Pinworms, also known as threadworms or seatworms, are tiny parasitic worms that infect the intestines and colon. The scientific name for pinworms is Enterobius vermicularis. Pinworms are very common, especially among children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States, about 40 million people are infected with pinworms.
Pinworms are visible to the naked eye in some cases, but not always. Keep reading to learn more about what pinworms look like, the symptoms they cause, how to diagnose an infection, and how to treat it.
What Do Pinworms Look Like?
Adult pinworms are small, white, and thread-like in appearance. They are about 2-13 mm long. Females are longer than males.
The worms have a pointed head and a blunt posterior end where the anal opening is located. They have a lifespan of about 2-3 months.
Pinworm eggs are oval-shaped, very small (50-60 μm long), and transparent when freshly deposited. Within a few hours they become white and opaque.
The eggs are too small to be seen without magnification, but they can sometimes be visible on the skin around the anus or on underwear because they get stuck on the skin and fabric. The eggs can survive for up to 3 weeks in the environment.
What Are the Symptoms of Pinworms?
Many people with a pinworm infection have no symptoms. But when symptoms do occur they may include:
– Itching around the anus. This is usually worse at night when the female pinworms lay their eggs around the anus.
– Irritability and restlessness, especially in children.
– Mild abdominal pain.
– Insomnia. The itching may make it hard to sleep.
– Difficulty concentrating. The itching can be distracting.
– Occasionally, vaginal irritation in girls if the worms have migrated from the anus to the vagina.
How Are Pinworm Infections Diagnosed?
Pinworms can sometimes be diagnosed just based on symptoms, especially itching around the anus. But tests may be needed to confirm the diagnosis, including:
– **Cellophane tape test**: This involves pressing a piece of clear cellophane tape around the anal area in the morning before bathing or using the toilet. The tape can pick up pinworm eggs. It’s then examined under a microscope.
– **Visual exam**: Your doctor may be able to see adult pinworms during a visual exam of the anal area and skin around it, using a flashlight. The worms come out at night to lay eggs, so the best time to try and spot them is about 2-3 hours after the person has fallen asleep. Shining a flashlight on the anal area may cause the worms to quickly retract back inside the anus.
– **Microscopic exam of a stool sample**: Your stool can be analyzed to look for pinworm eggs under a microscope. The eggs can survive up to 2-3 weeks outside the body, so it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions carefully for collecting the stool sample. This test may need to be repeated over several days to increase the chances of detecting eggs.
How to Treat a Pinworm Infection
Pinworm infections are generally treated with two doses of either over-the-counter pyrantel pamoate such as Pin-X or a prescription anti-parasitic medication like albendazole. The doses are given two weeks apart. This helps kill any worms that may have hatched after the initial dose.
Everyone living in the same household should be treated at the same time, even if they aren’t showing symptoms. This helps prevent reinfection.
In addition to medication, your doctor may recommend the following to help get rid of pinworms:
– Regular bathing or showering, especially after waking up and before bed, to mechanically remove worms from the skin.
– Keeping fingernails short to discourage scratching and spreading eggs.
– Washing sleep clothing, bed linens, and bath towels frequently in hot water.
– Vacuuming carpeting and upholstered furniture to remove eggs.
With proper treatment, pinworm infections can be cured. But repeat infections are very common, so maintaining good hygiene is important.
Can Pinworms Be Visible in Stool?
It’s uncommon to visibly see pinworms in stool. This is because the worms live in the colon and rectum. Stool passes through the rectum and anus, but the worms themselves usually remain attached to the intestinal lining.
So while pinworm eggs may be detectable in stool samples under a microscope, the worms themselves do not often pass through and become visible in feces.
Occasionally, an especially heavy pinworm infection with hundreds or thousands of worms in the rectum may result in visible worms in stool. This is more likely to occur in children. But in most cases of pinworm infection, the worms themselves will not be visible to the naked eye in feces. Microscopic identification of the eggs is needed to confirm infection.
Can You See Pinworms in Urine?
Pinworms do not infect the urinary tract, so there is no risk of visible pinworms in urine. The worms live out their life cycle strictly in the human gastrointestinal system, specifically in the colon and rectum.
In rare cases, pinworm infections in young girls can spread to the vagina. This is known as a vaginal pinworm infection. When this happens, live pinworms may be visible in the vaginal area or pinworm eggs visible under a microscope on a vaginal swab. But pinworms cannot end up in urine.
So while the itching caused by a heavy anal pinworm infestation may make a person feel like urinating frequently, the worms and eggs themselves will not be passed through and visible in urine. Only microscopy of urine would detect the presence of eggs that got transferred to the urine from the anus.
Can You See Pinworms in Feces?
As mentioned earlier, it’s relatively uncommon to visibly see pinworms in feces. This is because the worms typically remain attached to the intestinal lining rather than getting passed through in stool. However, sometimes light pinworm infections will result in visible worms. Here’s an overview:
– **Heavy infections**: In rare cases of very heavy parasite load, many worms may detach from the intestines and become visible in feces. This is more likely in children. The feces may also have a seedy or grainy texture from the presence of eggs.
– **Diarrhea**: Loose, watery stool during diarrhea may dislodge worms and carry them out in feces.
– **Laxative use**: Laxatives stimulate forceful bowel movements that can dislodge worms from intestinal walls and allow them to pass visibly in stool.
– **Anal migration**: Some worms may migrate out the anus at night and get passed in stool the next day. These may be visible.
– **Dead worms**: Occasionally dead pinworms that detached from the intestines prior to passing in stool can be visible. They appear white and thread-like.
So while not common, it is possible in some cases to visibly see pinworms in feces with the naked eye. Microscopic identification of eggs in stool sample is still the best diagnostic method.
Can You See Pinworms on Toilet Paper?
Pinworms typically infect the colon and rectum, but don’t usually end up on toilet paper after wiping. However, the eggs can sometimes be visible. Here’s an overview:
– Pinworm eggs may be deposited on the skin around the anus. Wiping can transfer these tiny white eggs onto toilet paper. They appear as small white specks.
– If female worms migrate out of the anus at night, they may leave eggs on the skin that can transfer to toilet paper.
– Dead worms that passed in stool may leave residue, eggs, or body fragments on toilet paper.
– In heavy infections, live worms passed in stool may transfer directly to toilet paper.
So while not common, pinworms or their eggs could potentially show up on toilet paper on occasion after wiping. The eggs would appear as tiny white specks. Whole worms visible on toilet paper are less likely.
Checking toilet paper for signs of infection should not replace diagnosis by a doctor. But it can provide clues leading to getting checked and treated.
Conclusion
In summary, pinworms themselves are not easily visible to the naked eye. But in some cases, living or dead worms may be passed in stool and seen on toilet paper. More commonly, microscopic pinworm eggs can be detected through medical tests like the tape test or microscopy of stool samples.
Seeing pinworms or eggs outside the body is suggestive of infection. But keep in mind that many infections cause no symptoms and even light symptoms warrant medical diagnosis and treatment. Practice good hygiene to prevent transmission. Pinworms are very contagious but also readily treated with medication and diligent cleaning.
| Location | Can pinworms be visible? |
|---|---|
| On skin around anus | Sometimes eggs visible |
| In underwear | Sometimes eggs get stuck on fabric |
| In stool | Rarely worms visible in heavy infections |
| In urine | No, pinworms do not end up in urine |
| On toilet paper | Possible to see eggs or worms in some cases |
In most cases, pinworms cannot be diagnosed visually. Medical tests like the tape test, microscopy of stool samples, or visual exam by a doctor are required. But in some instances, the worms or their eggs can become visible around the anus, on underwear, on toilet paper, or very rarely in feces. Proper diagnosis and treatment are still essential.