PINWORM INVASION CALLED WORSE THAN HEAD LICE

PINWORM INVASION CALLED WORSE THAN HEAD LICE

WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Wireless Flash) -- A man in Oklahoma is on a mission to worm out the truth about pinworms. Pharmacist W. Steven Pray says cases of intestinal worm infection are twice as common as head lice, but very few people are familiar with the problem because of what he calls "the repulsion factor." An estimated 20 to 42 million people suffer from pinworms, but many mistake the invasion for hemorrhoids. Pray, who teaches at Southwestern Oklahoma State University's School of Pharmacy, says the best way to tell if you have pinworms is to shine a flashlight on your rear end late at night, when the worms are most visible. Another detection technique involves applying a few inches of Scotch Tape to your backside, and then taking the sticky specimen to your doctor for analysis. After that, you can treat the infection with over-the- counter medicine.