Parasitic infestations in the body are a common occurrence that occurs in both children and adults.It occurs more often in children, as they observe hygiene rules less well, and most parasites are transmitted via the fecal-oral route.
Since infestations are very different, their symptoms can vary greatly and some are completely asymptomatic.For this reason, the diagnosis of parasites in the body sometimes involves a fairly large number of studies needed to make a diagnosis.
Diagnostic basics
To identify a parasitic infection, it is most often necessary to consult a doctor.Since such a lesion usually does not cause many problems for both adults and children and presents nonspecific symptoms, the patient often realizes that he has an infestation only by finding worms in the stool.In cases where there is an infection with extraintestinal parasites (e.g., Giardia protozoa, amoebae) that are not excreted in the feces, the diagnosis is made, most often, by chance.
But even if helminths are detected in the feces, the patient should consult a doctor and undergo testing for parasites.This is done not only to accurately identify parasites, but also to establish which type they belong to.
This is necessary to prescribe the most effective and least toxic drug to the rest of the body to treat the infection.Some drugs act only on a certain type of pathogen.They, unlike broad-spectrum drugs, 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 undergo antiparasitic tests in an adult or child).Also, a specialist can draw certain 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 taking a blood test for parasites.And sometimes a stool analysis is enough.Your doctor will tell you where to get tested for this indicator.This can be done at a municipal or commercial clinic, as well as directly in the laboratory.
There are also some peculiarities in the sample collection method, which a specialist will inform you about.And how much an infestation test costs depends on the place where it is carried out and the type of samples that need to be taken to make the diagnosis.
Stool analysis
When talking about what parasite tests should be done, the first thing that comes to mind for most patients is a stool test for parasites.This diagnosis for the presence of helminths is in fact prescribed mainly by doctors.
This is a simple study that is carried out in any medical institution and laboratory of the relevant profile.Testing for parasites in this way is the simplest and most non-traumatic.This is especially important when taking a sample from a child.It is not necessary to go to the laboratory and have blood drawn.
Patients test themselves for parasites in their stool.No special preparation is required.After bowel movement, you should immediately place a small portion of the feces in a sterile test tube and take it to the laboratory.
There is only one special condition: between bowel movement, sample collection and delivery of the material to the laboratory, as little time as possible should pass.Also, tests for helminths of this type should be done in the morning.
The method is not universal.It helps to 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 for those 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 leave the body in feces.
However, many types of opportunistic extraintestinal invasions still appear in feces, for example with liver lesions.They are simply present there in smaller quantities.Your doctor will tell you which test is appropriate in a particular case, based on your symptoms.After all, based on it, we can draw a conclusion about the probability of the presence of which parasites should be considered first.
Scrape
Another way to check for pests at home yourself.This method is suitable for determining the presence of those types of parasites that emerge to the surface through the anus to lay eggs.
The most common pinworms with this characteristic are found.To perform such tests, a scraping of the anus is required to check for parasites.
This requires a special test kit for enterobiasis.Some patients scrape using tape, but this method is not very effective.
The basic rules for sampling are as follows:
- It is done in the morning, immediately after the person wakes up;
- You should not wash before conducting the study;
- It is recommended not to touch the anus before taking the sample;
- Before taking a pesticide test to the laboratory, you must store it in the refrigerator;
- No more than 6-8 hours must pass between the time of collection and the time of transfer for research.
Diagnosis of parasites in the human body using a test kit for enterobiasis is carried out as follows:
- Remove the clear polyacrylic spatula from the set;
- Apply some adhesive to the edge, also included in the kit;
- Place the spatula several times on the skin of the anal folds;
- Place the spatula in a sterile container, also included in the kit.
Bring the container with the spatula to the laboratory.There are no difficulties in finding where to take a parasite test in Moscow.It is possible to visit the laboratory.
In small towns, referral to a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist is often necessary to send the material to a clinical laboratory.
General blood test
Sometimes a general blood test for parasites in children and adults is necessary.It is able to indirectly confirm the presence of invasion.If it confirms this, expensive and accurate blood tests for antibodies against the parasites may be ordered.UAC is cheap.
With this type of study it is necessary to donate finger blood, since it is carried out using a capillary sample.It is taken from the finger;newborns may have alternative collection sites: earlobe, heel, thigh.
You need to do a fasting test.This study helps to establish the following:
- An increase in the content of eosinophils, eosinophilia, indicates the presence of an allergic reaction to parasites in the human body;
- An increase in the level of white blood cells indicates that the immune system is intensively fighting something, perhaps parasites (however, such indicators are also caused by viruses, infections and inflammatory processes);
- Reduced iron content during invasion can develop because parasites in the body do not allow the absorption of useful substances into the blood in sufficient quantities, and also cause constant microbleeding, as they damage the mucosa for nutrition.
Sometimes a blood test is also recommended.A sample is taken from a vein and helps determine whether internal organs are functioning normally.Based on its results it becomes indirectly clear which organ can be affected by the invasion, but it is prescribed quite rarely.The doctor performs the decoding.
Enzyme immunoassay
An ELISA blood test for parasites is the most expensive and accurate test.This is the name of the analysis, which highlights the presence in the body of specific antibodies that the immune system begins to produce in response to the invasion.
An enzyme immunoblood test for parasites is useful because it allows you to determine the type of parasite very accurately, down to the strain.Antibodies are specific immunoglobulins that differ not only for different pathogens, but also for different strains.Accordingly, such a study of the presence of parasites in the body allows not only to make an accurate diagnosis, but also to prescribe a more “targeted” treatment.
This serological blood test for parasites is done using a sample taken 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 days.From the laboratory, the patient receives a detailed result, which indicates the type of immunoglobulins (if any) and their quantity.
Deciphering a blood test for parasites is simple.Antibodies are present in large quantities when the infection develops.With some types of invasions, the body's immunity is formed;in this case, a small amount of immunoglobulin in the blood may indicate that the patient had previously been infected but had recovered.The absence of antibodies indicates that there is no infection or that it occurred very recently and the antibodies have not yet had time to develop.
You can donate blood for parasites yourself in this way, but due to its significant cost, it is better to consult a doctor first.Therefore, it is sometimes useless to donate blood due to the presence of parasites using the ELISA method to people with immunodeficiency conditions, HIV and lupus.