The Role of Worms in the Etiology of Asthma

Asthma and Worms: The role of worms in the Etiology of Asthma

About Asthma

Asthma is not a new name in the world.  According to WHO, Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, which vary in severity and frequency from person to person. During an asthma attack, the lining of the bronchial tubes swells, causing the airways to narrow and reducing the flow of air into and out of the lungs.

Causes of Asthma: Can Worms contribute to Asthma Development?

The causes of asthma are not completely understood. However, risk factors for developing asthma include inhaling asthma “triggers”, such as allergens, tobacco smoke and chemical irritants. Asthma cannot be cured, but appropriate management can control the disorder and enable people to enjoy a good quality of life. The World Health Organization WHO estimated that Asthma affects 235 million people in the world. The real cause of Asthma is not fully understood.

 However, asthma is associated in all cases with tiny Ascaris larvae. As soon as eggs hatch (in the stomach, after ingestion) the microscopic larvae travel to the lungs, not the intestines. Imagine the distress of lungs full of tiny worms!

One tries to cough them up, of course, but in our misguided effort to be polite we teach children to swallow anything they cough up! Some swallowing is inevitable and the young worms are back in the stomach, this time to set up their housekeeping in the intestine. Some never leave the stomach, causing children stomach aches and, of course, a large entourage of bacteria which, in turn, have their viruses.

Most cases of Ascaris infestation also show Bacteroides fragilis bacteria which, in turn, carry the Coxsackie viruses (brain viruses). Whether or not these bacteria or viruses will thrive in you depends on whether you make a good home for them, namely have low immunity in some organ. The preferred organs for Bacteroides are liver and brain (brain tumors always show Bacteroides). The preferred organs for Coxsackie viruses appear to be tooth abscesses and brain.

Not everybody with Ascaris develops asthma, even though they always go through a lung stage. Does it depend on the age of the person when the infection develops? Or how many Ascaris are present? Or the time of year when lung infection is present?

That innocent cough of early childhood should not be neglected, as simply “croup.” At the first sign of a cough, treat immediately. Never neglect washing hands before meals.

Asthma sufferers become allergic to many air pollutants such as pollen, animal dander,smoke. The production of histamine in the lungs and the vast interconnectedness of histamine to allergies have been vastly studied scientifically. Although invasion by worms is known to result in both histamine production and high eosinophil counts (over 3), and asthma patients typically have both, they are not routinely checked for worms clinically! They are simply given drugs to enable better breathing. More and better (though toxic) drugs have been developed.

But you can put an end to your asthma by terminating your Ascaris infection. Then wash your hands and fingernails with grain alcohol, and avoid re-infection or ingestion. Wear plastic gloves for a week to break a nail biting or finger sucking habit. For children wash hands before eating anything, even between meals; keep fingernails short. Dogs, cats, pigs and horses all get Ascaris. So these pets should be sanitized or treated regularly.