Worm Treatment

A threadworm (pinworm) infection may sound rather unpleasant, even embarrassing, but in reality, a case of worms is relatively harmless. Threadworms (also known as pinworms) are highly contagious and can easily spread through the whole family. Luckily, threadworm treatment is easy and VERMOX® has a range of worming solutions to meet your family’s needs.

Getting rid of adult worms

So when threadworms affect your family, your first thought may be “how do I get rid of worms?”. The answer is to take a medicine called an antiparasitic (because worms are a type of intestinal parasite) or more specifically an antihelmintic (because helminth, pronounced hell-min-th, is another name for parasitic worms). These medicines are available over-the-counter at your pharmacy or sometimes require a prescription from your doctor.

Threadworm treatment with medicines such as VERMOX® usually only require a single dose to kill mature adult worms that are present in the intestines. And the worm treatment for kids is the same as the worm treatment for adults, provided the child weighs more than 10 kg. Because reinfection is quite common, a follow-up dose taken 2 to 3 weeks after the initial dose is recommended to ensure that any new or surviving adult worms are also eliminated.

It is extremely important that when one person in the family has a threadworm infection, the entire household is treated at the same time, regardless of whether they are infected or not. Treating everyone at the same time – as well as maintaining good hygiene (more on that below) – is critical for breaking the cycle of infection and a key part of how to get rid of pinworms completely.

Getting rid of worm eggs

While anthelmintic treatment for worms in humans is very effective for killing the adult worms, it does not get rid of the threadworm eggs. And because transmission and ingestion of the eggs is the cause of threadworm infections, it’s important to follow some simple but important hygiene practices when you start treatment to break the cycle of infection.

Here are some key things you should do to help maintain good hygiene when your household starts their threadworm treatment:

● Wash hands with soap regularly, especially after going to the toilet and before handling food or eating. Pay special attention to fingernails to ensure any trapped worm eggs are scrubbed away.

● Keep fingernails trimmed short and avoid biting your nails. Discourage children from scratching their bottom and putting their fingers in their mouth.

● Wash your bottom area every day, preferably in the morning to remove any worm eggs laid during the night. Showers are recommended over baths to avoid contaminating the bath water with worm eggs.

● Wash all clothing, towels, and bed linen in hot water to kill worm eggs. Avoid shaking out or sharing these items to limit the spread of worm eggs.

● Disinfect toilets and frequently touched household surfaces regularly and vacuum floors and soft furnishings to help get rid of worm eggs.

So, if you’re wondering how to get rid of threadworms, it’s easy: treat the whole family with VERMOX® to kill worms with one dose and add in some good hygiene to help prevent reinfection for a worm-free home.

Frequently asked questions about worm treatment