What is a hairworm? What are the symptoms and treatment methods?
Hairworm is a very common intestinal parasite. The medical condition associated with hairworm infection is known as enterobiasis in the medical literature. Infection is more common in school-age children and spreads easily between children through microscopic eggs. The treatment involves killing parasites in the body with oral medications and washing pajamas, bed linen and underwear thoroughly. For the best results, the whole family should be examined. The hairworm uses the human body to survive and reproduce and does not infect animals.
What is a hairworm?
Hairworm is an intestinal infection caused by tiny parasitic worms. It is a common infection that affects millions of people every year, especially children of school age. Adult worms are approximately 5 to 10 millimeters long, white or cream colored. These wolves, which look like small pieces of yarn, can survive for up to six weeks. Their eggs are too small to be seen with the naked eye. The hairworm does not harm the person except for itching and discomfort, and treatment is short.
Why does the hairworm?
Accidental ingestion or inhalation of eggs from parasitic worms causes an infectious infection. It can be transported to the mouth by food, drinks or fingers containing microscopic eggs. The larvae hatching from the swallowed eggs turn into adult worms in the small intestine within a few weeks and then settle into the large intestine. Worm eggs can be found on dirty hands, surfaces and objects. Places and objects where hairworm eggs are frequently found include:
Bed cover
Towel
Clothes (especially underwear and pajamas)
Toilets
Surfaces in the bathroom
food
Glasses
Food Containers
Toys
Kitchen countertops
Desks at school
Sandbox
The female maggots in the body reach the anal area to lay their eggs 1-2 months after the eggs are taken into the body. This often causes severe itching in the breech. When the person scratches the breech region, these eggs stick to the fingers and settle under the nails. It is then transferred to other surfaces such as toys, bedspreads or toilets. It can be carried from contaminated fingers to food, liquids, clothing or others. Hairworm eggs can survive two to three weeks on various surfaces. People who ask whether domestic animals can be transmitted to the hairworm should know that these wolves do not.
Risk factors for hairworm infection include:
Children: Hairworm infection occurs more frequently in children aged 5-10 years. Microscopic eggs can easily spread to other family members, carers, and other children in schools or childcare centers. Worm infections are rare in children under 2 years of age.
Living in crowded areas: People living in crowded places, such as nursing homes, child protection institutions, are at greater risk of developing a worm-infected infection.
What are the symptoms of hairworm?
Symptoms of hairworm infection include:
Itching in the breech or vaginal area: May become severe enough to wake you up at night.
Insomnia, restlessness and discomfort
Intermittent abdominal pain and nausea: Although these symptoms are relatively rare symptoms, if the intestine has a lot of worms in the person may be encountered.
The most common symptoms are itching around the anus and restless sleep. Itching is usually worse at night because wolves move to the anus at night to lay their eggs. It may also spread to the vagina and cause vaginal discharge. Bacterial skin infection may also develop if an open wound occurs on the skin due to scratching. Hairworm infection can also proceed silently without causing any symptoms or complaints.
What are the damages of hairworm?
Typical worm infections do not cause serious problems. In rare cases, heavy invasions can cause infections in the female reproductive organs. The parasite can go from the anal area to the vagina and from there to the uterus, fallop tubes and pelvic organs. This can cause problems such as ina vaginitis ve and il inflammation of the uterine inner membrane zar (endometritis). Although rare, other complications of a pinworm infection may include:
Urinary tract infections: Urinary tract infections are more common in women with severe hairworm infestation. The worm can also go to the bladder and cause cystitis.
Weight loss: If the infection is severe, the parasite can absorb the essential nutrients required by the body and cause weight loss.
Infection in the abdominal cavity and reproductive organs: The worm can cause infections in women such as vaginitis, endometritis from the anal region to the vagina, uterus, fallop tubes and around the organs in the abdominal cavity.
Appendicitis: There are cases of wormworm that migrate to the appendix causing appendicitis.
Skin infection. Severe itching can cause intense scratches and sores on the skin, increasing the risk of infection.
How to prevent hairworm?
Hairworm eggs can stick to surfaces such as toys, taps, bedding and toilet seats and stay alive for two weeks. Therefore, regular surface cleaning can prevent the spread of interference. Methods that can help prevent worm egg spreading or recurrence of infection include:
Cleaning the anal area in the morning: As the female hairworms lay their eggs in the anal area at night, washing the breech and its surroundings in the morning can help to reduce the number of eggs in the body. Taking a shower instead of taking a bath in the bathtub can help prevent infection from bath water again.
Changing linen and bed linen on a daily basis: This is a prerequisite for getting rid of eggs.
Washing the laundry with hot water: To kill the hairworm eggs, it is necessary to wash the sheets, nightwear, underwear, fibers and towels in hot water.
Avoid scratching: You should definitely avoid scratching the anal area. In addition, cutting the nails of children shorten the accumulation of eggs under the nail.
Washing hands frequently: To reduce the risk of infection or spread, enter the toilet, change the diapers of children, and so on. then hands should be washed.
Caring for children: Children should be allowed to shower every day and change their underwear daily. Short nails also reduce the accumulation of eggs under the nail.
How to treat hairworm?
Hairworm is a type of infection that can be easily treated. Treatment focuses on preventing re-infection. All members of the family need to be treated to get the final result. Treatment can be done in two ways:
A strict hygiene schedule for 6 weeks
Medicine
If medication is used in treatment, it should be given to everyone in the house. Because, as said, the risk of contamination among family members is high. Therefore, even if there are no symptoms, one should pay close attention to one of the family members when the hairworm is diagnosed. Pregnant women or nursing mothers are advised not to use medication for approximately six weeks; because some medications cannot be used in the first thirteen weeks of pregnancy.
How does the hairworm go?
Personal hygiene and care measures at home are very important to get rid of hairworm. For this purpose, it is useful to follow these tips:
Wash hands regularly.
The nails should be kept short and bites should be avoided.
Tight underwear should be preferred.
Underwear must be changed every day.
Pajamas should be changed regularly.
All areas in the house - should be mopped or vacuumed every day.
All linen and bed linen should be changed daily and washed occasionally in hot water.
If your child or you have various symptoms and complaints suggesting a hairworm infection, you can contact a health facility for help in diagnosis and treatment.
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