Often the deterioration in well-being is caused by various types of parasites, which are mistaken for stress or vitamin deficiency. Where and what type of testing is needed to identify the infection?
Tests for parasites - how and what to take - this question arises when the state of health deteriorates for no apparent reason.
Various types of parasites, ideally adapted to exist in the human body, may not manifest themselves for a long period of time. Typically, children who attend school or kindergarten are screened for helminths from time to time. However, it is also very common in adults to become infected with parasites.
Some symptoms of helminth infestation, such as:
- decrease in hemoglobin in the blood;
- poor appetite;
- sleep disturbances;
- weight loss;
- increase in body temperature.
Having similarities with various types of pathological conditions.
The probability of infection is very high. Many people, unaware of this, are carriers of one kind or another. In addition, harm to human health can be caused not only by worms, but also by some protozoa. Their presence in the human body leads to toxoplasmosis and other dangerous diseases. It is obvious that the analysis for parasites in the human body must be passed in order to detect the infection in time and, as soon as possible, to prescribe the appropriate treatment. What tests the parasites must pass, the local therapist will tell.
When adults should be tested for parasites
Experts recommend testing for parasites if you have one or more symptoms from this list:
- Problems in the digestive tract: tendency to constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, flatulence.
- The skin is pale due to a lack of vitamins and nutrients.
- Rapid fatigue, loss of energy, apathy are observed.
- Body weight dropped rapidly.
- Allergic manifestations appeared in the absence of obvious irritants (such a reaction is caused by the waste products of worms).
It is recommended to take tests (do a full analysis for parasites) if, as a result of a decrease in immunity, the body's resistance to colds has worsened.
In addition, itchy skin around the anus indicates the presence of helminthic invasion (enterobiasis), which can be confirmed if tested for parasites.
What tests are usually performed to identify parasites in the human body?
If we suspect that we are infected with helminths or other types of parasites, we want to start treatment immediately. However, in order to prescribe the necessary drugs, it is first necessary to check for the presence of parasites, since it is necessary to understand which species of them has settled in the body. Where to get tested for parasites, you can find out by contacting the nearest clinic.
Analysis of stool
The simplest and most common solution in this case is the analysis of feces, in which specialists will look for helminth eggs.
This type of analysis allows you to determine the presence of:
- round worms;
- trematodes or trematodes;
- tapeworms.
However, this type of analysis has a significant disadvantage: the results of the analysis of feces for parasites are not always reliable, since parasites multiply at certain times and may not lay eggs for a long time. Therefore, for greater reliability, the analysis of feces for parasites is repeated 2-3 times with an interval of several days.
Analysis of expanded stool
In addition to the standard stool analysis, there is also a detailed one, the reliability and accuracy of which is much higher. This type of diagnostics, which is based on PCR technology, helps detect the DNA of a parasite, even if it is dead or dormant. This method allows you to find out what kind of worms are in the body, which means that the doctor will be able to determine which drug will most effectively cope with the disease.
Curettage for enterobiasis
Pinworms are one of the most common types of helminths. To be tested for this type of parasite, you need to scrape the skin folds around the anus, where you can find their eggs. To improve the accuracy of the results of such a study, it must be repeated even after a few days. This method of examination is painless, like the usual analysis for parasites, it is suitable for both adults and children.
Blood test
It is possible to establish a parasite infestation with high accuracy if an enzyme immunoassay is performed. If you pass this type of analysis, you can detect the presence of antibodies and antigens of almost all types of parasites. Antigens, in this case, are the waste products of parasites and of themselves, and antibodies are immunoglobulins, which are synthesized in the human body to fight infections. Using this method, it is possible to diagnose the disease in the early stages, when there are still not many parasites and it is easy to cope with them.
For this analysis it is necessary to donate blood from a vein. The result, whose reliability is at least 95%, will be known no later than 9 days. Of course, such research is more suitable for adults.
In addition to this method, other methods of blood analysis are used to identify parasites, especially in the acute form of helminthiasis. They are based on various examination methods that allow you to diagnose various types of infection in children and adults with high accuracy.
Some medical institutions offer a comprehensive blood test to detect various types of helminths.
To prepare for the analysis, you must:
- that the last meal was no later than 10 - 12 hours before the test;
- exclude fatty, smoked and salty foods from the diet the day before;
- 24 hours before the test, exclude smoking and alcohol consumption.