Family Health - Treatment of Parasitic Worms

Family members will learn how to treat themselves for parasitic worms and how to protect themselves from getting them again.

 

Lesson Preparation

Before the lesson, visit the local health clinic and get the information they have available on identifying and treating parasitic worms. The clinic will often have booklets, pictures or posters on worms and how to treat them. Ask where the medicines are available and how much they cost.

Concepts to be Taught

Many people, both children and adults, have parasites. We can prevent parasitic worms from getting into our bodies. We can eliminate worms through proper medicines.

Click on the magnifying glass of any image for enlargement.

Introduction

Figure 1.

Ask why one child is smaller.

Show Picture #1 of two children, one who is much bigger then the other. They are the same age but one has been infected with parasites. Ask: Which one do you think has parasites? The smaller one. When a child has worms, he will often be small because the parasites use the food the child eats and the child will not grow as he should. Parasites often cause diarrhea and this may also cause a child to be smaller.

Concept 1:

Many people, both children and adults, have parasites.

The eggs of parasitic worms live in many places in the environment. They can enter people's bodies through their mouths and feet and make them very ill. We can't always see parasites because they live inside our bodies. Worms can make people sick, tired, and weak. Some scientists were checking children for worms. They found that for children who were one year old that only one infant in ten had worms. When the same children were two years old, they were checked again. The was a great change, and 9 out of 10 children had worms. During their second year, the children started to walk around, lay in dirty places, and got worms from the things they touched, ate, and played in.

Learning Activity 1:

Figure 2.

Discuss the different kinds of worms

Show pictures of different types of worms from the clinic or show Picture #2 from the lesson. Point out the different kinds of worms: roundworms, threadworms, whipworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. (Further information on the different kinds of worms are at the end of the lesson).

Concept 2:

We can prevent parasitic worms from getting into our bodies.

We can get parasites from contact with dirty places and by eating impure food and water. We can pick up parasites by walking barefoot, touching dirty objects and animals, contacting dirty water from rivers, wells, ditches, and floods and by eating contaminated food from a street vendor, food touched by flies, and food improperly stored. We may also live in a dirty house or use a dirty bathroom that may hide the eggs of parasites.

We can take simple steps to prevent sickness from parasites and their eggs.

-Always wear shoes or sandals especially when you leave the house. If feet come in contact with dirt or mud, wash with soap and water.

-Wash hands frequently. Develop the habit to never eat without washing hands with soap and water and keep hands away from your moth when you eat. It is necessary to teach children to not put anything in their mouth that they pick up from the floor. If our hands are dirty with mud and dirt, we must wash them immediately with water and soap.

-Teach children to keep a distance from ditches and rivers.

-Teach children to never eat food that has been touched by flies. Flies can leave parasite eggs of food.

-Keep bathrooms and kitchens clean. Teach children to wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom.

-Drink only purified water.

Learning Activity 2:

Figure 3.

Show Picture #3 of a boy, without shoes who is playing in a ditch beside his house, with a plate of food covered with mosquitos on the ground. Hold up the picture and briefly tell the story, in your own words, of Juan who loved to play in the dirty water. Say, "There are five things in this picture that could cause Juan to get parasites. Can you name them?" (No shoes, dirty hands, playing in dirty water, eating food covered by flies, etc.)

Concept 3:

We can eliminate worms through proper medicines.

There are different kinds of parasitic worms that can affect people. Included are: roundworms, threadworms, whipworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. Local clinics of doctors can tell you which medication to take. Some medications work for several kinds of worms, others for only one kind. Follow the instructions carefully and be aware of any side effects the medicine may have.

Parasitic worms are spread easily from one family member to another so each family member should be treated at the same time. With proper medication, worms should go away quickly. Try to keep your home clean and prevent possible reinfection. Some climates, particularly those that are hot and moist are favorite places for worms to live and families will need to be checked often for reinfection. Children may need to take worm medicine every few months to keep worms away. Treatments should be no longer than 6 months apart. If you can see worms in the feces, take the medicine more often.

Learning Activity 3:

Depending on the situation, the family can go down to visit the health clinic and visit with the doctor or nurse, or someone from the clinic can visit with the family at their home. The family needs to learn about the kinds of testing and medical treatments available. The clinic should have facilities for testing for parasites, as well as medications to remove them.

Review

Have family members review all the places they need to be careful of that may be a breeding place for worms: in human and animal waste, on the bodies of flies and cockroaches, in impure water, on dirty hands, on dirty glasses and utensils, and on surfaces where food is prepared. Use the pictures to review the major points of the lesson (#4-15).

Family Activity:

Families will have two activities for this lesson:

Visit local health clinic where available

1. Family members will be checked for parasitic worms and get medication if necessary. Depending on what medical facilities are available in the neighborhood, the family can go to a clinic, doctor or government office.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Figure 7.

Figure 8.

Figure 9.

Figure 10.

Figure 11.

Figure 12.

Figure 13.

Figure 14.

Figure 15.

2. After the lesson, the family will walk around their house to determine what areas need to be

improved so they can prevent reinfestation of parasites. They need to check: kitchen facilities (is there a place to clean hands and utensils?), bathroom (is it clean?), any places with dirty water where children may want to play, and any places where flies may gather. Do all family members have shoes to wear?

List of figures for lesson 5.2

Click on the numbered links below to view and print full-sized figures

1. These are two boys of the same age. One is shorter because he has worms.

2. There are many kinds of worms:

-roundworms are long and pink or white.

-threadworms (or pinworms) are thin and threadlike and white

-whipworms are pink or gray.

-hookworms are red.

-tapeworms are long with small, flat, white segments.

3. Juan has many places he can pick up worms.

4. A messy and dirty house with food left out is one place that a person can pick up germs.

5. Flies will leave parasite eggs wherever they fly and are particularly dangerous around food.

6. Parasites and parasite eggs can enter our bodies through bare feet.

7. A good way to prevent spreading of parasites is to wash your hands several times during the day.

8. Wash hands before preparing food, touching food, plates or utensils in the kitchen.

9. Get in the habit of washing your hands after working in the soil.

10. Wash your hands before holding a baby.

11. Wash your hands after taking care of someone who is ill.

12. Wash your hands after touching an animal.

13. Wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom.

14. Socks and shoes and sandals help to protect our feet from parasites.

15. If we have parasites, we should take the proper mediation at the proper time to get rid of them.