News: Man's headache caused by tapeworm

Donquizote

Quote:

A man's headache that turned out to be the result of a parasitic infection has shed light on a rare condition caused by tapeworm infections.

While tapeworm infections usually affect the digestive tract, in rare cases the parasite can infect the brain, leading to a condition called neurocysticercosis. Luis Ortiz, 26, dealt with that rare infection in August after a headache left him nauseated and confused.

Ortiz was visiting his family in Napa, California, when the symptoms started over the course of one day, he told ABC News. His headache left him confused in the family home and he ended up vomiting before his parents took him into the emergency room.

Once there, Ortiz was stunned to learn from the doctors that he had tapeworm larva in his brain that was cutting off blood flow.

"I think it hit me hardest when the doc said you have a parasite in your head and we have to operate to take it out," Ortiz told ABC News today. "The doctor told me if I would have come a half-hour later than when I did, I wouldn’t be alive."

Quote:

"Neurocysticercosis is considered a Neglected Parasitic Infection, one of a group of diseases that results in significant illness among those who are infected and is often poorly understood by health care providers," the CDC explained on its website.

The infection occurs when a person eats under-cooked meat or tainted food that contains tapeworm eggs. Once ingested, the parasite eggs can hatch in the digestive tract. While the parasite usually stays in the digestive tract, in rare cases they can migrate to the brain, where larval cysts damage the brain and can lead to complications or seizures, according to the CDC.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mans-he...ry?id=34999806

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7dkFDPAYx0

J a y

Just wonderful.. another thread to make my skin crawl. That's three today and it's only 9am.

LovingYourCareer

SCARY.

Donquizote

Quote:

Originally posted by J a y

Just wonderful.. another thread to make my skin crawl. That's three today and it's only 9am.

VampireGrin

I want pics

Donquizote

Quote:

Originally posted by VampireGrin

I want pics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7dkFDPAYx0

DILF $

Quote:

Originally posted by Donquizote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7dkFDPAYx0

J a y

Quote:

Originally posted by Donquizote

Cockroaches, Surinam toads giving birth and now tapeworm.

MissAmericanDream

I remember when Tyra did that episode about girls eating some type of pill that developed into tapeworms so they would lose weight

Gave 10 year old me nightmares

Anyway glad hes okay

Igrt

OMG that's so disturbing

Cherish

How do these type of things exist? Jesus

Kavish

Yeah a tapeworm in our bodies is tragic, but do you guys actually know that there are millions of things living on and in our bodies right now? Things that can be seen only via microscope

Donquizote

Quote:

Originally posted by Kavish

Yeah a tapeworm in our bodies is tragic, but do you guys actually know that there are millions of things living on and in our bodies right now? Things that can be seen only via microscope

Most of them are not harmful. Tapeworms are parasitic and will be harmful to our body.
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Imagine the struggle of African children and people who live in poor countries with poor sanitation being constantly exposed to this beast

- JED -

Quote:

Originally posted by Kavish

Yeah a tapeworm in our bodies is tragic, but do you guys actually know that there are millions of things living on and in our bodies right now? Things that can be seen only via microscope

It is said we have more bacteria cells on us than own cells, scary.

Dylobs

These are the things that really stop me from enjoying food.

Donquizote

Quote:

Originally posted by MissAmericanDream

I remember when Tyra did that episode about girls eating some type of pill that developed into tapeworms so they would lose weight

Gave 10 year old me nightmares

Anyway glad hes okay

I remember that episode

Eggy.

LoKoPaNdA

This is so scary

UnusualBoy

I find all these cases interesting but gross at same time.

Ichinaru19

No more pork for me