Pinworms, what they are and how they are treated

Pinworms are worms that can be found in stool. What to do when found in children? How are they treated?

Pinworms, scientific name Enterobius Vermicularis are worms that can be found in the feces of children and adults .

They are white and thin, about an inch long . They cause anal and sometimes vulvar itching, especially during the night , that is, when they leave the intestine to lay eggs. They can also be observed with the naked eye; they have the appearance of small white filaments .

They most commonly affect preschool and school age children . They are small but their parents fear them as if they were terrible monsters.

What to do when you see pinworms in your children’s feces ?

Pinworms, what is the cure?

Pinworms are treated with a wormer and with a lot of personal hygiene . The main remedies for pinworms are:

Wash your hands and nails often and well , especially after going to the bathroom or trying to relieve anal itching by scratching. In fact, oxyuriasis is contracted by ingestion of embryonated eggs which can reach the mouth through one’s hands. Of course, in the case of small children, the task of being careful to wash their hands often falls to the parents.
Change the sheets often and wash them at high temperatures . During the night the itching becomes more intense and therefore tends to scratch, involuntarily collecting the eggs and spreading them in the surrounding environment.
Take care of intimate hygiene .
Attention to hygiene , in general. Pinworm eggs can remain alive in the environment for up to two or three weeks and this, unfortunately, can cause new infestation. Eggs can “contaminate” many everyday objects, for example towels, clothing, bathroom fixtures… but also toys and more. It is the same person who is interested in carrying them between objects with his own hands.
It is advisable to wash clothes , especially underwear, at high temperatures and, of course, change them often.
Deworming drugs should also be taken by the relatives of the person concerned to get rid of the parasites permanently.

Are pinworms dangerous?

Following proper care, they generally go away as they came. In many cases they are asymptomatic or cause no other symptom than anal itching .

Sometimes, however, they can be particularly annoying, causing abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea and vomiting . It can also happen that the night itch is so intense that it disturbs sleep.

Only in very rare cases can the migration of the parasite cause phenomena of salpingitis or appendicitis.

How are pinworms diagnosed?

If you want to find them with the naked eye, the best time to look for them in the perianal area or in the stool is when you wake up or at night .

The method of choice for the diagnosis of oxyuriasis is the scotch test , which consists of placing a strip of adhesive paper on the anus. It is performed in the morning and the aim is to analyze under the microscope the eggs that remain attached to the adhesive paper.