Symptoms of threadworms

Threadworms can often go unnoticed as they sometimes don't produce any symptoms. They can even infect the entire family without anyone knowing it! This is why as soon as they're spotted, everyone needs to be treated to kill all worms and prevent re-infestation. There are however a couple of common symptoms that you can look out for to indicate that your child could have threadworms:

• Itching around the anus in boys and girls (some girls may have an itching around the vagina). This itching will be noticed more at night when the female worms are laying eggs.
• Disturbed sleep at night and irritability due to intense itching.
• Visible worms are also another symptom and you may notice them around your child's bottom, in their stools or even on their bed sheets or pyjamas.

If these symptoms are noticed, speak with a pharmacist as soon as possible to receive the best medication. If left untreated, if the infection is particularly severe or if the infection is persistent, then threadworms could also cause the following symptoms:

• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Skin infection around the anus caused by bacteria entering the scratches caused by itching
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• Bedwetting

If any of these signs and symptoms are noticed when your child has already taken medication, you should contact your pharmacist for an alternative treatment. You could also visit your GP to rule out any further complications as in extremely rare cases the threadworms could spread outside the intestine to places like the urinary tract, the liver or in girls or women the vagina or the womb.