enterobiasis

Pinworms are small parasites that can live in the colon and rectum. You get them when you swallow their eggs. The eggs hatch inside your intestines. While you sleep, the female pinworms leave the intestines through the anus and lay eggs on nearby skin.

Pinworms spread easily. When people who are infected touch their anus, the eggs attach to their fingertips. They can spread the eggs to others directly through their hands, or through contaminated clothing, bedding, food, or other articles. The eggs can live on household surfaces for up to 2 weeks.

The infection is more common in children. Many people have no symptoms at all. Some people feel itching around the anus or vagina. The itching may become intense, interfere with sleep, and make you irritable.

Your health care provider can diagnose pinworm infection by finding the eggs. A common way to collect the eggs is with a sticky piece of clear tape. Mild infections may not need treatment. If you do need medicine, everyone in the household should take it.

To prevent becoming infected or reinfected with pinworms:

• Bathe after waking up
• Wash your pajamas and bed sheets often
• Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the bathroom or changing diapers
• Change your underwear every day
• Avoid nail biting
• Avoid scratching the anal area

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Head lice are tiny insects that live on people's heads. Adult lice are about the size of sesame seeds. The eggs, called nits, are even smaller - about the size of a dandruff flake. Lice and nits are found on or near the scalp, most often at the neckline and behind the ears.

Head lice are parasites, and they need to feed on human blood to survive. They are one of the three types of lice that live on humans. The other two types are body lice and pubic lice. Each type of lice is different, and getting one type does not mean that you will get another type.

Lice move by crawling, because they cannot hop or fly. They spread by close person-to-person contact. Rarely, they can spread through sharing personal belongings such as hats or hairbrushes. Personal hygiene and cleanliness have nothing to do with getting head lice. You also cannot get pubic lice from animals. Head lice do not spread disease.

Children ages 3-11 and their families get head lice most often. This is because young children often have head-to-head contact while playing together.

The symptoms of head lice include:

• Tickling feeling in the hair
• Frequent itching, which is caused by an allergic reaction to the bites
• Sores from scratching. Sometimes the sores can become infected with bacteria.
• Trouble sleeping, because head lice are most active in the dark

A diagnosis of head lice usually comes from seeing a louse or nit. Because they are very small and move quickly, you may need to use a magnifying lens and a fine-toothed comb to find lice or nits.

Treatments for head lice include both over-the-counter and prescription shampoos, creams, and lotions. If you want to use an over-the-counter treatment and you aren't sure which one to use or how to use one, ask your health care provider or pharmacist. You should also check with your health care provider first if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you want to use a treatment on a young child.

Follow these steps when using a head lice treatment:

• Apply the product according to the instructions. Only apply it to the scalp and the hair attached to the scalp. You should not use it on other body hair.
• Use only one product at a time, unless your health care provider tells you to use two different kinds at once
• Pay attention to what the instructions say about how long you should leave the medicine on the hair and on how you should rinse it out
• After rinsing, use a fine-toothed comb or special "nit comb" to remove dead lice and nits
• After each treatment, check your hair for lice and nits. You should comb your hair to remove nits and lice every 2-3 days. Do this for 2-3 weeks to be sure that all lice and nits are gone.

All household members and other close contacts should be checked and treated if necessary. If an over-the-counter treatment does not work for you, you can ask your health care provider for a prescription product.

There are steps you can take to prevent the spread of lice. If you already have lice, besides treatment, you should:

• Wash your clothes, bedding, and towels with hot water, and dry them using the hot cycle of the dryer
• Soak your combs and brushes in hot water for 5-10 minutes
• Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where you sat or lay
• If there are items that you cannot wash, seal them in a plastic bag for two weeks

To prevent your children from spreading lice:

• Teach children to avoid head-to-head contact during play and other activities
• Teach children not to share clothing and other items that they put on their head, such as headphones, hair ties, and helmets
• If your child has lice, be sure to check the policies at school and/or daycare. Your child may not be able to go back until the lice have been completely treated.

There is no clear scientific evidence that lice can be suffocated by home remedies, such as mayonnaise, olive oil, or similar substances. You also should not use kerosene or gasoline; they are dangerous and flammable.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Itching is an irritating sensation that makes you want to scratch your skin. Sometimes it can feel like pain, but it is different. Often, you feel itchy in one area in your body, but sometimes you may feel itching all over. Along with the itching, you may also have a rash or hives.

Itching is a symptom of many health conditions. Some common causes are:

• Allergic reactions to food, insect bites, pollen, and medicines
• Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin
• Irritating chemicals, cosmetics, and other substances
• Parasites such as pinworms, scabies, head and body lice
• Pregnancy
• Liver, kidney, or thyroid diseases
• Certain cancers or cancer treatments
• Diseases that can affect the nervous system, such as diabetes and shingles

Most itching is not serious. To feel better, you could try:

• Applying cold compresses
• Using moisturizing lotions
• Taking lukewarm or oatmeal baths
• Using over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or antihistamines
• Avoiding scratching, wearing irritating fabrics, and exposure to high heat and humidity

Contact your health care provider if your itching is severe, does not go away after a few weeks, or does not have an apparent cause. You may need other treatments, such as medicines or light therapy. If you have an underlying disease that is causing the itching, treating that disease may help.

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It causes a staph infection (pronounced "staff infection") that is resistant to several common antibiotics. There are two types of infection. Hospital-associated MRSA happens to people in health care settings. Community-associated MRSA happens to people who have close skin-to-skin contact with others, such as athletes involved in football and wrestling.

Infection control is key to stopping MRSA in hospitals. To prevent community-associated MRSA:

• Practice good hygiene
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed
• Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages
• Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels, washcloths, razors, or clothes
• Wash soiled sheets, towels, and clothes in hot water with bleach and dry in a hot dryer

If a wound appears to be infected, see a health care provider. Treatments may include draining the infection and antibiotics.

Parasites are living things that use other living things - like your body - for food and a place to live. You can get them from contaminated food or water, a bug bite, or sexual contact. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not.

Parasites range in size from tiny, one-celled organisms called protozoa to worms that can be seen with the naked eye. Some parasitic diseases occur in the United States. Contaminated water supplies can lead to Giardia infections. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis, which is dangerous for pregnant women. Others, like malaria, are common in other parts of the world.

If you are traveling, it's important to drink only water you know is safe. Prevention is especially important. There are no vaccines for parasitic diseases. Some medicines are available to treat parasitic infections.