Tapeworm infection is an intestinal parasites ( an animal or plant that lives inside another animal or plan ), which shaped like a tape measure.
Tapeworms survive within another organism, known as the host. It grows after the host ingests the eggs of the tapeworm. The tapeworm infection occurs due to ingesting food or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae.
An adult tapeworm can be :-
- live in 20 years.
- 50 feet long.
- attach themselves to the walls of the intestine.
- pass through the human digestive system and end up in the toilet when stool is passed.
Types of Tapeworms Infection :
There are many types of tapeworms but they are broadly classified into two types :
- Intestinal tapeworms :
The adult stage of the tapeworm’s life cycle is completed in the human intestine and man acts as a definitive host.
- Tissue tapeworms :
In this tapeworm, humans act as an intermediate host and the tapeworm doesn’t reach adult stages in man. Only the cysts or eggs infect the humans.
Life-Cycle of Tapeworms :
There are three stage of life – cycle of tapeworms :
- An immature stage called a larva
- An adult stage at which the worm can produce more eggs.
Causes of tapeworms :
This infection starts after ingestion of tapeworm eggs or larvae.
Ingestion of eggs :
Eggs inter into human body by –
- contaminated soil
Eating infected fish :
If the meat or fish have larvae cysts and is raw, the cysts can reach the intestine where it mature into adult tapeworms.
Transfer via human to human :
The tapeworms can be transmitted from human to human.
Transfer from infected animal to human :
The tapeworms can be transfer by eating the infected animals like – rat, mice e.t.c.
Symptoms of Tapeworms :
Many people, who are affected with tapeworms, have no symptoms. The tapeworms infection symptoms vary depending on where the larvae have migrated.
- Weight loss
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrea or cholera
- Convulsions in severe cases
Home Remedies :
- Take raw turmeric.
- Extract the juice from it.
- Add a pinch of salt to one teaspoon of this juice.
- Drink it in morning time on an empty stomach.
Repeat daily for a week and get imagine result.
Garlic is an anti-parasitic food that helps to deal with any type of worms.
- Take 3 cloves of raw garlic.
- Wash it well.
- You may remove its skin.
- Eat this cloves of garlic on an empty stomach.
Do it regularly ad get the result in a week.
- Take a pan.
- Heat it.
- Add 1 teaspoon of butter or ghee in it.
- Heat it.
- Add 1 teaspoon of dry neem flowers in it.
- Fry it.
Eat them with plain boiled rice twice daily for four days.
Note :- Pregnant women should not consume it.
Green Papaya :-
Papaya and its juice are antiparasitic and good for getting rid of tapeworms naturally.
- Take a bowl.
- Add 1 teaspoon of green papaya juice in it.
- Add 1 teaspoon of honey in it.
- Now, add 3 to 4 teaspoon of hot water in it.
- Mix it well.
- Drink it in the morning on an empty stomach.
After 2 hours :
- Take 1 glass of warm milk.
- Add 2 teaspoon of castor oil in it.
- Mix it well.
- Drink it.
Do this process 2 to 3 times a day.
Note :- For children, reduce the dosage to half.
Diagnosis & Treatment :
- Check stool sample : Your doctor may check your stool or send samples to laboratory for testing.
- Test your blood : your doctor may also test blood for antibodies your body may have produced to fight with tapeworms.
Some people who are affected with tapeworms, never need treatment, exits the body on its own. while, some people do not realize that they have it because they have no symptoms.
Oral medications :
Oral medications may be prescribe by your doctor. The digestive system does not absorb these drugs well. They either dissolve or attack and kills tapeworms.
Anti-inflammatory Medicine :
Dying tapeworms cysts may cause swelling or inflammation in tissues, doctor may recommend prescription anti-inflammatory medicine.
Anti-epileptic Medicine :
Anti-epileptic medications can stop the seizures of this tapeworms.
Cyst surgery :
Your doctor may inject cyst with medication, such as formalin, to destroy the larvae before removing the cyst.