Pinworms: Description and Symptoms
Common in children and contagious, pinworms are a parasitic disease responsible for anal itching. To avoid repeated infestations, personal hygiene measures should be associated with drug treatment. Here are some details on what they are and what the main symptoms of this condition are.
Description of pinworms
Pinworms are tiny white worms, about one centimeter in length. They live in the latter parts of the small intestine of infected persons and migrate out of the anus where the females lay their eggs. When mated, the females lay thousands of eggs at the anus, which usually causes intense itching in the anus but also in the vagina and vulva in young girls.
This is a very contagious disease, and a child who is infected easily infects those around him by contact with his dirty fingers. Moreover, it is enough for a person to touch his clothes and sheets for being contaminated. Indeed, the pinworm eggs can survive outside the human body.
The patient by scratching deposits eggs on his fingers and under his fingernails. He can thus pass the eggs to other people by the hands or by putting his fingers to his mouth, ensuring his own re-contamination, which is often the case with children. Namely, the transmission is favored by life in a community, especially the family and the school.
You can sometimes spot with the naked eye adult worms but it is better to make the diagnosis in the laboratory after detection of eggs through the application of a test tape on the anal edge.
Children between 2 and 7 years are most concerned and a child has a 40% chance of being infected by pinworms before age 10. Adults are not immune either, particularly if they are in contact with an infested child.
Symptoms of pinworms
If your child has nightmares at night, if he stirs in his chair and if he tends to scratch behind especially in the evening or at night, maybe he has pinworms. Indeed, the anal itching or vaginal itching for girls are the most common signs of the disease, together with irritability.
Similarly, abdominal pain or digestive disorders may also occur. However, symptoms are not always obvious to diagnose especially in the surroundings. Note that pinworms can be transmitted to the whole family or the community, including adults, as there is no age limit to be infected. It is very common that when a child is infested, siblings and parents are carriers of pinworms without experiencing any trouble.
The pinworm is a benign condition that can be cured with proper treatment. In this case do not hesitate to ask your doctor or pharmacist. Drug treatment is usually given to your child as a single dose and repeated during two to three weeks. As pinworms can be transmitted very easily, the treatment must be administered to the entire family the same day, and you'll see that your doctor will advise you to treat the entire family. Furthermore, it is essential to treat casual visitors as well, because they too may contaminate family members.
You should also take some measures to avoid reinfection.. Change bed linen and towels for the whole family. Be careful to wash hands before each meal, after going to the toilet or changing a baby. Mow your child's nails and have him wear a closed pyjama so that he cannot scratch with his fingers during sleep. Finally, make sure that each family member uses a separate towel.
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