Pinworms: Human Parasites

Nobody likes parasites, especially when they're crawling around your rear end. That's exactly what pinworms, or Enterobius vermicularis, do. They are nasty little white worms that thrive in the intestines and are about a quarter inch long. They eat part of the food that passes through the intestines. The female worms will come out of the intestines while the infected person is sleeping and lay their eggs outside, around the anus. People get pinworms by accidentally ingesting them. This can happen when the eggs are dropped onto other surfaces and then someone touches the surface and picks up the eggs. Since children are not too aware of cleanliness and unsafe habits, they tend to get the infections more often. Then the children can pass the worms onto adults or siblings, or in a preschool situation, to other children. The eggs are easily spread when someone scratches their rear end and gets some of the eggs lodged under their fingernails.

The eggs can live for some time in the open, perhaps as long as a couple of weeks, and get onto almost anything, including clothing, sheets and blankets, toys and especially underwear. After someone ingests the eggs, they hatch relatively quickly and move back into the intestines. An infected person can, of course, keep reinfecting themselves by this method. As you might imagine, the symptoms include scratching around the anus due to itching and irritability. If the infection is severe, the person might begin to exhibit stronger symptoms like anorexia and inability to sleep very well. Sleep deprivation can also lead to irritability.

Pinworms are actually very common, primarily among school children. Doctors can diagnose infections easily by examining the anus for signs of eggs. A sticky film can be pressed against the area and if eggs are seen stuck to the surface, then medicine can be given to kill the worms. Even after treatment, a person can easily become reinfected. If this happens, there must be a source of eggs somewhere. All bedding and clothing, especially underwear, should be washed each day. If infection continues, then there could be a longer dose of medicine available that's spread out over several weeks. It's important to make sure children wash their hands after going to the bathroom or before eating anything. Since the eggs can get under the fingernails, biting nails as a nervous habit should be discouraged. Sadly, not all infected people show symptoms and could pass on the parasites without realizing it. But regardless, cleanliness and care should be taken to avoid infection and at the first sign of symptoms, an examination should be performed and treatment sought right away.