Often, deteriorating well-being is caused by different types of parasites, which are mistaken for stress or vitamin deficiency. Where and what kind of analysis should you do to identify the infection?
Tests for parasites - how and what to take - this question arises when the health condition worsens for no apparent reason.
Different types of parasites, ideally adapted to exist in the human body, may not appear for a long period of time. Typically, children attending school or kindergarten are periodically investigated for poisoning. However, it is also very common in adults to become infected with parasites.
Some symptoms of helminthic infection, such as:
- decrease in hemoglobin in the blood;
- poor appetite;
- sleep disturbance;
- weight loss;
- increased body temperature.
They have similarities with different types of pathological conditions.
The chance of infection is very high. Many people, unaware of this, are carriers of one kind or another. In addition, damage 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 clear 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, prescribe the appropriate treatment. The local therapist will tell you what tests the parasites need to pass.
When should adults be tested for parasites
Experts recommend testing for parasites if you have one or more of the symptoms on this list:
- Digestive system problems: tendency to constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, gas.
- The skin is pale due to lack of vitamins and nutrients.
- There is rapid fatigue, loss of energy, apathy.
- Body weight dropped quickly.
- Manifestations of allergy have appeared in the absence of visible irritants (such a reaction is caused by worm residues).
It is recommended to do tests (do a comprehensive analysis for parasites) if, as a result of reduced immunity, the body's resistance to colds has deteriorated.
Furthermore, itching of the skin around the anus indicates the presence of helminthic invasion (enterobiasis), which can be confirmed if tested for parasites.
What tests are usually done to identify parasites in the human body?
If we suspect we are infected with helminths or other types of parasites, we want to start treatment immediately. However, to prescribe the necessary medicines, you must first check for the presence of parasites, as it is necessary to understand which species of them are placed in the body. Where you can be tested for parasites, you can find out by contacting the nearest clinic.
Stool analysis
The simplest and most common solution in this case is fecal analysis, in which specialists will look for helminth eggs.
This type of analysis allows you to determine the presence of:
- round worms;
- trematodes or errors;
- ribbon.
However, this type of analysis has a significant drawback: the results of the stool analysis for parasites are not always reliable, as the parasites multiply at certain periods and may not lay eggs for a long time. Therefore, for greater reliability, the fecal analysis for parasites is repeated 2-3 times with an interval of several days.
Extended stool analysis
In addition to standard stool analysis, there is one detail whose reliability and accuracy are much higher. This type of diagnosis, which is based on PCR technology, helps to detect the DNA of a parasite, including dead or dormant. This method makes it possible to detect the types of worms in the body, which means that the doctor will be able to determine which medicine will deal most effectively with the disease.
Scraping for enterobiasis
Stingworms are one of the most common types of helminths. To be tested for this type of parasite, you need to remove the folds of skin around the anus, where you can find their eggs. To improve the accuracy of the results of such a study, it should also be repeated after a few days. This method of examination is painless, it, like the usual analysis for parasites, is suitable for adults and children.Blood test
it is possible to detect parasite infection with high accuracy if you do an immunoenzymatic blood test. 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 themselves, and antibodies are immunoglobulins, which are synthesized in the human body to fight infection. Using this method, it is possible to diagnose the disease in the early stages, when there are not many parasites yet and it is easy to deal with them.
For this test it is necessary to donate blood from a vein. The result, whose reliability is at least 95%, will be known no later than in 9 days. Of course, such a study is more appropriate for adults.
In addition to this method, several other blood test methods are used to identify parasites, especially in the acute form of helminthiasis. They are based on different examination methods that allow the diagnosis of different types of infection in children and adults with high accuracy.
Some medical institutions offer a comprehensive blood test to detect different 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.