Threadworms letter from school

[GeorginaA]

Ds1 has just come home with a threadworms letter from school (i.e. there is a case in school, buy Ovex).

I'm a threadworms novice - I have no reason to suspect ds1 has them. Are you supposed to treat regardless just because someone in the class has them?! I'm confused...

[Blandmum]

Biology teacher, always ready with the gross explanation

[iota]

oooh what a lovely tea-time post mb

[Blandmum]

Cod, no I am not making up the inhaling bit!

We inhale all sorts of crap, pollen, dirt, dust, bacteria , viruses and microsopic crap like thread worm eggs.

The hairs up our nose and the mucus trap some of this crap, but some is inhaled. To stop damage to the lungs the top layer of cells have microsopic hairs called cilia. these cilia beat mucus and trapped crap up and out of our lungs. The mucus and the beathing of the cilia helps to keep our lungs clean (if you smoke you kill the cilia which is why smokers get more infections). The mucus is cleared out of our lungs and is swallowed (this happens all the time, I'm not talking about counging up mucus and swallowing it btw). One swallowed the eggs survive the acid and are triggered to hatch in the small intestine.

Isn't the human body amazing! you do this shit every day and never need to think about it!!!

[Miaou]

NQC - good point about the bf counselling line. Fortunately I managed to shift them by being EXTRA careful with my hygiene (now have chapped hands from all the washing!!) - but I shall bear it in mind for when I get them again

[lalaa]

the scene in the bathroom when the Ovex does it's stuff is also quite gruesome for all.....

[foxinsocks]

There's a worm coming out of your bottom
And his name is Wiggly Woo

We have worms a few times now unfortunately - if you do use Ovex, make sure you take the prophylactic dose 2 weeks later just in case you've reinfected yourself.

[dressedupasagiantcod]

and the ornage one i minging

[EnidEatsPeasWithACocktailStick]

ovex comes in a orange flavour tablet or a bananan liquid

[Issymum]

Is there a treatment for threadworm other than that ghastly pink 'milkshake' stuff? DD1 had suspected threadworms a few weeks ago (in fact, I think it was thrush) and the scene in the bathroom when we tried to cajole, persuade, hector, bribe and force her into drinking it was very very ugly.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Miaou, if the super-hygiene thing doesn't shift them, I would take the drugs. Or at least talk to a BF supporter line about it. I took them when DS2 was 9 months old or so (older than your DS, I know). I think they say not-while-BF only because they haven't tested them on BF mothers.

[Enid]

one of the most common ways of spreading them is through a sandbox if they have one - the eggs get under the kids nails and hence into the sand.

its really not a big deal

dd1 has had them twice, ovex kills them overnight

[GeorginaA]

ugh lalaa [lots of sympathy coming your way]

[dressedupasagiantcod]

realsympathy to you natch
meanwhile...
oi lala hat thread on style

[lalaa]

Sympathy please.....

Try chemotherapy (me) followed by threadworm discovery 36 hours later (dd).

I've had to have the bloody treatment too, which has upset my stomach even more (if that were possible).

YUCK.

[GeorginaA]

Well we did the torch test on ds1 last night - no scenes out of alien

[cod]

Message withdrawn

[cod]

Message withdrawn

[Blandmum]

Sorry!

Being extra carefulwith hand washing etc helps. You should also get the kids to wear knickers in bed, and well and night things. That way the eggs tend to stay in the clothig, which you can hot wash and kill the eggs. If the eggs end up in the bed, you make the bed, you risk inhaling them.

[GeorginaA]

EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Tell me that's really rare though, please?!

[Miaou]

[puke emoticon]

[Blandmum]

Sorry to make the thread works seem even worse, but you can also inhale the eggs....they are very very small. If you breathe them, in the lungs clear them out (with dirt, bacteria etc) in mucus which you swallow...this happens all the time btw. Once swallowed they hatch!

[GeorginaA]

Good point

[Miaou]

Just that it cuts down on the chances of him sticking his fingers in his mouth and ingesting the eggs, if he has picked them up. (eg if he picks his nose and eats it)

[GeorginaA]

LOL

Haven't scared me away - that sounds horrible - poor you

We've avoided nits so far. We comb through every weekend and using tea tree shampoo in the vague hope that will scare the little jumpy buggers away - or it could just be a combination of very short hair and luck!

I currently make ds1 always wash his hands before dinner - but you think it's worth making them wash his hands immediately he walks in the door? Hmm, can see getting him to use a nailbrush will be fun lol.

[Miaou]

ok I have now scared everyone away with my confession