Written by the Priceline Pharmacy Pacific Fair team. Reviewed by Jason Markey, BPharmSci, MPharm, Owner and Pharmacist.
General health information from a registered pharmacist. It doesn’t replace advice from your own pharmacist or doctor.
If one person in your house has threadworms, treat everyone at the same time, including people with no symptoms, using worm tablets from the pharmacy. Most medicines recommend a second dose for the whole family one to two weeks later. Daily hygiene habits matter just as much, because threadworm eggs can survive for up to two weeks outside the body.
Raising Children notes that worms are most common in children aged 4 to 11, and they’re nothing to be embarrassed about. You can pick up treatment for the whole household at Pacific Fair, and our pharmacists can check what suits everyone, including toddlers and anyone who is pregnant.
What are the signs of threadworms?
healthdirect says the most common symptom is an itchy bottom. The RCH puts it simply: if your child has an itchy bottom, there’s a good chance they have threadworms. Other signs include:
- itching that is worse at night, when the worms come out
- redness and itching around the vagina
- trouble sleeping, restlessness or irritability
- worms you can see in your child’s poo, or around their bottom at night if you shine a torch on the area
Raising Children says many threadworm infections cause no symptoms at all, which is one reason the whole household gets treated.
How do threadworms spread?
The RCH describes threadworms as very contagious. When a child scratches, eggs collect under their fingernails, and they can leave eggs on anything they touch. healthdirect explains that people usually catch threadworms by swallowing the eggs, and the RCH says eggs can live for up to two weeks outside the body. That’s how one child’s itchy bottom can quickly become the whole family’s problem.
You can’t catch threadworms from your pets. The RCH notes that animals need a different worming treatment, so ask your vet about theirs.
Can my child go to school or childcare?
Queensland Health’s Time out poster doesn’t exclude children with intestinal worms from school or childcare. The RCH suggests keeping your child home until you’ve treated them, and healthdirect says children with worms can still go once they’ve been treated, unless they have diarrhoea. If they do, our guide to gastro in kids covers when they can go back.
How do you treat threadworms in the whole family?
healthdirect explains that worming tablets are available from a pharmacy without a prescription. The RCH says medicines such as pyrantel or mebendazole are effective and very safe for children over two years old.
The key is timing. Everyone in the household should be treated at the same time, even if they don’t have symptoms (RCH, healthdirect). The RCH adds that most medicines recommend repeating the treatment for all family members one or two weeks later, and Raising Children says children usually need to repeat the dose after 2 weeks. Follow the directions on your pack.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Everyone in the household takes their dose. Start the hygiene routine below. |
| The next several days | Wash bedding, towels and toys in hot water every day. Everyone showers in the morning and puts on clean underpants. |
| 1 to 2 weeks later | Everyone takes the second dose, as the pack directs. |
| If it comes back | Talk to your pharmacist or GP. The RCH says a third treatment, one or two weeks after the second, may be considered for repeat infections. |
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and young children
Treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. The RCH advises telling the pharmacist if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, as they may suggest a different treatment. The RCH describes the common medicines as very safe for children over two, so for a child under two, check with the pharmacist or a GP before treating. Everyone can follow the hygiene steps below.
How do I stop threadworms coming back?
healthdirect says good hand hygiene and short fingernails are the best ways to reduce your chance of catching threadworms. The RCH recommends these habits for the whole family:
- Wash hands and under the nails thoroughly after going to the toilet and before eating.
- Keep everyone’s fingernails clean and trimmed.
- Try to stop nail biting and thumb sucking.
- Encourage your child not to scratch their bottom. If they must, it should be over their underpants, not directly on the skin.
- Wear underpants at night and change them in the morning.
- Shower or bathe each morning, if possible.
- Wash bedding, towels and toys in hot water every day for several days after treatment.
- Keep bathroom and kitchen surfaces clean.
Make the morning shower and clean underpants part of the routine for everyone in the house, not just the child with the itch.
How our pharmacists can help
Treating a whole household at once can mean different products for different family members. Our pharmacists can:
- help you choose treatment for everyone in the house, with the right dose for each person
- check what’s suitable for young children, and for anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding
- explain when the second dose is due
- talk you through the hygiene routine
We’re happy to have a discreet chat, so talk to our pharmacists at Pacific Fair whenever it suits you. If you’ve got a busy household, our guide to head lice treatment covers the other classic school-term visitor.
When to see a pharmacist or GP
Talk to a pharmacist before treating if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or if your child is under two. See a GP (our in-store Help Medical GPs are one option) if:
- you’ve tried a threadworm treatment and the symptoms haven’t improved
- you notice a large worm in your child’s poo or around their bottom
- your child has tummy pain, nausea, vomiting or low energy
- the itching keeps coming back even after a second dose and the hygiene routine
Sources
This article is general information only and isn’t a substitute for personal advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist or you’re worried, talk to your pharmacist or GP. In an emergency, call 000.
Talk to our pharmacists at Pacific Fair
Pop in, no appointment needed. We’re on the ground floor of Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Broadbeach, open 7 days and until 9pm on Thursdays.