Hookworms are very small worms, which can live inside your small intestines. [1]
They are parasitic and can create problems with your gut, such as diarrhea, pain, and anemia.
Two types of hookworms can cause infection in the human body – Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. [2]
Not everyone shows signs of the hookworm infections. [2] If you are a healthy person with low parasite burden and eat foods that have a lot of iron, you might not show any symptom.
However, if hookworm symptoms start to show up in your body, they will begin with small rashes and itchiness because of the allergic reaction in the area of your skin the larvae used to enter your body.
There are some other symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, fever, cramps in intestines, itchy rash, losing appetite, blood in the stool, colic in infants.
It’s difficult to know when you might get infected by hookworms. But you can get relief from the symptoms using some home remedies for hookworm. These remedies are quite useful and safe to use. [3]
In this article, we are going to discuss seven effective home remedies to get rid of hookworm infections, along with its prevention tips.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Hookworm
1. Pomegranate
Pomegranate is an excellent source of antioxidants that can be used for the various medical purpose. [6]
This superfood comes with a lots of health benefits. People have been using pomegranate to prevent intestinal parasites, such as tapeworms, pinworms, roundworms, as well as hookworms for many years.
The fruit contains a chemical named punitive, which is quite poisonous to the hookworms.
What You Need:
- Pomegranate tree bark or the peel
- Water
- Sugar
Direction to Use:
- Take the fruit tree bark or the pomegranate peel and grind it into a fine powder.
- Mix 3 to 5 grams of this powder with water, add sugar. Drink the mixture once or twice a day.
Read More: 19 Health Benefits of Pomegranate (Backed by Evidence)
2. Papaya
Known as “fruit of the angels,” papaya is full of Vitamin C and A. [7]
The fruit is rich in various of unique compound, particularly when it’s unripe.
It contains papain that can retain enzymes named papain and carpain, that helps remove certain parasites from your intestines. [8]
The papaya seed has a substance named caricin, which is quite effective in killing intestinal worms. Hence, it’s wise to use papaya and a remedy to get rid of hookworms.
What You Need:
- Unripe papaya
- Honey
- Water
- Castor oil
- Milk
Direction to Use:
- Take unripe papaya and extract juice from it.
- Mix one teaspoon of papaya juice with an equal quantity of honey and water.
- Take the juice for two days.
- Take one teaspoon of castor oil and blend it in a glass of milk.
- Drink this one hour after having the juice. It works as a laxative and helps hookworms flush out with your feces.
3. Sweet Basil
Basil is an ancient and adequate remedy for many diseases. It’s an excellent source of vitamin c, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. [9]
It contains a lot of chemicals that might help remove intestinal worms.
What You Need:
- Basil leaves or seeds
- Water
Direction to Use:
- Make a potion of the leaves or powder of the seeds. It will help remove hookworms in the intestine.
4. Drumstick Seeds
Drumstick is also known as Moringa seeds. These seeds are used to treat anemia, asthma, diarrhea, stomach pain, bacterial, fungal and intestinal infections. [10]
The anthelmintic properties of these seeds help cure hookworms.
What You Need:
- Moringa/Drumstick seeds
- Water
Direction to Use:
- Grind the drumstick seeds into powder and mix two grams of it with water.
- Take the mixture two times a day for three days.
Read More: 11 Moringa Tea Benefits You Should Know About
5. Unripe Betel Nut
Another excellent home remedy to eliminate hookworms and some other diseases.
The nut is used to make medicines for schizophrenia, glaucoma, killing intestinal worms, and digestive disorder. [15]
Its medical use is limited because of the lack of evidence of its effectiveness. However, a guided dosage won’t do any harm.
What You Need:
- Raw betel nut
- Lemon juice
Direction to Use:
- Make a paste of fresh betel nut.
- Take one teaspoon of lemon juice and mix one to two grams of the paste with it.
- Drink it for two days.
Caution:
- Oral consumption can be unsafe if taken high doses or for long-term, especially for pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding their child.
6. Wormwood
Wormwood is used to cure various digestion problem, such as upset stomach, loss of appetite, intestinal spasms, etc. [12]
People have been using it as a beneficial way to remove hookworms from the intestine for hundreds of years.
What You Need:
- Wormwood
Direction to Use:
- Consume regular doses of the herb, or in the form of an extract.
- It can make the worms starve and die.
- The worms will then be passed out of your body with your feces.
7. Garlic
The health benefits of garlic are numerous. Home remedies are never complete without this powerful herb.
Allicin, a strong, active component in garlic, has been proved to have numerous antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial qualities.
Besides, garlic is quite cheap and available. You can consider it as the cheapest and best remedy for hookworm.
What You Need:
- 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic or concentrated garlic powder
Direction to Use:
- Adding garlic to your regular food can help you get rid of hookworms.
8. Pumpkin Seeds
Another great and a bit tasty way to get rid of hookworms. The seeds contain a chemical that can kill intestinal worms effectively. [13]
According to some journal research, pumpkin seeds can alone treat intestinal parasite effective. In a study, the seeds treated hookworms on 75% people on the trial. [14]
What You Need:
- Pumpkin seeds
Direction to Use:
- Lightly roast them in an oven or a pan. It will remove any possible contaminants.
- Have them in empty stomachs
- You can also grind them into fine powder and add them into your regular juice or smoothie.
9. Fruit of Ebony
Also known as Diospyros mollis. The fruit of the tree is used to make home remedies that are more effective than allopathic medicines.
What You Need:
- Fruit of ebony
- Coconut milk
Direction to Use:
- Pound the fruit and blend it with coconut milk
- Have that concoction on an empty stomach
Read More: 19 Best Home Remedies for Pinworms with Prevention Tips
How the Hookworm Infection Spreads and The Severity of It
You can easily get infected with hookworms if you live in a moist or warm area, maintain poor hygiene and sanitation, and have contact with soil that contains their larvae. [2]
The larvae can enter your skin and get inside your lungs through your bloodstream. Once you cough them out and swallow, they can quickly go to your small intestine.
They can live inside your intestine for a year or more after they grow up and can pass through your feces.
The hookworms hatch into larvae after they end up into the ground. The larvae will stay in the soil until they get the chance to enter another human skin.
Hookworms feed on your blood, meaning that you could become anemic. [2]
If you lose your appetite, become pregnant or have malaria, you’re at high risk to get severe anemia.
You might develop severe nutritional deficiencies because of hookworm infections. Besides, your body could face severe protein loss that could create conditions like ascites, which results in the development of fluid in your abdomen.
Children with frequent hookworm infection can have loss of iron and protein, resulting in slow growth and mental development.
Treatment and Medication of Hookworm Infection
If the symptoms of hookworm persist even after using the home remedies, it’s recommended that you seek medical help.
You doctor can prescribe proper treatment for hookworm infections and further complications like anemia.
The doctor can prescribe medications such as albendazole (Albenza) and mebendazole (Emverm) to treat the infection. [4]
Your doctor can also prescribe you some medicines to reduce infections caused by Necator Americanus. You can have them after you read about the uses, side effects, dosage details and users reviews. [5]
You can also take some iron tablets if you have anemia. You should include additional protein to your diet if you have ascites.
Prevention
You can lower the risk of getting infected by hookworms by following the simple rules-
- Always wash your hands properly.
- Wear shoes when you’re outdoors, especially when you’re in tropical, subtropical or developing countries, areas with a high possibility to have feces in the soil.
- Always drink safe water.
- Clean your food correctly and cook them in high temperature. The high temperature will help kill the hookworms in the food.
- Improve sanitation.
- Keep your surroundings clean and safe.
Bottom Line
We all deserve a healthy and happy life. However, we get sick because of a careless and unhygienic lifestyle. Sometimes we get infected by some parasites that can cause fatal infection if we don’t pay heed. One of them is hookworm. It’s better to have a preventive measure. Home remedies are always a good choice, but you should consult a doctor if the remedies don’t work.
Read Next: 11 Useful Home Remedies for Ringworm & How to Use Them
