Pinworms are worms that are very small and can infect humans. Generally, a person will become infected after accidentally ingesting worm eggs. After that, the worms will multiply in the intestine and grow into adult worms. Then, the female worm will migrate towards the anus via the fecal-oral route, lay eggs there, and the life cycle of the worm will continue thereafter. In order to get rid of pinworms quickly and effectively, make sure you take medical treatment and adhere to strict hygiene rules at home.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Taking Drugs
Step 1. Take one dose of anti-worm medicine
Most likely, your doctor will prescribe an anthelmintic or recommend an over-the-counter anthelmintic that you can easily buy at the pharmacy. Some examples of anti-worm drugs that are commonly recommended are Mebendazole, Pyrantel permeate, and Albendazole. Generally, patients are asked to take one dose of anti-worm medicine according to the instructions for use as instructed by the doctor, and wait for two weeks to see the results.
Antiworm medicine works by killing all adult worms and leaving only the worm eggs in your system
Step 2. After two weeks, take another dose of anthelmintic
Generally, your doctor will ask you to take another dose of anthelmintic after two weeks to get rid of the newly hatched worms. Remember, the gap of two weeks is very important. At that time, the worm will enter a new life cycle. Therefore, taking the anti-worm medicine again after two weeks is effective in eradicating all the remaining worms in your body!
Step 3. Treat everyone in your household
Since pinworms can easily pass from one person to another, it is likely that the doctor will ask everyone who lives in the patient's household to take two doses of an anthelmintic. Remember, prevention is always better than cure. Surely you don't want the hassle of treating a new person who has a similar infection when the person who was actually infected has recovered, right?
Step 4. Understand that taking medication is generally the most effective step, especially for children
While it's technically possible to get rid of pinworms by maintaining strict hygiene for six weeks (since the life cycle of pinworms is six weeks), it's likely that you won't be able to fully adhere to the recommended hygiene standards, especially if you have small children in your household.
- Therefore, it's best to stick to drugs that are generally able to eradicate the infection in just two weeks.
- In addition, keep clean to prevent the infection from happening again to you and those closest to you.
Part 2 of 3: Keeping the House Clean
Step 1. Understand the spread of pinworms
You will catch pinworms if you come into contact with an infected person, and/or touch objects that may be contaminated with worm eggs such as toilet seats, bed sheets, etc. That's why you need to take extra steps to maintain cleanliness at home to prevent the risk of spreading pinworms, while providing a safe and healthy living environment for family members who have been infected.
Step 2. Clean the toilet seat every day
Since worms lay their eggs around the anus, make sure you always clean the toilet seat at least once a day to prevent your risk of re-infection with pinworm eggs and prevent other people from contaminating the same thing. Clean the toilet seat with water and the cleaner you normally use, and always wear gloves to keep your hands clean.
Step 3. Wash your hands regularly, especially if you have been infected
In particular, make sure you always wash your hands before and after eating, and/or before and after preparing food and using the toilet. Doing so will kill the worms more quickly and prevent the spread of the infection.
Step 4. Change sheets at least twice a week
To effectively get rid of pinworms and prevent them from multiplying, make an effort to change and wash your sheets regularly. Also, wash your pajamas, nightwear, or other clothes that you often wear for the same reason. Doing so is effective in clearing worm eggs and stopping their life cycle, as well as speeding up your recovery process.
Step 5. Do not scratch the skin around the anus
Since female worms migrate into the anus and lay eggs in that area, it is more likely that the skin around the anus will feel itchy and irritated. Everyone, especially children, will be tempted to scratch the area to reduce the itching that appears. However, understand that this is the worst thing to do, especially since your hands will immediately become contaminated with worm eggs and risk spreading the infection to any object you touch afterwards. To prevent the spread of worm eggs and pinworm infection, do not scratch the area around the anus!
Do not also apply creams or itching medicine to the anal to reduce itching or irritation that appears. Doing so can encourage female worms to lay eggs in higher places, such as in the rectum or colon, and make your condition worse
Part 3 of 3: Diagnosing Pinworms
Step 1. Recognize the symptoms of a pinworm infection
The earlier the infection is detected, the more effective prevention and treatment steps you can take. Some of the common symptoms of pinworm infection are:
- The appearance of itching and irritation around the anus
- The appearance of symptoms of irritation or infection on the skin around the anus (especially in children, who are more prone to scratching the area and are at risk of infection through the peeling layer of skin)
- Difficulty sleeping due to an itchy anus
- Easily angered due to lack of sleep and an itchy anus
- Sometimes, itching or irritation of the vagina. In rare cases, the female worm will enter the vagina instead of the anus).
Step 2. Perform the "duct tape test
" If you suspect someone in your household has a pinworm infection, contact your doctor immediately. As explained earlier, early diagnosis and treatment is the key to effectively eradicating the infection. In the tape test procedure, the doctor will ask you to apply tape to the skin around the anus. After that, remove the tape, put it in a plastic bag, and hand it over to the doctor. Then, the doctor will observe the tape under a microscope to detect the presence or absence of worm eggs. If worm eggs are found on the tape, it means you have been shown to have a pinworm infection.
- Do a masking tape test in the morning, before you shower or use the toilet.
- Always wear gloves and wash your hands before and after to prevent worm eggs from spreading. Also make sure the tape doesn't come into contact with any objects afterwards!
Step 3. See a doctor if someone in your household has a pinworm infection
Even if you don't get an official diagnosis, your doctor will most likely ask you to take medication and follow the hygiene instructions you're given if that's the case. Remember, your risk of getting the same infection is quite high. Therefore, there is no harm in taking the necessary preventive and treatment steps before regretting it!
