En Ru
Pinworms
Enterobius vermicularis
According to the World Health Organization, pinworms have infected at least 500 million children and adults around the world. The disease caused by pinworms is called enterobiasis.
Females of worms reach a length of up to 12mm, males 2-5mm. After mating with females, males die. After 7-12 days, female pinworms crawl out of the intestines and lay eggs near the anus. This usually occurs at night and is accompanied by itching around the anus. The patient itches in a dream. The eggs fall under his fingernails, on his fingers, underwear, bedding, and they spread throughout the room. They can be found in room dust, on floors, furniture, toys, towels, etc. Pinworm eggs are contagious for 4-6 weeks.
People are infected by swallowing parasite eggs with inhaled dust, from contaminated fingers, poorly washed food, toys, etc. Pinworms often become infected with families and collectives (nurseries, classrooms, etc.). Swallowed eggs in the lower part of the small intestine hatch larvae. They assimilate nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and injure the intestinal mucosa. Pinworm feces are absorbed into the bloodstream, carried throughout the body, and can disrupt the functions of various organs. Within 10-12 days, the larvae grow, become adults, and mate. The life span of pinworms is about 1 month, but with repeated swallowing of eggs, a new generation grows every 10-12 days. In such cases, the illness can last for years.
Pinworms come out of the intestines and itching around the anus is typical. This usually happens at night and then the worms can be seen. The rest of the symptoms are the same as for infection with other worms. There may be nausea, impaired appetite, upset stools, allergies, abdominal pain, gnashing of teeth in sleep, drooling, etc.
What are the symptoms of pinworm infection?
In girls and women, pinworms can crawl into the genital and urinary tract. Then irritation and inflammation of these organs occur. There are known cases of pinworms entering the abdominal cavity through the fallopian tubes. By accumulating in the appendix and causing inflammation, pinworms can cause appendicitis.
Pinworms are often the cause of bedwetting (enuresis).
Each patient has his own, individual reaction to pinworms. In some, the disease may be asymptomatic, while in others, the manifestations of the disease may be vivid.
How does the disease progress?
At the onset of the disease, itching near the anus appears periodically. It lasts 3-4 days and goes away.
After 2-3 weeks, it reappears and disappears again. This frequency is due to the maturation of new generations of females.
As the intensity of the infection increases, the itching becomes constant and exhausting the patient. Sleep is disturbed, the patient becomes irritable. On itchy areas, due to scratching, abrasions, cracks, inflammation, eczema may occur.
Diagnosis of pinworms in some cases is simple, since parents often see them in their children at night, when worms creep out of the intestines and cause itching. And in adults, even doctors rarely suspect pinworms. In our practice, there were women who had been treated by gynecologists for itching of the perineum and genitals for several years. The itching was cured only after the destruction of pinworms, which no one had ever remembered about.
Diagnostics
For laboratory diagnosis of pinworms, a method is used to detect their eggs in a scraping taken near the anus. Scraping is done in the morning before bowel movements with a wooden stick, cotton swab or transparent sticky film. Due to the fact that pinworms lay eggs periodically, this test may give an erroneous negative result.

During periods when there are no pinworms in the intestines, the test result for Imedis will be negative. it is possible to be mistaken, as pinworms die soon after egg laying.
    It is only important to take steps not to re-swallow their eggs within 1.5 months.
    Pinworms can be destroyed both with drugs and with Imedis
    For this we recommend:
    1. At night, lubricate with petroleum jelly near the anus so that pinworms cannot come out and lay eggs there.
    Boil and iron panties, sheets, towels every morning for a month.
    Eggs of pinworms fly in room dust, settle on various objects. It is necessary to carry out wet cleaning of the room several times a day, especially in dusty places, wipe furniture, toys, etc. with a damp cloth.
    The whole family or collective should be protected from pinworms