The nearly transparent 10cm worm is still alive after it was removed from Zhang's brain. Photo: screenshot of the video posted by Pear Video

 A man's headaches that had lasted for decades finally ended after surgeons removed a 10-centimeter-long live worm from his skull, which his doctor said may have been in his head for more than 30 years.

The 59-year-old man, surnamed Zhang, went to a hospital in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province to figure out why he had suffered a headache since 1989, according to a report of Pear Video.

"My head began to hurt in 1989," Zhang said. "I also had headaches and sweated at night." Zhang had been told by other doctors that he had epilepsy and was given medicine that didn't work.

He was diagnosed as parasitic infection at a hospital in Guangzhou's and was told he needed surgery as soon as possible.

A video posted by Pear Video shows the nearly transparent and still alive worm on a medical tray after it was removed.

Yan Xueqiang, chief doctor of the neurosurgery department of the hospital, said that drinking river water or eating undercooked frogs or snakes can easily lead to parasitic infections.

Zhang said he lives in a mountain village and eating undercooked frogs and drinking raw water is very common in his hometown. 

Zhang has recovered and his headaches are gone. 

A number of netizens wrote that they had gone swimming in a river and worried they too may have a parasite. "I should go to a hospital and checked out," was a common comment.