Pinworms: Intestinal Parasites

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What exactly is a pinworm? The information that I will present in this article may be surprising. It could explain symptoms that your child had in the past and you had no idea what was wrong with her. If you're like me, you may have never heard of a pinworm. But, if you have young kids, this article will be important to you. I will warn you. This is not a pleasant topic.

What are Pinworms?

Pinworms are intestinal parasites. The females are about a half an inch long. The males, smaller than half an inch, are smaller than the females. The worms are white and thin. They are called pinworms because they are about the width of a straight pin. They can be seen only at night in the rectal area.

What Are Pinworm Symptoms?

One of the most common symptoms of pinworms is itching and burning in the genital area, particularly around the anus. The itching is caused by a gelatin-like substance that is left by the female as she lays eggs around the anal opening. This usually occurs about two hours after your child lays down to go to sleep. The itching is also caused by the movement of the female pinworm.

Another symptom of pinworms is stomach cramping. My daughter had complained of this. She had cramps in the lower abdominal area. She developed the burning and itching symptoms later in the night. Nighttime is when the pinworms are most active. That's when the female goes to lay her eggs.

Pinworms can also be responsible for restless sleeping in children, bedwetting, and even diarrhea. My daughter also experienced the restless sleeping symptom. She kept complaining that her bottom was hurting and she couldn't sleep. I, having no idea that she had an infestation of pinworms, would just give her a warm shower. The sad thing is when she kept getting up during the night, I thought she just didn't want to go to sleep. It never occurred to me that she had pinworms until, during another incident, I actually saw one after further investigation.

Diagnosis