Worm treatment: remedies and care

Treatment for worms must be carried out with the use of antiparasitic medicines, such as albendazole, mebendazole, tinidazole or metronidazole, prescribed by the general practitioner, gastroenterologist or infectious disease specialist, according to the parasite responsible for the infection.

In addition to medicines, it is important that the person has some hygiene habits, such as washing their hands frequently or washing bed linen twice a week, to prevent the worm infection from recurring or infecting other family members.

Therefore, all family members must take medication and follow the same hygiene measures as the infected person, avoiding becoming contaminated.

Worm remedies

The main remedies for worms are:

1. Nitazoxanida

Nitazoxanide is an antiparasitic medicine that can be indicated for the treatment of infections caused by amoebas and protozoa, such as in cases of giardiasis, amoebiasis, blastocytosis, balantidiasis, isosporiasis or cryptosporidiasis.

Furthermore, this remedy can be indicated for helminth infections, such as ascariasis, enterobiasis, strongyloidiasis or roundworm, for example. See other indications and how to use nitazoxanide.

2. Metronidazole

Metronidazole, as well as tinidazole or secnidazole, may be indicated for the treatment of infections caused by amoebas and flagellated or ciliated protozoa, such as Dientamoeba fragilis, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia e Balantidium coli.

Medicines must be prescribed by a doctor and used according to his/her instructions. Furthermore, during and after treatment, it is important that hygiene measures are maintained to avoid the transmission of parasite eggs and cysts.

Read too: Intestinal worms: what they are, symptoms, transmission and treatment

3. Albendazole

Albendazole, as well as mebendazole, ivermectin, praziquantel or niclosamide, may be indicated for helminth infections, such as Taenia sp., Hymenolepis nana, Strongyloides stercoralis, Enterobius vermicularis, Ancylostoma duodenale e Ascaris lumbricoidesfor example.

These remedies for worms can be purchased at a pharmacy in a single dose or syrup for adults and children depending on the doctor’s instructions. See more about worm remedies.

Hygiene care to treat worms

Hygiene care is another very important part of the treatment, as it helps to avoid the transmission of eggs that are not eliminated by the medicines prescribed by the doctor. Therefore, the most important precautions include:

• Wash your hands frequently, especially before cooking and after defecating;
• Do not share towels;
• Wash your hands before and after each diaper change;
• Do not bite your nails and do not put your fingers in your mouth;
• Keep your nails short;
• Wash bed linen and towels at least once a week;
• Clean the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen at least once a week.

These precautions are important every day, but especially if there is a person in the family with a worm that can be easily transmitted, it is important in these cases to maintain care for 6 weeks and carry out treatment according to the doctor’s recommendation. Also discover some home treatment options for worms.

Signs of improvement and worsening

Symptoms of improvement appear when the treatment is carried out correctly, in accordance with the doctor’s guidance, and a reduction in the symptoms presented is noticed, such as a reduction in abdominal pain and bloating, a reduction in itching in the anus or in the intimate region, a reduction in nausea and vomiting and absence of worms in toilet paper or feces.

On the other hand, when treatment is not carried out or is carried out incompletely, signs of worsening may be seen, such as weight loss, increased abdominal volume, lack of appetite and dark stools.

Learn how to identify the symptoms of worms.