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Some types of worms can infect people. Some can be caught in the UK and others are only caught abroad. Most worm infections are not serious and can be easily treated with medicine.
A pharmacist can help if you have:
This is probably threadworms.
They're common in the UK and can be treated with medicine from a pharmacy.
These could be symptoms of something like roundworm, hookworm or tapeworm.
These infections are usually caught while travelling. They can take a long time to cause symptoms, so tell the GP if you have been abroad in the last 2 years.
Roundworms look more like earthworms.
Hookworms can cause a red worm-shaped rash. The twisted shape of the worm is raised and easy to see.
It does not matter which type of worm you have – all worm infections are treated in a similar way.
You might be asked to provide a sample of poo so it can be tested for worm eggs.
If you have worms, a GP will prescribe medicine to kill them. You take this for 1 to 3 days. The people you live with may also need to be treated.
Any worms in your gut will eventually pass out in your poo. You may not notice this.
To avoid becoming infected again or infecting others, it's very important during the weeks after starting treatment to wash your hands:
Go back to the GP if your symptoms do not get better in 2 weeks or you keep passing live worms in your poo.
Worms are mainly spread in small bits of poo from people with a worm infection. Some are caught from food.
You can get infected by:
You can catch some worms from pets, but this is rare.
There are some things you can do to help prevent worm infections.
wash your hands before eating or preparing food, and after touching soil or using the toilet
only drink bottled or boiled water in high-risk areas (places without modern toilets or sewage systems)
thoroughly wash garden-grown fruit and vegetables
deworm pet dogs and cats regularly
dispose of dog and cat poo in a bin as soon as possible
do not let children play in areas where there's dog or cat poo
do not eat raw fruit and vegetables in high-risk areas
do not walk barefoot in high-risk areas
do not eat raw or undercooked pork, beef or freshwater fish
