How does ascariasis affect me?

How does ascariasis affect me?

After you swallow the eggs, they pass into your intestines. There, they hatch into larvae (immature form of worms) and begin to travel through your body:

• From your intestines, they reach your lungs by traveling through your bloodstream or lymphatic system.
• In your lungs, they pass through the air sacs and into your throat.
• They travel to your throat, where you swallow them.
• Back in your intestines, they grow, mature into adult worms and mate.
• Fertilized eggs leave your body in your stool (poop), with the goal of infecting another host.

The whole process can take two to three months. The worms can live in your body for up to two years.