Anyone who carries the guinea worm will begin to experience symptoms one year after they originally become infected. 90% for the worms appear on the legs and feet, but can occur anywhere through out the body. (MedicineNet) One of the first symptoms a person will experience is pain. The worm causes an abnormal growth also known as a skin lesion. These skin lesions lead to bacterial infections causing the infected person to experience immense pain through out the site of infection. If the infection is occurring in the patient’s legs, then their joints will become locked and will sometimes disable the person’s legs permanently. Along with severe pain, fever and swelling are the first signs a person will experience once the worm begins to emerge throughout the body.
Female worms pose a bigger threat than male worms. Female worms are much slower, causing more pain, but are able to move throughout connective tissues easier than male worms can. Once the worm comes to the surface of the epidermis they will submerge larvae into the subdermis. Thousands of larvae are released. Once this happens the infected person will experience extremely painful blisters, which will eventually explode causing the worm to become dried up than it is expelled from the body. The may be pulled out from the blister …show more content…
Common pain medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen may help reduce pain and inflammation of the blisters. However, since this disease occurs in sub-Saharan Africa many of people infected with the disease do not have access for the medications. Death caused by this Guinea worm is extremely low, but illness is a threat. Many patients will continue having pain, but not often will impairment occur. According to a clinical review, a study in Ghana, 28% of patients had continuing pain 12 to 18 months after emergence of worms and 0.5% (as in many studies) had permanent physical
Female worms pose a bigger threat than male worms. Female worms are much slower, causing more pain, but are able to move throughout connective tissues easier than male worms can. Once the worm comes to the surface of the epidermis they will submerge larvae into the subdermis. Thousands of larvae are released. Once this happens the infected person will experience extremely painful blisters, which will eventually explode causing the worm to become dried up than it is expelled from the body. The may be pulled out from the blister …show more content…
Common pain medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen may help reduce pain and inflammation of the blisters. However, since this disease occurs in sub-Saharan Africa many of people infected with the disease do not have access for the medications. Death caused by this Guinea worm is extremely low, but illness is a threat. Many patients will continue having pain, but not often will impairment occur. According to a clinical review, a study in Ghana, 28% of patients had continuing pain 12 to 18 months after emergence of worms and 0.5% (as in many studies) had permanent physical