Worms Health Article

Diagnosis

The patient will be questioned about travel and ingestion of high-risk foods. Worms are diagnosed by microscopic examination of stool samples to identify eggs and adult worms. Three samples may be taken: two from normal bowel movements and one following the use of a laxative. Pinworms are diagnosed using the "Scotch tape" method in which a piece of tape is applied to the skin surrounding the anal opening. Pinworm eggs, and occasionally an adult worm, adhere to the tape and are identified by microscopic examination.

Treatment

Although alternative remedies may help treat worms, the patient should consult a physician to obtain an accurate diagnosis and appropriate antihelmintic medication.

Dietary modifications help to rid a person of worm infection. Processed foods and foods that contain sugar, white flour, and milk products should be avoided. The diet should be comprised of 25% fat, 25% protein, and 50% complex carbohydrates. At least two tablespoons of unprocessed sesame, safflower, canola, or flax oil should be taken daily.

Herbals

Herbals that may kill and expel worms include:

• aloe (Aloe vera)
• ash (Fraxinus americana) bark ashes
• bayberry (Myrica cerifera) bark tea
• black walnut bark
• Brassica oleracea decoction
• butternut root bark
• citrin (Garcinia cambogia) extract
• clove (Eugenia caryophyllus)
• cranberry powder
• erba ruggine (Ceterach officinarum)
• fennel (Foeniculum officinale)
• garlic (Allium sativum)
• Chenopodium ambrosioides
• ginger (Zingiber officinale)
• goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
• lemon (Citrus limon)
• male fern
• orange (Citrus sinensis) peel
• onion (Allium cepa)
• palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii)
• pinkroot (Spigelia)
• pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seeds
• Punica granatum bark infusion
• sage (Salvia officinalis)
• tansy
• wood betony (Stachys officinalis) tea
• wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) tincture

Chinese herbal medicines

Roundworms are treated with the herbs Chuan Lian Gen Pi (Cortex meliae radicis) and Bing Lang (Semen arecae) and the patent medicines Wu Mei Wan (Mume Pill) and Qu Hui Wan (Dispel Roundworms Pill). Pinworms are treated with the herbs Ku Lian Gen Pi (Cortex meliae radicis) and Shi Jun Zi (Fructus quisqualis). Flukes are treated with the herbs Bing Lang (Semen arecae) and a mixture of Bing Lang (Semen arecae), Da Huang (Radix et rhizoma rhei), and Qian Niu Zi (Semen pharbitidis). Hookworm is treated with the herbs Lei Wan (Sclerotium omphaliae) and a combination of Guan Zhong (Rhizoma dryopteris crassirhizomae), Ku Lian Gen Pi (Cortex meliae radicis), Tu Jing Jie (Herba chenopodii ambrosioidis), and Zi Su Ye (Folium perillae).

Other alternative remedies

Other remedies for intestinal worms include:

• Acupuncture. Acupuncture may be used as an adjunct to other treatments to relieve pain and regulate the Spleen and Stomach.
• Ayurveda. Ayurvedic remedies for pinworms include eating one-quarter teaspoon twice daily with water of the herbal mixture: vidanga (5 parts), shardunika (2 parts), and trikatu (one eighth part). Also, the patient may take one-half teaspoon triphala in warm water each night.
• Homeopathy. The most common remedy for pinworms is wormseed (Cina). Pinworms associated with other conditions are treated with stinging nettle (Urtica urens) for hives, Mexican grass (Sabadilla) for hay fever, cat thyme (Teucrium) for polyps, pinkroot (Spigelia) for heart palpitations or facial pain, and krameria (Ratanhia) for rectal fissures.

Allopathic treatment

Intestinal worm infection is treated with medications, many of which are effective with one oral dose. Helminth infections are treated with albendazole (Albenza), levamisole (Ergamisol), mebendazole (Vermox), praziquantel (Biltricide), pyrantel (Antiminth, Ascarel, Pin-X), or thiabendazole (Mintezol).

In treating tapeworm infestations, it is important to completely eliminate the head and neck regions of the tapeworm, as the entire worm can regenerate from these parts.

Expected results

Medications are very effective in eliminating helminth infections; however, reinfection is always a possibility. Some types of worms appear to trigger changes in the human immune system that make reinfection easier. Patients should be retested following treatment to ensure that the infection has been eliminated. Complications of severe untreated infections include anemia, growth retardation, malnourishment, intestinal blockage, rectal prolapse (when the rectum extrudes out of the anal opening), and death.