Often, 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 do you need to do to identify the infection?
Tests for parasites - how and what to take - this question arises when health conditions worsen for no apparent reason.
Various types of parasites, suitable to exist in the human body, may not appear for a long time. Usually, school or kindergarten children are checked for helminths from time to time. However, in adults it is also often infected with parasites.
Some symptoms of helminthic infection, such as:
- decreased hemoglobin in the blood;
- poor appetite;
- sleep disorders;
- weight loss;
- increase in body temperature.
Has similarities to different types of pathological conditions.
The probability of infection is very high. Many people, unaware of this, are carriers of one type or another. In addition, harm to human health can be caused not only by worms, but also by some protozoa. Their presence in the human body leads to toxoplasmosis and other dangerous diseases. It is clear that analysis for parasites in the human body must be done to detect the infection in a timely manner and, as soon as possible, to prescribe appropriate treatment. What parasite test to go through, a local therapist will tell.
When adults must be tested for parasites
Experts recommend testing for parasites if you have one or more symptoms from this list:
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract: tendency to constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bloating.
- Pale skin due to lack of vitamins and nutrients.
- Rapid fatigue, loss of energy, indifference are observed.
- Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness.
- Allergy manifestations appear in the absence of obvious irritants (such reactions are caused by worm excrement products).
It is recommended to do a test (make a comprehensive analysis for parasites) if, as a result of decreased immunity, the body's resistance to the flu worsens.
In addition, itching on the skin around the anus indicates the presence of helminthic invasion (enterobiasis), which can be confirmed if tested for parasites.
What tests are usually performed to identify parasites in the human body?
If we suspect that we are infected with worms or other types of parasites, we would like to begin treatment immediately. However, to prescribe the necessary medications, you must first check for the presence of parasites, as it is necessary to understand which species have settled in the body. Where to undergo parasite testing, you can find out by contacting the nearest clinic.
Stool Analysis
The simplest and most common solution in this case is stool analysis, where the specialist will look for worm eggs.
This type of analysis allows you to determine its existence:
- roundworm;
- trematode or flux;
- tapeworm.
However, this type of analysis has significant drawbacks: the results of fecal analysis for parasites are not always reliable, as parasites reproduce at certain times and may not lay eggs for long periods of time. Therefore, for greater reliability, stool analysis for parasites is repeated 2 - 3 times at intervals of several days.
Expanded fecal analysis
In addition to standard stool analysis, there is also detail, reliability and accuracy are much higher. This type of diagnostic, which is based on PCR technology, helps detect parasitic DNA, including dead or inactive. This method makes it possible to know the type of worm in the body, which means that the doctor will be able to determine which drug will be more effective in overcoming the disease.
Eroding enterobiasis
Pinworms are one of the most common types of helminths. To test for this type of parasite, you need to scrape the folds of skin around the anus, where you can find the eggs. To improve the accuracy of such study results, this study must also be repeated after a few days. This method of examination is not painful, it, like the usual analysis for parasites, is suitable for both adults and children.
Blood test
It is possible to make a parasitic attack with high accuracy if you do an imunoenzimatic blood test. If you pass this type of analysis, you can detect the presence of antibodies and antigens of almost all types of parasites. Antigens, in this case, are waste products of parasites and themselves, and antibodies are immunoglobulins, which are synthesized in the human body to fight infection. With the help of this method, it is possible to diagnose the disease at an early stage, when there are still not many parasites and it is easy to deal with it.
For this analysis, it is necessary to donate blood from the veins. As a result, its reliability of at least 95%, will be known by 9 days at the latest. Of course, such research is more suitable for adults.
In addition to this method, several other blood test methods are used to identify parasites, especially in the acute form of helminthiasis. They are based on a variety of screening methods that make it possible to diagnose various types of infections in children and adults with high accuracy.
Some medical institutions offer comprehensive blood tests to detect different types of helminths.
To prepare the analysis, you must:
- that the last meal is no later than 10 - 12 hours before the test;
- does not include fatty, smoked and salty foods from the previous day's diet;
- 24 hours before the test, excluding smoking and alcohol intake.