About this topic
Another name for a tapeworm infection is taeniasis. It is caused by a parasite that lives in the bowels of cows or pigs. Tapeworm infection is more common in places where there is poor sanitation. ‚
Tapeworms live inside your bowels. You may not have any signs. You may not know that you have them until you see parts of the tapeworms in your stools. If tapeworm eggs are swallowed, they may move in the body to your brain, eyes, or heart. This may be very serious. Treating a tapeworm early can lower the chance of you having problems later on. ‚
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What are the causes?
People can get a tapeworm in one of a few ways: ‚
- Eating raw and undercooked beef and pork
- Touching infected stools and putting your hands near your mouth
- Poor sanitation
- Eating food prepared by someone who has tapeworm infection and has not washed their hands
What can make this more likely to happen?
Tapeworms are more often found in people who live in these countries: ‚
- Africa
- Middle East
- Eastern Europe
- Mexico
- Southeast Asia
- South America
What are the main signs?
A tapeworm infection most often does not cause any signs. But some people may have: ‚
- Belly pain
- Loss of hunger
- Weight loss
- Throwing up
- Loose stools
- Fever
- Passing of small parts of the tapeworm in your stool
- Weakness
How does the doctor diagnose this health problem?
Your doctor will ask about your history and do an exam. The doctor will check your belly for tenderness and look for any signs of a rash. The doctor will look at a sample of your stool to see what kind of tapeworm you have. You may need to have blood or urine tests. The doctor may order other tests to see if the infection has spread to other parts of your body. ‚
How does the doctor treat this health problem?
In bad cases, your doctor may need to inject a drug to kill the tapeworm. Then the doctor may need to do surgery to take out the tapeworm. In rare cases, the tapeworm can block your bowels. Then you would need surgery. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Kill the worms. This is often done with a single dose drug.
- Make the worms pass out of your intestine and into your stools
- Clear your bowels to help tapeworms come out of your intestine
- Help with pain
- Lower fever
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Cook meat with care and the right way.
- Freeze meats to -4 ‚ °F (-20 ‚ °C) for at least 24 hours.
- Avoid eating raw and undercooked meat.
- Avoid handling foods when you have infection.
- Practice proper sanitation and disposal of stool.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds.
Where can I learn more?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/taeniasis/gen_info/faqs.html ‚
NHS Choices ‚
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Tapeworm-infections/Pages/Introduction.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. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚