Round Worms
The World Health Organization reports that over one billion people are currently infected by the round worm. One billion!
They can grow to 15 inches in the length, and they are incredible breeders, producing over 200,000 eggs each day! They grow in such large quantities so quickly that it is not uncommon for infected people to experience intestinal blockage. Advanced cases may affect the liver and pancreas. Round Worm Symptoms: Symptoms may include rashes (from the worm secretions of their waste), stomach pain, asthma, insomnia, eye pain, and more.
Tape Worms
Human tape worms get their name from being long and flat, like a piece of tape.Tape worms in humans are the longest of parasitic worms, normally growing to about 9 to 15 feet in length, but they can sometimes grow out of control to more than 50 feet in length.
Tapeworm infections typically happen when a person eats undercooked meat or some kind of contaminated food.
A human tape worm absorbs it’s nutrients right through it’s skin. The tape worm will attach themselves to a person’s intestines, let their body hang out, and begin absorbing nutrients from the digested food as it flows past and over its body. As time goes on, the tapeworm grows a tail made of segments, with each segment of its body containing a complete and independent digestive system and reproduction system. This body grows in length and eventually can break off, carrying with it eggs that will spawn new tape worms.
Tapeworm Symptoms: Typically, tapes worms are asymptomatic, meaning a person will not even know they have a tape worm infection until the tapeworms become quite large. But in some people, symptoms of tapeworms may include dizziness, diarrhea, stomach pain, headaches, and nausea. In the worst cases, and if left untreated, a person with a tapeworm infection may have intestinal obstruction that requires surgery. Tapeworm treatment should be sought after with a good parasite detox product which will wipe out a tapeworm infection.
Pin Worms
The pinworm is quite common in humans, especially in children, where some countries show an infection rate as high as 61% according to the Center of Disease Control. Human pinworms are one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in modern countries.
The pinworm infections are passed on through touching things that have previously been touched by infected individuals, or people who have previously touched a pin worm infected area and picked up the pin worm eggs on their fingers.
Pinworms Symptoms: One third of people infected with pinworms show no symptoms at all. The other two thirds have symptoms such as itching in and around the anus. This in turn may cause insomnia and general restlessness in those infected.
Pinworms are easily passed from one family member to another. Pinworm treatment is advised.
Hookworms
Microscopic hookworm larvae penetrate the skin and burrow into the body, and begin their trek to your small intestine. Once there, they attach to your intestinal wall and begin feeding on your blood voraciously, damaging the mucosa.
Hookworms can grow to about 1/2 inch in the length. It is estimated that over 1 billion individuals worldwide are infected with the hookworm.
There are no typical symptoms with hookworm infections. However, due to loss of iron from all the blood loss, anemia is likely, and that can cause mental dullness, loss of appetite, and if left untreated, cardiac failure or even death are a possibility.
Ever wonder why dogs are typically not allowed on beaches? Dogs are kept off of beaches because if a hookworm infested canine defecates in the sand and later a human steps or lies on this spot, they can become infected.
In children, hookworms cause growth and intellectual retardation.
Giardia Parasite
Health organizations believe Giardia is the most common intestinal parasite in humans. One becomes infected by Giardia by coming in contact with contaminated food, water, or soil.
There is power in numbers, and the Giardia parasite coats your lower intestine with millions of its kind, affecting your body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
Symptoms include stomach or abdominal cramping, gas, diarrhea, fatigue, chills, and nausea.
In the image on the left, you see a single giardia parasite. On the right, the entire intestinal surface is covered by a giardia infestation.
Whipworms
The human whipworm gets its name due to the fact that it looks like a whip. It is estimated that over 500 million people are infected with the whipworm.
Infection occurs through the ingestion of eggs that are usually found in dry good such as rice, beans, and other grains.
The adult whipworm burrows its thinner end into the large intestine, where it will grow up to 2 inches in length. The whipworm produces up to 10,000 eggs per day.
Symptoms may include long standing blood loss which may lead to anemia due to iron deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency is also a possibility.