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 analysis should you perform to identify the infection?
Tests for parasites - how and what to take - this question arises when the condition worsens for no apparent reason.
Different types of parasites, ideally suited to exist in the human body, may not manifest for a long time. Typically, children who attend school or kindergarten are screened 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:
- decrease in hemoglobin in the blood;
- lack of appetite;
- sleep disturbances;
- weight loss;
- increase in body temperature.
Have similarities to various types of pathological conditions.
The probability of infection is very high. Many people, oblivious to this, are carriers of one kind or another. In addition, damage to human health can be caused not only by worms, but also by certain protozoa. Their 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 successful in order to detect the infection in time and, as soon as possible, to prescribe the appropriate treatment. What tests for parasites to pass, the local therapist will tell.
When should adults 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, gas.
- The skin is pale due to a lack of vitamins and nutrients.
- Rapid fatigue, loss of energy, apathy is observed.
- The body weight dropped rapidly.
- Allergic manifestations appeared in the absence of obvious irritants (such a reaction is provoked by worm waste).
It is recommended to take tests (do a full analysis for parasites) if, as a result of a decrease in immunity, the body's resistance to colds has deteriorated.
Additionally, itchy skin around the anus indicates the presence of helminthic invasion (enterobiosis), which can be confirmed if tested for parasites.
What tests are commonly 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 drugs, you must first check for the presence of parasites, since it is necessary to understand which species of them have settled in the body. Where to get tested for parasites you can find out by contacting the nearest clinic.
Stool analysis
The simplest and most common solution in this case is the analysis of feces, in which specialists will look for helminth eggs.
This type of analysis is used to determine the presence of:
- roundworms;
- trematodes or fluids;
- tapeworms.
However, this type of analysis has a significant drawback - the results of the feces analysis for parasites are not always reliable, as the parasites multiply at certain times and may not lay eggs for a long time. Therefore, for greater reliability, the analysis of feces for parasites is repeated 2-3 times with an interval of several days.
Extended stool analysis
In addition to the standard analysis of feces, there is also a detailed analysis, the reliability and accuracy of which is much higher. This type of diagnosis, based on PCR technology, can detect the DNA of a parasite, including dead or dormant. This method helps to know what types of worms are in the body, which means that the doctor will be able to determine which drug is most effective in combating the disease.
Scratching for enterobiosis
Pinworms are one of the most common types of helminths. To be tested for this type of parasite, you have to scratch 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 of parasites, is suitable for both adults and children.
Blood test
It is possible to establish a parasite infestation with great precision if you do an enzyme immunoassay blood test. If you pass this type of test, you can detect the presence of antibodies and antigens from almost all types of parasites. 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 infection. Using this method, it is possible to diagnose the disease at an early stage, when there are not yet many parasites and it is easy to treat 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 at the latest in 9 days. Of course, such research is more suitable for adults.
In addition to this method, other methods of blood analysis are used to identify parasites, especially in the acute form of helminthiasis. They are based on various examination methods that make it possible to diagnose different types of infection in children and adults with high accuracy.
Some medical institutions offer a complete blood test to detect various types of helminths.
To prepare the analysis, you must:
- that the last meal took place no later than 10 to 12 hours before the test;
- exclude fatty, smoked and salty foods from the diet of the day before;
- 24 hours before the test, exclude smoking and alcohol consumption.