The pinworm, also known as the intestinal worm (Enterobius vermicularis species), is a parasitic worm. It is an intestinal parasite commonly found in humans. Pinworm infection is known as enterobiasis in the literature and is a human parasitic disease caused by pinworms. The most common symptom among pinworm symptoms is itching in the anal area. Since pinworms lay their eggs at night, itching is observed more frequently at night, which can make it difficult to sleep.
What Causes Pinworms?
The cause of the infection is ingestion of pinworm eggs, swallowed due to environmental effects. The time elapsed between the eggs causing the formation of new eggs around the anus is 4 to 8 weeks. However, some people who are infected, that is, swallow pinworm eggs, do not show any symptoms.
Eggs initially form around the anus and can live there for up to three weeks. They can be swallowed after getting on hands, food or other items, which is the main cause of illness. Children who attend school, those who live in a healthcare facility or prison, and those who care for people who are infected may be at risk for this disease. The disease can spread between humans, but animals do not spread it. The definitive diagnosis of the disease can be made by seeing worms or eggs about one centimeter long under a microscope.
How is the Life Cycle of Pinworms?
Pinworms also have a life cycle like all living things.
- They begin to stay in humans with ingested pinworm eggs.
- The pinworm eggs hatch in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.
- The pinworm larvae that emerge from the egg grow to approximately 140 to 150 micrometers and begin their movement from the small intestine to the colon. During this movement, they molt and then become adults.
- Female pinworms live 35-91 days, male pinworms live about 49 days.
- Male and female pinworms mate in the ileum, that is, in the last part of the small intestine. After mating, male pinworms usually die and are mixed with feces and thrown out.
- Female pinworms ileum cecum (start of large intestine), root They can settle in the intestine and colon.
- After settling, they attach themselves to the mucosa and meet their nutritional needs from the colon. A pregnant female pinworm, whose body is almost completely filled with eggs, will have approximately 11,000 to 16,000 eggs.
- The egg laying process of pinworms begins approximately 35 days (five weeks) after entering the human host's body.
- It can be said that egg-bearing female pinworms travel between the colon and rectum at a speed of approximately 12-14 centimeters per hour.
- Female pinworms come out of the anus and lay their eggs as they move on the skin, then die and decompose. Or, they can be killed by people by dismembering during itching of the anus area due to their movements. The reason for the female to come out of the anus is to obtain the oxygen necessary for the maturation of the eggs.
How to Remove Pinworms?
Pinworm treatment, known among the people as pinworms reduction results more successfully through medication. Pinworm medication is the primary treatment for pinworm infection. However, regardless of the drug used, re-infection is common. Complete eradication of the parasite in a home may require repeated doses of medication for a year or more. Since the medication does not kill the eggs while killing the adult pinworms, it is recommended to take the medication again after two weeks, so that the pinworms growing from the eggs can also be killed.
If a family member is infected with pinworm infection, the chance of transmission to all family members is very high. Although drug treatment is applied individually, other family members may be in the incubation period, so all family members should be treated assuming that they also have pinworms.
Asymptomatic pinworm infection in young children can spread to the whole family. Pinworm treatment can be done by family taking drugs containing mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate or albendazole, which can usually be used with an interval of 14 days. It is recommended to wash personal items (hand towels, bedding, clothes) in hot water after each medication intake. In this way, eggs contaminated with these items can be destroyed. Treatment Afterwards, measures such as washing hands thoroughly using soap, taking a bath in the morning, changing underwear daily, keeping nails short can help prevent the recurrence of infection.
How Does the Infection Spread?
Pinworm infection, which is common all over the world, can actually be seen as the most common type of worm/worm infection in the world. School-going children are the most frequently infected among the human population. According to statistics in studies conducted in the USA (United States), one in five school-age children will have a pinworm infection at least once in their life. The transmission rates of pinworm infection among children were reported as 61% for India, 50% for England, 39% for Thailand, 37% for Sweden, and 29% for Denmark. Actions such as nail biting and finger sucking are important factors in the transmission of infection among children. Pinworm infection can affect anyone, regardless of gender, social class, race or cultural status.
Pinworm Infection in Babies
Babies can also be exposed to this disease, but this disease is rare in infants. Babies who don't crawl, don't eat solid foods, don't drink water have almost zero risk of swallowing pinworms or their eggs. Even if babies have swallowed the eggs, infection is unlikely as the baby's bottom is usually kept clean by using baby wipes at every diaper change. However, the risk of pinworms will be higher when babies begin to crawl, eat or drink. Pinworm eggs can live on some objects for up to two weeks. For this reason, babies can get worms on their hands by holding any object such as a towel or a toy, and they can swallow these eggs by putting their fingers in their mouths. In addition, pinworm eggs can be transmitted on food, and as a result of consuming these foods, pinworms can enter the body. Ingested eggs may travel to the large intestine and hatch there. Female pinworms migrate from the intestine to the anal region to lay eggs. The movement of pinworms can cause severe itching that can disrupt your baby's sleep. With severe itching, your baby may be scratching his bottom. or while you're working, the eggs may get between your nails. Then, when he puts his fingers or hands in his mouth, he may swallow the eggs again so that the infection can repeat itself.
Adult Pinworm Infection
In adults, pinworm infection can occur in babies similarly and recur. Pinworm infections do not damage the skin and pinworms cannot pass through human tissues. This situation may look different for women, because if the female pinworms emerging from the anus do not die, they may move towards the vagina and then pass into the outer opening of the uterus and into the uterine cavity. They can then move into the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and peritoneal cavity. The movement of pinworms to these areas can cause inflammation of the vulva and vagina. If the condition causes inflammation, it can cause vaginal discharge or itching of the vulva. Since pinworms reside in the intestines, they usually carry intestinal bacteria with them. According to some reports, one-third of young women with urinary tract infections have a pinworm infection.
Determining a Pinworm Infection in Babies
- Using a flashlight, illuminate the baby's bottom area and analgesic you can check the pinworms in the area and detect your doubts.
- Because pinworms lay eggs mostly at night, you can check on your baby at night or early in the morning.
- You can also find pinworms on the surface of your child's stool.
- You can also control pinworms by gently gluing the tape to the baby's bottom using a transparent tape and pulling the tape. This test is known as the "Scottish Band test".
- You can then take this sample to your child's doctor for further testing.
- Blood tests are not necessary to diagnose pinworm infections.
You can ask the expert team of Grup Florence Nightingale Hospitals about the issues you are wondering about the symptoms and treatment of pinworms, and you can ask for suggestions regarding your question. You can use the contact form on our website to reach us.
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