Worms

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* See your doctor any time you see worms or worm eggs in your stool or in your bedclothes.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

Generally, worms announce their presence inside your body through symptoms like persistent abdominal pain, anal itching or diarrhea. But certain kinds of worms occasionally show up outside the body.

"It's rare to see them in the United States because our sanitation is good and our nutrition is good," says William B. Ruderman, M.D., chairperson of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic­Florida in Fort Lauderdale.

But what if you do (shudder) actually see one either in your stool or (double shudder) find one in bed with you in the morning?

Symptom Relief

Well, if worms do show up, they've done you a big favor, because now that you know they're there, you can easily wipe them out. Here's what to do.

Capture it. As unpleasant as it may sound, capture either the worm or the infected stool, place it in a plastic bag or other sealed container, and take it to your doctor for analysis, says Jorge Herrera, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile and member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Gastroenterology. "That would tell us exactly what kind of worm it is and what kind of treatment you'll need," he says.

Treatment is always in the form of the appropriate anti-worm medication. Vermox, one of the strongest prescription anti-worm medications on the market, for example, is so effective it can wipe out most cases with one tablet, says Dr. Herrera. "Just to make sure, I'll prescribe it to the whole family for three days, and that's usually the end of it," he says.

Set a tape trap. If you think you've seen or felt a worm but aren't sure, you can set a pinworm trap with adhesive tape rolled into a cylinder, sticky side out. Just before bed, place the tape on either of your buttocks near your anus. When the worm crawls out to lay its eggs, the eggs or even the worm may get stuck to the tape. In the morning, save the tape (and the worm, if there is one), and take it to your doctor to have it analyzed, says Dr. Ruderman. (This is a good technique to use on children who complain about wigglies in their bottoms at night.)

Wash those sheets. If you or your children are being treated for worms, thoroughly (and immediately!) wash your bed linen and pillowcases in hot water to kill any worm eggs that may be clinging to the sheets. "Pinworms are very contagious," says Dr. Ruderman. "The eggs can be in the bed sheet and passed from one person to another."

And your hands. Ever work in the dirt and then eat lunch without washing your hands? You may be introducing worms into you own body. Worm eggs and larvae can get under your fingernails when you've been working outside, says Dr. Herrera.

Stop thumb—and finger—sucking. Tiny fingers that have been playing in the sandbox should not make their way into your child's mouth, says Dr. Herrera.

Keep your shoes on. Because some worms called ascaris can actually penetrate the skin, it's best to keep your shoes on when walking on soil or grass, says Dr. Herrera.

Eat only well-cooked pork, beef and fish. Some worms that live in pigs, beef cattle and fish can actually end up making their home inside you if larvae living in the meat isn't killed during cooking, says Mark Babyatsky, M.D., a gastroenterology specialist at Harvard Medical School.