Parasitic infestations in the body are a common phenomenon that occurs in both children and adults.In children it occurs more frequently, since they observe hygiene rules less and most parasites are transmitted through the fecal-oral route.
Because infestations are so diverse, 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 that are necessary to make a diagnosis.
Diagnostic Basics
To identify a parasitic infection, in most cases it is necessary to consult a doctor.Since such a lesion does not usually cause many problems for either adults or children and has nonspecific symptoms, the patient often realizes that he or she has an infestation only by finding worms in the stool.In cases where there is infection by extraintestinal parasites (e.g., Giardia protozoa, amoebas) that are not excreted in the feces, the diagnosis is made, in most cases, by chance.
But even if helminths are detected in the feces, the patient should consult a doctor and undergo a parasite test.This is done not only to accurately identify the 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 only act 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 agent causing the invasion is precisely identified (for which it is necessary to perform parasite tests in an adult or child).In addition, a specialist can draw some conclusions by collecting a history and establishing characteristic symptoms during a conversation with the patient.However, it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis this way (especially in adults due to the lower severity of symptoms).
For this reason, doctors recommend having a blood test to detect parasites.And sometimes a stool analysis is enough.Your doctor will tell you where to get tested for this indicator.This can be done in a municipal or commercial clinic, as well as directly in the laboratory.
There are also some peculiarities in the way of taking a sample, which a specialist will tell you about.And the cost of an infestation test depends on where it is performed and the type of samples that must be taken to make a diagnosis.
stool analysis
When talking about what parasite tests to perform, the first thing that comes to mind for most patients is a stool test for parasites.In fact, these diagnostics for the presence of helminths are prescribed by doctors in the first place.
This is a simple study that is carried out in any medical institution and laboratory of the corresponding profile.Testing for parasites in this way is the easiest and most non-traumatic.This is especially important when taking a sample from a child.There is no need to visit the laboratory and have your blood drawn.
Patients analyze their feces themselves for parasites.No special preparation is required.After defecating, a small portion of the feces should be immediately placed in a sterile tube and taken to the laboratory.
There is only one special condition: between the intestinal evacuation and the collection of the sample and the delivery of the material to the laboratory, the shortest possible time must elapse.Additionally, tests for helminths of this type should be done in the morning.
The method is not universal.It helps to identify only those 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 that are present mainly in the small intestine (pinworms), since this type of parasites with a specific life cycle do not enter the large intestine and do not leave the body with feces.
However, many types of opportunistic extraintestinal invasions, for example with liver lesions, still appear in feces.They are simply present there in smaller quantities.The doctor will tell you which test is appropriate in each specific case, depending on the symptoms.In fact, on this basis, we can draw a conclusion about the probability of the presence of which parasites should be considered first of all.
scraping
Another way to check if you have parasites yourself at home.This method is suitable for determining the presence of those types of parasites that come to the surface through the anus to lay eggs.
The most common pinworms are found with this characteristic.To perform such tests, it is necessary to scrape the anus to detect parasites.
This requires a special enterobiasis test kit.Some patients scrape themselves with 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 performing the study;
- It is advisable not to touch the anus before collecting the sample;
- Before taking a parasite test to the laboratory, it is necessary to store it in the refrigerator;
- No more than 6 to 8 hours should elapse between the time of collection and the time of transfer for research.
Diagnosis of parasites in the human body using an enterobiasis test kit is carried out as follows:
- Remove the clear polyacrylic spatula from the set;
- Apply a little adhesive on its edge, which is also included in the kit;
- Place the spatula several times against the skin of the anal folds;
- Place the spatula in a sterilized container, which is also included in the kit.
Take the container with the spatula to the laboratory.It is not difficult to know where to get tested for parasites in Moscow.You can visit the laboratory.
In small towns, referral from a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist is often required to send material to a clinical laboratory.
general blood tests
Sometimes a general blood test is necessary to detect parasites in children and adults.It is able to indirectly confirm the presence of invasion.If confirmed, expensive and accurate blood tests may be prescribed to detect antibodies to the parasites.UAC is cheap.
With this type of study it is necessary to donate blood from the finger, since it is done using a capillary sample.It is taken by the finger;Babies may have alternative collection sites: earlobe, heel, thigh.
It is necessary to perform a test on an empty stomach.A study of this type helps to establish the following:
- An increased content of eosinophils, eosinophilia, indicates the presence of an allergic reaction to parasites in the human body;
- An elevated level of white blood cells indicates that the immune system is intensely fighting something, perhaps parasites (however, these indicators are also caused by viruses, infections and inflammatory processes);
- A reduced iron content can develop during the invasion because the parasites in the body do not allow useful substances to be absorbed into the blood in sufficient quantities and also cause constant microbleeds, as they damage the mucous membrane for feeding.
Sometimes a blood chemistry test is also recommended.A sample is taken from a vein and helps determine whether internal organs are functioning normally.According to their results, it becomes indirectly clear which organ can be affected by the invasion, but it is prescribed quite infrequently.The doctor does 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 shows the presence in the body of specific antibodies that the immune system begins to produce in response to the invasion.
An enzyme immunoassay blood test for parasites is good because it allows you to very accurately determine the type of parasite, 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 to detect the presence of parasites in the body allows not only to make an accurate diagnosis, but also to prescribe a more "specific" treatment.
This serological blood test to detect parasites is performed using a sample from a vein.You can take it in the morning, since it is important to do it on an empty stomach.Such an analysis to identify parasites takes from several hours to days to prepare.From the laboratory, the patient receives a detailed result, indicating the type of immunoglobulins (if any), as well as their quantity.
Cracking a blood test for parasites is easy.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 immunoglobulins in the blood may indicate that the patient was previously infected, but was cured.The absence of antibodies indicates the absence of infection or that it occurred very recently and the antibodies have not yet had time to develop.
You yourself can donate blood for parasites in this way, but due to its significant cost, it is better to consult a doctor first.Therefore, sometimes it does not make sense to donate blood for the presence of parasites using the ELISA method to people with immunodeficiency diseases, HIV and lupus.