What are threadworms?

Threadworms are tiny white worms about 10 mms long. They live in the bowel. Sometimes they can be seen in the bowel motion where they look like threads of white cotton. Threadworms are surprisingly common especially in children.

How do threadworms spread?

The female threadworms leave the bowel at night and lay new, sticky eggs on the skin around the back passage. Then, through scratching, wiping round the back passage after going to the toilet or even scratching in your sleep, these eggs get onto the hands and under the fingernails. From here, the eggs can get onto food, and whoever eats the food becomes infected. The eggs pass into their bowel where they hatch and grow. Thus, the whole cycle starts all over again.

Eggs can also easily get onto night clothes, bed linen, towels, facecloths – even carpets, and can be passed on to other people this way.

Are they harmful?

Threadworms can be a nuisance but they are not harmful. Sometimes they cause itching round the back passage, especially at night. This keeps children awake, or may make them wet the bed.

What can I do if I think I have threadworms?

If you think or your child may have threadworms, contact the health visitor, practice nurse or doctor. He will probably give you a medicine to get rid of the worms. It will be simple to take and not unpleasant. It’s best if the whole family are treated at the same time because if one person in the family has worms, the others probably have them too.

The treatment kills the worms but not the eggs. The threadworm eggs can survive for up to 2 weeks, so make sure that all family members scrub under their nails with a nailbrush under running water for 2 minutes, before preparing or eating food, or after going to the toilet for this fortnight.

Can I help in the treatment?

Yes. There are several things you can do to help get rid of worms:

What can I do to prevent threadworms?

Here are some simple steps you can take to prevent threadworms in your family: