Since they tend to take this journey at night, the itching is the worst at nighttime. This is where they spread their many thousands of eggs so that they have access to oxygen to mature. Pregnant female worms then travel from the large intestine to their final destination: the anus (before being spread to other surfaces or people). Microscopic image of a pinworm egg (jxfzsy/iStock via Getty Images)Īfter growing into an adult pinworm - 1 to 2 months after the eggs first enter the body - they move on to their next home: the large intestine. You won’t be able to see the eggs though, since they’re even smaller than adult pinworms. But if you’re curious, they’re threadlike and whitish, and the females have a pinpoint tail. The chances you’ll actually see a pinworm with your naked eye are unlikely since they’re so tiny. People who live in tropical climates are also at higher risk. This is why people who take care of institutionalized children, like those in orphanages or juvenile detention centers, have a higher chance of getting a pinworm infection. Working in a crowded environment can easily pass this infection around. This infection doesn’t just happen at home, though. However, they can sometimes live on clothing or other objects for a few weeks. But if the eggs don’t reach a new human host quickly enough, they will dry out and die within 72 hours. You or your family can continue to infect yourselves (from scratching your bottom and transmitting the eggs to your mouth), keeping the vicious cycle of infection going. Rarely, someone can get a pinworm infection after inhaling an egg and then swallowing it. You can also accidentally swallow eggs on contaminated linens and clothes without knowing it.Įggs can be transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact. There’s a chance that these eggs can get in your mouth if you touch your face or handle food. If you don’t thoroughly wash your hands after bathing a child who has a pinworm infection. If you scratch your bottom and don’t wash your hands afterward. Here are some ways that you or your child can come in contact with pinworm eggs: Once the swallowed eggs reach the small intestine, they hatch and grow. How do people get a pinworm infection?Ī pinworm infection begins when you or your child accidentally swallows the microscopic eggs of the Enterobius vermicularis worm. Once diagnosed with this infection, though, it’s easily treatable. Pinworm infections are quite common and affect 40 million people in the U.S. It’s a parasitic worm that needs to live in humans to reproduce and stay alive. Enterobius vermicularis, or pinworm, is often to blame. But kids aren’t the only ones who can have these symptoms. 1-5.Getting awakened by your child because of extreme anal itching can be alarming.
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