How to Detect Symptoms of Pinworms in Children

Symptoms of pinworms are fairly obvious for parents and children. Pinworms are tiny little parasites that live in the intestines. They hatch eggs in the stomach and travel down to the intestines. Sometimes they lay eggs on the anus or outside of the anus. It sounds pretty disgusting doesn't it. Well, believe it or not, pinworms are fairly common in children. Use this article to detect symptoms of pinworms in your own children.

Things You'll Need

• Flashlight

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Instructions

• 1

  Watch for constant scratching around the bottom. When I say scratching, I mean scratching. Of all the symptoms of pinworms, this is the most obvious. It is continuous and horribly itchy sensation.

• 2

  Watch for vaginal itching if you have a little girl. Symptoms of pinworms travel to the vagina in some cases. Although pinworms live in the intestines and anus, they do travel to the vaginal area.

• 3

  Pay attention to how quickly your child falls asleep. Symptoms of pinworms tend to get substantially worse at night because that is when they travel to the anus. If your child has trouble falling asleep or has insomnia, it could be a sign.

• 4

  Use a flashlight at night when your child is sleeping. Shine it on her anus to see if there are any tiny whitish worms. You can visibly see the symptoms of pinworms. In fact, you might even be able to see the eggs.

• 5

  Pay special attention to your child's appetite. A loss of appetite is one of the serious symptoms of pinworms. In fact, your child won't lose his appetite until the pinworm infestation has grown significantly.