Wife passed a worm, what should I do?

My wife passed a 6inch worm (did not save it) and she thinks it was a round worm. She is planning to take a cleansing product.

Should I get her straight to the hospital or wait for another worm to pass?

Should I go the doctor to be checked?

Roundworm infection and other human worm infections

The most common worm infections in humans are threadworm, round worm and whipworm. It is said that up to 40% of school children have threadworm infection at any one time so this is a common infection! It normally presents with an itchy bottom (anus) or what doctors call pruritis ani, usually worse at night. It is spread by ingestion (swallowing the eggs) as a result of the so called faecal-oral route due to poor hand hygiene. The other common worm is the tapeworm, usually obtained by ingesting the eggs from partially cooked pork. This worm's life cycle involves the pig hence the way it is spread to humans. It usually causes abdominal pain, weight loss and diarrhea.

Most of the common worm infections can be treated with drugs such as Piperazine, Merbendazole or Albendazole. Piperazine can be bought over the counter in the UK. The dose is normally 1 sachet only, but all the family should be treated as cross infection is likely. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions. Merbendazole dose is normally 100mg twice a day for 3 days. Tapeworm is treated with a drug called Praziquantel, but this usually needs to be prescribed. Good hand hygiene and ensuring food is cooked properly is also important. I hope this is helpful!