Parasitic worms are rarely a nice idea, but this story of a woman from India and her 150 unwanted guests is particularly stomach-churning.
Doctors in India removed approximately 150 live worms from the gut of a young woman, some of which measured up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) long. Neha Begum, 22, from Uttar Pradesh in northern India, had been suffering from stomach pain, vomiting, and constipation for months. Although she went to the local doctors several times, they were unable to reach a diagnosis, simply telling her to take some painkillers.
However, following an extreme bout of sickness in the new year, she was forced to visit KG Nanda Hospital in Chandauli. A physical examination highlighted something unusual in her abdomen, so the team of doctors decided to operate, hoping to find the cause of her problems. During their five-hour operation, they discovered the case was even more extraordinary than they had imagined.
“When we examined her, we found something was obstructing her intestines. So we decided to open her stomach and see what was causing the obstruction," said Dr Anand Prakash Tiwari, a doctor at the KG Nanda Hospital. "We were shocked to find live round worms wrapped around her intestines and pulled out more than 150 of them alive. I was shocked. This was an extremely unusual case.”
“The eggs of the worms might have entered into her body through her mouth. It may be because of a lack of hygiene and cleanliness in and around the area where the patient lives,” he added.
A week after the operation and Neha is back to eating solid food and recovering well. She’s also optimistic about life following the operation.
She thanked the doctors, saying: “I would stay up the whole night — crying, writhing in pain. It affected our conjugal life, too. But now I think we will be able to enjoy the bliss of marriage. I am very thankful to the doctors for eliminating the problem for ever.”
The doctors didn’t disclose what type of parasite the worms were. However, judging by their appearance, it looks likely they could be a species of roundworm. A surprisingly large number of these parasites can live in humans without sparking any noticeable symptoms, provided they don’t obstruct the digestive tract. Nevertheless, it's safe to say that if you have 150 of these things living inside you, it probably won't go unnoticed.
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