Pinworm infection

Pinworms are a type of parasite that lives in the digestive system of humans. They are common throughout the world.

Adult pinworms are about 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) long and look like little white threads. Pinworm eggs are so tiny, you'd need a microscope to see them.

Many people with pinworms don't have symptoms and don't know that they're infected. When symptoms occur, the most common ones are:

• Itching around the anus.
• Restless sleep, because itching is often worse at night.

Pinworms can be annoying. But they don't carry disease, and they rarely cause serious health problems. Sometimes people get a skin infection from scratching.

To find out if you have pinworms, your doctor will ask about your past health and check the skin around your anus.

The doctor may ask you to do a transparent tape test at home. To do the test, you press a piece of clear, sticky tape on the skin around your anus in the morning before you get up. The doctor will put the tape under a microscope to look for pinworm eggs. You might need to repeat this test a few times.

You can treat pinworms with over-the-counter or prescription medicine that kills the worms. Treatment can help keep you from getting infected again and from spreading the infection to other people.

You will probably need two doses, 2 weeks apart. That's because the medicine kills the worms but not the eggs. The second dose will kill any worms that hatch after the first treatment.

Pinworm medicine may not be safe for children younger than 2 and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. So to reduce their risk of infection, a doctor may recommend that all other household members be treated with medicine.

• Take your medicine exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you have any problems with your medicine.
• Wash your hands well and often.
• Cut your fingernails short, and keep them trimmed. This can prevent eggs from sticking under your nails.
• Wash all clothes, towels, and bedding in hot water. Do this often, and especially on the first day after treatment. Dry them in a heated dryer.
• Do not scratch. Itching around the anus caused by a pinworm infection usually happens at night. Try wearing gloves, pajamas, and close-fitting clothing to help prevent scratching.
• Bathe carefully every day. Be sure to clean the skin around the anus. This will remove pinworm eggs. Showers may be better than baths because you have less chance of getting water that has pinworm eggs into your mouth.
• Do not fan or fluff the bedding of a person with pinworms. Doing this can release pinworm eggs into the air. You can swallow eggs that are in the air when you breathe.