Worms and your family
MOST FAMILIES with young children have had to deal with worms from time to time. Although parents are often embarrassed if their children have worms, they are very common and are usually not difficult to treat. One common worm is the threadworm. Adults as well as children can get threadworms.
About one month after the egg of the threadworm is swallowed, the adult worm comes out of the child’s bottom (anus) and lays her eggs on the skin around the opening, causing very bad itching. Scratching or not washing hands after going to the toilet can result in the eggs being carried on the hands and back to the mouth, where another cycle of worm production begins.
The eggs can also be moved onto clothing, bedding, and other surfaces, where other people can pick them up. The eggs can survive up to two weeks on surfaces.
Adult worms can live for up to six weeks, but people can be re-infested even while they have worms if they swallow more of the eggs.
Dogs or cats do not get threadworms, so pets do not cause threadworm infections in humans. However children can get different worms from animals, so it is important to deworm animals regularly for their own health and for the health of the family.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The main sign of threadworms is an itchy bottom. Sometimes children feel ‘out of sorts’ and do not want to eat much.
Threadworms do not cause major health problems and are usually not the cause of tummy pain.
Scratching of the bottom can cause a red rash around the anus, which can sometimes become infected.
In girls, they can move into the vagina, causing
IIIIitching and a vaginal discharge.
Occasionally adult worms can be seen in a person’s stool.
If you look carefully at the child’s bottom, around the opening (anus), you can sometimes see the worms there, especially when the child first gets up in the morning.
IIWHAT PARENTS CAN DO
It is important to see your doctor if you suspect that your child has worms so the doctor can be sure of what is causing the problem. Treatment of threadworms is safe and works well.
A single dose of medicine is given to all family members, not only the child. The treatments can be bought at a pharmacy without a prescription.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD HAS THREADWORMS
All family members should be treated at the same time. Children can get worms again, even when they have been treated, because the worms lay eggs around their bottoms. The area becomes very itchy, and by scratching, children can get the worm eggs under their fingernails, then carry them back to their mouths, giving themselves another bout of worms or spreading them to other people. They need to be taught not to touch or scratch around their bottoms where there are likely to be worm eggs.
Keep fingernails short and well scrubbed.
Ointments or creams used for nappy rashes such as zinc and castor oil, smeared around the anus at bedtime and in the morning may help with itching.
Wash clothes, pyjamas, sheets and pillow cases in hot water. Do not shake the sheets when you take them off the bed.
Disinfect the toilet seat often with antiseptic cleaner.
IIIIIHOW LONG TREATMENTS TAKE TO WORK
Threadworm treatments are swallowed and mostly remain within the gut, passing along with other gut contents.
By the time the treatment has passed fully through the gut it will have killed the worms in the gut (this usually takes one to four days).
Itching around the anus will often last longer (even when there are no worms left) because the skin around the anus has been irritated by the worms. Continue using the soothing creams.
Treating threadworms does not prevent them from coming back, so make sure that all family members are treated, and that the family is careful with hygiene practices (especially hand-washing).
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