Itchy bottoms :-(

[FrannyandZooey]

Is there ever another reason other than you know what?

If it was worms, would he not be itchy all the time, or at least every night?

And how can the cycle continue when he never actually scratches his bottom with his fingers? (this is banned in our household and he is extremely good about not doing it. He has a nappy on at night) I thought they had to scratch to get the eggs under their nails, to get them back into the stomach to start the next stage?

And would dp and me not notice if we had them too?

Have you looked at a poo in detail?

It could just be itchy if he doesn't wipe it properly (my ds sometimes gets this...if I haven't been able to do it for him )
He is 3 and I am trying to make him do the wiping himself...but he still shouts me half the time!

I am Head Wiper in this house

Have not looked at poo in detail but I understand you may not necessarily see them until you treat for them

hmm...I didn't realise that....
Is it ok to treat them if he really doesn't have them I wonder....
Hmmm....I would check anyway...they might still appear in the poo if they didn't hold on tight enough!

I don't know luda, I would like to know as well

don't know...bump for you incase someone else knows?

I was told to examine their bottoms with a torch at night! I've done this (and seen nothing) while they slept, may be harder if your ds is wearing a nappy.

Wearing a nappy at night is some protection, obviously. But he could catch them from other kids at school. You're right that it would be hard for him to reinfect if he's in nappies at night, but not impossible ... the eggs are very small (invisible), and will be around his anus when he gets up. I'm told they can even end up in household dust and reinfect.

If you're worried, but not convinced that he's got them, you might want to try washing his bottom in the morning?

Applying vaseline or similar to the region before bed might cut down on itching, if it's at night. The skin could just be dry/sore?

We do wash his bottom in the morning, before he puts his pants on - am I right in thinking that if you bung some sellotape on for a second, and take it to the doctor, they will be able to tell you if there are eggs there?

About once a month or every 6 weeks he complains of an itchy bottom, maybe for one or two days, or sometimes just on one occasion. But last week he did it two nights on the trot and the second night, the itching woke him up in the middle of the night. He was itching a bit again today.

If he was getting it from other kids, could this explain why only itches every few weeks? He catches them, they lay eggs, he gets itchy, but doesn't scratch, so the cycle is broken until a few weeks later when he catches them again?

I think the cycle is about 6 weeks, so he could well be infecting himself. Well-trained though he is, he might still be scratching in his sleep?

The easiest way to check is to have a good look when he's complaining about the itching. You should be able to see actual worms.

But given what you're saying, I'd be inclined to give him the meds. If the rest of you aren't suffering, then you could maybe not bother.

I had a simliar thing - itching in my DS but no other obvious worm signs. I talked to my chemist and he said was okay to take meds as a precaution - you should check with your chemist too (rather than my word of my chemist!) The itching stopped, but do not know if it was worms or hygine or insect bites or what!

The cycle continues because you can inhale the eggs. the eggs get trapped in the normal mucus that lines the trachea. Hairs on the cells of the trachea beat the mucus upwards untill it reaches the top of the gullet, it then drops down into the stomach.

The acid in the stomach norally kills viruses and bacteria (this is all part of the normal healthy immune system btw). But the acid doesn't affect the eggs of various worms. They pass though the stomach and hatch in the intestine, starting the life cycle all over again

There are some parasitic worms who's females actually dry out and explode while they lay their eggs, the explosiion fires the microscopic eggs into the air, where they can be inhalled.

And we moan about labour pains eh?