Symptoms such as weight loss, intense hunger, stomach pain and feeling tired wouldn't make sense together and usually go ignored. However, these symptoms are nearly diagnostic of intestinal worms, which feed off our digested food inside the walls of our intestinal tract. These worms then breed and multiply, laying eggs along the large intestines. The eggs hatch into larvae and grow into more worms. Some pass through the anus to infect others.
Pinworms
Pinworms, or roundworms, are the most common parasites found in humans in the United States. These worms only infect humans, and are found worldwide. International travel is considered a factor for a person being infected by pinworms. Pinworms lay eggs toward the end of the rectum and tend to irritate the anus and vagina. A simple at-home test for pinworms is taping the anus shut with cellophane tape, removing the tape and checking for eggs.
G. Lamblia
The most common worm found worldwide--and second-most common worm found in North America--this worm is transmitted mainly through bad hygiene, close contact and anal to oral sex. Transmission through food is rare with this type of parasite but is possible in the consumption of raw meat. G. Lamblia feed off carbohydrates and bile in the small intestines, causing a range of negative side effects. If someone believes he has a parasitic infection of this sort, he should take a stool sample to the hospital and have it check for cysts. This is diagnostic of G. Lamblia.
Hookworms
Hookworms are different from other intestinal worms, because the worms don't feed on digested food. Hookworms feed on the blood of the host. In children, this infection can lead to physical and mental retardation, because parts of body that may need blood don't receive it.
