For simple pinworm cases, you usually see a pharmacist for over-the-counter medicine and your GP for diagnosis if needed, but you might go to urgent care if symptoms are severe (worse itching, redness, pain), especially if you have a young child or if infection is recurrent, though most cases are manageable at home or with a family doctor. Urgent care can provide diagnosis and prescriptions but often requires follow-up with a primary care physician for the full household treatment plan.
Please consider visiting one of our urgent care centers if your child experiences the symptoms of pinworm infection!
Call Your Doctor If:
Pinworm is seen (white, ¼ inch or 6 mm, and moves) Anal itching lasts more than 1 week. You think your child needs to be seen.
If the pinworm infection is compromising the pregnancy (i.e., weight loss, sleeplessness) then treatment can be considered, but it should be withheld until the 3rd trimester when the risk, if any, to the fetus is likely to be reduced. Breastfeeding should not be withheld during mebendazole therapy.
One type of medicine called pyrantel pamoate is sold without a prescription. It's the preferred treatment for pregnant people and children under 2 years old. The most common prescription anti-parasite medicines for pinworms are: Mebendazole (Emverm).
Untreated people can continue to infect other people. For more information about the treatment of pinworm, contact your health care provider or visit CDC - Enterobiasis - Treatment .
Pinworm eggs can cling to surfaces indoors for up to 3 weeks. This includes the surfaces of toys, faucets, bedding and toilet seats. Clean these items often.
❖ 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. ❖ Change and wash underwear, nightwear (and bed linen if possible) each day.
Pinworm eggs are infective within a few hours after being deposited on the skin. They can survive up to two (2) weeks on clothing, bedding, or other objects. The pinworms grow to adult size within two (2) to six (6) weeks. Pinworm infections can be spread as long as either worms or eggs are present.
Infection can happen to anyone, regardless of a child's home hygiene. Despite the unsavoury reputation, a pinworm infection is relatively harmless and can be easily treated.
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.
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 suspect that you have a parasitic infection, seek medical help immediately. Your healthcare provider can diagnose the infection and prescribe treatment that will kill the parasites, which often includes involve taking medication orally or applying a topical ointment.
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.
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.
To help prevent spread within the home, when pinworms are identified in one family member, use these precautions: Treat any person who sleeps in the same bed as the infected child. Treat non-bed sharing family members only if they have symptoms. Treat all family members who develop symptoms.
If your child has a pinworm infection, the doctor will recommend an over-the-counter or prescription antiworm medicine. This is given in one dose, then repeated in 2 weeks. The doctor may decide to treat the entire family, especially if your child has had a pinworm infection before.
Fortunately, pinworms are easily treated with anti-parasitic medication, which is available by prescription or over the counter. 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.
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.
People with pinworms shouldn't bathe with others until the infection is gone. Care for your fingernails: To avoid transferring the eggs, keep your fingernails clean and trimmed. Work on quitting if you bite your nails. Avoid touching the anal area: Tell your child not to touch or scratch the affected area.
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.
Reinfection does happen with pinworm
Reinfection can happen by touching surfaces that have already been contaminated with pinworm eggs by another person. Eggs are swallowed, usually after hand-to-mouth contact, and the pinworm infection begins again.
Promptly wash used bed linen, all clothing, towels and washcloths in hot water with detergent. Vacuum carpets and floors well. Wash the canister or change the vacuum cleaner's bag after each use. Seal the bag before throwing it away.
Pyrantel (Reese's Pinworm Medicine, Pin-X, and others) - Uses, Side Effects, and More. Overview: Pyrantel is used to get rid of pinworms. Common side effects can include stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and dizziness.