Pinworms in a child cause unpleasant symptoms. Your baby is irritable, has dark circles under his eyes, complains of headaches, sleeps badly, and wakes up at night complaining of itching around the anus. Pinworms are parasites that are very easy to catch. What are pinworms and how is pinworms treated?

Pinworms( Enterobius vermicularis , syn.Oxyuris vermicularis ) belong to the nematode type and they triggerpinworm . The disease is spread by dirty hands and unwashed fruit, everyday items, as well as dirty linen, bed linen and shared towels. Pinworm eggs can also be found in house dust, in the air of air-conditioned rooms (then we get infected through the respiratory tract), but above all in the sandbox and on the beach. These parasites most often attack children, but they also occur in adults who do not wash their hands often. Teachers, employees of hospital children's wards, classroom staff and cleaners are exposed to pinworms.

What do pinworms look like?

Owsik is a parasite from the group of nematodes. It is white and appears transparent. The female is about 1 cm long and 4 mm wide. The male is much smaller and is difficult to see with the naked eye.

Pinworms start their life in the small intestine, from where they move first to the ileum and then to the cecum. Here they feed and reach a mature form. Adult females travel towards the anus at night to lay their eggs. They come out and crawl over the skin of the perineum. The child then scratches himself, transmitting the infection.

Pinworm larvae hatch after 6 hours and return via the large intestine to the abdominal cavity. The female pinworm, although it only lives for 20 to 30 days, can lay as many as 11,000 eggs at a time.

Faecal examination and diagnosis of pinworms

Sometimespinworms in childrendon't show any symptoms. Most often, however, pinworms cause annoying itching around the anus, which is why children tend to be restless, sometimes wet at night, and even have trouble at school because they cannot concentrate. They also have no appetite and usually gain little weight.

In girls, the larvae can cause vaginitis, cervicitis and salpingitis.

Mature parasites also nest in the appendix and can cause appendicitis. The most dangerous complications are pinworms,which enter the peritoneal cavity and form tumors there, the so-called granulomas.

Single larvae are hard to see, but when they multiply excessively, white, lively, 1-centimeter worms are clearly visible in the baby's feces. If you see them, go to the pediatrician immediately with your baby. 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. Faeces are also examined to exclude the presence of other parasites.

Pinworms at home - hygienic regime

  • children should not sleep with adults
  • we change our underwear every day
  • we put on tight panties for the child at night to make scratching difficult
  • we cook nightwear every day
  • cook and iron towels and cloths every day
  • furniture and the floor should be wiped thoroughly when wet; and after each cleaning, boil a cloth

Pinworms - treatment

If onlypinworms are detected in the child , everyone in the house must undergo treatment anyway. Depending on the preparation, the treatment is repeated after 7, 15 or 20 days. After that, the swab is usually done again. If your child is only bothered by itching, rinse them with soap and water and apply some sudocream on the dry skin.

When it is inflamed, do not use soap as it irritates, but use chamomile or oak bark infusions. Then we do not wipe the skin, but gently dry it. We can apply a powder backfill.

In the family menu, you need to increase the amount of fiber-rich foods, i.e. vegetables and fruits. Regular bowel movements will allow you to get rid of pinworms and their larvae faster.

Pinworms - how to avoid infection?

  • Wash your hands after returning home, before each meal and after leaving the toilet; make sure the children do the same.
  • Cut their nails short.
  • Discourage children from biting their nails, licking their fingers, or holding pens in their mouths.
  • Wash your children in the morning and before going to bed with soap and water.
  • Scrub toys with soap and rinse under running water, especially those taken outside.

Read also:

  • Pumpkin seeds: a homemade way to deworm kids and adults
  • Gastrointestinal parasites: symptoms
  • Tasiemczyca - a rare zoonotic disease
  • Lamblia (lamblia infection) - a nuisance for preschoolers
  • Pinworms in adults
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Category:

Parasitic diseases