Although medicine takes care of the
What to Expect: After taking the pinworm medicine, itching should stop in 5 to 7 days.
Tell your pediatrician that you are treating the worms, Dr. Ratner said. If the infection doesn't go away after over-the-counter treatment, it's time for a pediatrician visit and possibly a prescription for a medication called Albendazole.
Pinworm eggs continue to be present (excreted) in the feces of an infected person for up to a week after the treatment, so precautions should be taken to prevent reinfection by washing hands thoroughly, especially under the nails. Bathe daily. Change and wash clothing and bedding frequently.
The medication does not reliably kill pinworm eggs. Therefore, the second dose is to prevent re-infection by adult worms that hatch from any eggs not killed by the first treatment.
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.
Treatment involves two doses of medication with the second dose being given 2 weeks after the first dose.
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.
In the morning, before your child goes to the bathroom or washes up, put the sticky side of a piece of clear tape around the anus. Remove the tape and look for pinworms or their eggs. You can also buy a tape test kit at the pharmacy. If you do not find pinworms, do the tape test 2 more mornings in a row, to be sure.
Pinworm eggs can cling to surfaces, including toys, faucets, bedding and toilet seats, for two weeks.
To treat pinworm infection, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pyrantel pamoate or prescribe medication to all members of your household to prevent infection and reinfection. The most common prescription anti-parasite medications for pinworms are: Mebendazole. Albendazole (Albenza)
Most pinworm infections are mild and easily treated. Your doctor may prescribe a single chewable tablet of a medicine called mebendazole. A second tablet is taken about 3 weeks later if the infection isn't cured. Or your doctor may recommend another kind of medicine called pyrantel, which is taken as a single dose.
The key is to break the 6-week cycle of pinworm reinfection by killing any live pinworms and preventing the ingestion of eggs. A diagnosis should be confirmed before treating with medications. Medications kill only the adult worms and have no effect on developing eggs and larvae.
While serious complications are rare, pinworms can lead to: Bacterial infections: When the infected person scratches the anal area, the skin can bleed and become infected. Urinary tract infections (UTIs): In females, the worms can travel to the vagina and cause infections.
The most common symptom of infection is anal itching, particularly at night, as worms migrate to the host's anal area to lay their eggs.
The common residence of the adult pinworm is the large intestine, where it attaches to the cecum and appendix. Following mating, the gravid female must lay as many as 16,000 eggs. They live for an average of eight to 13 weeks.
A pinworm is a white, very thin worm about 1/4 inch long that moves. If it doesn't wiggle, it's probably lint or a thread. Pinworms usually are seen in the anal and buttock area, especially at night or early in the morning. Sometimes a pinworm is found on the surface of a bowel movement.
The worm has a lifespan of about six weeks, therefore the strict hygiene needs to last that long.
For the itching, wash the skin around the anus with warm water. For severe itch, use 1% hydrocortisone cream (such as Cortaid) 2 times per day. Use for 1 or 2 days. No prescription is needed.
Medication kills the worms, but not their eggs, which can survive for two weeks. Therefore, you also need strict hygiene measures for two weeks after taking medication to prevent you from swallowing eggs which may cause a new infection.
The medicine should start to work straight away but it may take several days to kill all the worms. It's important to take the medicine as a pharmacist or doctor tells you. Do not stop early if you have been told to take it for several days.
If you have threadworms (also called pinworms) you'll usually take a single dose. If you live with anyone else, they will need to be treated at the same time because threadworms can spread easily. A doctor or pharmacist may suggest you repeat the dose after 2 weeks to stop you from getting threadworms again.
How do you stop pinworms from itching at night? You can try washing your anal area using lukewarm water with some soap, or apply any anti-fungal cream or ointment suggested to you by your doctor. Coconut oil might also reduce the symptoms of itching.