Pinworms are parasites that are a common source of infection in humans. These are usually about half an inch in size and may be easily seen with naked eyes. Kids are at a higher risk of getting this infection, with more than 30% of them being infected by pinworms worldwide.
However, adults can even be infected by these contagious worms if they don’t take the required precautions.
Is your child giving shelters to pinworms? Are you searching for a quick and easy cure for this infection? Here understand more about the causes and symptoms of pinworms and some of the most effective home remedies that may be used to treat the pinworm infections.
What are Pinworms?
Pinworms are small and white worms that board the colon and body part of the infected people. They’re additionally referred to asenterobius vermicularis, and therefore the infection is sometimes referred to asenterobiasis or helminthiasis. The infections caused by pinworms are extremely contagious and are a results of ingestion of the small eggs laid by them. While kids are more susceptible to them, they can additionally cause infection in adults.
What Causes Pinworms?
Pinworm infections are entirely caused due to the accidental inhalation or ingestion of the eggs by a human or animal. These eggs are sometimes transferred via contaminated foods, drinks, or alternative infected utensils. The eggs are very little and can’t be seen with naked eyes. Once they enter your body, they hatch and turn into adult worms within weeks. The adult worms still move within the body and lay more eggs around the anus region of the infected person, and these become infective within a couple of hours. This cycle will continue until the infection is cured and proper pinworm treatment is taken and the entire family of the infected individual is disinfected.
Signs and Symptoms of Pinworms
- Frequent skin sensation and irritation in the anal area
- Disturbed sleep due to an irritated anal region
- Presence of pinworms in stools
- Nausea and occasional abdominal pain
These are a number of the common symptoms related to a pinworm infection. Pinworms is very irritating and hard in the end of the day. Hence, it’s best to treat the condition as soon as you observe its onset. The natural and efficient remedies and pinworm treatment mentioned below will assist you combat pinworms simply and efficiently.
Pinworms Home Remedies (pinworm treatment)
1. Apple cider vinegar
Add 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water and mix well. Add honey for flavor and consume this solution. Do this a minimum of twice daily.
Apple cider vinegar contains about 6% acetic acid, which might lower the pH of your body while restoring the hydrochloric acid balance. This creates an unlivable environment for the pinworms, making their survival within your body difficult.
2. Coconut oil
You should consume a teaspoon of coconut oil every morning. Also, apply a small amount of coconut oil to the infected area nightly on a daily basis.
Coconut oil is a natural antioxidant that possesses anti-bacterial and antifungal properties. These properties is useful in eradicating pinworm infection and its symptoms.
3. Garlic
You can chew on some garlic cloves daily or add them as seasoning to the foods that you simply consume.
You can additionally mince garlic cloves, combine them with petroleum jelly and
apply this paste on the affected area, ideally every night daily.
Garlic is another antioxidant that exhibits antibacterial and antifungal properties. This claim was additionally well-tried by a study that compared garlic to two different oxyuricides.
4. Hot Water
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after contact with any utensils that have a chance of being infected.
Also, soak all the garments and fabrics that may be infected in hot water for a minimum of 30 minutes before washing them.
You can additionally disinfect the washrooms by cleansing them daily with hot water and soap.
5. Essential Oils
a. Tea Tree Oil
Mix 1-2 drops of tea tree oil with 1-2 tsp of coconut oil and apply this mix to the affected area every night.
You can additionally use tea tree oil directly, however it may cause irritation in those with sensitive skin.
The anti-bacterial and antifungal properties of tea tree oil are capable of combating all parasitic infections.
b. Clove essential oil
Apply 1-2 drops of clove essential oil directly on the infected area.
Alternatively, if you’ve got sensitive skin, you can dilute it with coconut oil to avoid irritation once every night.
Clove oil comes from aromatic flower buds referred to as cloves. Cloves contain a compound referred to as eugenol that exhibits powerful germicidal properties. The antiseptic and antimicrobial properties of oil of cloves, facilitate treat pinworm infection.
6. Grapefruit Seed Extract
Consume 200 mg of grapefruit seed extract supplement daily twice every day for a week.
Grapefruit seeds contain polyphenols that exhibit sturdy antimicrobial activity against pinworms.
7. Lemon juice
Squeeze half a lemon into one glass of water. Add honey for flavor and consume this drink daily.
The acidic nature of lemons lowers the pH of your body and this, in turn, makes the survival of pinworms difficult.
8. Pineapple juice
Peel and cut the pineapple. Blend the cut pineapple pieces with a glass of water. Drink this juice a minimum of once daily.
Pineapples are a rich supply of anenzyme referred to as bromelain, that exhibits antimicrobial activities and helps get rid of pinworms.
9. Carrots
Take a carrot and wash it thoroughly. Peel it, shred it, and have the pieces with your meal or as a snack 1 to 2 times daily.
The high fiber content of carrots is believed to enhance your bowel movements and digestion. This will push the pinworms out of your body via your intestine.
10. Rubbing alcohol
Take some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and wipe the infected anal region with it every time you use the bathroom.
The disinfecting and antimicrobial nature of the isopropanol in rubbing alcohol will help kill the pinworms and additionally stop recurrence of the infection.
11. Pumpkin Seeds
Blend 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds with enough water to make a creamy paste.
Consume this on an empty stomach once every morning.
Pumpkins contain compounds referred to as cucurbitacins that are best-known for their anthelmintic activity. This activity will paralyze pinworms, making it easier to expel them from your body.
12. Vaseline
Apply a generous amount of vaseline on the infected area. Leave it on overnight and follow this remedy once daily.
The healing properties of vaseline help relieve itching and irritation.
13. Bitter Gourd
Blend 2 medium sized bitter gourds with water. You can add honey or any fruit juice to this mix to combat the bitter flavor. Drink this juice intermittently throughout the day.
The presence of a bitter-tasting compound known as cucurbitacin in bitter gourd is what helps in the elimination of pinworms from your system.
14. Yogurt
Consume about a cup of plain yogurt at least once daily.
Yogurt is rich in probiotics that may restore the natural balance of bacteria in your digestive system. These bacteria are capable of destroying and eliminating harmful bacteria and germs from your body.
15. Wormwood Tea
Add a few (3-4) drops of wormwood extract to a cup of hot water. Consume this tea. You can additionally add honey for flavor. Do this thrice every day for a week.
The antiparasitic nature of wormwood extract helps kill parasites like pinworms and combat the infection.
16. Castor Oil
Consume a teaspoon of castor oil once daily.
Castor oil, scientifically mentioned as ricinus communis, is sort of popular for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial uses that are best-known to destroy and eliminate harmful worms and parasites from your body. Pinworms sometimes hold on to the walls of your intestines and are therefore not excreted from your body. Castor oil will dislodge them from your intestines due to its laxative effects and this, in turn, pushes the pinworms out of your body via excretion.
17. Onions
Peel 1-2 medium onions. Wash them completely and cut them into thin slices. Put them in a bowl and add a pint of water. Let the onion slices soak within the water overnight (for a minimum of twelve hours). Strain the water. Drink this up. Do this thrice a day for two days.
Onions are wealthy in sulfur. These sulfur globules will help to eliminate pinworms from your system in a day or two.
These home remedies can help accelerate your recovery from pinworm infection. In addition, you need to follow some tips to avoid recurrence of the infection.
Tips to prevent Pinworms
- Include foods that are high in fiber in your diet. Raw vegetables, like carrots and cabbages, whole fruits, and grains can increase the efficiency of treatments against pinworms.
- Also, consuming probiotic foods like yogurt and milk will help in the elimination of pinworms from your system.
- Everyone in an infected home must adopt hygienical practices like washing their hands before every meal, showering daily, washing garments with hot water, and cleaning the washrooms on a every day to forestall spreading of the infection.
- The infected person’s home should be disinfected fully in every manner attainable. From vacuuming the carpeted areas to cleaning the floors and changing all the sheets and towels, the whole home should be cleaned following a recovery from pinworms to avoid reinfestation.
- Making these lifestyle changes can prove beneficial in the long run and forestall the recurrence of pinworms.
If left untreated for an extended period, pinworms are known to lead to some complications that will range in their severity. A number of these complications are as follows.
Long-Term side Effects of Pinworms
Urinary tract infection: Pinworms are capable of getting into the urethra and infecting your bladder.
Weight loss: As we are aware, pinworms are parasites that prey on the host’s nutrition. this may result in weight loss in the affected people.
Pelvic inflammatory diseases: Pinworms could cause pelvic inflammatory diseases in females by infecting the linings of the fallopian tubes or ovaries.
Recurring infestations: one among the most important drawbacks of a pinworm infection is its ability to resurface if correct hygiene isn’t maintained by the infected people and their family members.
Now that you simply know the complications caused by pinworms when left untreated, it’s better to be aware of and treat the infection at the earliest.
