What Is a Pinworm Infection?
A pinworm infection is an intestinal illness that's very common in elementary school-aged children. Pinworms are small, thin, pin-shaped worms that sometimes live in the human colon and rectum. They're also called threadworms. They're about 1/4- to 1/2-inch long — about the size of a staple. The females do their work while you sleep: They leave the intestine through your anus and deposit their eggs on the surrounding skin.
Pinworm Infection Symptoms
Most people who are infected don't have symptoms. If you do, they might include:
- Anal itching, especially at night
- Restless sleep
- Itching in the vaginal area — if adult worms move to your vagina
- Feeling irritable
- Abdominal pain that comes and goes
Talk to your doctor if you have severe anal itching, especially at night.
What do pinworm infection rashes look like?
You may see a red rash around your anus or vagina. The skin in these areas might look inflamed and puffy, especially if you scratch the itchy rash. Scratching can also cause a skin infection with redness and swelling.
Pinworm Infection Causes
You get pinworms by accidentally swallowing or breathing in their eggs. You could eat or drink something that's contaminated with them and not know it. The eggs can also live on surfaces like clothing, bedding, or other objects. If you touch one of these items and then put your fingers in your mouth, you'll swallow the eggs.
About a month later, the eggs hatch in your intestines and grow into adult worms. Female pinworms move to your anal area to lay their eggs. This causes anal itching. If you scratch the area, the eggs cling to your fingers and get under your nails. If you touch other surfaces or objects, you could spread the worms.
Are they contagious?
Yes. It's very easy to spread a pinworm infection. This is how it passes from one person to another:
- Female pinworms hatch in your intestine. They travel from your intestine to your anus and lay eggs on the skin around the anus.
- If an infected person scratches the area around their anus and doesn't wash their hands, the eggs can get under their fingernails.
- The eggs can spread if a caregiver or close contact touches the eggs and then touches their mouth.
- Pinworm eggs can also travel from an infected person's clothing, bedding, or diaper to another person's mouth. The eggs can survive on clothes and other objects for two to three weeks.
- Less often, someone can swallow pinworm eggs that are floating through the air or that land on food.
Pinworm Infection Risk Factors
Anyone can get a pinworm infection. It's the most common kind of worm infection in the United States. But you're more likely to get it if:
- You're between 5 and 10 years old.
- You live with or take care of small children.
- You live in a crowded space, like a hospital or jail.
- You suck your thumb or bite your nails.
- You don't wash your hands.
Pinworm infections in children
These infections are most common in children aged 5-10 years. That's because children in this age group often put their fingers in their mouths. Plus, they may not wash their hands as often as they should.
Pinworm Infection Diagnosis
Doctors diagnose pinworms by looking for their eggs or the actual worms. If you or someone in your household has symptoms of a pinworm infection, you can help your doctor confirm the diagnosis by doing the tape test.
Pinworm tape test
To do this test, simply take a clear piece of tape and press the sticky side to the skin around the anus. Hold the tape to the skin for a few seconds so that the eggs stick to it. Do this as soon as you or your child wakes up — before you use the bathroom or shower or get dressed.
You'll need to repeat this test three days in a row. Put all the pieces of tape in a bag and bring the bag to your doctor. They'll look at the pieces of tape under a microscope to check for eggs. If there are eggs on the tape, you or your child has a pinworm infection.
Treatment of Pinworm Infection
You'll need to take medications that kill the worms.
You may need to take at least two doses to get rid of the worms completely. The medicine might upset your stomach a little.
The doctor may prescribe medication to everyone in your household to prevent infection and reinfection. For best results, treat the infected person and everyone in your house (including caretakers) at the same time.
Medications for pinworm infections
Three medicines treat pinworm infections:
- Albendazole (Albenza)
- Mebendazole (Emverm, Vermox)
- Pyrantel pamoate (Reese's Pinworm Medication) is available without a prescription
Pinworm infection home remedies
A few home remedies have been promoted for treating pinworms, including garlic, Karlovy Vary healing salts, and colon irrigation (colonics). But there is no scientific evidence that any of these methods work. Medicine is the best way to get rid of pinworms.
Complications of Pinworms
Most of the time, pinworm infections don't cause serious problems. In rare cases, and especially if you have a lot of them, pinworms can travel from the anal area up the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and around the pelvic organs. This can cause inflammation of the vagina — what doctors call vulvovaginitis.
Other rare complications include:
- Bacterial infection from scratching the anal area
- Urinary tract infection
- Appendicitis
- Abdominal infection
- Weight loss
Pinworm infection during pregnancy
Pinworms shouldn't harm your growing baby. Early in pregnancy, the safest way to get rid of the infection is to wash the affected area thoroughly. There isn't enough research on pinworm medicines to know how safe they are during pregnancy. Your doctor will balance the risks of you taking the medicine against the risk of the infection getting worse when deciding whether to prescribe them for you.
How to Prevent Pinworms
Pinworm eggs can live on hard surfaces and in your clothes and bedding for two to three weeks. In addition to your regular household cleaning, you'll want to take these steps to stop the spread:
- Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom, touching someone who has a pinworm infection, or changing diapers and before handling food. Teach your kids and everyone else in your house to do the same. Hand washing is the best way to prevent pinworms from spreading.
- Don't bathe with anyone or share towels during treatment and for two weeks after the final treatment.
- Discourage nail biting.
How to prevent pinworms from spreading
If you or your child has an active pinworm infection, prevent it from spreading by following these steps for two weeks after the last treatment dose:
- Don't scratch your anal area. Use an anti-itch medicine, if needed, to prevent itching.
- Wash your anal area from front to back every morning to reduce the number of eggs on your body. Shower instead of taking a bath because you could get reinfected in bath water.
- Change your underwear, towels, and bed linens each day. This helps remove eggs.
- Wash bedsheets, nightclothes, underwear, washcloths, and towels in water that's at least 130° F to kill pinworm eggs. Dry these items on high heat. The heat will kill pinworm eggs.
- Don't share towels or other personal items.
- Trim your child's nails so there's less space for eggs to collect. Scrub their nails clean.
Takeaways
Pinworm infections are very common in school-aged children. Signs that your child has a pinworm infection include if they're itching around their anus or vagina, feeling irritable, and having belly pain. Prescription and nonprescription medicines treat pinworm infections. Everyone in your household may need treatment. To prevent the infection from spreading within your household, clean the affected area daily, wash underwear and bedding in hot water, and don't share towels or other personal items.
Pinworm FAQs
How do I know if I have pinworms?
Some common signs of pinworms are itching around the anus or vagina, irritability, and belly pain that comes and goes.
How do pinworm infections start?
You can get a pinworm infection if you accidentally swallow or breathe in pinworm eggs. Swallowing can happen if you eat food or drinks contaminated with pinworm eggs or if you touch the eggs and then put your fingers in your mouth.
What is the fastest way to get rid of pinworms?
The quickest way to get rid of pinworms is by taking a medicine like mebendazole or albendazole to treat these infections.