The tapeworm is a parasitic organism that lives in the intestines of its host. A tapeworm infection occurs in humans after eating the eggs or cysts of the worm contained in raw or undercooked meats such as pork, beef and fish. After ingesting the eggs, they develop into adult tapeworms that latch onto the lining of the intestine. The adult has a segmented body that produces more eggs. When left untreated, an adult tapeworm can live up to 20 years in the host body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Asymptomatic
Many individuals with a tapeworm infection are asymptomatic and do not realize that they have the infection. Unnoticed and untreated, a tapeworm can live up to 20 years and grow to 50 feet in a host body, according to the Mayo Clinic. The tapeworms may pass from the body through stool and never attach to the host intestines.
Gastrointestinal Distress
Once the adult tapeworm does attach itself to the host, gastrointestinal symptoms may begin. These symptoms include nausea and abdominal pain. Some individual will also experience diarrhea. The symptoms can continue until treatment begins to kill the tapeworm.
Appetite and Weight Changes
The tapeworm may cause a loss of appetite. The decreased intake of food coupled with the tapeworm sucking blood may lead to generalized weakness and weight loss. Many times these symptoms can mimic other medical conditions or other lifestyle changes, such as a new diet.
Stool Changes
The tapeworm may leave the body through the stool. The segments shed from the tapeworm also leave the body during a bowel movement. Some individuals may feel a segment of the worm leave through the anus, according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information. The pieces of worm look like white specks in the stool and may move.
Symptoms of an Invasive Infection
When the tapeworm migrates out of the intestines, it causes an invasive infection somewhere else in the body. Tapeworms from undercooked pork are most likely to migrate through the body. These tapeworms may cross into the brain. Symptoms associated with an invasive infection in the brain include seizures, headache and confusion. An invasive infection in the tissues of the body includes a fever and masses or lumps in the tissue and skin. Tapeworm cysts that form in the eye can cause permanent blindness and cysts in the spinal cord may cause weakness or paralysis, according to the Merck Manual of Health Information.
