Some people feel deworming is only for kids, and for that reason, they have not bothered to deworm themselves in years. Not only is this line of thinking wrong but downright dangerous, as it puts your health at risk. Deworming is very important for adults and is something we should do regularly, at least once a year. While children are at more risk of getting a worm infestation, adults are not immune to getting it as well, which is why you should take deworming seriously, no matter your age. This article discusses the health benefits of deworming for adults. But first, what is deworming?
What Is Deworming?
Deworming is the process of getting rid of intestinal worms from your body with the help of a drug. Such worms are parasitic, depriving the body of the nutrients it is supposed to get from food. So, someone may eat healthily but it would not show as the worms get the nutrients instead.Â
How Do Worms Enter The Body?
There are so many ways worms can enter the body, including
- Eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water
- Walking around barefooted
- Not washing your hands properly
- Drinking untreated milk
- Swimming in dirty or untreated water
These habits are things we still do sometimes as adults, meaning we are not above suffering a worm infestation.Â
Symptoms of Worm Infestation
- Blood in stool
- Dehydration
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- DiarrhoeaÂ
- Frequent urination
And so much more. Worm infestation creates a certain discomfort that could prevent you from going about your day like you would normally do.Â
Treatment for Worm Infestation
The only sure way to treat intestinal worms is by deworming. There is a drug that takes care of it and you may not need to take anything afterwards. You can deworm once or twice a year, even when you do not experience any of the symptoms listed above.Â
Health Benefits Of Deworming For Adults
For children, deworming a child’s immunity, and thus protects him/her from chronic illnesses caused by worms. However, adults should deworm regularly too. Here are some of the benefits of deworming for adults.
1. Helps You Stay Healthy
Staying healthy involves a lot of things. You do not have to feel very sick before you seek medications. You can prevent yourself from feeling very sick by making sure you deworm as regularly as possible.
2. Ensures Your Body Receive Nutrients
Intestinal worms could prevent your body from receiving nutrients they would normally get when you eat food. By deworming regularly, you can ensure that the nutrients you take in through food reach the areas of the body they are meant to. In summary, deworming makes sure the body absorbs the vital nutrients needed to be and stay healthy.
3. Prevents More Serious Problems
Intestinal worms, if left untreated, could lead to more serious infections. It also weakens your immune system, which could make you very vulnerable. By simply deworming, you can prevent your body from coming down with more serious infections.Â
How To Prevent Worm Infestation
Preventing a worm infestation is as important as deworming if you want to keep your body healthy.Â
- Make sure you drink clean and treated water. To make things safer, ensure that you boil your water before drinking.Â
- Wash your fruits and wash your vegetables before eating.
- Wear slippers when walking around the house, especially in the toilet.Â
- Properly cook your food before eating.
- Make sure you wash your hands regularly, especially after using the toilet and before cooking/eating.Â
- Studies have shown that eating probiotic foods can also help fight parasites in the body.
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Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.