A Clinical Study of Deedan-e-Ama (Intestinal Worms) to Assess the Effectiveness of Safoof-e-Deedan

Worm infestation (helminthiasis) is a major health problem in children, particularly in low-income and developing countries.. Helminthiasis caused by 3 groups of worms, nematodes (round worm). cestode (tape worm), and trematodes(flukes).Incidence of round worm infection is about one billion, whip worm infection is about 500 million and hook worn infection is about 900 million per population worldwide.

The clinical manifestations associated with worm infestation are abdominal pain, abdominal distention, growth retardation, nutritional deficiencies, pica, sleeplessness, irritability, anaemia when hookworm infestation is present, intestinal obstruction may be found, and some time larva of ascaris migrate to the lungs and cause ascaris pneumonia (Loeffler’s Syndrome), asthma-like manifestation, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly or encephalopathy.

In the Unani System of Medicine, the term worm infestation described as Deedan-e-Ama’a.

According to classical Unani literature the main cause of formation of Deedan- e-Ama’a (Intestinal worm) is only Balghami Rutoobat (Phlegmatic fluid small intestine. With the help of Hararat-e-Ghariba these Ratubate Balghamiyah become putrefied and lead to the formation of Deedan-e- Ama’a.,