Is your tummy hurting? Are bouts of nausea, dizziness and diarrhoea part and parcel of your daily life? Do you constantly find yourself itching your backside, so much so that it draws out blood? These are telltale signs of a pinworm infection. We’ll tell you how you can get rid of them using perfectly natural and safe home remedies. We’ll begin with some info to help you understand pinworms.
Pinworms are parasitic creatures that lodge themselves confortable inside your intestine, crawling out of your anus to lay eggs when you’re asleep. So, if you find yourself plagued by these formidable parasites, try to nip it in the budding stage before things get real bad, real quick, considering pinworms spread and reproduce pretty fast once they find a host body. Discussed below are the best home remedies on how to cure the body of pinworms along with some precautionary measures that will help you avoid such a situation.
Top 10 Home Remedies For Curing Pinworms Naturally
You’re probably wondering how to kill the pinworms for good. You can either get medications to remove pinworms or rely on the homemade natural ways to eliminate pinworms. Some of the best homemade solutions are discussed below:
Garlic
Rich in nutrients and vitamins A,D,C, and B6, this wonder herb also contains magnesium and calcium, which are great when it comes to curing pinworm infections. Other than that garlic is beneficial for heart patients, controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis. Add garlic to everything you eat or try chewing a couple of raw cloves with a glass of water every morning. You can even prepare a garlic and Vaseline paste and apply it regularly on the buttocks and rectal area to kill the pinworms.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Another home remedy for pinworms is grapefruit seeds extract, which is also well known as a home remedy to cleanse the digestive system. The extract contains grapefruit seeds, the white membrane and pulp. Grapefruit extract is available in both liquid and capsule form. Just a few drops of the extract would rid the body of all parasites like pinworms and ringworms. Kids might not like this remedy, as grapefruit extract is very bitter. You can consume the extract with water, take it in capsule format or apply it externally on the affected area. For best results, mix it with essential oils for pinworms infection cure.
Carrots
Carrots are vegetables rich in Vitamin A, minerals and other nutrients, perfect for boosting your immunity and flushing out toxins effectively. Carrots also contain carotene that improves your vision, and fights parasites, viruses and fungi present in the body. Low on calories but high on fibre, the vegetable can be eaten as part of your main diet or a light snack in-between meals. The anti-oxidant properties of carrots push the pinworms away and kill them effectively.
White Willow Barks
White willow is among the most well-known treatments for driving the pinworms away. The white willow bark comes from a tree called salixalba, found in many countries in Asia and Europe. The bark is named so because of the fine coarse white hair found on the surface of the leaves. The white willow bark has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that would reduce rashes and itchiness caused by pinworms. The bark also contains aspirin and salicylic acid content, which play an important role in fighting and treating pinworm infection.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are perhaps the best home treatment for ridding the body of pinworms for good. The seeds contain anthelmintic properties, responsible for flushing out intestinal parasites. However, it is important to know that pumpkin seeds don’t kill pinworms. The seeds have high levels of cucurbitacins, a compound that can paralyze the pinworms. To completely eradicate the pinworms from your body, use it with a natural laxative like Triphala.
Onions
Onions are something you’d find in every home. The vegetable contains loads of minerals biotin, manganese, copper, vitamin C, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B1 and folate, beneficial for your intestinal health. Consuming half a cup of onions, whether in salads or other food items, is a great way to boost immunity and flush out the toxins. Soak up half an onion in a jar of water overnight, drink this concoction three times a day for best results.
Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourd or bitter melon looks pretty much like a cucumber but tastes nothing like it. Known for its extremely unpleasant and bitter taste the vegetable is not something kids would willingly want to eat. However, bitter gourd is rich in loads of nutrients and minerals that purify your blood, improve immunity, and cleanse the body of toxic wastes. Also, the vegetable contains vitamins B2, B1, B3 and C,, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and fibre. Cut a bitter gourd open, remove the seeds and soak it overnight in salt water to remove some of its bitterness.
Note: Bitter gourd is not beneficial for women who are expecting.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a great anti-oxidant known for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties. Just one teaspoon of this liquid along with a glass of water can cure a lot many infections, drive away the deadliest of parasites and cleanse the body of toxins. ACV or apple cider vinegar reduces the PH levels of the intestinal tracts hence making the place inhabitable for the pinworms to thrive and grow in. You can combine the home remedy with other solutions as well; for instance, you could add a teaspoon of honey to the mixture for better results.
Ginger
A spicy, aromatic and pungent spice, Ginger is used mostly in authentic cuisines and is known for its medicinal qualities. An anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory home remedy, the spice is used to cure a variety of ailments such as common cold, nausea, dizziness, vomiting and stomach aches. Ginger is also effective in killing intestinal worms like pinworms and ringworms. Add a few pieces of ginger to your routine food or prepare a mixture of ginger, water and honey. You can also make ginger tea, a healthy, tasty and quick solution that guarantees the overall well-being of your body.
Cabbages
Cabbages are low on calories, reduce cholesterol, control the blood pressure levels and have high water content. This wonderful vegetable is also used as roughage in salads for facilitating digestion and killing any parasites that might be inside your stomach. Rich in vitamin C, magnesium, fibre, and sulphur, the vegetable is a fast and easy way to get rid of these burn worms for good. You can either cook cabbages in stews and soups or have them raw in salads every morning.
Now that we’ve covered home remedies to overcome pinworm infections, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about them.
So, What Exactly Are Pinworms?
Pinworms or threadworms are common parasites that affects almost everyone (although kids are most susceptible to their dangers). These small, slimy, white worm-like parasites measure up to half an inch in length and hence can be easily spotted. The wiggly worms are slightly smaller than a piece of string, and can infect humans and animals alike. Pinworms are basically intestinal parasites that need host bodies to sustain, survive and thrive. They get into your body, nestle in your intestines, feed on the nutrition you consume and then crawl out when they have to lay eggs.
Adults are less prone to the threats of being infected by pinworms, as they are more careful about their diet and hygiene. Children, on the other hand, are vulnerable to infections because of these worms. Another common infection occurs in females because of pinworms that settle in vaginal tract and uterus. This can cause severe rashes, itching and even burns if left unchecked for long.
How Does One Get Pinworms Infection?
It is common knowledge that pinworms stay inside the intestines; question is how did they get there? These parasites get in inconspicuously into your digestive system through food and then spread inside and outside your body to other hosts. Once they find a body to inhabit,they can easily repopulate and build a strong colony of worms, pinworms are communicable. These worms crawl out of the infected person’s anus when he/she’s sleeping and lay over a thousand eggs outside. Everyone who then comes in contact with the person or the things contaminated with these eggs is prone to having pinworms crawling in their stomachs. Kitchen counters, cupboards, utensils, bathroom, shopping carts – pinworms can lay their eggs anywhere!
Their eggs hatch and develop into full-fledged pinworms inside the host’s body. The grown-up female worms then crawl out of your bum to reproduce again and the circle of life continues. This cycle of infestation will continue until you completely eradicate all the pinworms from your body.
How Do You Know You’ve Got Them?
Wonder if you have a simple tummy ache or is it something serious? Pinworms often stay inside your intestinal tracts undetected, showing no alarming symptoms until very late. Some people feel no discomfort while other can experience mild to intense rectal itching. This pinworm itch is a sure telltale sign that all is not well inside your body. Pinworms may also lead to insomnia or other sleeping disorders as they are actively moving in and out of the anus at night. Some female patients also feel an itching or burning sensation in the uterus due to the vaginal pinworms settled there. The more severe cases of pinworm infection cause heavy bleeding and damage to the rectal canal.
Signs to look out for
- Itchiness in Rectal area
- Urinary tract infection
- Bladder infections
- Minor to severe bleeding
- Irritation, restlessness
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
Some of the possible causes for pinworms might be
- Eating unsanitary food
- Accidentally breathing or swallowing microscopic pinworm eggs that then hatch and develop inside your body in a matter of weeks
- Sharing personal items with an infected person.
How Long Do They Stay Inside You?
Pinworms have a consistent life cycle. It starts when you come in contact with objects, people or food items that already have traces of pinworm eggs on them. The eggs are then transmitted inside your body through the mouth or your skin. Once inside, the eggs lodge themselves into the intestinal tracts where they lay low, hatch and develop into full-fledged pinworms. The younglings get their nutrition from the food consumed by the host. This is probably why people infected by pinworms are frequently hungry and suffer from tummy aches. Pinworms stay inside your stomach for a little over two weeks before they mature and crawl out to lay more eggs outside.
The Problem of Pinworms in Kids
You are not properly initiated into parenthood until you have worn a Lego Lamp, armed with strip of tape and gone searching for pinworms in your child’s pants! Yes, every mother must have had to face the situation at least once in her live. Pinworms are a common occurrence in children, perhaps more common than lice. Kids suffering from such infection are usually very cranky, have trouble sleeping, and constantly crib of an itching backside.
Contrary to popular belief, pinworms don’t just attack the dirty or unhygienic people. Almost anyone can get infected- it spreads from people to people, from object to object. Something that seems spotless on the surface might be teeming with pinworms and you wouldn’t even know. So, if you notice even the most mundane of signs such as irritation, insomnia, mild itchiness and tummy aches in your child, take him to the doctor immediately.
Some Precautionary Measures
Finding pinworms in your stomach is scary; leaving them in there unchecked until it’s too late to do anything is scarier. If you feel even the slightest of discomfort in your rectal area, do not hesitate to consult a doctor and get a thorough check-up. Here are some precautionary measures that you should keep in mind:
- Avoid eating junk food from outside
- Consider all your allergies and dietary restrictions before adopting these remedies.
- Wash your hands, maintain basic hygiene
- Pregnant women must be especially careful in adopting some of the remedies discussed above.
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