The worms get into the body when people swallow the tiny pinworm eggs. The eggs can be on contaminated hands, under fingernails, and on things people touch a lot, such as: Pinworms don't cause any harm (just itching and restless sleep), and it won't take long to get rid of them. If your child develops a pinworm infection, try not to worry. Pinworm infections affects millions of people each year, especially school-age kids Ask someone to wash your pajamas every few days too.Pinworms are tiny worms that can cause an infection in the intestines. Try to keep your fingernails short and clean, and don't scratch around your bottom or bite your nails.īecause pinworm eggs can hang around in clothes, be sure to change your underwear every day and always put on a clean pair. The best way to keep from getting pinworms is to wash your hands with warm, soapy water before you eat, after you play outside, and after you use the toilet. Your mom or dad will probably want to wash everyone's sheets, towels, and pajamas to get rid of any eggs that might still be around. The doctor can also give you a cream to help stop the itching.īecause it's easy to pass pinworms on to other people, the doctor may want the other people in your house to take medicine, too. Your doctor will give you some medicine to take right away and then again 2 weeks later to be sure the worms are gone. They don't cause any harm (just itching!), and it won't take long to get rid of them. He or she might also take some samples from under your fingernails to see if there are any eggs. It doesn't hurt at all, and the doctor will look at the tape under a microscope to see if there are any eggs on it. Your parent will place a small piece of tape on the skin around your anus at night or when you first get up in the morning, then take it off and bring it to the doctor. To see if you have pinworms, the doctor may have your parent help you do an easy test at home. If you might have pinworms, your mom or dad will take you to the doctor so you can get medicine to get rid of the worms. You should know, though, that some people with pinworms don't have any symptoms at all. And if you see worms in your underwear or in the toilet, you should tell a parent right away. So if you're itchy and sore on your bottom, tell your mom or dad. The itching from the pinworms might wake you up in the middle of the night and make you squirm a lot. But the pinworm eggs are too tiny to be seen without a microscope. You also might see them on your underwear when you wake up in the morning. They look like tiny pieces of white thread. If you have pinworms, you might see the worms in the toilet after you go to the bathroom. If you already have pinworms, you could swallow more eggs if you scratch around your bottom and then put your fingers in your mouth. This is not a common way of getting pinworms, though. The eggs are so light that a few may even end up in the air, where they could be swallowed when you breathe in. They might touch something with pinworm eggs on it when they're playing with other kids and eat the eggs without even knowing it. Kids in school get pinworms easily because they spend a lot of time with other kids, who may have pinworms. The eggs can live for about 2 weeks, and when you accidentally touch them and then put your fingers in your mouth, you can swallow the eggs without even knowing it. The eggs also can be on clothes, towels, or eating utensils. Pinworm eggs can end up on anything touched by someone who has pinworms: on a counter in the kitchen, in a bed, or on a desk at school.

The amount of time that passes from when someone swallows the eggs until the worms lay new eggs is about 1 to 2 months. After a few weeks, the female pinworms move to the end of the large intestine, and they come out of the body at night to lay their eggs around the anus (where poop comes out). There, the pinworms grab onto the wall of the intestine. The eggs hatch in the small intestine, and the baby worms grow and move on to the large intestine. Their eggs get inside the body through the mouth after you touch something that's contaminated with pinworm eggs, then touch your hands to your mouth.Īfter getting in your mouth, the eggs pass through the digestive system. Pinworms are very small - about as long as a staple. To learn how to stay worm-free, read on! How Do Kids Get Pinworms? It's gross to think about, but anybody can get pinworms. Many of the kids in your school have probably had pinworms at one time, and the worms are nothing to be afraid of. Pinworms are a type of little worm that commonly infects the intestines, especially in kids.

Pin worms in poop