How to Identify and Understand Human Roundworms

Roundworms are parasites that can live inside the human body. They use the human body as a host as they go through their life cycle. The Mayo Clinic reports that upwards of 25 percent of the world’s population is infected with roundworms. The highest incidences of roundworm infestations are in areas where hygiene and sanitation are poor. In the United States they report that infestations are most common in rural areas that have warm climates.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Know what gets rid of roundworms. Anti-helminthic medications, or anti-parasite medications, are given to treat roundworms. The most widely used drugs are albendazole, mebendazole and pyrantel pamoate. These medications target and kill adult roundworms. While a single dose is effective at killing adult roundworms, follow up doses may be needed to completely kill off the infestation as they hatch and mature. Individuals who are being treated with roundworms may experience mild gastrointestinal side effects.

2. Know what roundworms and their eggs look like. A live female roundworm can grow to the thickness of a pencil and can be as long as 13 inches. Male roundworms are smaller than females. Roundworms are pink and will have a red stripe on their bodies. A female can lay up to 300,000 eggs in a day. The eggs have thick shells and are coated with a jelly substance that enables them to stick to things.

3. Know how people contract roundworms so you can avoid getting them. In order to contract roundworm an individual must come in contact with the eggs which are passed through contaminated feces. Contamination usually occurs from contact with soil that has infected animal feces in it and then placing the hands on the face or in the mouth. Roundworm may also be contracted from eating contaminated food.

4. Know the lifecycle of roundworms. One persona may become infected with as many as 100 roundworm worms. After the egg(s) have been ingested they hatch into larvae in the lower intestines. They then migrate through intestinal walls and travel via the lymphatic system or the blood to the lungs. Once the larvae are in the lungs they ascend into the throat and then descend back into the small intestines. After about two months the larvae mature into adults. The adults remain in the intestines and feed on what they find in the intestines.

5. Know the symptoms of roundworms. Individuals who are infected with roundworm worms may have abdominal pain, coughing and wheezing. They may have flu-like symptoms as well as vomiting. Hosts often suffer from sleep disturbances and restlessness. If a worm(s) should block the gastrointestinal tract it can cause extreme stomach pain. Hosts may vomit up roundworms or see them in their stool. A large infestation can cause the host to develop pneumonia, lung hemorrhaging and oedema.