Dr. Archita Mahajan, nutrition dietitian, child care specialist with a master’s in food nutrition, homeopathic pharmacist, trained yoga teacher, nominee for the Padma Bhushan National Award, honored by Punjab government, and senior dietitian at Shah Hospital, Kaithal, stresses that intestinal worms aren’t just a children’s issue. For adults over 50 experiencing persistent fatigue without cause, irregular bowel habits (alternating constipation and loose stools), incomplete morning evacuations, or unintended weight loss—even if you love non-vegetarian food—skip random pills and get a stool test first.
Warning Signs
These symptoms signal potential parasites but could indicate serious conditions like colon cancer, especially past age 50 with changing bowel patterns, anemia, or weight drop. Instead of jumping to deworming blindly, rule out threats through testing.
Other Common Causes
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Triggers alternating diarrhea/constipation, bloating, gas, and pain from stress or hormones, mimicking parasite effects.
- Food Intolerances: Late-onset issues like celiac disease (gluten reaction) or lactose intolerance cause fatigue, weight loss, and digestive woes resembling infections.
- Microscopic Colitis: Common in women over 50, this colon inflammation (visible only under microscope) leads to watery diarrhea often mistaken for parasites like Giardia.
