Pinworm Test (2024)

FAQs

How do doctors test for pinworms? ›

To obtain a sample, a piece of cellophane tape is pressed against the patient's anal opening. The sticky side of the tape picks up the pinworm eggs and the tape is then stuck to a microscope slide. The eggs can be viewed under the microscope, as seen above.

If an infection is suspected, scotch tape or a pinworm paddle (supplied by your doctor) is applied to the anal region. The eggs stick to the tape or paddle and are later identified using a microscope. The test should be done first thing in the morning since bathing or using the bathroom may remove the eggs.

Although pinworms can be seen by the naked eye, they may be confused with bits of white thread or proglottids of Dipylidium caninum, a tapeworm of dogs and cats that occasionally infects children.

Raw garlic

Garlic is said to kill any existing eggs and prevent female pinworms from laying more eggs. You can ingest it in small doses or apply it topically like a salve. If you wish to ingest the garlic, dice up a clove and mix it into pasta or sprinkle it on bread. You can also eat the garlic on its own.

Do pinworms go away if they're untreated? No. Untreated pinworms lay more eggs, making it easier to spread the infection. Your child will need medicine to get rid of them.

The worm may be seen around the anus or on the child's bottom. It is especially active at night or early morning. Rarely, the pinworm is seen on the surface of a stool. The pinworm's secretions are a strong skin irritant and cause the itching.

You might have anal itching, especially at night. You could also have stomach pain, nausea, or vagin*l itching. Sometimes, pinworms can be seen around your anus or on your underwear or bed sheets about 2-3 hours after you've gone to bed. Pinworms can cause insomnia, restlessness, and irritability.

Accidentally swallowing or breathing in pinworm eggs causes a pinworm infection. The tiny (microscopic) eggs can be carried to your mouth by contaminated food, drink or your fingers. Once swallowed, the eggs hatch in the intestines and mature into adult worms within a few weeks.

Sometimes worms are visible in the anal area, on underwear, or in the toilet. In stool, they look like small pieces of white cotton thread.

How do I tell if I have a parasite? ›

If autoinfection does not occur, pinworm infection is self-limiting due to the short life span of adult worms (11, 13).

There are three ways, with your help, your provider can diagnose pinworm infection: Look for pinworms around the anus 2 – 3 hours after the who may be infected person goes to sleep. Conduct a "tape test" to collect possible pinworm eggs around the anus.

Diagnosis of Enterobius infestation is made by either scotch-tape test or finding worms or typical planoconvex ova in stool or rarely in urine sample. Routine examination of stool sample gives positive diagnosis in only 5%–15% of patients.

Call Your Doctor If:

Pinworm is seen. Skin around the anus gets red or tender. Anal itching lasts more than 1 week.

If you're infested with worms, the mass of worms may be visible in an X-ray of the abdomen.