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Pinworms are teeny, white, threadlike roundworms that infect the intestines of humans. These parasites hatch in the small intestine, then move on to the large intestine where they reside for about one or two months. After that timeframe, female pinworms crawl downward and out of the anus for the sole purpose of laying thousands of microscopic eggs. These eggs remain viable for one to two weeks. Use Fenbendazole for Pinworm Infection. Buy Fenbendazole 444 Mg Online at Medzsupplier.
It’s estimated that anywhere from 20 to 42 million people in the United States, commonly children, have had a pinworm infection. While irritating, and perhaps embarrassing, a pinworm infection is generally considered harmless.
Signs and Symptoms of Pinworms
Many people with a pinworm infection don’t exhibit any symptoms. But generally speaking, when infected individuals do experience symptoms, it happens once the worms have relocated to the skin surrounding the anus to lay their eggs. Here, a sticky substance around the eggs can often irritate the skin, causing anal itching, which is the primary symptom of a pinworm infection. Other symptoms may include:
Worms Present in Feces This is common, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
Difficulty Sleeping Pinworms move to the area around the anus at night in order to lay eggs, which can induce itching that disturbs sleep.
Vaginal Itching
Vaginal Discharge
Nausea and Vomiting These are rarely reported.
Bed Wetting This is a rare symptom.
Stomach Pain This is also rare.
Causes and Risk Factors of a Pinworm Infection
Quite simply, one gets a pinworm infection after ingesting worm eggs. To become infected, an individual either directly (via their hands or fingernails) or indirectly (via contaminated clothing, toilet seats, bedding, toys, or food, for example) transfers pinworm eggs from the anus to their mouth. In addition, because pinworm eggs are so teeny, they can become airborne, where they are inhaled and ingested. While pinworm infections affect people of all ages and socioeconomic background, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) those who are most impacted include:
School-age and preschool-age children
Institutionalized individuals
Those who share a household with infected individuals
Individuals who are caregivers to the infected
The eggs laid on the skin surrounding the anus can survive for up to three weeks, which allows plenty of time for the infected person to scratch the area, have the eggs become embedded under the fingernails, and inadvertently reinfect themselves, thus continuing the parasites’ lifecycle.
How Is a Pinworm Infection Diagnosed?
There are three different ways to approach the diagnosis of pinworms.
Examine the anus. Wake your child about one to two hours after you put him or her to bed, then check around his or her anus for wiggly, white, hair-thin worms that are about ¼ to ½ inch (0.63 to 1.27 centimeters) long.
Use transparent tape. First thing in the morning (before your child bathes or uses the bathroom), firmly place a 1-inch piece of transparent tape against the skin around the anus for a few seconds, allowing any pinworm eggs to stick to the tape. Next, transfer the tape to a glass slide, sticky side down, and place inside a sealed plastic bag. Repeat for three consecutive mornings and take the tape to the doctor for microscopic examination. If you see worms that have adhered to the tape, you can likely inform your doctor that you’ve found pinworms.
Analyze under-the-fingernail samples. A physician may also opt to use a microscope to examine a specimen taken from under a child’s fingernails.
Duration of a Pinworm Infection
Because pinworm eggs can live for one to two weeks, it’s important to follow the initial treatment with a second dose in two weeks’ time. After taking the medication, itching should stop in five to seven days.
Treatment and Medication Options for Pinworms
With proper hygiene, a pinworm infection is usually considered self-limiting, which means it can resolve on its own with no long-term ill effect. But most people would rather be sure the infection is gone and opt for treatment. Your healthcare provider will likely recommend that all members of your household get treated in order to prevent infection and reinfection, including those who don’t exhibit symptoms.
Medication Options for Pinworms
One of the following is usually the treatment of choice. Prescription The drugs mebendazole (Emverm) and albendazole (Albenza) are oral meds that cause pinworms to be expelled through bowel movements. They’re generally not recommended for use in children under 2 years old.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Adhering to stringent hygiene measures for six weeks, which is the lifespan of a pinworm, can clear up an infection without medication. These practices also reduce the risk of reinfection. If any member of your household is a nail-biter or thumb-sucker, this method is likely not right for you. These med-free measures include:
Keep fingernails short.
Scrub fingernails with a nail brush daily.
Wash hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds after using the bathroom and before eating.
Shower each morning to help remove eggs from the skin.
Don’t share towels or washcloths.
Wear snug underwear, avoiding boxer shorts.
Change underwear every morning.
Wash bed linens, pajamas, towels, and washcloths with each use; do not shake before laundering.
Change hand towels daily.
Vacuum carpets and clean floors at least once a week, paying special attention to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
Clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces daily, especially faucets and the toilet flusher.
Refrain from eating in the bedroom to avoid possibly swallowing eggs that have landed in bed linens.
Keep toothbrushes in a closed cabinet. (Theoretically, airborne eggs can land on toothbrushes.)
