The pinworm is a small, white, slender worm-like intestinal parasite. It is approximately 2-13 mm in size. It is the most common parasitic infection in the world and is more common in childhood. It lives in the parts of the intestine after the small intestine, especially in the rectum, the last part of the large intestine, and in areas close to the anus. Young children and families with young children are at risk of pinworm infection. Children often carry the parasite home from nursery or school. While a person with a pinworm sleeps, the female parasite comes out of the anus and lays its eggs in the area around the anus. The presence of eggs causes itching and irritation around the anus. The eggs that get under the nails of the child who scratches the area with his nails are carried to his bed, sheets, toys, the head of the taps where he washes his hands, in short, everywhere he holds on. Eggs maintain their viability for about two weeks where they are transported, and they remain viable for about three weeks in humid environments. Other family members who infect their hands with the eggs become infected when they put their hands to their mouths, which means they are also infected with the parasite. The eggs hatch in the small intestine and the larvae are shed into the environment. Larvae mature in the large intestine. Apart from the anus, pinworms can also be seen in the female genital area. The main complaint of the patient is the indispensable desire for itching in the anus or genital area. The patient complains of loss of appetite, fatigue, insomnia, irritability and hypersensitivity. Intestinal malabsorption - diarrhea, bedwetting in the child, and even convulsions similar to epilepsy may occur. As a result of itching, there may be discharge in the genital area due to bacterial infection. The most definitive diagnosis is made by seeing pinworms in the patient's stool. The patient sometimes drops the parasite in the bathroom. In cases where the parasite cannot be seen with the naked eye, parasite eggs are collected from the stool under a microscope. Another method is to stick a special adhesive tape to the anal area to ensure that the parasite eggs stick to the tape. Eggs adhering to the tape are seen under the microscope. Microscopic examination can also be performed on scraping samples taken from under the nails.
Your doctor selects the appropriate medication for the treatment of pinworms. However, the parasite is very stubborn. The recovered patient can easily recover may be infected. The patient may infect himself again due to eggs settling under the nails. Therefore the treatment must be repeated. If pinworms are seen in a family, all members of that family should be treated even if they have no complaints.
What should be done to protect against pinworms?
-Hands should be washed very well and even brushed after handling objects such as bedding (duvet cover, sheets, pillow cases, etc.), diapers, underwear and taps.
-You should be extremely careful about cleaning under your nails, if you have one, you should give up the habit of biting your nails,
-Dresses, especially underwear, should be washed very frequently, and after washing, the areas between the panties should be ironed with a hot iron.
Dear readers, I wish you a disease-free, problem-free, healthy and happy life.
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