Pinworm Infection
(Enterobiasis; Oxyuriasis)
What is pinworm infection?
Pinworms are parasites that usually infect children, though adults can get them too. The pinworms live in the intestine and lay their eggs in the skin around the anus, causing itching.
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Itching around the anus is a symptom of pinworms
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Children who suck their thumbs have a greater risk of getting pinworms because they're more likely to swallow pinworm eggs
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If you suspect your child has pinworms, you may be able to spot the worms by looking with a flashlight around your child's anus at night—they are small, white, and wriggly
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Doctors treat pinworms with 2 doses of anti-parasite medicine
What causes pinworm infection?
Pinworm infection is caused by tiny worms that get in your intestines.
The eggs make your anus itch. When you scratch, you get the pinworm eggs under your fingernails and can spread them to other people. The eggs also get on your bedsheets and can infect people. Pinworms are more common in children because they don't wash their hands as much as adults.
What are the symptoms of pinworm infection?
How can doctors tell if I have pinworm infection?
If doctors think your child may have pinworms, they usually ask you to look for pinworms or their eggs:
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Check for adult pinworms around your child's anus about 1 or 2 hours after your child goes to sleep—the pinworms are white, wriggly, and hair-thin, but you can see them with your naked eye
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Pat a sticky strip of tape around your child's anus first thing in the morning to pick up any eggs—take the tape to your doctor's office to be looked at under a microscope
