More than just a nuisance? It’s a Message!

Terrain-centred Nature-First Naturopathy

I don’t know if it’s coincidence or quite why it happens but often in clinic I see a run of patients presenting with the same (or very similar) health concerns.

This happened recently and inspired this blog-

I’ve been seeing people (usually children) with recurrent pinworm or enterobiasis infestation.

So you might have worms?

Worm infestation occurs most commonly between the ages of 7-11, more likely in girls at a rate of 3:1 and is very unusual under the age of 2.

Contrary to popular belief your child could have worms and NOT have an itchy bottom.

Common indicators of worm infestation include:

  • Appetite change

  • Weight loss

  • Vague abdominal pain

  • Nose picking & thumb sucking

  • Sleep disturbances – nightmares, teeth grinding, restlessness & fatigue

  • Vulval itching, pain & redness- in girls

  • Urinary incontinence

Though, I’m sure you can see that these symptoms could be a host of different conditions and certainly aren’t diagnostic.

How do you tell if you or your child has worms?

You can’t always rely on the tell tale itchy bum. Many people will NOT have an itchy bottom at all.

Aside from the behavioural and gut disturbances listed above we might see elevated eosinophils in a standard blood count and elevated white cells in urine- this can occur when worms migrate to the vagina, is fairly common in girls and the standard worming meds do not work outside of the gut.

Still the MOST reliable testing method …

Yep, you might have guessed it- the sticky tape method. This has been scientifically evaluated against culture testing and DNA testing to be the most reliable test when done correctly.

The Sticky tape test involves applying tape to the perianal area on 3 consecutive nights and examining microscopically.

Recurrent worm infection- A very important memo from the body!

When I see a patient with recurrent worm infections, with short worm free periods in between, this suggests we need to assess the condition of their unique Terrain.
It’s essential to understand that the individual’s biome, that includes gut mucosa, digestive capacity (enzymes and acidity), gut motility, nervous system interaction and more, is a REFLECTION of their overall health, not the cause of symptoms.
It is essential to differentiate; the symptom from the disease. The worms are not the disease or even the root cause but rather their presence is the symptom that delivers a message.

Don’t shoot the messenger!

Worms are nature’s bio-remediators, they are saprophytes; they have the very important task of breaking down dead and decaying material.
  • Nothing in nature is good or bad.
  • Sharks are not good or bad.
  • Worms are not good or bad.
  • They simply have a function within Nature.

So if you or someone you know keeps getting worms, it has nothing to do with an impaired immune system, little to do with nail biting and everything to do with a build of of rotting waste in the gut.

Are you creating fertile ground?

Why does one child have worms and the other not? The difference is not hygiene, not the immune system; the difference is in the Terrain.
Think of the worm egg as a seed. If a seed germinates in hostile conditions, infertile ground, the seed simply won’t grow.
Now, when a seed germinates in fertile conditions; voila, we have life.
This is why not every one that comes into contact with an egg will develop worms. The Terrain determines what becomes of the egg.

The Terrain AKA a gut with a build of decaying materials supports the growth of the egg into a worm.

The Terrain that is clear of excess waste will NOT support the growth of the egg into a worm.

So now what?

This may sound counter-intuitive but DO NOT go after the worms without addressing why the Terrain is like it is.
If nothing changes, the worms will return to continue breaking down (cleaning up) dead and decaying tissue in the gut.
This only encourages a cycle of repeated worming treatments; and neither the pharmacy worm medicines and herbal worming products are gentle on the body (especially kids) in any shape or form.

A Terrain-Centred Approach

Yes, we want to improve the health of the gut environment, but how this is done will be different for everyone.

  • sometimes this means supporting the nervous system so that digestion is improved

  • maybe it’s removing a food that isn’t ideal as part of a natural human diet

  • it could be restoring adequate hydration to the mucosa

  • or resolving chronic sinus congestion

Threadworm infestation can happen to anyone but is more common in girls, and may be a factor in some cases of appendicitis.

It can certainly be more annoying than just having an itchy bum, and is definitely a signal from your body, a message that the internal Terrain is overburdened.

Symptoms are Signals- Let’s decode them together!

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