December 5, 2002
Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from Atlanta, Georgia, USA:
My son was treated for pinworms four days ago, and now he is exhibiting excessive thirst. In one of your answers, you mentioned that there is research on the protective role of intestinal threadworms regarding diabetes. My son was treated for pinworms four days ago, and now he is exhibiting excessive thirst. In one of your answers, you mentioned that there is research on the protective role of intestinal thread worms regarding diabetes. Could you elaborate? Is this a correlation with what you mentioned?
Answer:
There was a report on this theme earlier this year. (See E. A. M. Gale A missing link in the hygiene hypothesis? Diabetologia (2002) 45: 588-594.) The supposition is that pinworms may have what is called an immunomodulatory effect over a long period on the development of autoimmune diabetes and it is exceedingly unlikely that threadworm removal would lead to any prompt development of diabetes. If you are worried though, you should ask your son’s doctor to arrange a fasting blood sugar test and just possibly an antibody test.
DOB
