Stomach Worm Infections: Know Types And Symptoms For Differentiation

Stomach worms can be very problematic as they disturb many body functions and create inflammation in the intestine. Stomach worms are also called intestinal worms that release from the body and cause certain problems such as irregular bowel movements, decreases appetite and some complicated health issues. It gives people a hard time getting rid of these intestinal worms from the body especially for kids those who are more vulnerable to these diseases. Stomach worms are also of various types and hence they have different symptoms. To determine the problem, we need to understand what types of stomach worm or intestinal worms are affecting your body.

How Does A Person Get Infected with Stomach Worms?

According to Dr. Subhash Kesarwani, Gastrointestinal Consultant at BNK Hospital, Bangalore about types of stomach worms infection. He said that there could be many reasons for a person getting infected by the stomach worms but they major issue is unhygienic surroundings and contaminated substances around you. People tend to touch different objects around them including soil, food, vehicles, machines etc which might have parasites or bacteria on them. It can also go through having contaminated water for drinking or for washing clothes. Then these intestinal worms move into gastrointestinal tract where they stick to intestinal wall and cause various health problems. 

Risk Factors for Stomach Worms

There could be multiple reasons for getting infected with intestinal worms in your stomach. This might happen because of these common reasons-

1. Drinking contaminated water
2. Weak immune system
3. Consuming raw meat
4. Unhygienic or inadequate sanitation
5. Touching too many objects

Types of Stomach Worm Infections

There are majorly 5 types of stomach worm infections that usually occur to a person. There are more varieties but they occur in rare cases. Here are the commonly occurring types of stomach worm infection-

1. Pinworm Infection

This type of infections is largely found in intestine and affect number of people from every region. It is a small, white and this which measures about ½ inch in length maximum. This worm goes inside your body with some food, water or from soil and infects your intestine. Pinworm infection is known for affecting children at high rate especially those living under unhygienic circumstances. They spread with the help of their eggs which they lay inside the intestinal tract and infect the person.

Basic symptoms of pinworm infection are-

• Irritability
• Nausea
• Stomach pain at different intervals
• Restlessness and insomnia
• Teeth grinding
• Itching 

2. Tapeworm Infection

This type of worm infection spreads through animals in most cases. This is because tapeworms are usually live inside the animals when they drink dirty or contaminated water. Animals get contaminated by parasites because of it and when a person eats or cooks their meat, and then it gets transferred to the person. People get this infection by eating undercooked meat; this can result to the following symptoms when infected-

• Nausea
• Weakness
• Abdominal pain
• Vitamin or mineral deficiency
• Loss of appetite

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3. Whipworm Stomach Infection

Whipworms mostly infect babies and small children. This happens because children touch more surfaces that can be contaminated with whipworms. It infects their large intestine and infection caused by whipworm parasite. Whipworm infection occurs to children when they come in contact with contaminated feces or ingesting water.

Infection of whipworms occurs mostly in area where there is lack of proper sanitization and hygienic condition. Especially those living in humid regions tend to get infected by this worm more often as it is more prevent in those regions. Whipworms can also be transferred by animals like cats and dogs etc. 

You may have the following symptoms if you are infected with this parasite-

• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• Diarrhoea with blood 
• Loss of control on defecation and bowel movements
• Severe headache

4. Roundworm Infection

Another type of infection occurs because of roundworms in the intestine. This is a kind of illness that is caused by parasites. Roundworms live inside the soil and get transferred into body through mouth when a person comes in contact with it. Once the person gets infected with roundworms, it spreads its eggs throughout the intestine and causes infection in the stomach. 

It can sustain in your body for about 2 years and grows till 13 inches approximately. Seriousness of roundworm infection can be made out with the laying of eggs by female roundworm. It lays around 2 lakh eggs in a day. Symptoms of this worm infection includes-

• Failure in weight gain or weight loss
• Wheezing 
• Constant fever
• Worm may come out from mouth or nose
• Headache 

Also Read- All You Need To Know About Diverticulitis: Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

5. Flukes 

Flukes are related to a class of invertebrate class of trematode. This can be treamatode or blood flukes with are like flatworm parasites in appearance. This type of worm infection usually occurs less than any other worm stomach infection. It does not cause any major severity and can be treated by body’s immune response system within a few days. 

If infected with blood flukes, you may have these symptoms-

• Fever
• Malaise
• Hives 
• Headaches at times

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