Pinworms in Adults

A pinworm is a type of roundworm that can live in people's large intestine or rectum. Although pinworm infections are more common among children, they sometimes occur in adults who have children with a pinworm infection, according to MedicineNet (see Reference 1).

Spread

• Pinworms are spread to adults through clothing, linens, toys, furniture, faucets, desks or other surfaces and utensils.

Development

• People first swallow pinworm eggs, which hatch in the colon, according to the Nemours Foundation (see Reference 2). The worms take about a month to two months to develop, and the female worms eventually move to the rectum to lay their eggs, according to the foundation.

Symptoms

• In a similar manner to children, some adults with a pinworm infection develop itching around their anus or genitals, insomnia, abdominal pain or nausea, according to the Mayo Clinic (see Reference 3). Many adults with the infection have no symptoms.

Identification

• Often it is possible to detect pinworms on the skin near the anus or on a person's clothes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (see Resource 1). During a tape test, a doctor uses cellophane tape on the anus and then examines the tape under a microscope for pinworm eggs, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (see Resource 2).

Treatment

• Anti-helminthic medications such as Albenza, Pin X or Pin-Rid are often used to kill adult pinworms, larvae and eggs, according to the Mayo Clinic (see Reference 3). If pinworms infect the urinary tract system, adults might be given mebendazole and ivermectin, according to MedicineNet (see Reference 1).