Suffering stomach aches due to intestinal worms is a common problem that many people experience over the course of their lives. These worms are parasites that reside in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly attached to the intestinal wall. There are many different kinds of intestinal worms, but the most common as well as most dangerous are roundworm, tapeworm, and whipworm.
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Causes for intestinal worms
The most common way that these worms enter your body is through contaminated food or water, helped along by transmitted agents like flies, mosquitoes, sexual contact, and even skin and nose. The other common causes include:
- Poor hygiene
- Poor sanitation
- Weak immune system
- Eating raw and undercooked meat
- Exposure to areas with parasites
- International travel
- Age, since kids and the elderly are more likely to be infected
People who live in the tropical and sub-tropical regions are more likely to suffer from intestinal worms.
Signs and symptoms of intestinal worms
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Although different worms manifest and cause different symptoms in humans, there are certain symptoms that are common. The most common across all intestinal worm infections include:
- Abdominal pain
- Gas/bloating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dysentery
- Diarrhea
- Rash or itching around the genitals
- Feeling tired
- Weight loss
- Constant feeling of hunger
- Restless sleep
- Anemia
- Weakness
- Frequent headaches
- Fever
- Bad breath
- Pain in the legs
- Nutritional disorders
Home remedies for deworming
To help get rid of these intestinal worms, you can use over-the-counter and even prescription medications, which take anywhere between a few days to several weeks to get rid of, depending on the kind of worm. Along with these medications, you can help speed up the process by trying some of these home remedies for deworming. Take a look:
1. Carom seeds
Carom seeds are effective in treating intestinal worms and expelling them from the body. These seeds contain thymol, which has the ability to inhibit the growth of parasites in the gut.
Remedy
- Eat 1 tablespoon of jaggery in the morning, on an empty stomach. After 15 minutes, consume a quarter teaspoon of crushed carom seeds, washing it down with a glass of water. Repeat this remedy once a day for about two weeks to get rid of the intestinal worms.
2. Carrots
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Carrots are packed full of beta-carotene, which help in destroying the eggs of intestinal worms. Additionally, carrots also possess zinc and vitamin C, which boost the immune system, which in turn helps combat the parasites.
Remedy
- Grate 2 medium-sized carrots and consume them on an empty stomach in the morning. Repeat this remedy for at least a week to help expel the parasitic worms from your body.
3. Cloves
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Cloves possess anti-bacteria, anti-parasitic, and antiseptic properties that help in destroying the eggs that the worms have laid in your body, while killing them as well. Additionally, cloves help in preventing future cases of worm infestation as well.
Remedy
- To 1 cup of hot water, add 1 teaspoon of ground cloves. Place a lid on it and let it steep for 15 minutes. Drink this clove tea thrice a day for a week to expel the worms from your body.
4. Coconut
Coconut is a common ingredient that can be quite helpful in eliminating all types of intestinal worms. It possesses strong anti-parasitic agent, which helps get rid of the worms. Whether you use the oil or the fruit, coconut is an excellent remedy.
Remedies
- With your breakfast, consume 1 tablespoon of crushed coconut. Three hours post that, drink 1 glass of warm milk with 2 tablespoons of castor oil. Repeat this remedy every day till the infestation is eliminated.
- Consume 5 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil every day to help your body to expel the parasites, while also helping boost the immune system.
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5. Garlic
Garlic is an amazing anti-parasitic ingredient that helps in treating all types of intestinal worms. Raw garlic possesses amino acids that contain sulfur, which are anti-parasitic in nature. Additionally, garlic also possesses anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and antiseptic properties that help kill micro-organisms in the body.
Remedies
- Consume 3 fresh cloves of raw garlic on an empty stomach every day for a week to get help expel the worms from your body.
- In a saucepan, bring to a boil half a cup of milk and 2 crushed cloves of fresh garlic. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, take it off the heat, and drink this on an empty stomach. Repeat this remedy for about a week till the infestation is gone.
6. Neem
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Neem is an amazing natural remey to get rid of all types of intestinal worms. It possesses anti-parasitic properties that help kill parasites, while also helping remove toxins that these worms leave behind in your body as they die.
Remedies
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of dried neem leaf powder in 1 glass of warm milk. Drink this twice a day for at least a week to get rid of the worm infestation.
- Fry 1 tablespoon of dry neem flowers in 1 teaspoon of clarified butter. Consume these flowers with plain boiled rice, at least two times a day for four days.
- Take a handful of fresh neem leaves and grind them into a fine paste. Consume half a tablespoon of this paste with a glass of water each morning on an empty stomach. Do this for a week at least to expel the worms from your body.
7. Papaya
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Unripe papaya is another excellent home remedy that has been used in traditional medicine to help treat intestinal worms. Papaya contains an enzyme called papain, which possesses anthelmintic properties that help eliminate intestinal worms. Additionally, papaya seeds contain a substance called caricin, which is also helpful in expelling intestinal worms.
Remedies
- Add 1 tablespoon each of fresh unripe papaya juice and honey to 4 tablespoons of water. Drink this concoction every morning on an empty stomach. Two hours later, follow it with a glass of warm milk that has 2 tablespoons of castor oil stirred in. Repeat this remedy once a day for a few days to get rid of the intestinal worms.
- Grind the papaya seeds from an average-sized papaya. Add this to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1 cup of coconut milk, and chunks of papaya fruit to a blender and blitz them all. Scoop it out into a clean bowl and add 1 tablespoon of honey and mix well. Consume this smoothie every day in the morning for a week or so to help expel the worms in your body.
- Crush and grind papaya seeds into a find powder. Add 2 teaspoons of this powder to 1 cup of warm milk and stir well. Drink this in the morning on an empty stomach for three days.
8. Pomegranate tree bark
The pomegranate tree, its bark, root, stem, as well as its leaves possess anthelmintic properties that help expel intestinal worms from your body. Additionally, the alkaloid punicine that is present in the bark of the pomegranate tree, is known to be quite toxic to intestinal worms, especially tapeworms.
Remedy
- To 1 cup of water, add a 2-inch piece of pomegranate tree bark and bring this to a boil till the volume is reduced by half. Let the concoction cool down, and then drink it thrice a day at 2-hour intervals. Follow this up by consuming fruits like banana or avocado or kiwi, which possess a laxative effect. Repeat this remedy for a few days to get rid of the infestation.
9. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds possess a compound called cucurbitacin, which has anti-parasitic properties that help paralyze the worms. This prevents them from latching on to the intestinal wall, thus speeding up their expulsion from the body.
Remedies
- To 3 cups of boiling water, add 2 tablespoons of peeled, crushed, and coarsely powdered pumpkin seeds. Cover it with a lid and let it steep for half an hour. Let it cool down completely, then drink it. Repeat this remedy once a day for a few days to help expel the worms from your body.
- In a clean bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon each of roasted, crushed pumpkin seeds and honey. Consume this mixture every morning on an empty stomach for about a week. Follow it up by eating a banana or a kiwi fruit for breakfast, because of their laxative properties.
10. Turmeric
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Turmeric possesses antiseptic and anti-microbial properties that help destroy intestinal worms. Additionally, turmeric also helps relieve bloating, nausea, abdominal pain, and gas, some of the most common symptoms of intestinal worms.
Remedies
- Take a piece of raw turmeric and grind it to extract its juice. To 1 teaspoon of this juice, add a pinch of salt. Drink this in the morning on an empty stomach, for at least a week.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of the raw turmeric juice to 1 glass of buttermilk. Drink this once a day for three consecutive days to help expel the worms from your body.
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Additional tips
- Maintain proper hygiene – personally as well as while cooking.
- All family members should undergo deworming treatments simultaneously at regular intervals in the year.
- Brush your teeth and floss regularly.
- Keep your nails short and clean. If you have a habit of biting your nails, you should try and get rid of it.
- Wash your hands before and after eating something, without fail, with a good hand wash.
These are all the superbly effective home remedies for deworming that actually help get rid of the parasites from your body. For more updates on health and fitness, subscribe to our newsletter today.
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