It is not unheard of to see worms in children and they’re routinely being checked for those. Most people regularly chemically deworm their pets (not a practice I would recommend). But when I first heard of the idea of worms in adults, my reaction was nothing short of outrage! And yet, apparently, it does happen.
Symptoms can be mild to severe depending on the type of worm. I will list some of the milder ones that can often go under the radar:
· Itching, obviously, but this doesn’t have to be limited to the anal area. It can also affect the vulva and the whole body
· Restlessness
· Trouble sleeping
· Difficult concentration
· Nasal discharges
· Tickling and crawling sensations
· Malabsorption
A wide range of digestive issues
Skin issues
Irritability
Just like we can get a gastrointestinal overgrowth of organisms like candida or ‘bad’ bacteria, adults can also suffer from worms.
While the causes of perianal itching are various and many, ranging from:
· food sensitivities
· toilet tissue irritation
· eczema
· hemorrhoids
· anal fissures
· frequent constipation or diarrhea
· to conditions like Lichen sclerosis
If there’s an unexplained perianal itching it is worth it getting tested for worms.
However, if you’re anything like me, you would possibly be too mortified to come forward to your gp with a bum itch.
Not to mention that the chemical de-worming drugs are definitely not gentle on your digestive tract and your whole body. They’re basically neurotoxins, and if they’re strong enough to kill a relatively small organism, they’re also strong enough to cause neural damage to its host. They’re also not always effective. This is why I definitely do not support regular deworming of animals. They should always be tested first (if there is a reasonable suspicion for worm infestation), an only then dewormed when and as needed.
Some of us prefer the natural route, which is much safer, but it means that it usually takes longer. Even if you don’t suffer from worms, adding these (reasonably) will do no harm and can be used as a prevention.
The best prevention is to maintain a healthy body. Worms do not affect healthy organisms. They only take opportunity where the organism is weakened in some way. My answer to that is the same as is my answer to most all health issues – homeopathy.
But if you’d like to try some home remedies first, here you go:
Ground pumpkin seed
Take about two heaped tea spoons daily for at least three weeks. This is safe for dogs too, but you must adjust the amount according to their size. Mine loves to chew whole pumpkin seeds even though he’s otherwise quite fussy.
Black walnut tincture
There are differing
recommendations for dosage, so I’ll leave that up to you to research.
I used to take it just as any other tincture for about two weeks, then a weeks
pause, and then repeat for another two weeks. This is to make sure that no eggs
to form the next generation survive.