Question: What are human tapeworm symptoms? Thank you.

Answer: Human tapeworm symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Most people experience no symptoms at all while others will feel very uncomfortable. Some common symptoms include:

• Nausea
• weakness
• loss of appetite
• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• weight loss
• Fever
• Allergic reaction to the tapeworm larvae
• neurological symptoms if the brain is involved
• abdominal discomfort

People become infected with tapeworms after eating or drinking something containing tapeworm larvae or eggs.

If a person ingests the eggs it is more likely that they will migrate out when they hatch into larvae. They can then form cysts in other organs which can be potentially serious.

If the larvae are ingested they will usually hatch in the intestine and develop into adult tapeworms. These will not usually cause the human host to experience any symptoms.

A tapeworm infection that is contained in the intestine is easier to take care of than one that has migrated to other systems. They can usually be eradicated by taking medication prescribed by your doctor. Tapeworms that develop in other parts of the body can cause potentially life threatening illnesses if not treated by a physician

Tapeworms, and therefore human tapeworm symptoms, can largely be prevented by practicing good hygiene and properly washing food before preparation.