I'm so scared about worms...?

Question

Recently the thought of worms came up in my head and I started to panic. Because I've eaten raw salmon from a sushi shop a few times in the past few weeks, I might get the wormy disgustingy parasites!! The thought of a huge tapeworm living in your guts really is making me feel sick and it's making feeling so scared everytime I go to the loo. So what are the symptoms of getting tapeworms? I know there's usually no symptoms but any other ones that will always show??? How come it can grow when it passes through the stomach with really strong acid?? And is there a high chance of getting it?? And is there any one who have had tapeworm before and can share how you've coped??? I'm absolutely petrified and feeling extremely sick.

Answer 1

Calm down! You don't catch tapeworms. You are in control and can limit your exposure to tapeworm (eggs).

Do not eat raw meat - well done is best. Be special attention to pork.

Somehow, I feel you got a little information that triggered this concern. Tapeworm infestation is more tropical and about insanitary conditions than about sushi.

Also adopt the "wash hands" policy.

Answer 2

If it is a respectable sushi place, you most likely have nothing to worry about. But, to put your mind at ease, go to the shop and ask how the salmon is prepared. Most likely the salmon has been flash frozen, which means it has been frozen at extremely low temperatures

(much lower than your average freezer) for weeks, killing any and all parasites. You have every right to ask, and any reputable place will be forthcoming with an answer.

Or you could just go to the doctor. Probably easier to inquire at the sushi place first, though.

Answer 3

Calm down...it's ok.  There are worse things than worms.  I do know what you mean, though.  It sure isn't a pleasant thought.

If you're of an adult age, you won't experience the itchy feeling that children experience.  You may notice that you are hungrier than usual, though (that can be one symptom).

Worms generally come out of the a**s at night (when it's dark) and so you can see them if you get a torch and a mirror - wouldn't recommend it, though.  I couldn't bring myself to do that! :-)

I don't know how/if the worms themselves pass through the stomach (I'm not a parasitologist) but I would imagine that even if the worms themselves didn't survive the acidity of the stomach, the eggs are probably more robust and can.  Worms pick up their nutrients from the digestive tract below the stomach.

Ok, so to help you overcome your fear, buy a broad-spectrum worm treatment (one that does more than tapeworms) - ask at your local pharmacy and they will recommend one.  That should make you feel better!  You can take worm treatments every 6-12 months on a regular basis.

All the best! :-)

Answer 4

oh my goodness reading this scared me!

the answers too that is.

can't that happen if you bite your nails and swallow them?

Answer 5

You read the story about the guy who ate at Lettuce Entertain You, didn't you.

First off, if you are going to eat uncooked dead animals you are taking the chance of getting worms or bacteria.  I have two friends who almost died from sushi.  One is on a transplant list due to massive organ damage.

There are usually no early symptoms, maybe some nausea and stomach upset, that's all.  Once the cysts get into the liver, lungs and nerves, then you get symptoms.  They are more likely to be in pork or beef than fish.

They can survive the stomach acids because they dig through the stomach and come out in the intestines.

Answer 6

I once took my daughter to the doctor because she was also obsessed with worms.  When they called her in, I just said, "she's obsessed with worms," and the doc asked a couple of questions and wrote a prescription.  She had no symptoms; she just thought about it constantly.

Anyway, cheap fix, eh?  Get it over with and have some peace of mind.