Stomach worms (pet ke keede): signs, tests and when to see a doctor — plus the truth about detox capsules
Intestinal worms are common in India, especially in children. At the same time, many “detox” and “cleanse” capsules are sold with promises about “parasites”. Here is what doctors actually do, and where herbal capsules fit in.
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What are stomach worms?
The most common ones are roundworm, whipworm and hookworm — the “soil-transmitted helminths”. Their eggs pass in stool and contaminate soil where sanitation is poor. People get infected by swallowing eggs from unwashed hands, vegetables or water, or — with hookworm — by walking barefoot on contaminated soil. Pinworm (threadworm), common in children, spreads from hand to mouth.
Possible signs
- Itching around the anus, especially at night (pinworm).
- Worms seen in stool.
- Stomach pain, diarrhoea, loss of appetite.
- Tiredness and anaemia (hookworm causes blood loss).
- In children: poor weight gain.
Light infections often cause no symptoms at all.
How it is diagnosed and treated
A doctor may ask for a stool test (or a tape test for pinworm). Treatment is usually a single dose or a short course of a deworming medicine such as albendazole or mebendazole, prescribed for your age and weight. The World Health Organization recommends periodic deworming in areas where these worms are common — India runs National Deworming Day for children and adolescents through schools and anganwadis.
When to see a doctor quickly
Blood in the stool, weight loss without a reason, diarrhoea lasting more than a few days, severe stomach pain, vomiting, or yellow eyes — these need a doctor, whatever you suspect the cause is.
Prevention
- Wash hands with soap after the toilet and before eating.
- Wash fruit and vegetables well; drink safe water.
- Wear footwear outside.
- Keep nails short in children; wash bedding if someone has pinworm.
What about detox capsules?
Herbal “cleanse” products usually contain spices and herbs such as turmeric, celery seed or bhumi amla. None of them is a deworming medicine, and there is no good evidence that “detox” capsules remove toxins — the liver and kidneys already do that. Some herbs carry their own risks: concentrated turmeric and gotu kola have rare reports of liver injury. If you choose such a product, treat it as a herbal supplement, not as treatment for worms.
Independent sources: WHO — Soil-transmitted helminth infections · NCCIH — Turmeric