Pinworm micrograph
Pinworm infection is very common and does not usually cause serious complications. Symptoms of infection are vague and not always easy to identify as related to the presence of pinworms. Once diagnosed, treatment is relatively simple and painless; however, reinfection can be a problem due to the pinworm eggs, which remain viable in the home environment for weeks under the proper conditions.
Instructions
Detection and Treatment
1. Recognize that pinworm infections are extremely common and not isolated to people with poor hygiene or dirty habits. Pinworms are parasitic roundworms spread when humans consume pinworm eggs, which hatch in the intestinal tract; the worms have the appearance of thin white threads.
2. Investigate any nighttime itching in the anal area. At night, the female worm travels from the intestines to the rectal area to lay her eggs. It is this process which triggers itching around the anus, the main outward sign of infection.
3. Attempt to detect the worms directly by observing your fecal matter to check for their presence. If a child is affected, parents may also check the child's anal area during the night to look for worms or place a piece of cellophane tape across the anus at bedtime (this can trap eggs, providing evidence of pinworm infection).
4. See your doctor to have the tape checked for the presence of pinworm eggs to confirm an infection. Your physician can then prescribe the most effective treatment for your situation.
5. Ask about treating the entire family (if there are multiple members in the household) in order to prevent reinfection. Treatment involves two doses of anti-parasite medicine, administered two weeks apart.
6. Wash all linens and undergarments daily during treatment. Affected persons should not share wash cloths with other family members and should use one cloth to wash their rectal area and a different cloth to wash the rest of the body.
7. Check locations where many children congregate, such as day care centers, if reinfection becomes an ongoing problem. Humans carry pinworms, but animals do not, so there is no need to have the family pet treated.
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