Threadworms

Signs of threadworms

You can spot threadworms in your poo. They look like pieces of white thread.

You might also see them around your child's bottom (anus). The worms usually come out at night while your child is sleeping.

Other symptoms can include:

extreme itching around the anus or vagina, particularly at night
irritability and waking up during the night

Less common signs of worms include:

weight loss
wetting the bed
irritated skin around the anus

See a pharmacist if:

you think you or your child have threadworms

Find a pharmacy

Treatment for threadworms from a pharmacy

You can buy a medicine called mebendazole for threadworms from pharmacies. This is usually a chewable tablet or liquid you swallow.

Treat everyone aged 2 years and over in your household, even if they do not have symptoms.

Tell the pharmacist if you need to treat a child younger than 2 years old, or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Treatment might not be suitable and you may need to speak to a GP.

If you cannot take medicine you can treat threadworms by using hygiene methods for 6 weeks.

Things you should do at home for threadworms

Medicine kills the threadworms, but it does not kill the eggs. Eggs can live for up to 2 weeks outside the body.

There are things you can do to stop becoming infected again. Do these for 2 weeks if you're taking medicine, or for 6 weeks if you're not taking medicine.

Do

wash hands and scrub under fingernails - particularly before eating, after using the toilet or changing nappies
encourage children to wash hands regularly
shower every morning
rinse toothbrushes before using them
keep fingernails short
wash sleepwear, sheets, towels and soft toys (at a hot temperature) every day for several days after treatment
disinfect kitchen and bathroom surfaces, using hot water
vacuum and dust with a damp cloth
make sure everyone in the household wears underwear at night and changes it in the morning

Don't

do not shake clothing or bedding, to prevent eggs landing on other surfaces
do not share towels or flannels
do not bite nails or suck thumbs and fingers

Nursery, school and work

If you or your child has threadworms there's no need to stay off nursery, school or work.

How threadworms spread

Threadworms spread when their eggs are swallowed. They lay eggs around your bottom (anus), which make it itchy. The eggs get stuck on your fingers when you scratch. They can then pass on to anything you touch, including:

clothes
toys
toothbrushes
kitchen or bathroom surfaces
bedding
food

Eggs can pass to other people when they touch these surfaces and then touch their mouth. The eggs can survive up to 2 weeks. The larvae hatch from the eggs in your gut after you swallow them, and take 1 to 2 months to mature into threadworms.

Children can get threadworms again after they've been treated for them if they get the eggs in their mouth. This is why it's important to encourage children to wash their hands regularly.

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