Learn how to recognise the symptoms of worms, headlice and nits. Learn how to prevent these conditions from spreading, and choose an appropriate treatment with advice from your local DCO Pharmacist.

Three common ‘itchy’ conditions we see in pharmacies, particularly in households with young children, are worms, head lice, and ringworm. They may not be glamorous topics, but they are incredibly common, very manageable, and, with the right advice, rarely cause concern.

1. Worms

If your child is suddenly waking at night, complaining of an itchy bottom, worms, specifically threadworms (also known as pinworms), might often be the cause.

These tiny parasites spread easily through contaminated hands, surfaces, or bedding. You can catch threadworm if you get worm eggs on your hands and put your hands in your mouth¹.

What families should know:

• Symptoms: Night-time itching, irritability, disturbed sleep and/or seeing adult worms in your poo
• Treatment: Worm infections are generally harmless and easily treated. Threadworms can easily be treated with an over-the-counter medication such as mebendazole or pyrantel¹. Not all medications are safe for pregnant women. It is best to speak to your pharmacist to help you select the best treatment option for you and your family.
• Key tip: Treat the whole household, even if others don’t have symptoms

2. Head Lice and Nits

Head lice are tiny insects that live and breed in hair². Headlice and nits (the eggs of the head lice) are often widespread among school-aged children. They cannot fly but often spread by crawling from one person to another.

Thankfully, head lice are not known to carry or spread diseases and treatment from your pharmacy is readily available.

Nits and dandruff can easily be mistaken for each other as they both appear as flaky scalp skin and can cause itching. The main way to tell the difference between the two, is that dandruff flakes can easily be removed from the hair, whereas the white flakes from head lice nits tend to stick². If you are unsure, speak to your pharmacist and they will be able to assist.

What families should know:

• Symptoms: Red, itchy scalp, especially behind ears. Head lice and nits can often be visible in the hair or on the scalp.
• Treatment: Wet combing and chemical treatments are the two most common ways to treat head lice². A second treatment or ongoing combing is usually needed about 7 days later to catch newly hatched lice.

Key tip: Don’t rush to treat the whole household unless lice are found. Instead, check everyone carefully. Over-treatment can irritate the scalp without improving outcomes.

3. Ringworm

Despite its name, ringworm has nothing to do with worms. It’s actually a fungal infection of the skin, commonly referred to as tinea.

Ringworm presents as a red, circular rash with a clearer centre, often described as a ‘ring’ shape.  It can appear on the body, scalp, feet or groin.

What families should know:

• Symptoms: Itchy, scaly, ring-shaped rash
• Treatment: Topical antifungal creams, available over-the-counter at your pharmacy, work well in treating ringworm. Treatments often need to be continued for at least 1–2 weeks after the rash clears. Stopping too early is the main reason infections come back.
• Key tip: Avoid sharing personal items and keep affected areas clean and dry, as fungi thrive in warm, moist environments.

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References

1. Better Health Channel. Threadworms (pinworms). Last reviewed August 2024. Accessed: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/threadworms-pinworms
2. The Royal Children’s Hospital. Head lice and nits. Last reviewed June 2025. Accessed: https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Head_lice_and_nits/
3. https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/ringworm-or-tinea-dermatophytosis
4. https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/ringworm/

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