Pinworms during pregnancy
For a woman expecting a baby, the load on almost all organs and systems of the body increases. As a result, immunity decreases, health problems appear, and susceptibility to viral and fungal diseases is aggravated. Helminthiases were no exception - reduced immunity deprives the body of the ability to resist pinworms. Most often, enterobiasis is diagnosed in pregnant women.
Content:
- Why are pinworms dangerous during pregnancy?
- Causes of pinworm infection during pregnancy
- Symptoms of pinworms in pregnant women
- Treatment of pinworms during pregnancy
Why are pinworms dangerous during pregnancy?
Pinworms during pregnancy are not able to overcome the placental barrier, and they do not pose a direct threat to the fetus. However, a pregnant woman may feel the negative effects of pinworms, which complicate her health.
Danger of enterobiasis:
- Crawling into the vagina, pinworms cause inflammatory diseases of the genital organs;
- Combing the anus leads to a violation of the integrity of the epidermis, which leads to the introduction of pathogenic bacteria into the body;
- Lack of vitamins, microelements, nutrients, which occurs through the fault of helminths, negatively affects the formation of the fetus;
- Discomfort during a night's sleep leads to irritability, apathy, loss of strength, which negatively affects the condition of the fetus;
- Awareness of the danger of helminthiasis disrupts the psychological state of a pregnant woman who fears for the health of her unborn child.
In addition, untreated enterobiasis can cause infection of the newborn during feeding and caring for him.
Causes of pinworm infection during pregnancy
Even a single violation of hygiene rules can cause pinworm infection during pregnancy. No wonder enterobiasis is called "the disease of dirty hands." Helminth eggs can be transferred into your mouth from dirty hands, on which they fell from household items, doorknobs, banknotes, food and dishes. These eggs are spread in large quantities around a person infected with enterobiasis. If a pregnant woman has preschool children attending kindergarten, it's safe to say that she is at twice the risk of infection.
Having penetrated into the oral cavity, the eggs of pinworms quickly find themselves in the intestines, where after 4 weeks they develop into a sexually mature individual, ready for reproduction. The female lays eggs on the skin folds around the anus, the helminth development cycle repeats. Now a woman becomes a source of infection for others.
Symptoms of pinworms in pregnant women
Massive invasion manifests itself in women expecting a baby, with the same symptoms as in other patients. The main manifestation of the disease is excruciating itching in the evening or at night in the anal area.
Additional symptoms of enterobiasis:
- Decreased appetite;
- Nausea;
- Flatulence;
- Weakness and fatigue;
- Abdominal pain;
- The presence of pinworms in the feces, which look like white worms, 0.5-1 cm in size.
With massive invasion, false urge to defecate, increased salivation, dry cough without signs of acute respiratory infections may appear.
Treatment of pinworms during pregnancy
You should not treat enterobiasis on your own, since a professional approach to the treatment of helminthiasis will help a woman get rid of the disease without harm to herself and the unborn child. The doctor will help you choose a drug that is not toxic to the fetus, determine whether the treatment was effective.
It is important to remember that drug therapy for helminthiasis is not carried out in the first trimester of pregnancy.
In the first three months, fetal organs are being formed, and any drug exposure can be fatal for a successful pregnancy outcome.
Recommended drugs for the treatment of enterobiasis during pregnancy:
- Pirantel;
- Dekaris;
- Piperazine.
Basically, these drugs destroy pinworms after a single use. Zinc ointment can be used at the same time. She is lubricated with an anus after an evening dress. Zinc ointment is an antiseptic that sanitizes the area of the anus from pinworms and their eggs. Anthelmintic drugs in the form of rectal suppositories have a local effect. Their action is based on herbal ingredients, so the drugs have a minimum of contraindications.
Suppositories for pregnant women:
- Prostad;
- Nourished;
- Helma-Vitol.
Their use is designed for 7 days of treatment, during which one suppository is inserted into the anus every day.
There is another way to treat enterobiasis without the use of drugs. It is based on the developmental features of pinworms. If you do not allow self-infection, carefully observe hygiene, change underwear and bedding twice a day, wash vegetables and fruits with running and boiled water, then pinworms will leave the body after 3-4 weeks.
There are traditional medicine methods designed to treat pinworms during pregnancy. As well as before drug therapy, before using them, you should get a doctor's recommendation, do not use if there is a risk of allergic manifestations.
Folk recipes:
- Beet juice - for 10-15 days, you should drink 120 cl of beet juice every day on an empty stomach in the morning.
- A decoction of pumpkin seeds - boiled in 500 ml of water, 100 g of pumpkin seeds, peeled from the white peel. The broth is prepared for 20 minutes, drunk on an empty stomach for a week.
- Raw pumpkin seeds - they need to be chewed without peeling the green skin, 2-3 handfuls of seeds are needed daily.
- Infusion of thyme - in 200 ml of boiling water, brew 2 tbsp. l. dry raw materials, placed in a thermos for 2-3 hours, drunk at a time. After an hour and a half, drink a salt solution (0.5 tablespoons per glass of water). The course lasts 5-6 days.
For those who like to add spices (cloves) or ginger to their dishes, it will be enough to season their morning porridge for breakfast with them to get rid of parasites.
Pinworms during pregnancy are a serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately after they appear. It is important to save a woman from unpleasant sensations, and the fetus from lack of nutrients. To avoid re-infection, it is enough to strictly observe sanitary and hygienic rules.
Author of the article: Danilova Tatyana Vyacheslavovna | Infectionist
Education: in 2008 received a diploma in General Medicine (General Medicine) at the Pirogov Russian Research Medical University. Immediately passed an internship and received a diploma of a therapist
