What happens if pinworms are left untreated

You also might see the worms in the toilet after your child goes to the bathroom. They look like tiny pieces of white thread and are really small — about as long as a staple. You might also see them on your child's underwear in the morning. Belly pain and nausea are less common symptoms but can happen if there are many pinworms in the intestines. Your doctor may ask you to help make the diagnosis of pinworm by placing a sticky piece of clear cellophane tape against the skin around your child's anus.

Pinworm eggs will stick to the tape and can be seen under a microscope. The best time to do this is at night or in the morning before a bath when there's the most pinworm activity around the anus. The doctor also might take some samples from under a child's fingernails to look for eggs.

If your child has a pinworm infection, the doctor will recommend an over-the-counter or prescription antiworm medicine. This is given in one dose and repeated in 2 weeks. The doctor may decide to treat the entire family, especially if your child has had a pinworm infection before.

Although medicine takes care of the worm infection, the itching may continue for about a week. So the doctor also might give your child a cream or other medicine to help stop the itching.

The tiny microscopic eggs can be carried to your mouth by contaminated food, drink or your fingers. Once swallowed, the eggs hatch in the intestines and mature into adult worms within a few weeks. Female pinworms move to the anal area to lay their eggs, which often results in anal itching. When you scratch the itchy area, the eggs cling to your fingers and get under your fingernails. The eggs then get transferred to other surfaces, such as toys, bedding or toilet seats.

The eggs can also be transferred from contaminated fingers to food, liquids, clothes or other people. Typical pinworm infections don't cause serious problems. In rare circumstances, heavy infestations can cause infection of female genitals. The parasite can travel from the anal area up the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes and around the pelvic organs.

In addition to medication, a specific regimen of hygiene and household cleaning can help you completely eliminate the pinworm eggs:. There are no recent scientific studies that support the idea that home remedies are effective against pinworm infection. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that some people may find relief with raw garlic, coconut oil, or raw carrots.

Learn more about home remedies for pinworms. In rare cases, if the infestation is left untreated, pinworm infections can lead to a urinary tract infection UTI in women. Pinworms can also travel from the anus into the vagina, affecting the uterus , fallopian tubes , and other pelvic organs.

This may result in other infections, including vaginitis and endometritis. Endometritis is an inflammation of the uterine lining. The presence of a significant number of pinworms can cause abdominal pain. Substantial pinworm populations can rob your body of essential nutrients, which can cause weight loss.

The best way to prevent pinworm infections and reinfections is to follow recommended hygiene routines and encourage other household members, especially children, to do the same. However, because pinworm eggs are invisible to the naked eye and are highly contagious, reinfection can easily occur. If you or a loved one has a pinworm infection, everyone in your household should get treatment.

Here's what you should know about home remedies. Vulvovaginitis is a common infection of the vulva and vagina. Symptoms may include itching, discomfort while urinating, and an increased amount of…. A whipworm infection is an infection of the large intestine caused by whipworm parasites. Learn about whipworm infection symptoms, treatment, and…. There are many dangerous signs of infections, and you might not even realize you have been bitten or infested until some time later. A toxoplasmosis test toxoplasma test determines if the Toxoplasma gondii parasite has infected you.

Allergy occurs when the body overreacts to a 'trigger' that is harmless to most people. Around half of cases of anal fissures heal by themselves with proper self-care and avoidance of constipation. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only.

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Skip to main content. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. What are pinworms? Life cycle of a pinworm Symptoms of pinworm Treatment for pinworm infection Preventing another pinworm infection Where to get help.