Tapeworms, scientifically referred to as Dipylidium caninum, are parasitic worms that look like a flat tape and it can grow from 50 cm to 70 cm in length. They attach themselves to the intestines where they suck on the nutrients and lay eggs to propagate. |
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It is commonly believed that the presence of tapeworms in the digestive tract increases a person’s appetite. This need not necessarily be true because the amount of food that the tapeworm takes is very small (it absorbs some food through its skin) and will not really affect the person’s appetite.
On the other hand, the presence of these parasites makes a person lose appetite -- the worms disturb the bowels when they attach to the lining of the bowels with their circular suckers and movable hooks. However, there can be other complications arising from these parasitic worms. For example, the "fish tapeworm" can cause a deficiency of vitamin B-12.
Besides, the worm can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, reduced appetite, and weight loss by irritating the intestines. Some patients also complain of skin rashes, headaches and fits. There are reported cases where patients have complained of increased appetite, but that is a little hard to explain. However, more serious cases are those in which the eggs get implanted in organs and create cysts in the lungs, liver or the brain which can sometimes turn fatal.
Since tapeworms can cause considerable reduction in a person’s appetite, it can result in considerable deterioration of health. Immediate treatment to eliminate the worm is required to restore health back to normalcy.
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