Parasitic infections in the body are a common phenomenon that occurs in both children and adults.In children, this happens more often because they adhere to hygiene rules less well, and most parasites are transmitted through the fecal-oral route.
Because the infection is so diverse, its symptoms can vary widely, and some are completely asymptomatic.For this reason, the diagnosis of parasites in the body sometimes includes a fairly large number of studies necessary to make a diagnosis.
Basic diagnosis
To determine parasitic infection, it is most necessary to consult a doctor.Because such lesions usually do not cause much trouble for either adults or children and have nonspecific symptoms, patients often only realize they have worms when they find worms in their stool.In cases of extraintestinal parasitic infections (eg, Giardia protozoa, amoebae) that are not excreted in the stool, the diagnosis is often made incidentally.
But even if helminths are detected in the stool, the patient needs to consult a doctor and get tested for parasites.This is done to not only accurately identify the parasites but also determine what type they are.
This is necessary to prescribe the most effective and least toxic medication to the rest of the body to treat the infection.Some drugs only affect a certain type of pathogen.They, unlike broad-spectrum drugs, do not have a pronounced negative effect on the human body.
For this reason, the drug should be prescribed when the causative agent of the invasive disease is accurately identified (you need to do a test for parasites in an adult or child).In addition, the specialist can draw some conclusions when collecting medical history and identifying characteristic symptoms during a conversation with the patient.However, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis this way (especially in adults due to the least severe symptoms).
For this reason, doctors recommend having a blood test for parasites.And sometimes fecal analysis is enough.Your doctor will tell you where to check this indicator.This can be done in a municipal or commercial clinic, as well as directly in the laboratory.
There are also some special points in sampling that the expert will inform you about.And how much an infection test costs depends on where it is performed and the type of sample needed for diagnosis.
Stool analysis
When talking about what parasite tests should be done, the first thing that most patients think of is a stool test for parasites.Such a diagnosis of the presence of helminths is actually prescribed by doctors from the very beginning.
This is a simple study performed in any medical facility and laboratory with relevant records.Testing for parasites this way is easiest and most non-traumatic.This is especially important when taking a sample from a child.There is no need to go to the lab and have blood drawn.
Patients examine their own stools for parasites.No special preparation required.After a bowel movement, you must immediately place a small portion of the stool into a sterile tube and bring it to the laboratory.
There is only one special condition - between the process of defecation, sampling and transferring the material to the laboratory, as little time as possible must pass.In addition, testing for this type of helminth should be done in the morning.
This method is not common.It only helps determine what types of helminths and parasites live in the large intestine.It is not suitable for identifying parasites located in other organs (e.g. in the liver), nor for those helminths present mainly in the small intestine (pinworms), since these parasites with a specific life cycle do not penetrate the large intestine and do not leave the body in the feces.
However, many types of extraintestinal opportunistic invasion such as liver damage still appear in the stool.They are simply present in smaller numbers.Your doctor will tell you which tests are appropriate in your particular case, based on your symptoms.Indeed, on that basis, we can draw conclusions about the likelihood of the presence of which parasites should be considered first.
shave
Another way to test yourself for parasites at home.This method is suitable for determining the presence of parasites that rise to the surface through the anus to lay eggs.
The most common types of pinworms with this characteristic have been found.To conduct such tests, a scraping from the anus is necessary to check for parasites.
This requires a special test kit for intestinal worms.Some patients shave with tape, but this method is not very effective.
The basic principles for sampling are as follows:
- It is performed in the morning, immediately after a person wakes up;
- You should not shower before conducting research;
- Do not touch the anus before taking the sample;
- Before taking the parasite test to the laboratory, you need to store it in the refrigerator;
- No more than 6-8 hours should elapse between collection and transfer to study.
Diagnosis of parasites in the human body using the intestinal helminth disease test kit is performed as follows:
- Remove the clear polyacrylic spatula from the set;
- Apply some glue to its edge, which is also included in the kit;
- Place the spoon on the skin at the anal folds several times;
- Place the spoon in a sterile container, also included in the kit.
Bring the container with a spoon to the laboratory.There is no difficulty in finding a place to test for parasites in Moscow.You can visit the lab.
In small towns, a referral from a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist is often required to send documentation to a clinic-based laboratory.
General blood test
Sometimes a general blood test for parasites in children and adults is necessary.It can indirectly confirm the presence of invasion.If he confirms it, then expensive and accurate blood tests for anti-parasitic antibodies may be ordered.UAC is cheap.
For this type of research, you need to donate blood from your finger because it is done using a capillary sample.It is taken from the finger;newborns may have alternative collection sites - earlobes, heels, thighs.
You need to take a fasting test.Such a study helps establish the following:
- Increased content of eosinophils, eosinophils, indicates the presence of an allergic reaction to parasites in the human body;
- An increased level of leukocytes indicates that the immune system is vigorously fighting something, possibly a parasite (however, such signs are also caused by viruses, infections and inflammatory processes);
- A decrease in iron content during penetration can develop due to the fact that the parasites in the body do not allow the absorption of a sufficient amount of useful substances into the blood and also cause constant micro-bleeding, as they damage the mucous membrane to obtain nutrition.
Sometimes blood chemistry tests are also recommended.A sample is taken from a vein and helps determine whether internal organs are functioning properly.Based on its results, it is indirectly clear which organs may be affected by the invasion, but it is prescribed quite rarely.The doctor performs the decoding.
enzyme immunoassay
The ELISA blood test for parasites is the most expensive and accurate test.This is the name of the analysis, which shows the presence in the body of specific antibodies that the immune system begins to produce in response to invasion.
An enzyme immunoassay blood test for parasites is good because it allows you to determine the type of parasite very accurately, depending on the strain.Antibodies are specific immunoglobulins that differ not only for different pathogens but also for different strains.As a result, a study of the presence of parasites in the body allows not only to make an accurate diagnosis, but also to offer more "targeted" treatment.
This serological test for the parasite is performed using a sample from a vein.You can take it in the morning, as it is important to do it on an empty stomach.Such an analysis to identify parasites is prepared from several hours to several days.From the laboratory, the patient receives detailed results, indicating the type of immunoglobulins (if any), as well as their quantity.
Decoding a blood test for parasites is very simple.Antibodies are present in large quantities as the infection develops.With some types of invasion, the body's immunity to it is formed;in this case, a small amount of immunoglobulin in the blood may indicate that the patient was previously infected but has been cured.The absence of antibodies suggests that there was no infection or that it occurred very recently and antibodies have not had time to develop.
You can donate blood yourself to find parasites in this way, but due to the high cost, it is better to consult your doctor first.Therefore, sometimes it makes no sense to donate blood for the presence of parasites using the ELISA method for people with immunodeficiency diseases, HIV and lupus.