The itching from the pinworms might wake you up in the middle of the night and make you squirm a lot. So if you're itchy and sore on your bottom, tell your mom or dad. And if you see worms in your underwear or in the toilet, you should tell a parent right away.
Pinworm infection (called enterobiasis or oxyuriasis) causes itching around the anus which can lead to difficulty sleeping and restlessness.
Symptoms and Causes
Sleeplessness: Because anal itching is worse at night, people suffering from a pinworm infection can have trouble sleeping, which can lead to decreased concentration, tiredness and weight loss.
The eggs pass into the digestive system, where they hatch. About 1 to 2 months later, adult female pinworms lay eggs on the skin right around the anus, which makes the area itchy. Often, this happens at night.
Threadworms often go unnoticed by people who have them. However, they can cause intense itching around the anus (and the vagina in girls), particularly at night when the female worms are laying eggs. This can disturb sleep.
Parasites can contribute to insomnia.
You might have a parasite or be suffering from chronic fatigue, which is often linked to a parasite. Parasites can cause many symptoms, and the most common one is insomnia.
It is especially active at night or early morning. Rarely, the pinworm is seen on the surface of a stool. The pinworm's secretions are a strong skin irritant and cause the itching.
So many of us or our family members have experienced this relatively mild though distressing infection. Pinworm is the most common worm infection in North America with up to 50% of some groups of school aged children getting infected.
Treatment for pinworm infection
Medication is available to kill the worms and this is usually prescribed for the person who is infected and all other members of the household. One dose may be followed up with a second dose 2 weeks later to take care of any surviving worms.
Altered communication of the gut-brain axis has been linked to behavioral disorders, mood disturbances, depression and anxiety, as well as issues with learning and memory. As pinworms are nocturnal, their night time activity results in restlessness, itching, irritation and an overall poor sleep quality.
Parasites Come Awake At Nighttime
Over a 24-hour period, these parasites can be more dormant in the daytime, but start to come awake during nighttime (2-3 am). When they become active, it can create a stress response in your body that increases inflammation, cortisol, and adrenaline – stimulating the body to wake up.
They can be found in house dust, on toilet seats, bed linens and toys and in play areas in or outside the home. Although pinworms only grow in humans, the eggs can be carried in a pet's fur. Pinworms are harmless but annoying. They spread easily to others.
Wash bedsheets, pajamas, underwear, washcloths and towels in hot water to help kill pinworm eggs. Dry on high heat.
Pinworms can survive up to two weeks on clothing, bedding or other objects, if kept at room temperature.
Do not scratch. Itching around the anus caused by a pinworm infection usually happens at night. Try wearing gloves, pyjamas, and close-fitting clothing to help prevent scratching.
Although not all infected people will have symptoms, many will experience itching around the rectum. Some females may also experience itching in the genital area. How soon do symptoms appear? Symptoms usually are noticed one to two months after infection.
Chlorine dioxide gas inactivates pinworm eggs in a non-invasive and non-corrosive manner.
If you are self-treating for pinworms, take the medication once only. Do not repeat the dose without talking with your doctor first. Depending on the type of worm infection you have, your doctor may direct you to take the medication only once or for several days.
Wash hands and scrub nails each morning. Always wash hands before meals or snacks, before preparing food, and after going to the toilet or changing nappies. ❖ Every morning have a bath, or wash around the anus, to get rid of any eggs laid overnight. You must do this straight away after getting up from bed.
Call Your Doctor If:
Pinworm is seen. Skin around the anus gets red or tender. Anal itching lasts more than 1 week. You think your child needs to be seen.
In order to stop the spread of pinworm and possible re-infection, people who are infected should shower every morning to help remove a large amount of the eggs on the skin. Showering is a better method than taking a bath, because showering avoids potentially contaminating the bath water with pinworm eggs.
The most common symptoms of a threadworm can include: An itchy bottom. General irritability and behavioural changes. Trouble sleeping, or restless sleep, sometimes resulting in bed-wetting.
Even though the majority of pinworm cases are symptomless, children with heavy pinworm infections often suffer from irritability and loss of appetite, nausea, insomnia, bed-wetting, nightmares, grinding of the teeth, diarrhea, pruritus ani, catarrhal inflammation, pruritus vulvae, recurrent cellulitis, and endometritis ...