Pinworm is a parasitic disease caused by the human pinworm, which parasitizes the human colon. The disease occurs all over the world, it is most common in countries with a temperate and cold climate. Children get sick most often, but they can infect adults. Find out more about this disease.
Pinworm is a common intestinal parasite. Oatmeal is otherwise known as enterobiosis. Pinworms use the human body to reproduce and live. Human pinworm cannot infect other animals.
Pinworm infection – structure and life cycle of the parasite
Adult pinworms have a rounded and oblong body structure. They are white and flesh-colored. The female is much larger and visible to the naked eye. It has a size of 5-13 mm. Males are 2-5 mm long. They look like little lint of thread. They live up to 6 weeks.
Life cycle
After mating with the female, males die. Females produce hundreds of eggs. The mature female is almost full of them. It travels towards the anus. At night, it moves actively between the mucosa and the dermis, causing itching. When he is near the anus, he lays eggs there. It can also be torn apart by a person scratching himself. The eggs are in a mucous sheath, so they easily stick to the anus, underwear, fasted, and also to dust particles. The female lays eggs 15-43 days after human infection. Eggs in favorable conditions near the anus, i.e. the temperature above 37 ℃, humidity and access to oxygen for 6 hours become invasive and can infect. Moved to the oral cavity, they are swallowed, and the larvae hatch in the small intestine, which then travel to the large intestine, where after 3 moulting they turn into adults. The development cycle of pinworms is 4-6 weeks.
Symptoms
Oatosis is characterized by several symptoms, the most common of which is anal itching, especially at night.
Other characteristic symptoms include:
insomnia
annoyance
lack of appetite
hyperactivity
teeth grinding
difficulty concentrating
abdominal pain
nausea
In girls and women, females can enter the vagina, uterus and fallopian tube and cause infections.
If an infected person has a small amount of parasites, symptoms may be very mild or may not be at all.
Important!
If pinworm is detected in one member of the household, the whole family should be treated. Even if the others don’t have any symptoms.
Oatmeal – how to prevent?
Prevention of pinworms is, first of all, proper hygiene, which will allow you to get rid of parasites and reduce the risk of re-infection. Lives about 6 weeks, so any measures taken must last at least that long.
Here are some rules to follow:
all bedding (of all household members) and children’s plush toys as well as towels should be washed;
thoroughly vacuum the house daily, especially the bedrooms;
change underwear and, if possible, pajamas (you can sleep in panties during the therapy period to minimize the spreading of eggs on the sheet and make it easier to change them every day);
wipe the tops from dust with a cloth rinsed in warm water;
cut nails briefly as there may also be eggs behind them;
do not eat in the bedroom;
wash their hands before eating, after changing babies’ diapers and after using the toilet;
children can wear cotton gloves at night to prevent scratching while sleeping;
if possible, choose a shower rather than a bath;
put toothbrushes in a closed cabinet;
Pinworm – causes
The main cause of infection is poor hygiene. Eggs are transferred from the anus of an infected person to the mouth by hand-to-egg contact. The female lays eggs in the mucus, which causes itching. Automatically, the person reaches into the itchy area and carries the eggs.
Due to the fact that the eggs are microscopic, they easily float in the air. Therefore, infection is not difficult. If pinworms have been diagnosed, only strict and proper hygiene can remove pinworm eggs from your home.
How many pinworm eggs live?
Eggs can survive on the surface for up to a month. That is why it is so important to disinfect all possible surfaces.
Children are the main carrier. Poor hygiene and careless hand washing make it easy to reinfect and pass the eggs on. Children can have a very long infection because they often put their hands in their mouths while playing.
Where can you get infected?
Pinworms are found mainly in children who can carry them further in kindergarten, school. Therefore, having a child at this age, we should be constantly vigilant.
Pinworms and animals
Human pinworm cannot transfer from human to animal. However, eggs can end up on the animal’s hair, and a second person stroking the animal, after touching the eggs, can transfer them to their mouth and become infected.
Diagnosis of pinworms
Various methods can be used to diagnose.
Tape test
Cellophane tape is used for the test. A piece of tape is placed on the skin in the anal area and then checked under a microscope. Keep the tape overnight and return it to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Visual method
A sick person can diagnose pinworm himself by observing feces. If you see tiny, white, moving threads on your stools, this may indicate.
Stool examination
You can also provide a stool sample for analysis. During the test, the laboratory technician will check if there are any parasites and will also check the stool microscopically for the presence of eggs.
Pinworm – treatment
Oatmeal can be treated with drugs that will kill the worms. If the pinworm is advanced, you may need to repeat treatment. Medicines are available over the counter as tablets or suspensions. This drug is Pyrantelum.
Home remedies for pinworms:
You can try to get rid of intruders using home remedies, but it may turn out to be insufficient and lengthy. You can eat pickles (cabbage and pickled cucumbers, and cabbage and cucumber juice). The second method is to eat pumpkin seeds
