Table of contents:
- What causes worms in the eye?
- What are the symptoms of worms in the eye?
- How to cure it?
- 1. Operation
- 2. Medicines
- How to prevent eye worms?
Worms can indeed live in the human body. Tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms are a row of worms that mostly live in the human digestive system. However, do you know if there is one type of worm that can nest in the eye? These worms are loa-loa nematodes, commonly referred to as loa-loa worms or eye worms. Check out the full explanation below.
What causes worms in the eye?
Loa-loa worms are a type of filarial worm that causes loiasis. These worms can come into the eye due to deer flies, yellow flies, and blood-eating female flies.
Flies that have been infected with the loa-loa worms will secrete microfilariae into the blood when they suck human blood. The microfilariae then develop into larvae which will form adult worms in one to four weeks.
Adult worms then cause worms to appear in the eye. Even so, this worm infection cannot be transmitted from person to person.
What are the symptoms of worms in the eye?
The first symptom is that if you have worms in your eye, you will usually experience irritation accompanied by itching and pain in the eye. In addition, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Eyes like there is a lump
- Puffy eyes
- Swelling that can sometimes come and go in the lids of the eyes or other parts of the body that is generally not accompanied by pain
In addition, some sufferers of this eye disease can also see loa-loa worms in plain view, which come out of the lower surface of their eyes. There are also sufferers who find these worms in other parts of the body, such as coming out of the skin.
Other, less common symptoms of loa-loa worms include:
- Itching all over the body
- Muscle ache
- Joint pain
- Tiring easily
When you have loiasis and do blood tests, you will generally see an increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood. This indicates the body's response to abnormal cells, parasites, or substances that cause an allergic reaction.
Some people who are infected with loa-loa worms may only notice worms in their eyes for years. This is because some people may not experience any symptoms after being infected with these worms.
How to cure it?
Until now there is no vaccine for loasis, but when you are identified as having this disease, it's a good idea to consult a doctor immediately to get the right treatment.
Following are treatment options that might treat eye worms:
1. Operation
Surgery cannot cure worm infections 100 percent, because worms may also exist in other parts of the body without realizing it. Quoted from Journal of Global Infection Disease, eye worm removal is performed in a minor (minor) procedure.
The eye worm removal procedure takes a short time. After the operation, you need to take diethylcarbamazine to get rid of worms and other parasites.
2. Medicines
The administration of antiparasitic drugs may have to really be considered because it can cause dangerous side effects, even death. That is why you must immediately consult with your doctor to find out the pros and cons of your choice.
Generally, patients who have been identified with loa-loa worms in their eyes will be advised to take antihelmintic drugs, such as diethylcarbamazine. Ivermectin is also sometimes used to treat this condition.
If the side effects need to be reduced, your doctor may give you albendazole as a replacement drug.
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 surgery to remove worms in the eye.
How to prevent eye worms?
The people most at risk for loiasis are those who live in the rainforests of West, Central Africa and India.
Para traveler generally have a higher risk of becoming infected if they are in the affected area for months or even less than a month. To avoid this, it's a good idea when visiting the country to make sure you are diligent in applying anti-insect cream all over your body.
In addition, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, if you will be living in an area affected by loa-loa in West Africa for a long time, reduce your risk of infection by taking diethylcarbamazine every week. However, consult your doctor first to determine whether the drug is right for you or not.
