Intestinal worms are parasitic creatures that find a home in the large intestine or colon. Depending on the type of worm, the human infection could be an intermediate or terminal stage of the worm’s lifecycle. In the case of worms like the tapeworm, the human infection occurring at an intermediate stage of the lifecycle is in fact the most dangerous form of tapeworm infection. In other worms, the human host is the one and only host. This is the case with worms like nematodes, under which come species like the pinworm or threadworm and all roundworms.
The tapeworm comes into two varieties that affect pigs and beef. Both of these can infect humans after a human ingests meat from these animals or from consuming eggs from animal feces. The latter mode of transmission is more problematic as the contamination from animal feces indicates that food and water supplies have been compromised. When tapeworm eggs are ingested, the larvae hatch in the stomach and then spread out to various parts of the body including the brain, sometimes causing brain damage. When tapeworm cysts are ingested from eating infected meat, however, the worm will then remain in the intestine. This will cause malnourishment but not further damage. Other worms like the threadworm are a milder form of parasitic infection with infection limited to the intestines. Roundworms and hookworms tend to migrate to other parts of the body as well. To the question of whether worms are contagious, they are extremely contagious when you come in contact with infected feces. This is the reason why water must always be boiled before drinking and food must be cleaned and cooked thoroughly to destroy worm eggs.
Treating a possible case of worms is best done by a compound called albendazole. This is a wide spectrum treatment that disrupts the cellular process of all worms and eventually kills or paralyzes the worm to the point where it can be excreted. The natural treatment for worms is clove oil. This must be ingested in copious quantities a few minutes before every meal. There is also evidence to believe that hexylresorcinol that is an ingredient in throat lozenges also can destroy intestinal worms. These should be chewed on throughout the day. Additionally, going through periods of fasting or staying on liquid diets for a while are also useful in dealing with colonic worm infestations. Other natural anti-worm medications include tobacco, kalonji seeds, pineapple, garlic, and tansy tea.