If you find your child scratching his or her butt often then you should be concerned about pinworm infection. The challenge is not limited to your child alone. Pinworms are highly contagious and can impact everyone in the house.
When you examination the butt crack of your child, you may find a couple of pinworms as they lay eggs outside the anus.
Generally school age children bring pinworms home as they do not take enough precautions of hygiene while playing with other children. Since hands are not properly washed they may get pinworms in their hands by sharing items and then unknowingly ingest them.
There are a number of natural remedies including coconut oil that can get rid of pinworms. Try them out before going for chemical medicines or try them alongside medicines for faster recovery.
Table of Contents
- How Does Coconut Oil Help Treat Pinworms
- How to Use Coconut Oil to Get Rid of Pinworms
- Non Coconut Oil Based Natural Treatments for Pinworms
- Other Tips and Precautions
How Does Coconut Oil Help Treat Pinworms
Before we get into how coconut oil can help, let us first understand what pinworms are and how they affect us.
Pinworms are small intestines and parasites of the length of about 1 cm and thickness of a thread.
They affect school going children the most. When a child touches pinworm eggs infected surfaces of bathroom knobs, toys, body of a friend or any other infected surface then risks of infection increases. If the child doesn't wash hands properly with soap every time he/she eats something then pinworm infection is inevitable.
The eggs have a lifespan of 2-3 weeks. When they get into the intestine, they hatch as Pinworms. Females crawl outside the anus to lay eggs. This colony of eggs causes nasty itching. This the area from where the eggs get into hands while scratching and begin contaminating surfaces. When somebody else touches these surfaces they get infected.
Now, after understanding the life cycle of pinworms and how they infect people, let us look at coconut oil and its role in preventing and treating Pinworms.
Coconut oil is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, therefore it reduces pain and itching as it kills the pinworms eggs before they hatch.
Another good capability of coconut oil is that it creates a skin condition that is not conducive to lay eggs by pinworms.
Armed with these capabilities, you can use coconut oil with many other natural products to test and prevent Pinworms as under.
How to Use Coconut Oil to Get Rid of Pinworms
1. Ingest Coconut Oil
Make coconut oil at home or buy virgin coconut oil.
- Take 2 teaspoons of virgin coconut oil
- Warm it if it solidified due to low ambient temperature
- Consume one teaspoon coconut oil and then the next
- Do it daily in the morning for 90 days
2. Topical Application of Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory so topical application will give relief from itch and pain as well as it will kill the eggs of pinworms. It also prevents the female from laying eggs.
- Wash and clean the butt fold skin with warm water
- Dab it dry
- Rub coconut oil
- Do it twice daily
3. Coconut Oil and Garlic
Sulfur compound allicin in garlic is antimicrobial. Adding garlic juice to coconut oil for topical application will bring faster relief then coconut oil alone.
- Peel and crush all cloves of a garlic and extract juice in a 100ml glass bottle
- Fill the rest if the bottle with virgin coconut oil
- Put the cap
- Shake well to mix
- Wash, clean and dry the butt fold skin of your child
- Apply coconut oil garlic extract mix on the area
- Do it twice daily until Pinworms are completely gone
4. Coconut and Turmeric
Turmeric has both antiseptic and antibacterial capabilities to deal with pinworms.
- Add a pinch of turmeric powder to ½ teaspoon of virgin coconut oil
- Mix well to make a thin paste
- Wash and dry the skin around the anus
- Apply coconut oil turmeric paste on the affected skin
- Put on undergarments. Turmeric pigments cloths
5. Coconut Oil and Castor Oil
Castor oil is laxative so if you have been drinking coconut oil daily to kill pinworms in your intestine, castor oil will drain them with the stools
- Mix ½ teaspoon of coconut oil with ½ teaspoon of castor oil
- Drink it
- Do it twice during the day
- Repeat it every week
Non Coconut Oil Based Natural Treatments for Pinworms
- Apple cider vinegar
- Essential oils
- Garlic
- Onion
- Turmeric
- Grapefruit seed extract
- Pineapple juice
- Lemon
- Pumpkin seeds
- Yogurt
- Wormwood tea
Other Tips and Precautions
pinworms are highly contagious so if one family member is affected then the entire family should take the treatment.
In addition, take the following precautions to spread pinworms infection.
- Wash beddings, towels, pajamas and under garments separately in hot water
- Do not use each other's towels at home
- Wash hands regularly with soap and every time before eating anything by hands
- Cut fingernails short
- Take shower twice, one before going to the bed and second after getting up from the bed in the morning
Bottomline is, you should ensure that pinworms are eradicated. If natural remedies don't work then consult your doctor and take medication if required.