A pinworms infestation is often signposted by an itchy bottom.

The parasite makes its home in the intestine of the host, i.e. you. It is a very common infestation amongst children as well as adults and once one person in your home has been infected the whole family must be treated, click here for pinworms treatment options

How Can I Get Rid of Pinworms?

There are plenty of cures for pinworms click here for pinworms treatment options. Chewable tablets and flavored medicine suitable for children and adults can kill off pinworms. However pinworm eggs will be present in the home and these are harder to get rid of. They have a long lifecycle of around 30 days so can survive lon enough to hatch and re-infect a treated person.

Vacum beds every morning, put pyjamas into the laundry every morning. If this is too costly get your kids to wear COTTON panties at night and wash these every day. The should be cotton so that they do not cause sweating.

Wash all kitchen surfaces, make sure everybody has their own bathroom towel and keep toothbrushes seperate and in a cupboard. Ensure everyone in the home takes the pinworm medicine, even if they are not sure they are infected.

Make sure everybody washes their hands before eating and avoid buying foods that need to be eaten using fingers like ribs for example. The idea is to get everyone eating with a knife and fork. Once the pinworms have gone and been gone for 30 days you can go back to finger foods. .

Pinworms Life-cycle

Pinworms enter the digestive system through the mouth and make their way to the gut. Females make their way to the anus to lay their eggs, usually at night and this process causes itching. The pinworms eggs are transferred to the fingers ready to be transferred to surfaces or back into the mouth.

Left untreated an infestation of pinworms can cause loss of weight, lack of appetite and sleepless nights.

Pinworms laying their eggs causes an itchy bottom in children.

The symptom of an itchy bottom is caused as the worms lay their eggs, usually at night, and when the eggs are laid the worms also produce an irritating mucus.

If the anus is scratched the eggs can be transferred to other areas of the home and eventually go on to infect other family members.

A poor hygiene routine is the most common cause of pinworms which is why children are often the first ones in a family to pick up an infestation. Children are also sometimes harder to treat as children tend to constantly have their fingers in their mouths, even after itching their bottoms.

As pinworms are small around 10mm long for an egg laying female, they can be hard to spot. The best time to see them is at night or they can sometimes be seen in the stool.

Medication can be prescribed to treat pinworms although a well practiced hygiene routine can eliminate them eventually after approximately one and a half to two months.

If your child has pinworms it can be distressing for them and they can get very grumpy and irritable due to lack of sleep because of their sore bottom so there are things you can do to help rid them of an infestation.

Try to make sure your child doesn’t suck their thumb or fingers

Make them wear close fitting underclothes at night

Keep their finger nails short and maybe get them to wear gloves at night to stop them scratching.

Each morning ensure your child washes their hands thoroughly and also wash their bottom and vaginal areas in girls.

Try not to share towels with any family member.

Keep toothbrushes in a cupboard instead of by the sink.

Once you have discovered that an itchy bottom at night is a symptom of pinworms in childlren, you need to use one of the medicines available to them from aged three months, however the treatments available do not destroy pinworm eggs so the above routine should be maintained until the infestation has ceased.

If you are pregnant and have pinworms you should see a doctor as it is not recommended to take the treatments for an infestation if you are.

It is important to get treatment if you or your child has an itchy bottom. If you continually scratch an itchy bottom you could end up with a nasty infection so get some treatment sooner rather than later.