About this topic
Hookworm is an infection caused by a roundworm. These worms can be found in dirt and other materials with feces. You can catch the infection by direct contact with the infected dirt and feces. The worms enter into your skin. They flow through your blood to your lungs and airways. They move up to your throat and are swallowed into your stomach. ‚
When this worm lives in your bowels, it lays eggs there. Some eggs are passed out of your body through your stool. Other worms may come back and enter into the skin around your anus. The skin may become red, itchy, and painful. ‚
Treatment for this infection includes drugs and lifestyle changes. Surgery may be needed in cases of heavy infection. ‚
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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. Teach your children about hand washing as well.
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of liquids each day. This will help to prevent fluid loss.
- Avoid sharing your personal items while you have the infection. Wash clothing and bedding in hot water.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Fight an infection
- Help with pain
- Treat blood loss called anemia
What changes to diet are needed?
- If you have a low blood count, eat food rich in iron and protein.
- 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?
Severe hookworm infection may cause health problems, like: ‚
- Low red blood cell count
- Not able to take in enough nutrition
- Slow growth
- Problems with brain development
- Pregnancy problems in women who have hookworms. They may have babies who are born early or are very small.
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Avoid walking barefoot. Wear shoes when you are walking on soil or visiting places that may be infected.
- Practice proper sanitation and disposal of stool.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds.
- Always wash your hands after going to the toilet and before eating.
- 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.
- Treat your pets if they have worms. Some kinds of worms can be spread to humans.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs come back
- 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.
- 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 tell you what I can do to help avoid passing the infection to others.
- I can tell you 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/hookworm/ ‚
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ‚
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/hookworm/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. ‚