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What is pinworm disease?
The pinworm is an intestinal infection that’s caused by tiny, white worms. It can affect anyone, but is most common among young children. It is easily treatable.
Pinworms can cause a variety of symptoms.
Pinworms can cause your child to scratch his bottom a lot. You may notice that your child is unable to sleep or moves around in bed a lot at night. It’s probably because your child is itchy. Itching is caused when the pinworm female comes out of the rectum and lays eggs around the opening to the rectum (the anus). The eggs remain in the upper portion of the intestine up until they hatch. The worms then move along the length of the intestinal tract, before exiting the anus, where they lay new eggs.
The tiny white worms, which are smaller than half an inch long, may also be visible on the bottom of your child at night. The worms can also be found in your child’s stool.
What causes pinworm infections?
Pinworms can easily be spread from one child to another. When children are playing, they can pick up pinworm eggs on their fingers. Tiny eggs can be found under the fingernails of children with infected itchy bottoms. The eggs can remain on your child’s body for up to several hours. Eggs can survive up to three weeks on clothing, bedding and toys. The tiny eggs in your child’s toys or hands can get into their body if they put the toys or fingers in their mouth. The risk is higher for children who do not wash their hands before eating or who sucking their thumbs.
Pinworms can affect anyone, even though they are more common in children of school age . The eggs can spread as children move about the house. Other family members may also become infected. Adults can breathe in eggs if the bed cover is shaken. This is not very common.
Pinworms are not spread by pets, but they can carry other types of worms.
What is the diagnosis of pinworm?
The tape test can be used to detect pinworms because pinworms crawl out of a child’s anus when they are sleeping. This is best done right after your child awakens and before they go to the bathroom or bathe. Tape a clear piece of tape around the anus to perform the test. Do this three mornings consecutively and save each piece of tape. Take the tape to your physician, who will use a magnifying glass to look for pinworms and eggs. The tape test can also reveal adult worms in the area around the anus.
Pinworms: Can they be avoided or prevented?
Pinworms can be prevented or avoided. These tips will help you:
- Be sure to wash your child’s hands after they use the bathroom and before eating.
- Keep your child’s fingernails trimmed.
- Encourage your child to stop biting and scratching the anal area.
- Make sure that your child wears clean underwear every day.
- To reduce the risk of egg contamination, have your child take a bath in the morning. You can have your child shower rather than bathe if possible.
- After treatment, change your child’s underwear, nightwear and bedding.
Treatment for pinworms
The majority of pinworm infections can be treated easily and are mild. Mebendazole is a medication that your doctor may prescribe. If the infection does not clear up, a second tablet will be taken approximately 3 weeks later. Your doctor may prescribe pyrantel as a single-dose medicine.
It’s important to treat everyone in the family, even if just one child has pinworms.
Pinworms: How to live with them
Pinworm infection can be very contagious. It’s very easy to re-infect yourself if you don’t follow precautions. Take these steps if anyone in your household has pinworms. This will reduce your chance of reinfection.
- All the bedding, blankets and towels in your house should be washed in hot water.
- Cut off the fingernails of everyone (which could contain worm eggs).
- Rub toys, counters, floors and any other surfaces that the child touched.
- Vacuum carpets.
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