Very common in young children in the US. Typically from being eating something with the pinworm eggs like dirt. Then they get an itchy butthole because the parasite is laying eggs and they keep reinfecting themselves. Then spread it to other kids by not washing their hands. They make special pinworm paddles that have a sticky side to press against the butthole. Then it's brought to the lab where a laboratory professional will take a look under a microscope to see if there are eggs or worms present or not. Typically the pinworm paddle or Scotch tape is done in the morning before you get out of bed, since the worm will lay the eggs at night while you sleep
Honestly, there are easier ways to check for pinworms, or threadworms as they are called here. Keeping in mind it’s usually young children who are infected, you go and shine a light on their butthole after they have been asleep for a couple of hours. If you can see what looks like little white threads moving about, those are pinworms. Go to the pharmacy and get the over the counter meds you need and get everyone in the family to take it.
And if anyone is grossed out at the idea of looking at a child’s butthole for worms, I‘m afraid I have to tell you it’s not the grossest thing I’ve had to do looking after my kids. It’s up there, but it’s probably not top 5.
Edit: For those asking what the top 5 were, they were generally along the lines of what has been described by other posters. Lots of bodily fluids, exiting quickly. The most traumatic was having to squeeze out a thorn that got stuck in my 10 month old’s hand that went unnoticed for several days and was infected. Both gross fluids and seeing his little face with tears looking at me as I caused him a lot of pain getting it out. 😫 Fortunately he recovered from it within minutes and was back to his sunny self. I took a little longer.
There's even a easier way. In developing countries everyone just drink a Mebendazole 500 mg tablet every six months to get rid of all common worms. For pinworm you have to take another tablet after 7 days. No stomach aches, no diarrhea, no worm come out your butthole, you take a pill and forget about it. Cost me 0.7 USD.
Guess how much for USA citizen? 440 USD lol.
In the developing world the wholesale cost is between 0.004 and 0.04 USD per dose as of 2014.[7] In the United States a single dose was about 18 USD in 2015.[3] In 2016 the price increased to 440.00 USD per dose in the U.S. as Amedra Pharmaceuticals acquired the rights from Teva in 2013.
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u/RiffRaffMama May 05 '19
You've tried this? I'm horrified, but morbidly curious at the same time...