Human hookworm infections have been known from antiquity and are referred to in the Ebers Papyrus and by the Persian physician Avicenna (that’s along time ago!)
There are two different types of hookworm:
Ancylostoma duodenale, which was discovered in Europe.
Necator americanus, which was discovered in southern USA.
I’d say I’ve seen probably a dozen hookworm infections in my clients, and treatment is usually fairly straightforward. I refer out to a medical doctor or prescription drugs and follow up with a gut-healing program.
What symptoms can hookworms cause?
Hookworm can cause a lot of different complaints.
Digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea and anorexia, are associated with hookworms in the gut and these symptoms may be relieved by pica (pica is the appetite for eating non-nutritious substances like soil, dirt, clay and chalk).
Some people with worm infections can develop an appetite for eating these substances.
Now, hookworms get their name for a very specific reason: they literally hook into the intestine using their hook-like teeth.
They are like vampire worms, sucking blood from the intestinal wall.
As well as causing digestive symptoms, hookworms can cause anemia and all the symptoms associated with it (fatigue, lethargy, weakness, pale skin, etc.)
Like other intestinal worm infections, hookworm infection is associated with intellectual impairment. Cognitive function has been shown to improve when hookworms have been successfully treated.
How are hookworms transmitted?
Hookworm eggs are discharged into the environment when infected people take a dump!
When they hatch out of eggs, the larvae need the right conditions to survive – soil moisture, temperature, etc. They die in direct sunlight (lol – a bit like vampires!)
The larvae are tiny – certainly not visible to the naked eye. They go through three stages with the third stage being infective.
It migrates along moisture and travels in the soil and is able to invade through intact skin.
In other words, the tiny larvae penetrate the skin on feet, ankles, etc., which is how it gets into its human host.
Skin symptoms can develop at this point, with rashes that may appear to “move” along the skin (called “larva cutanea migrans”).
Once in the blood, it migrates to the lungs. It then migrates up the trachea (windpipe) and into the pharynx.
It’s then swallowed into the small intestine, where it develops into an adult, before mating, producing thousands of eggs and passing them out into the environment for the whole cycle to start again.
At the point hookworm migrates from the lungs to the windpipe, people may experiencing an itchy cough.
Confusion over symptoms
As you’ve seen, hookworm can cause a lot of common, every day symptoms.
But so can other things, like the food you eat (e.g. gluten, soy, cow’s milk), and other bad bugs such as different parasites, bacteria and Candida.
Thus, you can’t possibly know what’s causing your individual symptoms unless you take action to change your diet and get a comprehensive digestive health work-up.
Of course, I’m biased, but I wouldn’t be here teaching you this information had I not gone through the Digestive MOT process myself way back in 2007 with my functional medicine doctor.
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Your digestive system is the gateway to the rest of your body and it’s going to be very tough for you to sustain an acceptable level of health (and quality of life) if your digestive system isn’t working properly.
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