Parasitic infestations in the body are a common phenomenon that occurs in both children and adults.In children this happens more often, because they are less respectful of hygiene rules and most parasites are transmitted through the fecal-oral route.
Since infestations are very diverse, their symptoms can vary considerably and some are completely asymptomatic.For this reason, diagnosing parasites in the body sometimes involves quite a large number of studies necessary to make a diagnosis.
Basics of diagnosis
In order to identify a parasitic infection, it is most often necessary to consult a doctor.Since such a lesion usually does not cause much trouble in both adults and children and has nonspecific symptoms, the patient often realizes that he has an infestation only by finding worms in the stool.In cases of infection with extraintestinal parasites (e.g., Giardia protozoa, amoebae) that are not excreted in the stool, the diagnosis is made most often by chance.
But even if helminths are detected in the stool, the patient should consult a doctor and get tested for parasites.This is done in order not only to accurately identify parasites, but also to establish what type they belong to.
This is necessary in order to prescribe the most effective and least toxic medication to the rest of the body to treat the infection.Some medications only work on a certain type of pathogen.Unlike broad-spectrum drugs, they do not have such a pronounced negative effect on the human body.
For this reason, it is advisable to prescribe them when the causative agent of the invasion is precisely identified (for which it is necessary to pass tests for parasites in an adult or child).Also, a specialist can draw conclusions when collecting anamnesis and establishing characteristic symptoms during a conversation with the patient.However, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis in this way (especially in adults due to the lesser severity of symptoms).
For this reason, doctors recommend doing a blood test to detect parasites.And sometimes a stool analysis is enough.Your doctor will tell you where to take a test for this indicator.This can be done in a municipal or commercial clinic, as well as directly in the laboratory.
There are also some peculiarities in the way of taking a sample, which a specialist will inform you about.And the cost of an infestation test depends on where it is performed and the types of samples that need to be taken to make a diagnosis.
Stool analysis
When talking about what parasite tests need to be done, the first thing that comes to mind for most patients is a stool test for parasites.Such diagnostics for the presence of helminths are indeed prescribed primarily by doctors.
This is a simple study that is carried out in all medical institutions and laboratories of the relevant profile.Testing for parasites in this way is the simplest and least traumatic.This is especially important when taking a sample from a child.There is no need to go to the laboratory and take a blood test.
Patients self-test for the presence of parasites in their stools.No special preparation is required.After having a bowel movement, you should immediately place a small portion of the stool in a sterile tube and take it to the laboratory.
There is only one special condition: between stool and sample collection and delivery of the material to the laboratory, as little time as possible should pass.In addition, tests for helminths of this type should be carried out in the morning.
The method is not universal.It helps identify only helminths and parasites that live in the large intestine.It is not suitable for identifying parasites located in other organs (for example in the liver), as well as helminths present mainly in the small intestine (pinworms), since these types of parasites with a specific life cycle do not enter the large intestine and do not exit the body in feces.
However, many types of opportunistic extraintestinal invasions, for example with liver damage, still appear in the stool.They are simply present there in smaller quantities.The doctor will tell you which test is appropriate in a particular case, based on the symptoms.Indeed, on this basis we can draw a conclusion about the probability of the presence of parasites to consider first.
Scraping
Another way to check your home for pests yourself.This method is suitable for determining the presence of these types of parasites that come to the surface through the anus to lay eggs.
The most common pinworms are found to have this feature.In order to perform such tests, a scraping of the anus is necessary to check for parasites.
This requires a special test kit for enterobiasis.Some patients scrape with tape, but this method is not very effective.
The basic rules for sampling are:
- This is done in the morning, immediately after the person wakes up;
- You should not wash before conducting the study;
- It is advisable not to touch the anus before taking the sample;
- Before doing a parasite test in the laboratory, you must store it in the refrigerator;
- There should be no more than 6-8 hours between the time of collection and the time of transfer for research.
Diagnosis of parasites in the human body using an enterobiasis test kit is carried out as follows:
- Remove the transparent polyacrylic spatula from the kit;
- Apply a little adhesive to its edge, which is also included in the kit;
- Place the spatula several times against the skin of the anal folds;
- Place the spatula in a sterile container, also included in the kit.
Take the container with the spatula to the laboratory.There is no difficulty in knowing where to get tested for parasites in Moscow.You can visit the laboratory.
In smaller towns, it is often necessary to consult a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist to submit the material to a clinical laboratory.
General blood test
Sometimes a general blood test to detect parasites in children and adults is necessary.It is capable of indirectly confirming the presence of an invasion.If confirmed, expensive and accurate blood tests for antibodies to parasites may be ordered.UAC is cheap.
With this type of study, you must donate blood from your finger, since it is carried out from a hair sample.We take it on the finger;infants may have other collection sites: earlobe, heel, thigh.
You must take a fasting test.Such a study makes it possible to establish the following elements:
- An increased content of eosinophils, eosinophilia, indicates the presence of an allergic reaction to parasites in the human body;
- An increased level of white blood cells indicates that the immune system is intensively fighting something, perhaps parasites (however, these indicators are also caused by viruses, infections and inflammatory processes);
- Reduced iron content during invasion can develop because parasites present in the body do not allow useful substances to be absorbed into the blood in sufficient quantities, and also cause constant microbleeding, as they damage the mucous membrane for nourishment.
Sometimes a blood chemistry test is also recommended.A sample is taken from a vein to determine whether the internal organs are functioning normally.Based on its results, it indirectly becomes clear which organ may be affected by the invasion, but this is rarely prescribed.The doctor does the decoding.
Enzyme immunoassay
An ELISA blood test to detect parasites is the most expensive and accurate test.This is the name of the analysis that shows the presence in the body of specific antibodies that the immune system begins to produce in response to an invasion.
An enzyme immunoassay blood test for parasites is useful because it can very accurately determine the type of parasite, down to the strain.Antibodies are specific immunoglobulins that differ not only between pathogens, but also between strains.As a result, such a study of the presence of parasites in the body makes it possible not only to make an accurate diagnosis, but also to prescribe more “targeted” treatment.
This blood serological test for parasites is carried out 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 a detailed result, indicating the type of immunoglobulins (if any), as well as their quantity.
Deciphering a blood test to detect parasites is simple.Antibodies are present in large quantities when the infection develops.With certain types of invasions, the body's immunity to it is formed;in this case, a small amount of immunoglobulins in the blood may indicate that the patient was previously infected, but has been cured.The absence of antibodies indicates the absence of infection or that it occurred very recently and the antibodies have not yet had time to develop.
You can thus donate blood against parasites yourself, but due to its high cost, it is better to consult a doctor first.Thus, it is sometimes unnecessary to donate blood in the event of the presence of parasites by the ELISA method to people suffering from immunodeficiency, HIV and lupus.