the severity and number of worms, symptoms can be even worse. Fatigue, weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, are all symptoms that can occur. Infection in younger children can even affect mental and physical development.
So how do we protect ourselves?
The larvae tend to thrive in damp dirt, soil, and sand. If you, your friends, or family plan on traveling to places that normally call for bare feet, consider sporting a pair of water shoes. Check to see if the beach you’ll be heading to is a private, fenced-off beach. This will help ensure stray animals don’t frequent the beach. You can also check your own pets. Because our furry friends can easily contract worms, it’s essential to get them dewormed because they can easily spread.
The first step is prevention, but hookworm infection is not as uncommon as you may think. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have hookworm infection, seek medical attention. There are treatments for an infection, one of which being local cryotherapy for worms that are still living under the skin. Once the parasites migrate, other steps are taken.
Although hookworms are mostly seen in tropical, damp places, you can still put yourself at risk in your own hometown. Try to keep those heels on (or at least bring some flats to change into) after your night out, be responsible with your pets, and keep your children from walking without shoes and crawling in unsanitary spaces.
Jasmine Danielle is a Los Angeles based dancer and fitness trainer. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has studied with FiTour, the National Federation of Personal Trainers, and the Equinox Group Fitness Training Institute.
Jasmine is currently a Group Fitness Instructor for Equinox, Everybody Los Angeles, and Sandbox Fitness. Her fitness modalities include, ballet, dance cardio, barre fitness, TRX, treadmill interval training, cardio kickboxing, jump rope, indoor cycling, and metabolic conditioning.