Pinworms: signs of parasite infection and treatment methods

Causes of pinworms

The causes of pinworms are characterized by the ways in which infection by these intestinal parasites occurs.
Pinworms can be transmitted from person to person, or from animal to person. Their presence in a person causes severe itching in the anus, and by scratching the perineum, the carrier of such an infection helps pinworm eggs get under the nails. If basic hygiene rules are not followed, the patient, while eating, reintroduces them into the body, where they, once in the intestines, begin their new life cycle. And by making physical contact by shaking hands or touching other healthy people, such a person becomes a carrier of the disease.

In some cases, pinworm eggs can be found in animal fur, which is why every contact with a pet requires thorough hand washing.

Thus, the causes of pinworms mainly come down to factors that are due to the fact that people, and mainly children in kindergarten and primary school, may often not adhere to the prescribed hygiene rules. This is especially true for kindergartens and primary schools, where children not only come into close contact with each other, receiving such intestinal infection themselves, but also often become carriers of this disease to teachers, teachers and parents. It’s not for nothing that many people call enterobiasis provoked by pinworms “the disease of dirty hands.”

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How do pinworms enter the body?

Every year in Russia there are about a million cases of pinworm infestation. Infection with helminths depends on how well a person observes the rules of hygiene. The risk group includes young children.

Infection occurs in three ways:

• oral;
• contact;
• domestic.

Infection can occur after contact with objects on which worm eggs are present. Such items could be:

• handles in public toilets;
• handrails in transport;
• hands of an infected person;
• money.

After visiting public places where people gather, you must thoroughly wash your hands with soap. It is important to wash children's hands well after walking. It is necessary to ensure that children do not put anything in their mouths during walks.

Pinworms are carried by domestic animals. Parasites are found on their fur. Eating unwashed vegetables and fruits also carries a certain amount of risk.

Children's pinworm eggs

What doctors say about treating parasites

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor German Shaevich Gandelman

Work experience: more than 30 years.

I have been detecting and treating parasites for many years. I can say with confidence that almost everyone is infected with parasites. It's just that most of them are extremely difficult to detect. They can be anywhere - in the blood, intestines, lungs, heart, brain.

Parasites literally devour you from the inside, at the same time poisoning your body. As a result, numerous health problems appear, shortening life by 15-25 years.

The main mistake is delaying! The sooner you start removing parasites, the better. If we talk about medications, then everything is problematic. Today there is only one truly effective anti-parasitic complex, this is TOXIMIN. It destroys and sweeps out all known parasites from the body - from the brain and heart to the liver and intestines. None of the drugs existing today is capable of this.

Within the framework of the Federal program, when submitting an application before June 10. (inclusive) every resident of the Russian Federation and the CIS can receive one package of TOXIMIN FOR FREE!

The eggs of the parasite are microscopic in size, so they can only be seen with the help of special equipment. Only adult individuals can be seen in feces. The eggs are slightly oblong, round in shape, asymmetrical with a double-contour shell. They are distinguished by a white, slightly grayish color.

Under favorable conditions (humidity about 70%, temperature 22-40 degrees) outside the human body, eggs can retain their vital functions for about a month.

Violation of any conditions leads to their death. Therefore, to prevent the parasite from multiplying, it is recommended to carefully iron linen and clothes.

This is what pinworm eggs look like under a microscope

Diagnostic methods

Based on the detection of eggs, pinworm larvae or adults. For this, parasitological research is used (see below). The patient's biological material is examined through a microscope - the laboratory doctor discovers eggs.

To take material for research, just use adhesive tape (read more about “Scraping for enterobiasis”). The sticky side is pressed against the skin of the perianal area and placed in a matchbox. It is advisable to do this in the morning, always before hygiene procedures and emptying.

To increase the information content of the study, it is recommended to repeat it about 5-7 times. The patient’s biological material should be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible, since after 2-2.5 hours the process of detecting the parasite will be impossible.

We recommend reading:

Fecal analysis for worms and their eggs: preparation and implementation

Modern laboratories offer their clients entire packages for examinations for helminth infections. Most of them involve the determination of class G immunoglobulins. This only indicates contact with a helminth, but is not the basis for making a diagnosis and starting therapy. There is diagnostic value only if class M immunoglobulins are detected, which is technically difficult to do.

All helminthiases, including enterobiasis, are treated by an infectious disease doctor. He also monitors the effectiveness of therapy and, if necessary, prescribes other studies.

Symptoms

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The development of the parasite is accompanied by a number of negative symptoms. The main one is severe itching of the perineum, which intensifies at night. Combing the masonry not only spreads the parasite, but also damages the skin, which causes inflammation.

In any case, the child experiences a significant deterioration in health, body temperature rises, and pain in the intestines develops. Scratching the anus leads to inflammation and the development of pathogenic bacteria.

Symptoms of pinworms in children

Some children have no symptoms of infection at all. Other options have the following features:

• fatigue;
• restlessness during sleep;
• itching in the anal area;
• grinding of teeth;
• urinary incontinence at night;
• complete refusal to eat.

In general, pinworms are harmless to the body. Itching often prevents a child from sleeping, this provokes chronic fatigue, as well as scratching in the anal area. Children often experience secondary infection with helminths. Helminths cannot disappear on their own, and the immune system does not develop against them. To completely get rid of the problem, treatment is necessary.

Life cycle of helminth

To effectively combat worms of this form, you need to know how long pinworms usually live outside the human body, how long they live in the intestines and what is the life expectancy of such parasites at the initial stage of formation, i.e. in the egg. This will allow you to choose the right treatment regimen. It is not without reason that most doctors recommend repeat therapy some time after the main course. Thanks to this feature, it is possible to destroy the young offspring of helminths, which appear from eggs previously laid by the female.

The offspring penetrates the human digestive system as a result of re-infection of the body: while scratching the anus due to persistent itching, the person then carries eggs into the oral cavity on the fingers and nails. As a result, the neoplasms are sent directly to the intestine (small section), where larvae appear and move into the large intestine.

As they move locally, 2 molts are observed, which result in adult worms. The development cycle of pinworm parasites is short. It will take about 1 month from the moment the eggs appear until the formation of sexually mature individuals.

Lifespan of an egg-shaped pinworm outside

The offspring of parasites initially appear on human skin. Considering that, along with the eggs, the female secretes a special substance that provokes severe itching in humans, there is a high probability of their spreading into the environment through the fingers, more often the nail plates. The main task of pinworms is to enter the digestive system of the host, however, part of the oviposition ends up on other surfaces that a person touches. The offspring can number up to 20,000 eggs; on average, the female lays up to 13,000 eggs. The period of maturation of the larvae inside the protective shell is up to 6 hours.

In the environment outside the human body, pinworm eggs are viable for up to 3 weeks

The offspring can live outside the human body for up to 3 weeks, which is determined by environmental conditions. So, the warmer it is, the rapidly the life expectancy of pinworms decreases. The main condition for this is a sufficient level of humidity. The drier the air, the faster the eggs die. At low temperatures, helminths are also able to survive. For example, at a value of -8 degrees, the offspring remain viable for another 18 hours.

Lifespan of pinworms inside the human body

Adults are capable of living only within the body of their host. Life expectancy 1-2 months. During this period, helminths actively parasitize humans. After the mating process, the males die. The task of females is to lay offspring. After this, the female also dies.

The life cycle of a female pinworm can be interrupted as a result of human scratching of the skin and even before laying. In the second case, the body of the parasite decomposes inside the intestine, however, the eggs are released. For this reason, the death of a female parasite inside the human body does not stop the development of helminthiasis.

The danger of pinworms and the harm they cause

Pinworms are small (up to 13 mm) parasitic helminths, infection with which causes the development of enterobiasis. This disease is one of the most common helminthic infestations and, according to various sources, affects up to 90% of children of primary school age. Although pinworms are most often diagnosed in children, adults can also suffer from these parasites.

Infection with pinworms occurs through accidental ingestion of eggs that fall from the patient’s hands onto food (fecal-oral transmission mechanism). Therefore, the disease often spreads spontaneously and in outbreaks, especially often it can be found in kindergartens, swimming pools, and medical institutions.

The harm caused by helminths is caused by several factors:

• Mechanical damage to the mucous membrane. Pinworms have sharp wing-shaped processes that literally cut the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. The wounds become inflamed and may become infected. This is why helminth infestations are so often accompanied by the development of fungal and bacterial infections (development of candida, streptococcus).
• Toxic effects. Any type of pinworms (and three types of these worms can parasitize the human body) has a serious toxic effect, releasing waste products into the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, after their death, pinworms remain in the intestines, affecting it with decay products. Gradually, toxins accumulate and symptoms of intoxication worsen.
• Deficiency of micro- and macroelements. Like any parasites, pinworms in adults and children feed on the body of their host, literally “eating” it. As a result, the body does not receive enough micro- and macroelements, the imbalance of which disrupts endocrine processes.
• Disruption of the usual way of life. One of the most unpleasant (from a psychological point of view) symptoms of pinworm infection is associated with its migration to the anus. During these periods, the patient experiences severe obsessive itching in the perineal area. As a rule, pinworms become active in the evening and at night. Irritation of the anus does not allow the patient to sleep peacefully; as a result, the usual routine is disrupted, psychological fatigue accumulates, performance decreases, and irritability increases.

Quite often, sick people have the question of how long pinworm eggs live outside of humans. Worm eggs can survive outside the human body for up to one month. They enter the external environment through the bedding or underwear of a person suffering from enterobiasis, as well as through his hands and household items.

For the favorable existence of parasites, the following conditions are required:

• increased humidity levels;
• air temperature from 22 to 40 degrees.

How long a pinworm lives outside the human body depends on environmental conditions

In direct sunlight, worm eggs die within half an hour. You should not use chlorine-containing substances as disinfection - they have no effect on pinworms. It would be advisable to boil the contaminated laundry, and after it has dried, iron it well.

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Topic: Parasites are to blame for all troubles!

From: Lyudmila S. ( [email protected] )

To: Administration Noparasites.ru

I have felt very bad for the past few years. Constant fatigue, insomnia, some kind of apathy, laziness, frequent headaches. I also had problems with digestion, and in the morning I had bad breath.

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Damage to the body by pinworms is called enterobiasis. These helminths are small white parasites. They penetrate the human body, breaking through the oral cavity. Mostly, these parasites become infected in childhood, but pinworms can also infect an adult body. Infection with helminths can cause itching in the anal ring, digestive system disorders, allergies, and inflammation of the genitals, so it is very important to know how pinworms are transmitted in order to avoid infection.

Taxonomy

Three species are usually classified as pinworms (although the evidence base for identifying the third of them is questioned):

• Enterobius vermicularis Linnaeus, 1758
• Enterobius anthropopitheci Gedoelst, 1916
• Enterobius gregorii Hugot, 1983

Among these three species, Enterobius vermicularis

parasitizes humans,
Enterobius anthropopitheci
parasitizes chimpanzees.
It was assumed that the causative agent of human enterobiasis is also the species Enterobius gregorii
, however, data from morphological and molecular genetic analysis do not confirm the legitimacy of identifying these pinworms as a separate species;
perhaps they represent only young representatives of the species Enterobius vermicularis
.

What are pinworms and their life processes?

Pinworms are parasites of “dirty hands”

Pinworms (Enterobius vermicularis) are grayish-white helminths related to nematodes (roundworms). What do pinworms look like? The presented pictures make it possible to see that the worm has a spindle-shaped shape, males reach 5 mm in length, females up to 12 mm, and egg sizes range from 0.03 to 0.05 mm.

The characteristic features of the appearance of parasites are as follows:

1. Females are characterized by a sharp point at the rear end of the body.
2. Male worms have a curled end of their body.
3. In front of the parasites there is a swelling called a vesicle, which is necessary for attachment to the intestinal walls.

Pinworm eggs are oval in shape and covered with a colorless shell. On one side they are usually convex, and on the other they are flattened.

Features of the life process

Pinworms are parasitic in a peculiar way, causing irritation of the mucous membrane in the colon area, which is accompanied by the development of an inflammatory process. Nematodes feed on bacteria contained in the intestines. To prove this, studies were conducted in which a person suffering from enterobiasis took medications that kill intestinal flora (bacteria). As a result, all the worms died and were passed out naturally during bowel movements.

Note! In 50% of cases of appendix removal, pinworms were the culprits in the development of the inflammatory process in this area. Despite the fact that this worm does not cause serious consequences in the human body, treatment of enterobiasis should be carried out as early as possible. How many eggs can a pinworm lay? The fertility of this parasitic worm can be judged by the results of direct calculations: a fertilized female, 13 mm in size, can reproduce about 20 thousand eggs

“Offspring” can be detected even with the naked eye on the human body in the area of ​​the anus and adjacent tissues

How many eggs can a pinworm lay? The fertility of this parasitic worm can be judged by the results of direct calculations: a fertilized female, 13 mm in size, can reproduce about 20 thousand eggs. “Offspring” can be detected even with the naked eye on the human body in the area of ​​the anus and adjacent tissues.

How does a pinworm develop?

How long can pinworm eggs survive outside the intestines? Their viability lasts about 3 weeks, during which a person becomes infected with enterobiasis. It is not the eggs that migrate from the small intestine to the area of ​​the large intestine, but already hatched individuals that reach sexual maturity in about 10 days.

How long do parasites live in the intestines? The total lifespan of the worm is about 1 month. The survival of the species is due to the large number of “offspring” and the ease of infecting humans. The life cycle of female pinworms ends immediately after they lay eggs.

Infection process and consequences

How does enterobiasis infection occur if the parasitic worm lives in the intestines? The cause of the infestation is the ingestion of eggs laid by the female. The vital activity of pinworms in the human body is accompanied not only by digestive disorders.

On a note! At night, females lay eggs, leaving the intestines to the outside, which is accompanied by a characteristic itching. A person involuntarily scratches the itchy areas and carries the parasite eggs under the nails, transferring them to the external environment.

Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules leads to the fact that pinworm eggs are ingested along with food or inhaled with dust. This leads either to re-infection of a person already sick with enterobiasis, or another family member. How much trouble can parasitic worms cause while they live in the human body? The danger of untimely treatment of enterobiasis is as follows:

• poisoning of the human body by waste products of the parasite;
• destruction of beneficial intestinal microflora, which is accompanied by the development of pathogenic microbes and dysbacteriosis;
• negative impact on the immune system, which is followed by an increased risk of developing allergies;
• the occurrence of atopic dermatitis.

Pinworm infection can be prevented not only by maintaining personal hygiene, but also by vaccination. It should be remembered that if parasites are already present in the intestines, the vaccine may not give the expected effect.

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What is enterobiasis?

Pinworms infect the human intestines, feeding at the expense of the owner, poisoning his body with the products of their vital activity. They are small roundworms with pointed tails. Adults of these helminths live in the lower parts of the large intestine, causing the disease enterobiasis.

To lay eggs, female parasites crawl out of the anus at night, causing obsessive itching.

The development of pinworm cysts occurs outside the body. They remain viable for three weeks.

Infection occurs from person to person, through dirty hands, pieces of furniture, door handles, and personal belongings of the patient. Helminth cysts are ingested with dust.

After they enter the stomach, the shell dissolves and pinworm larvae emerge from the eggs, which move into the large intestine and quickly mature into adults. After a short time, they begin to reproduce, repeating their life cycle. The life of this parasite is reflected in its owner, manifesting itself through itching in the anus, pain in the abdomen, decreased appetite, and weakness.

Parasites maintain their vital functions with the help of nutrients from the intestines, destroying its mucous membrane. What can happen with advanced enterobiasis cannot be accurately predicted in advance. Due to weakened immunity, various secondary diseases can develop, from appendicitis to inflammation of the genital organs. It is important to take the right measures in time.

How does infection occur?

Pinworms are transmitted only from person to person, which occurs when eggs are swallowed or sometimes when they enter the rectum through the anus. The eggs themselves are hardy and can remain viable (i.e. infective) in a moist environment for up to three weeks.

Once the eggs are initially laid on the skin near the anus, they easily spread to other surfaces. The shell of the eggs is sticky, as they come out of the female along with mucus, thanks to which they are easily attached to nails, fingers, night clothes and bed linen. From here they additionally end up on food, water, furniture, toys, toilet lamps and other household items. Pets often carry eggs in their fur, but cannot become infected themselves. Dust containing eggs can become airborne and disperse violently when lifted from a surface, such as when bedding is shaken. This way the eggs can be inhaled into the mouth and nose and be swallowed later.

But it has been established that pinworms are not always born only inside the body of their host. Some of the pinworm larvae may hatch on the anal mucosa and migrate up the intestines to end up back in the same person's gastrointestinal tract. The severity of the consequences of this route of infection is not well understood. Despite the relatively short lifespan of pinworms (up to 13 weeks), if self-infection has occurred with the ingestion of eggs, or the migration of larvae back into the intestines, treatment is required again to get rid of them completely.

Laying of eggs by a female pinworm on the perianal folds of a child

All family members, including adults and asymptomatic individuals, should be treated. This is necessary because many people with pinworms have no signs of infection. However, they will still spread eggs, which can then be spread to loved ones after their treatment. If one family member is infected, there is a very high chance that others will be infected as well. Thus, everyone needs treatment!

• taking medication to kill worms in the intestines.
• hygienic measures for cleaning eggs that may be located around the anus or in the house (clothing, bed, various surfaces).

The most effective and optimal drug today in terms of convenient treatment regimen and toxicity is mebendazole. It is suitable for people of all ages over 2 years old. All family members, including adults and those who do not have symptoms, should take the medicine at the same time. The first dose kills the worms. A second one (after two weeks) is sometimes necessary if the infection has not gone away completely, or re-infection has occurred with eggs that remained in the house. One dose for adults for enterobiasis is 100 mg.

Praziquantel is more gentle on the body, but less convenient to take. It must be taken for 5 days, but it is allowed even for children under one year of age. Other drugs containing active substances such as albendazole and levamisole are also effective against pinworms.

During pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you should not take medications that kill worms during the first trimester. However, hygiene measures can also be very effective. The worms die after about 6-13 weeks. Provided no new eggs have been ingested, new parasites will likely not grow to replace them. Therefore, if proper hygiene measures are continued, the circle of reinfection with pinworms will be broken, and enterobiasis may go away on its own. If medication treatment is considered necessary during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, your doctor may recommend mebendazole. However, it is not licensed for use during pregnancy.

When breastfeeding

While breastfeeding, again, it is better to try to get rid of pinworms after a few weeks of proper hygiene. If treatment with medication is considered necessary, then the doctor may recommend the same mebendazole. But it is also not licensed for this period of life.

Spreading eggs

Pinworms infect only the human body - he is its final and only host. This pathology mainly occurs in families in which children grow up. Pinworms can be actively transmitted from person to person, therefore, when any family member is diagnosed with this pathology, everyone should undergo a course of treatment. This spread is determined by the biological characteristics of the helminth. The process of laying eggs occurs:

• in the anal area;
• on bed linen;
• in the area of ​​the gluteal muscle;
• it is accompanied by the release of isovaleric acid, which causes severe itching in people.

Due to scratching, parasitic eggs move to the fingers or under the nails, from which they spread throughout the environment and settle along with dust particles. In the environment, they can maintain their ability to live for quite a long time, which significantly expands the routes of infection with enterobiasis.

Often, infection is diagnosed in children aged 5-10 years. Sometimes there is an infestation of babies under 2 years of age. Therefore, these helminths are also called baby pinworms.

Sometimes pinworm infection is diagnosed in pregnant women. Basically, this situation occurs when an older child picks up this pathology and spreads it among family members without observing the rules of personal hygiene.

A pregnant woman should not sound the alarm if she becomes infected with enterobiasis, since these helminths are not capable of harming the unborn baby. However, in this position the risk of infection of the baby during childbirth increases. Therefore, a pregnant woman is obliged to eliminate pinworms from her body using special medications.

Infection risk assessment

The more people who do not comply with sanitary standards, the greater the risk.

High level of risk: children of school or preschool age, as well as teachers of younger groups. Children often grab onto various objects, chew toys taken from the floor, and lick unwashed hands.

Human furry friends are often the main carriers of worm eggs. Even if your pet doesn't go outside, it can come into contact with contaminated shoes in the hallway.

Moderate Risk: Those who come into contact with high-risk people are in the moderate risk category. Since it is unlikely that you will be able to avoid contact with infected people, all that can be done is to take good care of yourself and personal hygiene.

Low risk: Adults who have little or no contact with any high-risk group or have fairly limited contact with a moderate-risk group.

Consequences of pinworms

Pinworms parasitize in the human intestine, using special formations on the body - vesicles - clinging to its walls. They damage the intestinal mucosa, as a result of which large fragments of food can enter the bloodstream through such damaged areas. This becomes one of the prerequisites for the development of an allergic reaction. During their life, these intestinal parasites release a lot of substances harmful to the body, leading to intoxication.

The consequences of pinworms in their detrimental effect on the functioning of the nervous system occur in the form of increased irritability present in the patient, the appearance of headaches, dizziness and problems with sleep also occur. A person infected with pinworms is prone to excessive physical and mental fatigue.

Appearing in the vermiform appendix of the intestine, pinworms are able to provoke appendicitis.

Due to enterobiasis caused by pinworms, negative changes occur in the processes of digestion and assimilation of foods eaten by humans, and the acidity of gastric juice decreases.

Many of the children infected with these parasites experience changes in the intestinal microbiocenosis.

The presence of pinworms in the body is also associated with a number of complications caused by their penetration into places other than the intestines. So, as a result of a high degree of infection or due to a specific individual reaction against the background of increased sensitivity to pinworm antigens, there is a possibility of developing eosinophilic enterocolitis.

When pinworms enter the female genital organs, they provoke vulvovaginitis accompanied by a secondary urinary tract infection. Further migration of parasites to the pelvic organs is fraught with oophoritis and salpingitis.

Penetration of pinworms through the intestinal wall into the peritoneal cavity is extremely rare, which may cause the development of peritonitis.

The consequences of pinworms, as is obvious, can be the most unfavorable. But at the same time, treatment of this disease does not present significant difficulties if it is detected in a timely manner. Thus, diagnosing it and taking the necessary medical measures becomes relevant.

Possible complications and prognosis

The prognosis for enterobiasis is favorable. Fatal outcomes are extremely rare and are possible only in the case of massive invasion, severe chronic pathology and the absence of adequate therapy. Possible complications of enterobiasis include:

• purulent-inflammatory processes of the skin and subcutaneous fat due to scratching and entry of secondary bacterial flora;
• vaginitis, endometritis, salpingophoritis in women;
• rarely – appendicitis due to parasitism of pinworms in the area of ​​the appendix.

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Treatment

All family members, including adults and asymptomatic individuals, should be treated. This is necessary because many people with pinworms have no signs of infection. However, they will still spread eggs, which can then be spread to loved ones after their treatment. If one family member is infected, there is a very high chance that others will be infected as well. Thus, everyone needs treatment!

Components of treatment:

• taking medication to kill worms in the intestines.
• hygienic measures for cleaning eggs that may be located around the anus or in the house (clothing, bed, various surfaces).

Drugs

The most effective and optimal drug today in terms of convenient treatment regimen and toxicity is mebendazole. It is suitable for people of all ages over 2 years old. All family members, including adults and those who do not have symptoms, should take the medicine at the same time. The first dose kills the worms. A second one (after two weeks) is sometimes necessary if the infection has not gone away completely, or re-infection has occurred with eggs that remained in the house. One dose for adults for enterobiasis is 100 mg.

Praziquantel is more gentle on the body, but less convenient to take. It must be taken for 5 days, but it is allowed even for children under one year of age. Other drugs containing active substances such as albendazole and levamisole are also effective against pinworms.

During pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you should not take medications that kill worms during the first trimester. However, hygiene measures can also be very effective. The worms die after about 6-13 weeks. Provided no new eggs have been ingested, new parasites will likely not grow to replace them. Therefore, if proper hygiene measures are continued, the circle of reinfection with pinworms will be broken, and enterobiasis may go away on its own. If medication treatment is considered necessary during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, your doctor may recommend mebendazole. However, it is not licensed for use during pregnancy.

When breastfeeding

While breastfeeding, again, it is better to try to get rid of pinworms after a few weeks of proper hygiene. If treatment with medication is considered necessary, then the doctor may recommend the same mebendazole. But it is also not licensed for this period of life.

Antihelminthic therapy

If we briefly describe the development cycle of the pinworm, it goes through several stages: maturation of the egg, development of the larva into an adult, mating and laying of eggs (in females). The human body signals the presence of parasites only at the last stage. And it is then that enterobiasis can be diagnosed and antihelminthic therapy can be started on time.

Self-medication is highly discouraged, especially if the disease is in an advanced form, since the selection of medications should be made taking into account the age and characteristics of the infected person, and this can only be done by a qualified specialist.

Basically, anthelmintic drugs are designed for single use, and one dose will be quite enough to get rid of pinworms. But a repeated course is mandatory; it is drunk after 14 days in order to destroy the offspring of helminths from the remaining eggs.

Main components of treatment:

• taking medications,
• taking measures to remove parasite eggs from personal items, as well as various surfaces in the house.

Medications

Before treating pinworms in young patients, the doctor develops an individual dosage regimen taking into account age and degree of infestation. Treatment is carried out with one of the following medications:

• Mebendazole;
• Piperazine;
• Dekaris;
• Pyrantel.

All of the above drugs are approved for children over two years of age. Until the age of two, Pirantel in suspension is prescribed as an anthelmintic.

Treating a baby on your own, as well as unauthorized dosage of medications without consulting a pediatrician, is strictly unacceptable.

The action of any anthelmintic agent provokes neuromuscular paralysis in the helminth. Thanks to this, the body of the worm is deprived of movement, and the parasite is easily removed from the body.

Pirantel

Standard measures for how to remove pinworms from young children are considered to be the classic use of anthelmintic drugs. Pirantel is considered the main anthelmintic drug that does not cause adverse reactions in most children. Up to two years of age, the drug is prescribed in suspension; up to the age of six, tablets are prescribed.

Pirantel is taken once. It is carried out immediately after confirmation of the presence of pinworms in the body; symptoms of infection may be absent. Before taking the drug, no special preliminary preparation of the body is required. There is also no need for an enema after taking Pirantel. The drug works in such a way that immobilized worms are eliminated from the body with each bowel movement.

Having detailed instructions on how to treat helminthiasis, it is not recommended to carry out the course yourself. The treatment process must be agreed upon with the pediatrician.

Pyrantel is contraindicated in children with individual intolerance to the components of the drug. The side effect is expressed in isolated sleep disturbances and single constipation in young patients under one year of age.

Read more about the features of taking Pyrantel for children.