Pruritis ani or anal itching is a main symptom of worm trouble in children. Usually, children experience uncontrollable itching around the anus and even after giving medicines, they may have repeated problems from worms again within a month. Such problem is also faced by adults and is a matter of great embarrassment. The worms that infest human body are parasites that thrive in the intestines and there are various species of worms that may be present such as tapeworm, hookworm, noodle-shaped round worms, etc.
But the most common variety among these are almost 1 cm long thin white worms known as the pinworms or seat worms, which cause anal itching in elders and children. These are the Enterobeus Vermicularis, commonly known as pinworm, seat worm or thread worm. These can be observed in the anal region of children when they complain of itching in the anus. When there is excessive worm trouble, the stool may be seen to have these worms moving in it. These worms usually live in the large intestine and survive on the food that we eat. When these worms mature, the females come out of the anus and prick the region of the anus with thin pin-like structures seen on their tails to form safe spots for laying the eggs.
This prick causes irritation and uncontrollable itching in the region and when the person scratches, very minute injuries are formed around the anus. The worms then lay their eggs in these injuries. These eggs hatch and the worms again move into the intestine through the anus. Often, many of the thousands of the eggs that are laid, stick to the clothes that the person wears or attach to the nails while scratching and enter the body again to reach the intestines and multiply rapidly. These worms are called seat worms because often the eggs around the anus dislodge and attach on to the inner wear or pants and then to the seat where the person sits and further spread to another person who may sit there. These worms spread rapidly among students of a class from the seats or the food that might be contaminated with the eggs.
The main symptom of pinworm infestation is the nocturnal anal itching. Also, women and girls may experience the itching in the vagina as well since the anal opening and the vaginal opening are very close to each other. This may even lead to persistent urinary infections and inflammation in the vagina causing leucorrhea in women. In addition to these complaints, due to the increased number of worms in the intestines, there may be loss of appetite or increased appetite, abdominal pain, frequent urging to pass stool, or even some allergic reaction in the body like swelling and itching in the region of bites of the worms, persistent sneezing and cold, or any other kinds of skin complaints.
The treatment and accessory management of pinworm infestation includes: Seat worms have very effective treatment in all streams of medicine. In all methods of treatment, two doses of the medicine will be required at an interval of 2 weeks. This is in anticipation of the larvae that may be formed by hatching of the eggs. If one person in a house has pinworm infestation, it is essential that all others also take the medicine at the same time. Since there is possibility of the worm eggs sticking to the undergarments of the person who has the infestation, these clothes must be washed separately in hot water and dried under the sun. The hands must be washed with soap and water after passing stool and before eating any food, especially around the nails.
The nails must be trimmed and cleaned to prevent the worm eggs from lodging under the nails. Uncovered foods may lead to the spread of these eggs to all people in a place, so food stuff must always be kept covered. Prevention of the worm infestation and multiplication can be done too. If a child has uncontrollable anal itching at night and if you are sure that it is due to worms, you can apply some coconut oil in the area. Coconut oil has an antihelminthic (eradication of worm) property, which will help destroy the worms. Also, we may crush some garlic in the coconut oil (mixing garlic juice and coconut oil) and apply it to the anal region in children or adults to help with the irritation and itching due to worms.
It must be noted that people who have piles or those who have fissures which are cracks around the anus due to passage of hard stool may also have slight itching of the anus, and application of garlic in these cases may cause excessive burning in the region. In addition to medications, we can also bring about some dietary changes that will help to get rid of the worms. These include: Avoid all processed bakery products such as biscuits and their kind, which contain trans-fats and sweets which will help the worm to survive well in the gut. Reduce the use of milk if you have excessive worm troubles. Include beetroot and pomegranate in your food as these have ability to reduce the multiplication of worms in the intestines. Also, flaxseeds, onion, garlic, coconut oil, and foods containing coconut can all help reduce the growth of worms. Foods such as papaya and pineapple, raw or ripe, prevent the growth of worms.