Five-year-old Ellie had been asleep for just 20 minutes when she awoke in a panic. ?She was writhing and uncomfortable,? says her mom, Celena Gowan, who soothed her daughter back to sleep. When Ellie awoke a second time complaining that ?her whole private area was itchy and uncomfortable,? Gowan took her to the emergency room. After an examination, she was told to follow up with their family doctor about pinworms. Sure enough, the test results came back positive for the parasite. ?I felt grossed out and wondered how this could have happened,? Gowan says.
What are pinworms"
Pinworms are tiny white roundworms that enter the body through the mouth after you touch something that’s contaminated with pinworm eggs, then touch your hands to your mouth. The worms make their way through the digestive system and lay their eggs in the rectum. This may seem like a scary scenario from one of the Alien movies, but it?s really quite common, particularly among school-aged children.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control, around 50 percent of kids under 18 get them at some point. ?It?s so easy to spread their eggs,? says Janice Heard, a Calgary-based paediatrician. ?They?re in the sand, in our houses and on children.?
The thought of this is gross for sure, but it?s par for the course when you?ve got kids. Schools are a common place to find pinworm transmission. If you?re squeamish, steel yourself: Here?s all you need to know about pinworms and how to treat them.
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