Pinworm is an intestinal infection caused by tiny parasitic worms measuring about 5 to 10 millimeters (about half to one centimeter) in length. Other names for a pinworm infection are "seatworm infection," "threadworm infection," "enterobiasis," or "oxyuriasis."
One of the most common roundworm infections, pinworm infections probably affect about 200 million people across the world, including about one third of the population in the United States. Of all age groups, schoolchildren are most at risk for pinworm infections.
Pinworms don't cause any harm (just itching), and it won't take long to get rid of them. And people who have pinworms aren't dirty - kids can get pinworms no matter how often they take a bath or play in the mud.
How Do You Get Pinworm?
Pinworm infections are contagious. People become infected by unknowingly ingesting microscopic pinworm eggs that can be found on many different surfaces, including:
bed linens
towels
clothing (especially underwear and pajamas)
toilets
bathroom fixtures
food
drinking glasses
eating utensils
toys
kitchen counters
desks or lunch tables at school
sandboxes
The eggs pass into the digestive system and hatch in the small intestine. From the small intestine, pinworm larvae continue their journey to the large intestine, where they live as parasites - their heads attached to the inside wall of the bowel.
About 2 to 4 weeks after a person acquires the pinworm eggs, adult female pinworms begin migrating from the large intestine to the area around the rectum. There, they will lay new pinworm eggs, which trigger itching around the rectum.
When someone scratches the itchy area, microscopic pinworm eggs are transferred to their fingers. Contaminated fingers can then carry pinworm eggs to various surfaces, where they're able to live for 2 to 3 weeks.
If you're wondering if your family pet could give you pinworm infection, it can't. Pinworms don't come from animals.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Often, a person can have a pinworm infection without having any symptoms. When symptoms are present, the most common one is itching around the rectum. After pinworm eggs are ingested, it takes about 1 to 2 months for itching around the rectum to begin.
The itching is usually worse at night and is caused by worms migrating to the area around the rectum to lay their eggs. When a person scratches the itchy area, the result can be eczema or a bacterial infection around the rectum. In girls, pinworm infection can spread to the vagina and cause a vaginal discharge.
If you have pinworm, you might also be able to see the worms in the toilet after you go to the bathroom. They look like tiny pieces of white thread and are really small - about as long as a staple. You might also see them on your underwear when you wake up in the morning.
How Is a Pinworm Infection Diagnosed and Treated?
Your doctor may ask you to help make the diagnosis of pinworm by placing a sticky piece of clear cellophane tape against your rectum. Pinworm eggs will stick to the tape and can be seen under a microscope in a laboratory. The doctor might also take some samples from under your fingernails to see if there are any eggs.
If the doctor finds that you have a pinworm infection, he or she will probably give everyone in your family one dose of an antiworm medicine that will eliminate the pinworm infection. After 2 weeks, the doctor may give a second dose of antiworm medicine.
Although the medicine takes care of the worm infection, the itching may last about a week after the medicine is taken. So, the doctor may also give you a cream to help stop the itching.
Routine household cleaning measures (including washing everyone's pajamas and bed linens) will also help reduce the spread of pinworm infection to the family.
When Should You Call Your Doctor?
Consider calling your doctor if you complain of an itchy rectum or always seems to be scratching the rectal or genital area.
You might also want to consider asking your doctor about pinworms, among other causes, if you seem to have trouble sleeping or has begun to wet the bed. (Pinworms can irritate the urethra - the channel through which urine passes as it leaves the bladder and exits the body - which can lead to bedwetting).
Can a Pinworm Infection Be Prevented?
Here are a few ways you can help to prevent pinworm infections in your family:
Remind everyone to wash his or her hands after using the toilet, after playing outside, and before eating.
Make sure you shower or bathe every day and changes underwear daily.
Keep your fingernails short and clean.
DO not to scratch around your bottom or bite your nails.
Wash your pajamas every few days.
If you have a pinworm infection, all members of your household will need to be treated with medication. This will help prevent the infection from coming back in most cases.
As you're trying to get rid of your pinworm infection, remember that pinworms are quite common among kids and aren't harmful. By taking a short course of medication and following some preventative tips, you will be rid of the worms in no time.
2007-11-15 15:25:35
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answer #1
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answered by lover454 1
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Local drugstore should have a few meds to choose from for all the humans in your home. Some are banana flavored, some are caramel. Eg. Pin-X. Follow up with 2ND dose 2 weeks later to ensure all cycles of pin worm larvae and eggs are killed.
Wash laundry, bed linens and clean home in general. They shouldn't return.
You're coming into contact either at school or a friends, relatives home with someone who has the worms. Pin worms cannot live long without a human host.
2007-11-15 15:47:39
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answer #2
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answered by Tricia3 3
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What Are Pin Worms
2016-12-16 08:10:02
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answer #3
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answered by ? 4
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Pin worms are passed via the fecal-oral route which means that you have touched something that another person infected with pinworm touched after scratching themselves and then you must have put your fingers in your mouth or somehow ingested the eggs. It is extremely infectious and is considered to be the number 1 most common parasitic infection in the world.
Make sure your Mom gets treated too so you don't end up reinfected in your own home.
2007-11-15 15:18:34
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answer #4
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answered by A Canadian 6
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For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/awixw
DEFINITELY TAPE WORMS. Tape worms are carried by fleas. A flea bites the animal, the animal bites at the flea, often eating the flea and the cycle begins. Fleas must be controlled and the kittens are going to have to be de-wormed very soon or they could very well die. It is a very slow agonizing death, they literally are eaten alive and bleed to death inside. I seriously doubt if all they have is tape worms... hookworms, round worms (that can be as long as 8 inches,) have been known to puncture the intestines and lungs... I have had cats dumped off that were so full of these worms that they come out of the cat writhing in this huge wad... after being treated by wormers. Tape worms require a very different kind of medicine; round worms are easy to get rid of , hookworms and whip worms need STRONGID liquid, you can get all the medicines you need from a well stocked FARM or FEED store, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!!!! NEMEX is a very good one to rid all the worms except tape worms, that takes another kind of wormer, they are not all that expensive... Do it SOON!!
2016-04-08 13:48:21
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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Usually you get pin worms by biting your nails, but they are contagious. You do not want to spread them. Ask a doctor right away!
2015-06-01 09:59:32
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answer #6
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answered by honor 1
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If you bite your fingernails..that's it.
You get pinworms from fomites and or food that's contaminated with eggs.
Usually from someone else that has them.
Has your mother been treated?
If not she should as often they are a family affair; that means it's prudent to treat a family for pinworms; to treat a sole individual in the family doen't work.
2007-11-15 15:24:56
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answer #7
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answered by alpla 6
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I'm a guy, and individually, I don't like long nails. I know a lot of like long, painted nails cause they're "so pretty", but I don't like them.
2017-03-01 04:31:01
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answer #8
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answered by John 3
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A little bit of nail is fine... but I agree together with you. Long nails are kinda low.
2017-01-27 07:07:26
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answer #9
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answered by ? 3
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How Do You Get Pinworms
2016-10-31 10:37:25
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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