To send a link and summary of this article to a friend, click here . G enerally, worms announce their presence inside your body through symptoms like persistent abdominal pain, anal itching or diarrhea. But certain kinds of worms occasionally show up outside the body. Here's what to do. As unpleasant as it may sound, capture either the worm or the infected stool, place it in a plastic bag or other sealed container, and take it to your doctor for analysis, says Jorge Herrera, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile and member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American College of Gastroenterology.
Treatment is always in the form of the appropriate anti-worm medication.
Vermox, one of the strongest prescription anti-worm medications on the market, for example, is so effective it can wipe out most cases with one tablet, says Dr. Herrera. Set a tape trap. If you think you've seen or felt a worm but aren't sure, you can set a pinworm trap with adhesive tape rolled into a cylinder, sticky side out. Just before bed, place the tape on either of your buttocks near your anus. When the worm crawls out to lay its eggs, the eggs or even the worm may get stuck to the tape.