Worm, which causes pinworms, is a typical disease of dirty hands, affecting mainly children, but also adults. Pinworm is a typically human parasitic disease, pinworms live in the large intestine, they reproduce very easily and quickly, therefore pinworm is very contagious. What are the symptoms of this parasitosis? How to recognize pinworm and how to treat it?

Sheep(enterobiosis, Latinenterobiosis ,oxyuriasis ) is a common parasitic disease, caused by the nematode - human pinworm ( Enterobius vermicularis ). It doesn't take much to get sick with pinworm.

Pinworms are most often found in large groups of children.

You only need one person infected with the nematode, unwashed hands, vegetables not rinsed sufficiently or chewing gum removed from the mouth with your fingers for pinworms to conquer new territories. They live in the human large intestine, which they get through the alimentary tract, or on the border of the large and small intestine, sometimes they settle in the appendix, rarely in the genitourinary tract. They eat what shifts in the intestines, and pinworms' main job is to multiply. Female pinworms dominate and live about 4 weeks. Males die immediately after fulfilling the procreation obligation. Females, when their host falls asleep deeply, crawl through the anus and lay eggs in the folds of the skin. After just four hours, a new army of pinworms is ready to conquer the intestines.

What are the symptoms of pinworms?

Symptoms of pinworms are characteristic:

  • anal itching
  • loss of appetite
  • nervousness
  • restlessness and excitement (manifested by teeth grinding)
  • anemia sometimes

Pain in the area of ​​the anus may appear - it may be caused by bacterial superinfection of the wounds resulting from scratching itchy areas.

Please note that about 1/3 of pinworm cases do not have obvious symptoms.

In the case of advanced, untreated pinworms, serious complications can occur, such as chronic colitis, vaginitis, uterine inflammation, and salpingitis, and appendicitis (experts disagree in the latter case).

The most dangerous complications are pinworms that enter the peritoneal cavity and form tumors there.granulomas.

When a child is infected with intestinal parasites

Sheep: recognition

The diagnosis of early stage pinworms is not easy - individual larvae are difficult to spot, but when they multiply excessively, white, vigorously moving 1-centimeter worms are clearly visible in the stool. The doctor should order the so-called smear. Then, from the area of ​​the anus, the discharge is collected for examination under a microscope with a special stick ending in a moistened cellophane. You can also test the cellophane tape at home - you put an adhesive tape on the anus with the sticky side to collect any parasite eggs. It is important to download them before going to the toilet in the morning. Faeces are also examined to exclude the presence of other parasites.

Pinworm treatment

The most effective treatment of pinworms is the use of antiparasitic drugs prescribed by a doctor - it consists in administering a single dose of mebendazole, albendazole or pyrantel. Since the drugs are effective only on adult pinworms, treatments must be repeated to kill the parasites that were eggs at the time of the first dose. And yes, the pyrantel treatment is repeated after 2 weeks, and the albendazole and mebendazole treatment after a month.

Pharmacological therapy can be supported with folk methods, i.e. giving the child pumpkin seeds to eat and, if he wants to swallow it, pickled cucumber juice to drink. All household members should undergo treatment against pinworms, because the parasite is extremely contagious. You also have to change and wash your bed linen and towels every day, and don't forget to wash your hands very often.

Category:

Parasitic diseases