How To Get Rid of Pinworms

Contracting pinworms is a fact of life for millions of people around the world.  Learn how to easily rid yourself and your loved ones from pinworms.

Like lice, no one wants to talk about pinworms, but when you run into the unfortunate situation of someone in the family having pinworms, it is not the time to freak out—it's time to take action! Don't Feel Bad, this is a Very common and treatable problem among school-age children.  This is a condition that is passed from human to human.

Let's do this!

Note:  I do not represent the Reeses corporation.

public domain image of adult pinworms

STEP ONE

• Purchase and immediately take a proven effective pinworm medicine.  From my experience, Reeses pinworm medicine is the ONLY way to go.  It is advisable to purchase the 2oz bottle as one little bottle will only be able to treat 1-2 people in the household (dosage depends on the weight of the individual—the more you weigh, the more you will need).

TIP
If someone in your home has been found to have pinworms, it is well advised to go ahead and treat everyone in the home.  Others can be carrying them and not have any symptoms.  Also, you will want to retreat the family exactly 2 weeks after initial treatment—even if there are no signs of the condition.  This is a precautionary measure.

STEP TWO

• Remove ALL bedding and clothing that the infected person has been recently using (pinworms lay microscopic eggs that can survive on surfaces for up to 3 weeks!)
• Wash ALL bedding and clothing in HOT water

STEP THREE

• Using a BLEACH based cleaner (I used Clorox Clean-Up—best surface cleaner on the market—in my humble opinion), clean ALL surfaces you suspect the infected individual has come into contact with (counters, toilets, faucet knobs, door knobs, you get the idea)

STEP FOUR

• Be sure any infected persons change out their undergarments at least twice a day if possible for the first week.  
• Carefully take these clothes and wash them in HOT water frequently—I had my daughter carefully place them in small shopping bags and then I carefully would dump them right into the wash.  I wore latex gloves while dealing with possibly infected materials.
• You then want to be sure to have PLENTY of Germex around the house—I keep large bottles in the kitchen and all bathrooms

STEP FIVE

• Keep a close eye on the infected person's bathroom waste—I know that sounds nasty, but you want to be sure you are seeing the dead worms in the feces to reassure you that the medicine is doing what it is supposed to.  If you use Reese's and do the work of sanitizing, you shouldn't have any signs of worms within a week-and-a-half.

STEP SIX

• Educate your little-ones on the importance of using Germex after EVERYTIME they use the bathroom.  Be sure to stress how important it is to keep their hands to themselves at school.  No hand-holding (if possible), no sharing common items (if possible), no hugging other kids (this will help prevent lice and pinworm infestations).
•  Again, pinworm eggs are microscopic and can be picked up just by touching surfaces, clothes, and other objects that an infected person touches.  Kids can be nasty little critters—hence why passing on parasites happens more often with them than adults.  Many of them will scratch their butts (which is what pinworms laying eggs cause since they work themselves down the intestinal tract and lay eggs in the rectum), then without sanitizing, they touch their mouths (thereby re-infecting themselves) and then other things that they touch—like hands, bags, tables, chairs, virtually anything they come into contact with.

STEP SEVEN

• If you have followed my instructions here to a tee, then you will likely see that it appears that condition has been cured by the 2-week marker.  I Strongly recommend taking a second dose when it has been exactly 2 weeks since the first dose—just for good measure, and peace of mind!

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Images Courtesy of Pixabay.com, cdc.gov, and general public domain images