Enterobiasis is an infection with parasites that live in the intestines; these parasites are called pinworms. Enterobiasis is common in children. Through this article, you will learn how to cure a worm infection in a child and anyone who has become infected.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Treating enterobiasis
Step 1. Diagnosis of enterobiasis
One of the fastest methods for diagnosing enterobiasis is the adhesive tape method. Take a piece of duct tape and wrap the sticky side out around your finger. In the morning, when the baby wakes up, slide your finger and tape around the anus. The eggs of the parasite should stick to the tape.
- Carefully place a piece of tape in an airtight jar. Remember that tape with pinworm eggs is contagious to the people around you.
- Do the scraping before your child goes to the toilet or uses the bathroom. Doctors recommend taking scrapings three days in a row, although it is highly likely that the eggs of the worms will be found already at the first scraping.
Step 2. See your doctor
If you have scraped at home and found eggs on the tape, see your doctor. You can take the tape with you. The analysis may need to be taken again at the clinic or in the laboratory to determine which parasite has become infected.
To determine the type of parasitic infection, the doctor or laboratory technician must examine the print from the anus under a microscope
Step 3. Treatment of enterobiasis with medicines
Treatment of enterobiasis is carried out by taking the medicine twice. The first time the drug is taken when pinworms are found. The second dose of the drug is taken two weeks later. This regimen is necessary to get rid of pinworms that have hatched from eggs.
- If one of the family members is infected, the course of treatment, as a rule, is recommended for all relatives.
- The most common drugs used to treat pinworms are mebendazole, pyrantela pamoate, and albendazole. Pirantela pamoate is sold without a doctor's prescription. For other drugs, a doctor's prescription is required. Check with your doctor which drug is right for you.
Method 2 of 4: Alternative Treatments
Step 1. Try natural remedies
It is necessary to understand that these alternative methods do not have an evidence base, which means that they may be ineffective or based on someone's personal experience and information transmitted by word of mouth. The lack of proven effectiveness implies the likely uselessness of the methods.
Check with your doctor before trying alternative methods. Alternative methods should be used in combination with medications prescribed by your doctor and should not be considered as stand-alone therapy
Step 2. Garlic
Garlic is considered an excellent home remedy for pinworms. First, eat plenty of fresh garlic. Garlic can kill or reduce pinworms as it passes through the intestines. Also try applying garlic paste to the area around your anus. Garlic will kill pinworm eggs and the oil will relieve itching.
- To make garlic paste, you will need to crush 2 or 3 cloves of fresh garlic. Add a few teaspoons of castor or olive oil to the garlic. Stir until a pasty consistency is formed. You can also make a petroleum jelly-based paste.
- Talk to your doctor before using alternative methods for getting rid of pinworms.
Step 3. Turmeric
The effectiveness of turmeric in fighting parasites has been proven in laboratory studies, but scientists are not sure about the effectiveness of turmeric in fighting parasites in humans. However, spicy foods flavored with turmeric are effective at getting rid of pinworms. Take 300 mg of turmeric capsules 3 times a day.
- You can take turmeric as a tea. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric topped with a glass of hot water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Drink two to four glasses of this tea.
- Do not use turmeric while taking blood thinners as this increases the risk of bleeding.
Step 4. Tea with wormwood
Wormwood is popularly used to cleanse the digestive system of worms. Add 3-4 drops of wormwood tincture to a mug of warm water. A child needs to drink one glass a day, and an adult two.
- Check with your doctor before using this method.
- Do not use this method while taking birth control pills. In addition, if you are allergic to ragweed, it is quite likely that you are allergic to wormwood.
Method 3 of 4: Preventing Reinfection
Step 1. Wash your hands
Everyone should wash their hands often. Be sure to wash your hands after scraping or after handling an infected child. Wash your hands with soap and water before eating. Use enough soap.
- First, wet your hands. Lather them well. Pay attention to the area between your fingers and around your nails.
- Use a soft sponge or scrub under the nails - pinworm eggs are often found under the nails, especially when an infected person itches.
- Rinse off the soap thoroughly with warm water and dry your hands.
- Trim your nails short to prevent irritation and reduce the spread of the parasite.
Step 2. Take a shower in the morning
During the period of getting rid of the parasite, you must take a shower every morning. Pinworms lay their eggs at night, so in the morning the anal area is littered with thousands of eggs. These eggs infect others, and pinworms hatch from them. Immediately after waking up, you need to go to the shower and wash your clothes.
Prefer a shower over a bath. Bathing in water increases the risk of egg ingestion and re-infection
Step 3. Keep your underwear clean
Change your underwear every day while there is a risk of contamination of others. Do not fold the patient's underwear with other clothing. To reduce the risk of spreading pinworms and their eggs, keep the infected's underwear separate.
- Wash clothes, sheets, and towels in the hottest possible water. Store dirty laundry in a sealed plastic bag if you cannot wash it daily. Rinse your clothes at least twice.
- To reduce the risk of pinworm eggs spreading, do not allow anyone to use the sick towel.
- Use disposable gloves when handling the infected person's clothing.
- Do not shake contaminated laundry before washing. This can encourage the proliferation of eggs, leading to reinfection.
Method 4 of 4: What is enterobiasis
Step 1. Pinworm infection
Pinworm infection occurs during eating, contact with something or someone infected with pinworm eggs - this is how the eggs end up on the hands and mouth. After entering the intestines, adults hatch from the eggs. Females go out through the anus and lay eggs on the skin.
- Adults are white parasites up to 2.5 cm in length. They migrate at night to the anus and lay their eggs there. They can lay up to 10,000 eggs at a time. New individuals hatch and are able to infect within a few hours.
- Pinworm eggs can survive for up to two weeks on clothing, bedding, food, and surfaces. Pinworm eggs can survive for two weeks in animal fur, but only infect humans.
Step 2. Risk factors
Children under 18 are at high risk of contracting pinworms. Scientists estimate that 10% to 40% of children had pinworms at some point in time. Young children are at greater risk, and hence their family members and caregivers.
- Children can unknowingly spread pinworms to family members. If pinworms are found in a child, all family members need to undergo treatment, since the risk that the child managed to spread the infection is high.
- An infected child can also spread pinworms in school or kindergarten.
Step 3. Symptoms of enterobiasis
Unfortunately, most cases of pinworm infection are asymptomatic, and the infected person does not even suspect that they are infected. The main symptom of this infection is itching around the anus. Itching is especially pronounced at night, when female pinworms lay eggs, and new individuals hatch from them. The itching is severe enough and therefore often uncomfortable for children. Also, enterobiasis can be manifested by infections of the genitourinary system and sleep disturbances.
- If infected with pinworms itches very badly, then there is a high risk of damage to the skin and infection.
- You can diagnose enterobiasis at home using scotch tape, but in any case, you must show the child to the doctor.