Doctor's Notes on Ascariasis
Ascariasis is an infection of the small bowel by the parasitic roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, or occasionally by Ascaris suum (from pigs). Signs and symptoms may range from mild to severe and are as follows:
- chronic cough,
- weight loss,
- vomiting,
- diarrhea,
- shortness of breath,
- wheezing,
- passing large worms (some females reach 12 inches in length) in stools, and
- abdominal pain (mild to severe).
Especially in children, masses of worms may result in blockage of the GI tract or other digestive organs.
The cause of ascariasis is an infection of the small bowel by the parasitic roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, or occasionally by Ascaris suum (from pigs). People swallow the parasite eggs in contaminated food or water. The eggs hatch in the intestine, burrow into the tissue and travel via the blood to the lungs where they become larvae in about 10-14 days. Then they burrow out into the airways and are coughed up and swallowed into the intestine where they mature into male and female worms that reproduce and shed eggs into the stools and repeat the process.
What Are the Treatments for Ascaris Infections?
The treatments for Ascaris infections are medications and, in some individuals with heavy infestations that result in damage like intestinal or bile duct blockage or other complications, surgery.
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Antiparasite medications
- Albendazole
- Mebendazole
- Ivermectin
- Pyrantel pamoate (for use in pregnant women)
- Surgery: Remove worms causing blockage and other complications; repair damaged areas like holes in the intestinal wall.
Your doctors can help decide what treatment plan is best for you and/or your child's condition.
Stomach Pain : Nausea & Other Causes Quiz

Bowel regularity means a bowel movement every day.
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Chronic and Acute Coughs
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Diarrhea
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Fever in Adults
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Food Poisoning
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Stomach Pain (Abdominal Pain) in Children
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Vomiting and Nausea
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Weight Loss
Obesity is simply the accumulation of excess body fat. It is much more than that, however. Obesity is a chronic (long-term) disease that is very difficult to treat. It takes 3,500 extra calories to gain 1 pound. To lose weight, you must eat 3,500 calories less than you need, say, 500 fewer calories per day for one week, to lose 1 pound.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.