The Itching Bottom Curse
Nothing is more frustrating than repeated pinworm infection in children. In fact, one of the most common questions we are asked here at Genesis is, "Why do my kids keep getting these worms?"
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The answer may surprise you.
Typically parents will treat their children with a chocolate square or tablet obtained from the local pharmacy that carry the claim of cure from just a single dose, perhaps repeated after two weeks. But the story is more complicated than that, and there are little-known factors that render the one or two-shot drug treatments ineffective.
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1. Pinworms don't lay their eggs inside the body.
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Yes, that's right. Have you ever wondered what those worms are doing down there to cause the itch? They are exiting the body to lay their eggs around the anus. When a child (or adult for that matter) swallows an anthelmintic drug or herbal preparation, the adult worms inside the body are eliminated. But what do these treatments do to the eggs already outside of the body? Nothing at all. The drugs (or herbs) don't ever reach them.
As pinworms lay their eggs outside of the body they are impervious to drugs and herbs when swallowed.
2. Pinworms are prolific breeders
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​When we talk about pinworms laying eggs, we mean lots of them. Mature pinworms can lay up to 20,000 eggs in one sitting (sorry about the pun).​
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3. All of those eggs go on a journey
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Once laid, those tens of thousands of eggs fall off the body onto sleepwear, underwear and bed clothing. When these items are handled, the eggs become airborne, landing on hard surfaces wehre they can remain active for up to three weeks. The child later touches a doorknob, picks up their schoolbag or eats a piece of fruit and reinfection has taken place., possibly weeks after taking the drugs to kill off these things.
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Pinworm reinfestation will keep taking place until the lifecycle is broken. And that requires administering anti-worm treatments on a daily basis for a period beyond the viability of the eggs in the environment - at least three weeks.
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Herbal treatments have been used in some cases for centuries to successfully eradicate pinworm infection. And, unlike pharmaceutical (i.e. synthetic) options, herbal remedies are usually safe to take on a daily basis for long enough to break the worm lifecycle.
There is an answer to the Itching Bottom Curse and persistent pinworm infestation, and it has been there for centuries.