Parasites are organisms that live off a host organism. Worms that affect humans are types of parasites that usually live in the intestines. Worms that affect humans include pinworms, hookworms, tapeworms and roundworms. A worm infestation usually occurs when a person eats or drinks something that's contaminated with worm eggs. Symptoms and treatments for worms vary between each group, but in general, individuals experience gastrointestinal distress with the infestation, and treatment includes taking anti-parasitic medication.
Pinworms
As the most common type of worms in the United States, pinworms generally affect children between five and 10 years old, according to MayoClinic.com. Pinworms transfer from person to person easily without proper hygiene. Symptoms of pinworms include extreme itching around the anus due to the females crawling from the intestines to the outside of the body to lay eggs. Scratching the area will cause the eggs to transfer to the hand. Without washing hands, the person can transfer the pinworm eggs to someone else, or reinfect himself. Mild forms of pinworms may not need treatment, while other infestations require oral doses of an anti-parasitic medication.
Tapeworm
A tapeworm infection occurs in the intestines after consuming undercooked or raw meat containing tapeworm eggs. A tapeworm continues to grow while in the intestines. The worm may live for years and grow over 12 feet long, according to MedlinePlus. Each adult tapeworm has many segments, and each segment can produce more eggs. The eggs spread throughout the body and exit the host in the stool. Most individuals do not show symptoms, but an infected person may see the segments moving in the stool. Treatment for tapeworms includes a dose of anti-parasitic medication.
Hookworm
A hookworm is a type of roundworm that infects the small intestine and the lungs of a host. These worms, common in tropical and subtropical areas, affect over a billion people around the world, but are not common in the United States, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Walking barefoot on contaminated soil may result in a hookworm infestation. The hookworm larvae enter the skin and travel to the lungs via the bloodstream. The larvae then move up the windpipe and the host swallows the worms, which end in the intestinal tract. Symptoms of hookworms include a cough that produces bloody phlegm, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen and fatigue. Taking an anti-parasitic medication can eradicate the hookworms.
