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 analysis do you need to do to identify the infection?
Tests for parasites - how and what to take - this question arises when health status worsens for no apparent reason.
Various types of parasites, ideally adapted to exist in the human body, may not manifest for a long period of time. Normally, children who attend school or kindergarten are tested for helminths from time to time. However, in adults it is also very common to be infected with parasites.
Some symptoms of helminthic infestation, such as:
- decreased hemoglobin in the blood;
- lack of appetite;
- sleep disturbance;
- weight loss;
- increase in body temperature.
They have similarities with various types of pathological conditions.
The probability of infection is very high. Many people, without knowing it, are carriers of one type or another. In addition, damage to human health can be caused not only by worms, but also by some protozoa. Its presence in the human body leads to toxoplasmosis and other dangerous diseases. It is obvious that the analysis of parasites in the human body must be carried out in order to detect the infection in time and, as soon as possible, prescribe the appropriate treatment. What tests for parasites pass, the local therapist will tell.
When adults should be tested for parasites
Experts recommend testing for parasites if you have one or more of the symptoms in this list:
- Problems in the digestive tract: tendency to constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, flatulence.
- The skin is pale due to lack of vitamins and nutrients.
- Rapid fatigue, loss of energy and apathy are observed.
- Body weight fell rapidly.
- Allergy manifestations arose in the absence of obvious 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 decreased 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 done 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, to prescribe the necessary medications, one must first check for the presence of parasites, as it is necessary to understand which species of them have installed themselves in the body. Where to test for parasites, you can find out by contacting the nearest clinic.
Stool analysis
The simplest and most common solution in this case is stool analysis, in which specialists will look for helminth eggs.
This type of analysis allows you to determine the presence of:
- round worms;
- trematodes or worms;
- tapeworms.
However, this type of analysis has a significant disadvantage: the results of stool analysis for parasites are not always reliable, as parasites multiply at certain times and can take a long time to lay eggs. Therefore, for greater reliability, stool analysis for parasites is repeated 2 - 3 times with an interval of several days.
Expanded stool analysis
In addition to the standard stool analysis, there is also a detailed analysis, 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 allows you to find out what type of worms are in the body, which means that the doctor can determine which medicine is most effective in fighting the disease.
Scraping 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 folds of skin around the anus, where you can find your eggs. To improve the accuracy of the results of such a study, it must also be repeated after a few days. This examination method is painless and, like the usual analysis for parasites, it is suitable for adults and children.
Blood test
It is possible to establish parasite infestation with high precision if you have an immunoenzymatic blood test. If you pass this type of analysis, you can detect the presence of antibodies and antigens from almost all types of parasites. The antigens, in this case, are the waste products of the parasites and themselves, and the antibodies are immunoglobulins, which are synthesized in the human body to fight infections. Through this method, it is possible to diagnose the disease in the early stages, when there are not many parasites and it is easy to deal 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 within 9 days. Of course, this research is more suitable for adults.
In addition to this method, some other blood testing methods are used to identify parasites, especially in the acute form of helminthiasis. They are based on various examination methods that allow diagnosing 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 at most 10 - 12 hours before the test;
- exclude fatty, smoked and salty foods from the previous day's diet;
- 24 hours before the test, excludes smoking and alcohol consumption.