Pinworm infection

Your healthcare professional can find a pinworm infection by checking for the worms or eggs. An exam of the anal area and underwear may be done during your appointment to look for worms. Or, if your small child might have an infection, you may be told to check these areas at night. Check 2 to 3 hours after your child goes to sleep.

Another test that can be done at home is called the tape test. In general, you need see-through cellophane tape to do the test. Press the sticky side to the skin around the anus after waking up and before bathing or using the toilet. If eggs are present, they stick to the tape. Ask your healthcare professional for complete instructions, including the exact type of tape to use and how to store it after the test.

For best results, do the tape test three days in a row. Then take the pieces of tape to your healthcare checkup. Your health professional can look at the tape under a microscope to see if there are any pinworm eggs.

Your healthcare professional also might collect samples from under your fingernails. A lab checks the samples for eggs.

Treatment for a pinworm infection involves taking anti-parasite medicine that helps kill the worms. Your healthcare professional may recommend that you and any other people in your home take the medicine.

One type of medicine called pyrantel pamoate is sold without a prescription. It's the preferred treatment for pregnant people and children under 2 years old.

The most common prescription anti-parasite medicines for pinworms are:

• Mebendazole (Emverm).
• Albendazole.

No matter what medicine you're given, you take a second dose two weeks later. This helps kill worms that hatched from any eggs that were present after the first dose.

You may have mild digestive side effects during treatment. Along with following your treatment, be sure to wash all bedding and clothes.

What you can do

When you call to make an appointment, ask your healthcare professional if you should do the tape test. The test involves pressing the sticky side of a piece of see-through tape to the skin around the anus. This is done on the person you suspect has pinworms as soon as the person wakes up in the morning. The eggs stick to the tape.

You then take the tape to your appointment so the healthcare professional can look for pinworms or eggs under a microscope.

Write a list of questions for your healthcare professional too. This can help you make the most of your time together. For a pinworm infection, some basic questions to ask include:

• If I don't have pinworm infection, what else might be the cause of my symptoms?
• If one family member has pinworms, does the whole family need to be treated?
• How do I rid my home of pinworms?
• How do I prevent getting infected again?

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you questions such as:

• When did the itching start?
• Does it happen mostly at night?
• Is there anything that makes the symptoms better or worse?
• Do other family members have the same symptoms?
• Do you know if you or your child has had contact with someone who has pinworms?
• Have you found any dead worms in pajamas, underwear or the toilet?

What you can do in the meantime

If you have anal itching, try not to scratch.