Symptoms and treatment of pinworms in adults

Pinworms - small worms. They enter the human body in violation of the rules of hygiene.This worm infestation is most common among humans. Face with the pathogen and everyone can get sick. You should know what are the symptoms and treatment of pinworms in adults in order to prevent the spread of worms and infections of others.

Information about the pathogen

Few people know that the disease caused by pinworms is called enterobiasis - from the Latin generic name of the parasite: Enterobius. Pathogens are small-sized worms: the length of males is several millimeters, females are about 1 cm. Pinworms are most common in countries with a temperate climate. The life cycle of the worm takes place in the intestinal lumen.

They infect people of any age, but more often the disease occurs in children under 12 years of age. The cause of pinworms is non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene.

On a note!

Among adults, the highest frequency of infection among persons working in children's groups. The low level of awareness of what pinworms are and how to treat them, leads to the fact that people do not immediately seek medical help and pose a danger to others.

How worms enter the body

The principal feature of pinworms is the transfer from person to person. Pets do not suffer from this parasitic disease.To infect pinworms eggs must be in the digestive tract. This occurs when swallowed or enters the rectum through the anus.

While moving through the intestines, larvae of pinworms emerge from eggs, molt, mate. Males die in the intestinal lumen. Females lay offspring next to the anus. Then the female individuals also die, and new eggs of pinworms can fall on the linen, hands, and from there into the environment, or ripen in the folds of the mucous anus and climb through the host intestines.

Ways of infection with worms

When communicating with a person with enterobiasis, infection occurs as follows:

• in close contact with underwear and bed linen;
• inhalation with household dust;
• on pet hair;
• through food, water, household items;
• through children's toys.

On a note!

In the environment, worm eggs remain viable for 3 weeks. The danger of pinworms is that a person may not be aware of parasites. In more than 50% of adults, enterobiosis has an asymptomatic course. Neglecting the rules of personal hygiene, a sick person begins to infect others, among whom may be persons whose treatment is not easy due to their state of health.

Pinworm Symptoms in Adults

The duration of the incubation period of pinworms is up to 4-6 weeks. After this time, the first signs of a parasitic disease appear. The main symptom of worm infestation is the appearance of itching in the perianal area.

When patients suspect infection with these helminths, they ask the forum: “How to understand that you have pinworms?”. Those who have discovered this disease and begins to treat it indicate exactly unbearable itching. It begins when the worms migrate from the intestines and lay eggs in the perianal area, on linen, genitals. The process is accompanied by the release of a substance that has a local irritant effect.

On a note!

Patients often ask the infectious disease specialist why pinworms go out at night. This feature of the parasite is associated with the relaxation of the intestinal muscles during these hours.

If you look at the photo of worms in humans, you can see small translucent worms located near the anus. When inspecting underwear, toilet paper, the patient himself can detect these worms.

Pinworms in humans

Itching leads to scratching of the affected area.As a result, pinworm eggs are in the hands of the sick person, stored under the nails, and when in contact with objects they remain in the environment or are transmitted to other people. Damage to the skin at the site of scratching can become infected, bacterial inflammation develops. Symptoms of dermatitis weights.

Painful itching leads to sleep disorders. The negative impact of parasites leads to irritability, reduced performance.

When moving pinworms in the external female genital organs develops colpitis with itching, discharge from the genital tract.

Enterobiasis can cause the following symptoms:

• decreased appetite;
• weight loss;
• pain when urinating;
• episodes of abdominal pain;
• nausea, vomiting episodes;
• constipation, diarrhea.

On a note!

Pinworms do not penetrate into the internal organs, the worms are localized in the lumen of the intestine, vagina, extremely rarely - in the bladder of women with the development of cystitis. In this case, women begin to treat gynecological pathology for a long time and to no avail, unaware of the nature of the symptoms. Sometimes the sign of pinworms is the detection of blood in the feces.

When helminthic invasion occurs sensitization of the body with the development of allergic reactions. That is why patients believe that pinworms adversely affect the skin.

Diagnostics

In a planned manner, healthy adults of the decreed group pass tests for enterobiosis: teachers, food industry workers, medical personnel. The frequency of surveys is regulated by the Order of the Ministry of Health No. 302-n for representatives of each profession is individual.

Enterobiasis swab

If you suspect infection with helminthiasis, the patient presents characteristic complaints of itching in the anus, perineum at night. Next, the doctor will collect information on the duration of the occurrence of symptoms, clarify what else bothers the patient, asks about the working conditions, clarifies whether there were such complaints in the patient’s environment.

On examination, it is possible to detect the worm itself, suppurations, traces of scratching at the anal orifice.

Additional methods of examination will help to establish the diagnosis.

Complete blood count for enterobiasis will show a significant increase in the number of eosinophils. In the case of massive worm infestation, the patient will be diagnosed with anemia.

Identify pinworms will help two types of tests:

• Grethem method (tape test);
• scraping on enterobiosis.

Tape test

The Gratham method is more commonly used in pediatric practice. It is carried out as follows:

1. Tape test performed up to 3-6 times.
2. The study is conducted in the morning before hygiene and toilet visits.
3. It is necessary to remove the imprint from the perianal area on the plastic tape and glue the sample to the slide.
4. The material for the study is delivered to the laboratory within 2 hours. A glass slide is placed under the microscope and look for the presence of worms or their eggs.

On a note!

The result is considered negative when the patient complains of itching or is suspected helminthiasis, and as a result of a series of studies, pinworm eggs were not found. During periodic medical examinations, the test is taken once.

Scraping for Enterobiasis

The material is taken in the conditions of a medical institution. The examination is carried out as follows:

1. On the eve of the test, the patient may take a shower, hygiene procedures are prohibited on the day of the examination.
2. In the treatment room, the nurse asks the patient to lean forward and push the buttocks apart to provide access to the perianalarea.
3. Analysis of the worms taken with a cotton swab moistened with soda or glycerin or a special probe. The device is not injected into the rectum.
4. The nurse holds a cotton swab through the folds.

Enterobiasis swab

Then the collected material is examined under a microscope. The diagnosis of enterobiasis says the detection of pinworm eggs.

On a note!

The cost of diagnosing enterobiosis with such methods is from 300 rubles.

How to treat pinworms

The fight against enterobiasis begins after diagnosis. Treatment discussion: duration, specificity of drugs, possible side effects should occur in the doctor's office.

Important!

You should not refuse medical care and take your own medicines only because they are advised by users on the Internet. A number of drugs specified in the recommendations will not be able to cure pinworms, as it works with other types of helminths.

Drug therapy

Pharmaceutical medication with enterobiasis helps to get rid of the disease within a month. For the treatment of pinworms in adults, it is more often necessary to take a single dose of the agent with a condition control duringsome time.

Drugs that are recommended to treat enterobiosis, work as follows:

• violate the chemical processes of worms;
• block the neuromuscular transmission of pinworms, removing them from the body.

The parasites are in the intestines of humans, do not migrate to other organs. Removing them from the feces and taking precautions so as not to get infected again, allows you to get rid of pinworms in adults.

Before you treat this disease, it is important to choose an effective and safe drug, so as not to bring harm to the body.

The infectionist will warn the patient that a significant portion of the anthelmintic drugs causes the following undesirable manifestations of therapy:

• nausea;
• vomiting;
• stomach ache;
• dizziness;
• the appearance of headaches.

These symptoms do not mean that the patient should refuse the drug and not treat the disease.

In a number of patients, pinworm pills have a negative effect on the liver and kidneys, which can lead to glomerulonephritis disease and toxic effects on the nervous system.

Important!

Patients with impaired neuromuscular transmission (myasthenia gravis) should carefully approach the selection of the drug and be treated with agents that affect the metabolism of helminths.

The instructions to the medications indicate the inadmissibility of admission during pregnancy and lactation. If it is vital to treat enterobiosis with drugs, the patient should consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist and an infectious diseases specialist. In some cases, allow therapy after the end of the 1st trimester of pregnancy.

Helminth pyrantel

The table below shows the effective medications for the treatment of enterobiosis.

Important!

If the patient had a massive worm infestation, and the first course of therapy did not bring about deliverance from parasites, after 3 weeks the administration of tablets was repeated.

How to treat pinworms with folk methods

Patients are wondering if it is possible to get rid of the infection without pills. They seek to learn everything about pinworms and come to the conclusion that it is possible to treat enterobiasis "in the old way".

Enemas for lubrication of the anus during enterobiasis

Folk remedies for worms are taken orally or injected into the intestine with the help of an enema. Followers of natural treatments recommend enemas with soda, chamomile, garlic, tansy, and celandine. Inside, they are advised to take pickles from tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers and onion tincture.

Important!

Before treating worms with untested means, you should ask the doctor for advice. Otherwise, there is a risk of causing harm to health by these incorrect and inefficient manipulations.

Among folk remedies proved the effectiveness of three herbal preparations for ingestion:

• pumpkin seeds;
• tansy flowers;
• grass of the centaury.

However, it is necessary to take care of pinworms even with such “gentle methods”, taking into account possible contraindications.

Consequences of worms

If you neglect the rules of hygiene and do not take medicine, the pinworms cause diseases and conditions that threaten health and life:

• eosinophilic enterocolitis;
• dysbacteriosis;
• appendicitis;
• peritonitis.

Prevention

Prevention of enterobiasis begins with a clear idea of ​​what causes pinworms.

Enterobiasis Prevention

When identifying parasites, patients should start simultaneously treating the disease and follow the rules of personal hygiene:

1. Wash hands thoroughly before eating and preparing food.
2. It is necessary to cut the nails shortly and use a brush with soap and water during the treatment of the fingers.
3. Wash vegetables and fruits with detergent and in running water.
4. Monitor compliance with the hygiene of children.
5. Change bedding at least once a week, daily underwear.
6. To prevent the spread of infection in the family underwear washed in a temperature of 60 degrees, then carefully ironed with a hot iron.
7. Daily cleaning bathroom with chlorine-containing drugs.
8. Wet cleaning of the room at least 2 times a week, use for this whiteness, Domestos.
9. Starting to treat ailments in the family, you should temporarily remove carpets, fluffy bedspreads and soft toys from the shelter. After 3-4 weeks, these household items can be returned by pre-treating with hot steam or using dry cleaning services.

Independently take prophylactic courses of anthelmintic therapy and treat enterobiasis without confirming contact with the source of infection, the results of the survey are not worth it.

Pinworms worsen the quality of life and can lead to unpleasant consequences. When a disease is detected, it should be immediately recited to be treated with traditional pharmaceutical preparations and to pay attention to the observance of the rules of hygiene. The only way to get rid of enterobiosis.