Children often complain of stomach ache. One of the leading causes of stomach ache in children is intestinal infection which is mostly caused by intestinal parasites such as worms. Worms tend to live in the intestine and feed off your child’s nutrition. There are different types of intestinal worms that can cause worm infections, but the most common are tapeworms, roundworms, pinworms or threadworms and hookworms. Worm infestations and related infections are common in children and are also easily treated.
Some common symptoms of worm infections are irritability, weight loss, stomach ache, bed wetting, blood in stools. Besides these, each worm infection has distinct symptoms as listed below:
Tapeworm infection – Jaundice, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, eating too frequently and sometimes even malnutrition
Roundworm infection – Diarrhoea, passing worms with stools, dry cough, fever
Pinworm infection – Itching around the anus, trouble sleeping due to itching, painful urination
Hookworm infection – Wheezing, coughing, fatigue, anaemia,
As children are quite dynamic and active, they tend to come in contact with germs easily. Some of the causes of worm infections include:
To diagnose a worm infection, your doctor will conduct a thorough examination and discuss the symptoms in detail so that he can identify the type of worm infection that is affecting your child.
Most worm infections can be easily treated. Your doctor will prescribe a course of anti-parasitic medicines. Anti-worm or deworming medicines are also available over-the-counter, but it is advisable to seek professional advice from a doctor. It is important to follow good hygiene practices along with medication for quicker and effective recovery.