About this topic
Whipworm is an infection caused by a roundworm. Whipworms lives in the intestine and the eggs are passed through stool. It is an infection of the bowels. The worms are shaped like whips. They can be found in dirt and other materials that are contaminated with stool. You can catch the infection by: ‚
- Putting dirty fingers in your mouth that have whipworm eggs on them
- Eating raw fruits and vegetables grown in dirt where human stool is used as a fertilizer
- Drinking water that has been around whipworms
- Touching personal items of an infected person
Treatment for this infection includes drugs and lifestyle changes. ‚
View OriginalView Original
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands before and after touching food, after going to the bathroom, and after working or playing in dirt.
- Drink water from a clean source. You may need to drink bottled water.
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of liquids each day. This will help to prevent fluid loss.
- Wash, peel, or cook all fruits and vegetables before eating.
- Avoid close contact with an infected person.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Kill adult worms
- Help with pain
What changes to diet are needed?
- Stay away from foods that are greasy, high in fiber, or high in sugar.
- You may eat soft, bland foods like bananas, plain rice, boiled potatoes, toast, and crackers.
What problems could happen?
- Loss of fluids
- Loose stools
- Lack of proper nutrients in the body
- Intestinal block, tear, or bleeding
Very bad infection may lead to: ‚
- Rectal prolapse
- Iron poor blood
- Slow growth and maturity in children
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Practice proper sanitation and disposal of stool.
- Follow good hygiene habits.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work to kill germs. This is especially important:
- After using the bathroom or changing diapers
- Before eating
- Before cooking
- After working in dirt
- Teach children to keep their hands out of their mouth.
- Wear proper protective clothing when working with soil. Wear hand gloves or shoes when farming or exposed to soil.
- Be careful when eating.
- Choose foods that are freshly cooked and served very hot.
- Do not eat food from street vendors.
- Do not eat raw vegetables or fruits. Be careful when eating salads as the produce may have been washed with tap water.
- Eat fruits and vegetables that are peeled or cooked.
- If you suspect that your drinking water may be contaminated, let it boil at more than 140 ‚ °F (60 ‚ °C) for at least 30 minutes.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of fluid loss. These include soft spot on a babys head looks sunken, few or no tears when crying, dark-colored urine or only a small amount of urine for more than 6 to 8 hours, dry mouth, cracked lips, dry skin, sunken eyes, lack of energy, feeling very sleepy.
- Signs come back
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you how and when to wash my hands to avoid passing the infection to others.
- I can tel youl what I will do if I have dark colored urine, dry mouth, cracked lips, or a lack of energy.
Where can I learn more?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/whipworm/gen_info/faqs.html ‚
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ‚
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/whipworm/Pages/Default.aspx ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚