A pharmacist has shared some home treatment advice for a common condition that will not be treated on the NHS anymore.
Hundreds of over-the-counter remedies will no longer be available through the National Health Service as part of a crackdown on ‘unnecessary’ spending, which began in 2022. As a result, some 36 common but non-serious ailments – from cold sores and sore throats to migraines and conjunctivitis – are no longer treated on the NHS by default.
One such condition are threadworms, the most common parasitic worm infestation in the UK. Threadworms, also known as pinworms, are particularly common among children, but anyone can become exposed.
The most common symptom of threadworms is itching, particularly around the anus, and the parasites can be seen in sufferers’ stools. Taking to TikTok, a pharmacist from O’Brien’s Pharmacies in Ulster shared some things you and your family should do if a member of your household becomes infected.
Treat everyone
“Some tips and advice if you do find yourself in a situation [where a member of your family has threadworms], we need to treat the household. That is the first tip,” the pharmacist said.
“So basically, it’s advisable that everybody in the house is treated, whether they are showing symptoms or not.”
You can purchase treatment for threadworms over the counter at your local pharmacy. Threadworm is usually treated with mebendazole, which can be taken by most people over the age of two, but may not be safe for pregnant women or people who have ever had an allergic reaction to the medicine or any other medicine.
Always speak to your pharmacist and find out if the treatment is appropriate for you before you take it.
“The treatment is normally very successful, over 90% success rate for the treatment, but it can be repeated in two weeks’ time if you feel like you need it,” the pharmacist continued. But again, we advise you do this over the counter at the pharmacy.”
Practice good hygiene
It is always essential to practice good hygiene, but it is particularly important when you or someone you live with has threadworm. The pharmacist recommends that you “cut everybody’s nails really short” and “encourage everybody to use a nail brush.”
He continued: “That cycle of itching and then young kids putting their hands near their mouth is how it keeps going. It’s also advisable then [for] everybody [to] use their own towel.”
Wash clothing in very warm water
When you are washing fabrics, particularly bedding, underwear or towels, you should consider using very warm water to kill any parasites. “It’s also advisable, whenever you’re washing things like bedding, towels, underwear, things like that, to put them into a really, really warm wash,” said the pharmacist.
According to the NHS, those who cannot take medication for threadworms should use hygiene methods for six weeks to rid their household of the parasites.
Many of the products no longer covered by the NHS can be purchased over the counter at a lower cost than what the NHS would incur. According to NHS England, £22.8 million was spent annually on constipation treatment, £3 million on athlete’s foot and other fungal infections, and £4.5 million on dandruff shampoos.
The conditions that will no longer be covered by the NHS, according to River View Surgery, are:
- Acute sore throat
- Infrequent cold sores of the lip
- Conjunctivitis
- Coughs and colds and nasal congestion
- Cradle Cap (seborrhoeic dermatitis – infants)
- Haemorrhoids
- Infant colic
- Mild cystitis
- Mild irritant dermatitis
- Dandruff
- Diarrhoea (adults)
- Dry eyes/sore (tired) eyes
- Earwax
- Excessive sweating (Hyperhidrosis)
- Head lice
- Indigestion and heartburn
- Infrequent constipation
- Infrequent migraine
- Insect bites and sting
- Mild acne
- Mild dry skin
- Sunburn
- Sun protection
- Mild to moderate hay fever/seasonal rhinitis
- Minor burns and scalds
- Minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort and/fever. (e.g. aches and sprains, headache, period pain, back pain)
- Mouth ulcers
- Nappy rash
- Oral thrush
- Prevention of dental caries
- Ringworm/athlete’s foot
- Teething/mild toothache
- Threadworms
- Travel sickness
- Warts and verruca