Take the Tummy Trouble Quiz Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures Heartburn? Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Slideshow

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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In this Article

• What is pinworm infection?
• Who is at risk for getting pinworms?
• Pinworms in children
• Pinworms in adults
• What do pinworms look like (pinworm pictures)?
• What is the lifecycle of pinworms?
• How is pinworm infection spread?
• What are the symptoms of pinworms?
• How is pinworm infection diagnosed?
• What is the treatment of pinworms; is there a home treatment?
• What are the consequences of untreated pinworm infections?
• How are pinworm infections prevented?
• Pinworm Infection At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Pinworm Infection - Experience
• Pinworm Infection Glossary
• Pinworm Infection Index

What are the consequences of untreated pinworms?

When untreated, pinworms can cause:

• diarrhea,
  
  
• significant malabsorption of food,
  
  
• genital itching,
  
  
• bedwetting (enuresis), or
  
  
• vaginal discharge which can be associated with genital skin irritation and rash.

Although the symptoms of severe infestation can mimic appendicitis, the statement that pinworms cause appendicitis is controversial. However, people infected with pinworms show a higher incidence of appendicitis, but the reasons for this increase are not entirely clear. Infrequently, the worms may migrate to and cause irritation to the male and female genital tracts. Pinworm infections may, along with intense scratching, cause secondary bacterial infections to occur. When pinworms migrate to the female genital tract, internal scars can form in the female reproductive organs.

How are pinworms prevented?

Good hygiene will help reduce the spread of the parasites.

• Hand washing after handling bedding, diapers, underwear, and other items that may contain the infective pinworm eggs will also help.
  
  
• Cleaning under the fingernails and not biting the fingernails will also help reduce the chance of contacting the parasites.
  
  
• Clothes, especially underwear, should be changed and washed daily to help prevent spreading the disease.
  
  
• Treating everyone infected in a household at the same time may help prevent recurrence and spread to others.
  
  
• Because the eggs remain infective for up to three weeks in a moist environment, prevention of spread and reinfection is difficult but possible.