Invasion of parasites in the body is a common occurrence that occurs in children and adults.In children it happens more often, because they do not comply with hygiene rules, and most parasites are transmitted through the fecal-oral route.
Due to the fact that attacks are very diverse, their symptoms can vary, and some are completely asymptomatic.For this reason, diagnosing parasites in the body sometimes involves a large number of studies required to make a diagnosis.
Diagnostic Basics
To identify a parasitic infection, it is often necessary to consult a doctor.Since such lesions usually do not cause many problems for adults and children, and have non-specific symptoms, the patient often realizes that he has an attack only by looking for worms in the stool.In cases where there is an infection with extraintestinal parasites (for example, Giardia protozoa, amoebas) that are not excreted in the stool, the diagnosis is made, most often, by chance.
But even if helminths are detected in the feces, the patient should consult a doctor and get a test for parasites.This is done to not only identify the parasite accurately, but also to determine its type.
This is necessary to prescribe the most effective and least toxic medicine for the whole body to treat the infection.Some drugs only act on certain types of pathogens.They, unlike broad-spectrum drugs, do not have significant negative effects on the human body.
For this reason, it is advisable to prescribe it when the causative agent of the invasion is accurately identified (for which you need to take a test for parasites in adults or children).Also, the specialist can draw some conclusions when collecting the anamnesis and establishing characteristic symptoms during the conversation with the patient.However, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis this way (especially in adults due to the mildest symptoms).
For this reason, doctors recommend taking a blood test for parasites.And sometimes stool analysis is enough.Your doctor will tell you where to undergo testing for this indicator.This can be done in municipal or commercial clinics, as well as directly in the laboratory.
There are also some peculiarities in the way of taking samples, which the expert will inform you.And how much an infestation inspection costs depends on the location where it is carried out and the type of sample that needs to be taken to make a diagnosis.
Stool analysis
When it comes to which test for parasites to take, 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 by doctors in the first place.
This is a simple study that is carried out in any medical institution and relevant profile laboratory.Testing for parasites in this way is the easiest and least traumatic.This is especially important when taking samples from children.No need to go to the lab and take blood.
Patients test their stool for parasites themselves.No special preparation is required.After defecating, you must immediately put a small portion of stool in a sterile tube and take it to the laboratory.
There is only one special condition - between bowel movement and sample collection and delivery of material to the laboratory, time may pass.In addition, the test for this type of helminths should be carried out 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 helminths found mainly in the small intestine (pinworms), because this type of parasite with a specific life cycle does not enter the large intestine and does not leave the body in the feces.
However, many types of opportunistic extraintestinal invasion, for example, with liver lesions, still appear in the feces.They are only found there in smaller quantities.The doctor will tell you which test is appropriate in a particular case, based on the symptoms.Indeed, based on it, we can draw conclusions about the possible presence of parasites which should be considered first.
Scraping
Another way to check for parasites yourself at home.This method is suitable for determining the presence of the type of parasite that comes to the surface through the anus to lay eggs.
The most common pinworm with this feature is found.To carry out such a test, a scraping from the anus is necessary to test 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, right after a person wakes up;
- You should not wash yourself before conducting the study;
- It is advised not to touch the anus before collecting the sample;
- Before you take the parasite test to the laboratory, you need to keep it in the refrigerator;
- No more than 6-8 hours should 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 transparent polyacrylic spatula from the set;
- Apply a little adhesive to the edges, which is also included in the kit;
- Place the spatula on the skin of the anal folds several times;
- Place the spatula in a sterile container, which is also included in the kit.
Take the container with a spatula to the laboratory.There is no difficulty in finding out where to test for parasites in Moscow.You can visit the laboratory.
In small towns, a referral from a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist is often required to submit the material to a clinic-based laboratory.
General blood test
Sometimes a general blood test for parasites in children and adults is necessary.It can indirectly confirm the presence of invasion.If he confirms it, then an expensive and accurate blood test for antibodies to the parasite can be prescribed.UAC is cheap.
With this type of study, you need to donate blood from your finger, as it is carried out using a capillary sample.It is taken from the finger;babies may have alternative collection sites - earlobes, heels, thighs.
You need to take a fasting test.Such studies help establish the following:
- 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 a parasite (however, such indicators are also caused by viruses, infections, and inflammatory processes);
- The reduced content of iron during the invasion can develop because the parasites in the body do not allow useful substances to be absorbed into the blood in sufficient quantities, and also cause constant microbleeding, because it injures the mucous membrane for nutrition.
Sometimes a blood chemistry test is also recommended.A sample is taken from the vein and helps determine whether internal organs are functioning normally.Based on the results, it becomes clear indirectly which organs may be affected by invasion, but it is determined relatively rarely.The doctor does the decoding.
Enzyme immunoassay
The ELISA blood test for parasites is the most expensive and accurate test.This is the name of the analysis, which indicates the presence in the body of specific antibodies that the immune system begins to produce in response to invasion.
Enzyme immunoassay blood tests for parasites are good because they allow 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.As a result, such a study for the presence of parasites in the body allows not only to make an accurate diagnosis, but also to prescribe a more "targeted" treatment.
A serological blood test for this parasite is carried out using a sample from a vein.You can take it in the morning, because it is important to do it on an empty stomach.Such an analysis to identify parasites is available from a few hours to a few days.From the laboratory, the patient receives detailed results, indicating the type of immunoglobulin (if any), as well as the quantity.
Interpreting a blood test for parasites is easy.Antibodies are present in large quantities as the infection progresses.With some types of invasion, the body's immunity against it is formed;in this case, a small amount of immunoglobulin in the blood may indicate that the patient was previously infected, but has recovered.The absence of antibodies indicates the absence of infection or it occurred recently and antibodies have not had time to develop.
You can donate blood for parasites in this way yourself, but because of the high cost, it is better to first consult a doctor.Therefore, it is sometimes pointless to donate blood for the presence of parasites using the ELISA method to people with immunodeficiency conditions, HIV and lupus.