Pinworm (threadworm) is a parasitic infection that most commonly occurs among school-age children and as a result among members of the child’s household. Beyond specialist general advice, this page helps you with how to use Para Rizol for Pinworm infection.

The microscopic eggs are spread easily from child to child to adult. Accidentally swallowing embryonated pinworm eggs is what causes the pinworm infection. Enterobius vermicularis are white ¼ – ½ inch long, thin roundworms that can live in the intestines of humans (not in animals). Once swallowed, the larvae hatch their eggs in the small intestine and mature into adult worms within a few weeks. Although these larvae feed on the nutrients inside the host’s small intestine, weight loss is not particularly common (unless the pinworm infection is very severe).

While the infected person sleeps, gravid female pinworms lay thousands of eggs in the folds of skin surrounding the host’s anus. The larvae inside these eggs mature within 4-6 hours. Not all people infected with pinworms have symptoms, but many complain of anal itching, restless sleep and urgency to scratch the anal area. The problem with the latter is that eggs cling to fingers and get under fingernails. Eggs then get transferred to other surfaces, such as bed linens, pyjamas, toilet seats, faucets, towels, food, liquids, clothes, toys or other people. Pinworm eggs can survive for two to three weeks on surfaces.

Pinworm strict hygiene

Wash hands: To reduce the risk of getting or spreading a pinworm infection, wash everybody’s hands and nails regularly throughout every day, notably after visiting the loo for a number one and especially a number two. After a poo, clean the rectal area with soap and water using clean washcloths or paper towels each time. Scrub the toilet seat daily with disinfectant or soap and water. Also, as you would and should do always anyway, wash hands before eating. Make it a part of your family’s routine, children love routine! To encourage children to wash their hands thoroughly, sing any song that he/she likes and don’t quit scrubbing hands and nails until the song is finished. Natural, foaming soaps encourage kids to wash and are less harsh than chemical soaps.

Soaps and detergents contain surfactant molecules. Positively-charged surfactants kill bacteria and worms by bursting their negatively-charged cell walls. Researchers believe that surfactants work by distorting the surface membranes to bursting point. Dead pinworm, dead egg! (Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, issue 24, p 1844).

Wash bottom: Because pinworms lay their eggs at night, washing the perianal area in the morning helps to reduce the number of pinworm eggs on the body. Having a (hand held) shower is better than risking recontamination in bath water (see undies).

Undies: Wear tight-fitting underpants or knickers at night (akin to lycra cycling or running pants). That way, if your child scratches his/her bottom whilst asleep, he/she will not touch the skin near the anus. Upon rising put your child wearing his/her undies under the shower (or hand shower in bath) so the egg shedding starts there and not in his/her bed. Normal PJs can be worn over the undies, under the circumstances an extra layer helps rather than hinders.

Fingers: Avoid scratching the anal area (undies + PJs at night; as pinworm infection eases the itching becomes less) not least because irritated perianal skin may not tolerate para rizol oils as well. In such case, alternate focal Para Rizol with calendula ointment or some Vaseline. Simply watch out for the skin around the anus becoming red or tender. Make sure the fingernails of everybody in the household are cut short (i.e. less space for eggs to collect). Teach children to wash under their nails with a nail brush. If yours is a nail biter, a thumb or a finger sucker, then consider this a motivational opportunity to quit! Since parents do not know for sure where little hands have been during the night, wash their hands and nails straight away after getting out of bed.

Environment: To remove eggs, change underwear, pyjamas and bed linen daily but be very careful with how you handle them (spilling eggs). Do not share towels or washcloths. Wash bath towels and washcloths in hot water after each use. Change hand towels daily. In order to get the egg count down, vacuum carpets and mop floors particularly where children play (bedrooms and bathrooms). Damp-dust smooth surfaces with a cloth rinsed in hot water, again, particularly in places where children play. Do not overlook faucet knobs, toilet flush handles and door knobs. A strong chlorine-based disinfectant works best.

Others: Call your child’s school or child care centre and let them know that your child has a pinworm infection. Other household members also need to be treated, or at the very least examined because constant reinfection from a carrier is why pinworm infections can be so very persistent. Yes it’s a bit painful to buy medicine for the whole household, and get your kids to take it, and then the endless cleaning but you’ll be glad when you do not have a recurrence in a few months. Females should take note that Enterobius vermicularis can travel from the anus to the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes and pelvic organs. In worst case scenario this can cause problems such as inflammation of the vagina (vaginitis) and inflammation of the inner lining of the uterus (endometritis).

Think outside the box: One consistent feedback of horses (!) on Aloeride aloe vera is that their faecal egg count goes down. They don’t need deworming drugs as much. Like pinworm infections in children, parasite infections in horses also enter via the mouth. Parasites then need to survive stomach pH and hostile enzymes in the small intestine before they can set up shop. Beyond strict hygiene, Aloeride aloe vera helps to build such a healthily, naturally inhospitable gut ecosystem.

How to use Para Rizol for Pinworm infection

Of the several types of Para Rizol available, Steidl’s original formulation is the most appropriate. Para Rizol Gamma Liquid formula contains Ricinus communis (ozonised castor oil), Olea europea fruit oil (ozonised olive oil), Eugenia Carophyllis (clove oil), Juglans Regia oil (walnut oil), Artemisia absintium (wormwood). Of course Para Rizol can be used in tandem with Para Rizol Zeta (if the infection is recent then you do not have to). Both formulas do not contain ozone, but ozonides that are contained in the Rizol raw material as an active substance; they do not contain ozone or alcohols such as ethanol or isopropanol. You should use both the drops (follow the pinworm top down) as well as the suppositories (pinworm bottoms up). In young children we suggest that you consider using the complex homeopathic Viburcol suppositories also. More about that later.

Killing parasitic infections in children, adults and horses causes die-off and paradoxically prudent use means that you don’t kill parasites too quickly. It doesn’t matter whether you use pyrantel pamoate, mebendazole, albendazole or a natural remedy like para rizol. The dosage of Para-Rizol always should be increased gradually and according to individual response. On day one and day two 1 drop a day in cold water about 1 hour before meals, on day three and day four: 1 drop 2x a day in cold water about 1 hour before meals, on day five and day six: 1 drop 3x a day in cold water about 1 hour before meals; on day seven: 2-3 drops 3x a day in cold water about 1 hour before meals. Nine drops a day is about right for a child. The challenge is, will they drink the mixture? If para rizol in water isn’t liked, try adding a little Ribena, needs must when the devil drives! So where do the suppositories fit in (pun intended). Dosage is easiest tweaked by oral dosage, so use oral drop increase to gauge how the pinworm infected individual responds. If 2-3 drops 3x a day is tolerated then the local Para Rizol suppository should be tolerated (in respect of speed of detox) too. Para Rizol suppositories do not only work in the rectal area, via the entero-hepatic circulation they also works systemically. That is why, on the day you use a suppository, you either skip the oral dosage or you halve it. Using a suppository every other day or every third day is sufficient for children.

To insert a Para Rizol suppository in pinworm infection, the parent puts the hand that will do the job in a disposable glove. Put a tiny bit of Vaseline on the tip of the suppository and that Vaselined end goes in first into the child’s rectum, gently push, it doesn’t hurt and push in until it disappears. As with the hand washing, singing any song that he/she likes takes his/her mind of things happening below. Job done, take off glove and dispose of it. Adults using para rizol suppositories for pinworm infections use the same method minus the singing.

Adult dosage increases beyond the 2-3 drops 3x a day in cold water about 1 hour before meals right up to 10 drops 3x a day. The suppositories can be used every other day, every third day and again, on the day a suppository is used you lower (halve) the dosage of the para rizol by mouth but, because adults tend to have more robust detoxification capacity than children, you do not have to lower the dosage. It all depends on personal response, bottom line is to start up slowly and avoid making big increases in dosage.

Pinworm at night

As you have read, at night gravid female pinworms lay thousands of eggs in the folds of skin surrounding the infected host’s anus. The larvae inside these eggs mature within 4-6 hours i.e. become worms. There are several ways in which you can make that area unpleasant to female pinworms. You can put coconut oil around the anus (use non-hydrogenated organic, virgin coconut oil) because it has anti-parasitic properties but it is nothing like para rizol. You can crush garlic to a pulp and mix this in vaseline and smear that on, but the anti-parasitic properties are nothing like that of para rizol. You can put drops of para rizol gamma around the anus and leave to dry. If a bum feels sore then use calendula ointment to soothe it and you can mix para rizol in with that.

Diet

In pinworm infections you want a diet that is high in fibre because this creates a ‘mop’ going through your intestines that physically brushes parasites (hookworms excluded) towards the exit. That is where the clever smoothies come in handy, lots of fibre that you can make to taste very nice too! As snacks go, thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced apples with skin on, pears with skin on, oranges with much of the pith on, are very useful. What about psylium husk? Yes that is fine but too much of it may slow bowel movement. What about eating herbs? The following are useful against parasites: black walnut, sweet wormwood, garlic, oregano, pumpkin seed, goldenseal, bearberry, grapefruit seed, wormseed, guarana, passion flower, lavender. This is where you recognise why you are taking para rizol! Indian food is anti-parasitic because of the spices in it. Hot countries develop their cuisine not just because it tastes delicious, but because it helps the people stay healthy i.e. infection-free. Garlic kills bacteria and parasites (allicin and ajoene compounds), turmeric is effective against parasites, raw pumpkin seeds contain curcurbitin which is anti-parasitic and can paralyze worms in the intestines, papaya seeds (mix with a little honey) are effective against parasites including tapeworm, cloves kill parasitic larvae and eggs because they contain eugenol. Ginger is part of a group of herbs called carminatives along with peppermint, anise, cardamom, cumin, coriander, caraway seed, fennel seed and these are all useful for intestinal health. Have a look at the recipes of Mallika Basu, there are plenty of spicy but not hot dishes that even a four year old would enjoy.

Pinworm prevention

Become anal about hygiene, that is, become the mother from hell in respect of washing hands regularly. When your child announces that it is off to the loo, remind him/her to wash their hands properly afterwards. If you do not get the exasperated response “yessss mummmm” then you must try harder 😉 Friends of your children must tell their moms how you ‘make them’ wash their hands. Anyone who asks you why they need to obey mummy can be shown the bottom picture… that should do the trick. Prevention against pinworm infection also includes building a healthily, naturally inhospitable gut ecosystem. You achieve that with milk kefir + Aloeride + eating foods that keep the gut healthy. Cleaning a household of pinworm is such a nightmare that we are sure there will be no lack of motivation for effective prevention.