacterial infections, cystic masses, seizures or other neurological symptoms if cysts have formed on the brain.
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Risks
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Tapeworm infection risk is higher when you travel to countries with poor sanitation and are exposed to livestock where feces are not disposed of properly. Other risks involve eating undercooked or raw meats and not washing your hands after bathroom visits. This may cause accidental transference of infected material from your hands to your mouth.
Diagnosis
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Stool samples over a three-day period will be collected and tested for intestinal tapeworms. Blood tests will reveal antibodies produced to fight tissue-invasive tapeworms. A CT or MRI scan may also be ordered to confirm diagnosis.
Treatment
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Oral medications such as Biltricide and Albenza are toxic to tapeworms and will destroy them. These drugs only work on adult tapeworms, not their eggs. Your stool will be checked in one to three months after treatment to make sure treatment was successful. Anti-inflammatories are prescribed to reduce swelling caused by tapeworm cysts formed in the intestine. Surgery may be needed for cysts developed in your liver, lungs or other vital organs.
Prevention/Solution
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Avoid eating undercooked pork, beef or fish. Cook meats to at least 150 degrees to kill tapeworm eggs or larvae. Wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before handling food. When traveling in foreign lands wash food with bottled water and cook fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
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