Yes, you can have pinworms and not know it, as many infections are mild or symptom-free, but the most common sign is intense itching around the anus, especially at night, which disrupts sleep and can lead to skin irritation. You might also notice tiny, white, thread-like worms on skin, underwear, or bedding, or experience restlessness, stomach pain, or teeth grinding.
First, try looking for small gray worms around your child's anal area while they sleep at night. The other method is the ``Scotch tape'' test. Place a piece of tape around the anal area to trap the pinworms on the tape. This is the best way to confirm their presence. Pinworms are easily treated with an oral medication.
Symptoms of pinworm infection are usually mild, and some people have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, it is typically itching around the anus. Female pinworms lay their eggs at night on the skin around the anus, which can cause the skin to itch. Some infected people have difficulty sleeping or restlessness.
It takes 2 to 8 weeks from the time a person is exposed until symptoms start. As long as eggs are present. Eggs can cause infection even when they have been outside the body for as long as 2 to 3 weeks. Recommend parents/guardians call their healthcare provider if they suspect pinworms.
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.
Symptoms of a pinworm infection can include:
Taking a parasite test.
Various kits are now available that allow you to take a stool sample and send it to a lab for analysis and your healthcare provider can order this test for you.
Pinworm Treatment and Risks
If left untreated, a pinworm infection typically won't cause any serious problems, according to Shirley. In rare cases, the worms may enter the vagina and cause a discharge in girls. Or the excess scratching can cause a bacterial infection.
You can spot threadworms in your poo. They look like pieces of white thread. You might also see them around your child's bottom (anus). The worms usually come out at night while your child is sleeping.
Pinworms look small, thin and grayish-white, like little pieces of thread. This is why they're sometimes called threadworms. You may also find them wriggling in underwear or bedsheets. If your child has many pinworms, they may appear in their stool (poop) or on toilet paper, but this is rare.
Adults are rarely affected, except for parents of infected children. Infection often occurs in more than one family member. While an infected person sleeps, female pinworms crawl out of the anus and lay their eggs on the surrounding skin.
If you have pinworms, you might see the worms in the toilet after you go to the bathroom. They look like tiny pieces of white thread. You also might see them on your underwear when you wake up in the morning. But the pinworm eggs are too tiny to be seen without a microscope.
Pinworms are easily treated with an oral medication.
Your doctor will likely recommend that all family members take the medication because you can have pinworms without symptoms. Wash all linens and clothing in hot water; this helps eliminate pinworm eggs.
Treatment for a pinworm infection involves taking anti-parasite medicine that helps kill the worms. Your healthcare professional may recommend that you and any other people in your home take the medicine. One type of medicine called pyrantel pamoate is sold without a prescription.
Pinworm infections often produce no symptoms but, when they occur, symptoms can include:
Usually children with pinworms have no symptoms. Some children get very itchy around the anus and vagina, especially at night. If the infection is bad, your child can lose sleep and become cranky.
The main symptom caused by worms is itching in around your anus (bottom). This gets worse at night. Other symptoms may include: feeling irritable.
What are the symptoms of pinworms? They are usually harmless and produce no symptoms except severe anal itching. This itching can sometimes cause nervousness and irritability during the day and restlessness and difficulty in sleeping during the night.
Malaria Parasite (Plasmodium)
Not only a killer parasite, but one of the world's biggest killers, the malaria parasite is responsible for around 600,000 deaths a year.
Pinworm eggs can also be transferred to the fingers from clothing or bedding, and then spread around the home. Eggs may be inhaled from the air or deposited onto food and swallowed. Pinworms can survive up to two weeks on clothing, bedding or other objects, if kept at room temperature.
10 Warning Signs of Parasitic Infections
Please consider visiting one of our urgent care centers if your child experiences the symptoms of pinworm infection!
Some, but not all, parasitic infections can be detected by testing your blood. Blood tests look for a specific parasite infection; there is no blood test that will look for all parasitic infections.