Contents:
- Medical Video: What are those floaty things in your eye? - Michael Mauser
- What causes worms in the eye?
- What are the symptoms of worms in the eye?
- How to cure worms in the eyes?
Medical Video: What are those floaty things in your eye? - Michael Mauser
Worms can indeed live on the human body. Tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms are the most abundant worms in the human digestive system. But do you know if there is one type of worm that can be lodged in the eye? The worm is named the Loa-loa Nematode, commonly called loa-loa worm or eye worm. Check out the full explanation below.
What causes worms in the eye?
Loa-loa worms are a type of filarial worm that causes Loiasis disease or a disorder caused by worms. This worm can stop inside the eye due to deer flies, yellow flies, and blood-eating female flies.
Those flies that have been infected with loa loa worms, when they suck on human blood they will removing microfilariae that circulate in the blood. Then it will develop into larvae which will later form adult worms within one to four weeks.Well, this is what causes worms in the eye.Even so, this worm infection cannot be transmitted between humans.
What are the symptoms of worms in the eye?
The initial symptoms if there are worms in the eye you will usually experience irritation accompanied by itching and pain in the eyes, feeling the eyes like there is a lump, swollen eyes, and swelling that can sometimes disappear in the eyelids or other body parts generally not accompanied by pain.
In addition, some sufferers can also see loa-loa worms with visible eyes that come out on the bottom surface of their eyeballs. There are also sufferers who find the worm in other parts of the body such as out of the skin.
Other symptoms that are less commonly found are itching throughout the body, muscle aches, joint pain, and feeling tired easily. When blood is checked, generally there will be an increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood that show a response to abnormal cells, parasites, or ingredients that cause allergic reactions,
Some people who are infected with loa-worms have even just noticed the presence of worms in the eye when it has been for years because they do not experience the symptoms mentioned above. This indicates if there are some people who do not experience any symptoms after being infected with the worm.
How to cure worms in the eyes?
Until now there is no vaccine for loasis disease, but when you are identified as having this disease it is a good idea to consult a doctor immediately to get treatment. The reason is that surgical procedures cannot cure worm infections, because worms may also be unwittingly present in other body parts.
Provision of anti-parasitic drugs must be considered because it can cause dangerous side effects. That is why you are required to immediately consult with your doctor to do the best treatment.
Generally patients who have been identified with loa loa worms in their eyes will be advised by a doctor to take antihelmintic drugs, such as diethylcarbamazine. Consult with your doctor about the dosage and how to use it. In addition it is not uncommon for patients to be recommended to perform worm removal surgery in their eyes.
The people who are most at risk of loiasis are those who live in the rainforests of West, Central and India. Para traveler generally have a higher risk of infection if they are in the area affected by the outbreak for months or even less than a month. To avoid this, it's good when visiting the country, make sure you diligently apply anti-insect cream to all parts of the body.
