Hookworm Disease: Exposure, Symptoms & Treatment

Gastrointestinal complications are a leading cause of deterioration in the quality of life for many active adults. Complications ranging from bacterial infections to fungal infections, many adults struggle to remedy the gastrointestinal complication before more life threatening complications persist.

In rare cases, however, these gastrointestinal complications may be associated with a more serious ailment. One such example involves the infection of Hookworm disease, attributed to the infestation of a worm that preys upon the intestines.

So, how does one acquire a disease such as Hookworm? As larvae mature in the soil, human exposure is obtained through contact with contaminated soil through gardening or simply walking with bare feet. Upon contact with human skin, the larvae enter into the skin, infect the lymphatic system, heart and, eventually, the intestines. In some cases, the larvae also work into the lung tissue, resulting in complications associated with breathing. In fact, many medical researches believe that it is the lung infection that further exacerbates the complication in the intestine as the infected mucous is coughed up and then swallowed, providing a clear path to further infect the intestines.

Symptoms, beyond intestinal complications, of Hookworm disease, include fever, cough, difficulty breathing and a rash that usually appears right in the area where the larvae first burrowed into the body. The intestinal complications usually appear as abdominal pain and a chronic case of diarrhea.

To diagnose Hookworm disease, a stool sample must be analyzed which only further leads to the complications of Hookworm exposure as, in most cases, the person who sufferers from the complication will take every opportunity to avoid the embarrassment of stool sampling.

Once diagnosed with Hookworm disease, the course of treatment usually considered involves the use of medications. In fact, this medication regimen, when diagnosed early, simply involves the use of medications for three days. When not treated promptly, however, treatment may involve the additional care to remedy secondary complications such as anemia and damage to the intestines.

As with any environmental exposure, the key to your health lies in the prevention or avoidance of the risk. With Hookworm disease, the prevalence of the complication is most often found in areas where sanitation may be questionable. Therefore, when gardening outdoors, allowing children to play outside or simply using your bare feet to run across the parks or grass, remember that Hookworm may be a rare complication but, nonetheless, is a risk we all take when exposed directly to soil.