This type of parasite, known as pinworms or threadworms are small white or light gray worms that cause a common infection called enterobiasis. In general, this infection is very contagious and occurs mostly in children. Usually, doctors treat this infection with oral anti-parasitic medicines that often destroy them in just two doses.
These parasites often live in the small intestines and rectum of infected people. Furthermore, pinworms are also known as Enterobius vermicularis. Commonly, children who get these parasites need treatment, but the condition can be easily cured and does not cause serious health problems.
In general, this infection is one of the most common types of worm infection in the U.S. It affects about 40 million people in the U.S. and approximately 1 billion people in the entire world. Usually, enterobiasis affects children between the ages of 4 and 11. It is important to know that pinworm infections easily pass to other people, especially if you are in close contact with an infected person.
Symptoms
While more than 60% of people with pinworm infections do not experience symptoms, some of them may have intense itching near the anus (butthole), especially during sleep. Check below for other symptoms of pinworm infections:
- Anal itching – This type of worm often lays eggs around the anus during nighttime, causing irritation and itching. Sometimes, itching can be severe.
- Vaginal itching – These worms can also lay eggs on the skin that surrounds the vagina and cause intense itching and discharge.
- Sleeplessness – Severe itching caused by these worms can negatively affect your sleep and lead to restlessness. You should know that sleep deprivation can make you tired during the day and cause problems with concentrating.
If any of the previous symptoms occur without an obvious reason, immediately contact your healthcare professional.
Causes
Usually, children get these worms by ingesting pinworm eggs. Therefore, they become a host for the pinworm life cycle. Check below how it happens:
- First, pinworms lay eggs on the skin around the child’s anus, causing itching.
- If your child touches that area and scratches it, tiny eggs attach to their fingers and may get stuck beneath their fingernails.
- Therefore, children can transmit these eggs to other people unless they wash their hands with soap and warm water.
- These eggs can pass to other people when they touch contaminated surfaces and then put their fingers in their mouth. Hence, these eggs enter the digestive system.
- Once it enters the body, female pinworms go to the person’s anus, and there begin to lay the eggs and restart the cycle.
Get treatment as soon as you suspect you have pinworms because a female pinworm can lay more than 10,000 eggs. As a result, children can have anywhere from several worms to hundreds.
Can You Get Pinworms Without Being Around Infected People?
Yes, the eggs of pinworms can survive for 2-3 weeks on contaminated surfaces. Usually, people get pinworm eggs through:
- Bedsheets, underwear, and towels
- Toys
- Inhalation – In some cases, small eggs travel through the air. Therefore, you can inhale them into the digestive tract and hatch into pinworms.
What Are The Long-term Effects of Pinworm Infections?
In rare cases, people with pinworm infections can experience serious and even life-threatening complications, especially if they do not treat them. Check below some of them:
- Bacterial infections – These infections often occur due to prolonged scratching that breaks the skin, which allows the bacteria to enter the body.
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) – In such cases, the worms travel to the vagina and can enter the urinary system, causing an infection.
- Gastrointestinal and abdominal problems – Rarely, these worms are linked with appendicitis, diverticulitis, and inflammation of the vagina (vaginitis). Sometimes, they can also cause endometritis (inflammation of the lining of the uterus).
- Sleep disturbances (insomnia)
- Peritonitis (rare)
- Eczema
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Psychological distress
This document does not contain a complete list of complications. However, you can talk with your physician about ways to reduce the risk or prevent previous complications.
How to Prevent Pinworms?
One of the best ways to prevent a pinworm infection or reinfection is to prevent the eggs from reaching your child’s mouth. Check below some tips that may help reduce the risk:
- Regularly wash your hands with soap and warm water
- Disinfect surfaces, including cleaning of the toys, counters, toilets, utensils, dishes, and others.
- It is recommended to take a shower daily if you have pinworms because it helps remove eggs from the skin.
- Keep your nails trimmed and clean to prevent passing of the eggs to other people, especially if you bite your nails.
- Do not touch the anal area
- Frequently wash the sheets, towels, and underwear
For more details, discuss it with your healthcare professional.
Diagnosis
While it is not possible to see eggs, you can see an adult pinworm with the naked eye. However, doctors can use a microscope to see the eggs. Usually, it is recommended to check for pinworms about 2-3 hours after you or your child falls asleep. During this time, female pinworms begin to lay their eggs around the anus. In general, these worms are small, thin, and grayish-white, very similar to small pieces of thread. That’s why they are also called threadworms. In rare cases, you can find them in underwear, bedsheets, in the stool, or on toilet paper.
You can also use tape to collect the eggs (tape test). Check below what you have to do:
- Take clear tape (sticky side down) over the child’s anal area in the morning.
- Go with this tape to the child’s pediatrician for testing.
This sample should be collected as soon as your child wakes, before bathing or bathroom. Previous activities often remove the eggs from the skin.
Treatment
The primary treatment for people with pinworm infections is anti-parasitic medicines that destroy the worms. Usually, they need two doses to clear the infection. While the first dose is taken immediately, the second dose should be taken 14 days later to ensure that pinworms are destroyed. Check below some medicines often recommended by doctors:
- Pyrantel pamoate – This is the most common medicine recommended by doctors for people with a pinworm infection. It is an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine.
- Albendazole – This is a prescription medicine also used to destroy pinworms and clear the infection.
Commonly, healthcare professionals recommend one of the previous medicines for all family members to reduce the risk of reinfection. You should also wash all clothing, bed linens, and towels in hot water.
In addition, for children under the age of 2 and pregnant women, Pyrantel pamoate can cause some adverse reactions. These include:
- Abdominal (belly) pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Stomach upset
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pinworms go away if they are untreated?
It is very important to get treatment once you see or suspect you or your child has pinworms because they do not go away on their own.
What can I do to help relieve the symptoms of a pinworm infection?
Intense itching may persist for about 7 days after starting the treatment. However, to relieve this and other symptoms, you can use a 1% Hydrocortisone cream on the skin around the anus and wash the anal area with warm water and soap regularly.
What is the prognosis for people with pinworms?
In general, anti-parasitic medicines cure pinworms 90% to 100% of the time. Moreover, the infection caused by these worms usually does not cause any serious health problems. If you have any other questions, ask your healthcare provider.
