For most people, worms fall into the waste category. Especially if they’re also hanging out unwantedly in your body. Tapeworm is no exception. This long white worm can settle in your stomach without causing any complaints. Not a great idea, so how do you know if you have a tapeworm on board?
How do you get tapeworm?
If you never eat meat, the chance of contracting a tapeworm is very small. Because the eggs of this parasite are mainly found in raw meat. In the Netherlands even specifically on raw beef. So, even though you probably don’t want to know it, you can catch a tapeworm from an American filet mignon sandwich. By the way, that sandwich may also contain other unwanted residents.
In addition to the bovine tapeworm, the pig species is also found abroad. That’s why it’s so important to be careful when eating raw meat on the holidays. Because unlike the Dutch tapeworm, the pork tapeworm is dangerous. These foreign tapeworms tend to send their eggs to their host through the bloodstream. As a result, the parasite settles in all kinds of strange places, As in the brain. Which may lead to failure or epilepsy. Another thing you probably would rather not know.
What are the symptoms of tapeworms in humans?
Fortunately, the dangerous tapeworm is not found in pork in the Netherlands, but there is another type of beef. But how do you know that you carry such a tapeworm: what are the symptoms? However, your weight says nothing about the presence of this parasite. It was thought that the pounds would fly with such a tall white man. Pills containing tapeworm eggs were even sold as a diet.
Nowadays, we know that you can barely lose weight because of a tapeworm. He would rather eat your feces. Only after you’ve enjoyed your steak and your body turns it all into feces does the tapeworm begin its meal. By then, most of the nutrients have already been absorbed and may remain stuck on the buttocks as additional weight. Therefore, weight loss is usually not a symptom of tapeworm.
But what are the symptoms of tapeworm? The infection usually causes no complaints, except for occasional minor stomach pain. The best sign of an uninvited guest on the stomach is the discovery of a piece of tapeworm. Parasites consist of connected parts that separate when the tapeworm grows. These white and yellow pieces are seen in the stool. So always look around the bowl before you wash it.
Can tapeworm disappear on its own?
Fortunately, the chance of contracting a tapeworm in the Netherlands is very small. But did you notice any pieces of tapeworm in the jar? Then this abdomen resident will not disappear on its own. It’s time to go to the doctor. And yes, take the pieces with you in a bowl. The doctor examines the type of tapeworm and begins treatment. Before you know it, you’ll be living an uninhabited life again.
Another very disgusting fact for enthusiasts. Because even though you can’t feel the tapeworm moving in your stomach, it can squeak its tail through the exit. For example, when you defecate. With this delicious photo in mind, you might want to read about how much poop you actually produce in your life.
