Often the deterioration of well-being is caused by various types of parasites, which are mistaken for stress or vitamin deficiency. Where and what type of test should you take to identify the infection?
Parasite tests - how and what to take - this question arises when health deteriorates for no apparent reason.
Different types of parasites, perfectly adapted to exist in the human body, may not appear for a long time. Usually, children attending school or kindergarten are screened from time to time. However, parasite infestation is also very common in adults.
Some symptoms of helminthic invasion, such as:
- decrease in hemoglobin in the blood;
- poor appetite;
- sleep disturbance;
- weight loss;
- fever.
There are similarities with different types of pathological conditions.
The probability of infection is very high. Many people who do not know about this are carriers of one species or another. In addition, damage to human health can be caused not only by worms, but also by some of the simplest. 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 to prescribe the appropriate treatment as soon as possible. The local therapist will tell you what tests for parasites to undergo.
When adults should be tested for parasites
Experts recommend testing for parasites if you have one or more of the symptoms on this list:
- Digestive tract problems: tendency to constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, flatulence.
- The skin is pale due to lack of vitamins and nutrients.
- There is rapid fatigue, loss of energy, apathy.
- Body weight drops rapidly.
- Allergic manifestations have occurred in the absence of obvious irritants (such a reaction is caused by waste products from worms).
It is recommended to perform tests (to make a comprehensive analysis for parasites), if as a result of reduced immunity the body's resistance to colds has deteriorated.
In addition, itchy skin around the anus indicates the presence of helminthic invasion (enterobiosis), 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, in order to prescribe the necessary medications, you must first check for the presence of parasites, as it is necessary to find out which type of them has settled in the body. You can find out where to get tested for parasites 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:
- roundworms;
- trematodes or methyls;
- tapeworms.
Advanced stool analysis
In addition to the standard stool analysis, there is a detailed one, whose reliability and accuracy is much higher. This type of diagnosis, which is based on PCR technology, helps detect the DNA of a parasite, including dead or dormant. This method makes it possible to determine what kind of worms are in the body, which means that the doctor will be able to determine which drug will deal more effectively with the disease.
Scraping for enterobiosis
Pinworms are one of the most common types of helminths. To be tested for this type of parasite, you need to wipe 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 both adults and children.
Blood test
It is possible to detect infection with parasites with high accuracy if you take an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. If you pass this type of analysis, you can detect the presence of antibodies and antigens to almost all types of parasites. In this case, the antigens are the waste products of the parasites and themselves, and the antibodies are immunoglobulins that 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 still 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, the reliability of which is at least 95%, will be known no later than 9 days. Of course, such studies are more suitable for adults.
In addition to this method, some other blood test methods are used to identify parasites, especially in the acute form of helminthiasis. They are based on various research methods that allow the diagnosis of different types of infections in children and adults with high accuracy.
Some hospitals 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 your diet the day before;
- 24 hours before the test, exclude smoking and alcohol consumption.