Parasitic infestations in the body are a common phenomenon that occurs in both children and adults.It occurs more often in children, as they are less likely to follow the rules of hygiene and most parasites are transmitted through the fecal-oral route.
Due to the fact that the invasions are very diverse, their symptoms can vary greatly, and some are completely asymptomatic.For this reason, the diagnosis of parasites in the body sometimes includes a fairly large number of tests that are necessary to make the diagnosis.
Basics of diagnostics
In order to identify a parasitic infection, a consultation with a doctor is most often required.Since such a lesion usually does not cause many problems for both adults and children and has non-specific symptoms, the patient often understands that he has an infection only by finding worms in the stool.In cases where there is an infection with extraintestinal parasites (e.g. Giardia protozoa, amoebae) that are not excreted in the feces, the diagnosis is most often made incidentally.
But even if helminths are found in the feces, the patient should consult a doctor and be examined for parasites.This is done in order not only to accurately identify the parasites, but also to find out what species they belong to.
This is necessary to prescribe the most effective and least toxic medicine for the rest of the body to treat the infection.Some drugs work only 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 cause of the infestation is precisely identified (for which you need to take tests for parasites in an adult or a child).Also, the specialist can draw some conclusions when collecting anamnesis and establishing characteristic symptoms during a conversation with the patient.However, in this way it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis (especially in adults due to the least severity of symptoms).
For this reason, doctors recommend a blood test for 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 when taking a sample, about which a specialist will inform you.And how much an infection test costs depends on where it's done and the types of samples that need to be taken to make a diagnosis.
Stool analysis
When talking about what parasite tests to take, the first thing that comes to mind for most patients is a stool parasite test.Such diagnostics for the presence of helminths are really prescribed by doctors in the first place.
This is a simple study that is carried out in any medical facilities and laboratories of the relevant profile.Examination for parasites in this way is the easiest and non-traumatic.This is especially important when sampling from a child.You do not need to visit the laboratory and take blood.
Patients themselves examine their stools for parasites.No special preparation is required.After a bowel movement, you should immediately place a small portion of the stool in a sterile tube and take it to the laboratory.
There is only one special condition - between defecation and taking the sample and delivering the material to the laboratory, as little time as possible must pass.In addition, the examination for helminths of this type should be carried out in the morning.
The method is not universal.It helps to identify only those helminths and parasites that live in the colon.It is not suitable for identifying parasites located in other organs (for example, in the liver), as well as for those helminths that are mainly present in the small intestine (spindles), because these types of parasites with a specific life cycle do not enter the large intestine and do not leave the body in the feces.
However, many types of opportunistic extraintestinal invasions, for example with liver lesions, still appear in the feces.They are just present there in smaller amounts.The doctor will tell you which test is appropriate in a particular case based on the symptoms.In fact, based on it, we can draw a conclusion about the probability of the presence of which parasites should be considered first.
Scraping
Another way to check yourself for parasites 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 with this feature have been found.To conduct such tests, it is necessary to take a scraping from the anus for examination for parasites.
This requires a special test for enterobiosis.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 before conducting the examination;
- It is recommended not to touch the anus before taking the sample;
- Before taking a parasite test in the laboratory, you must store it in the refrigerator;
- No more than 6-8 hours should pass between the time of collection and the time of transmission for examination.
Diagnosis of parasites in the human body using a test kit for enterobiosis is carried out as follows:
- Remove the clear polyacrylic spatula from the kit;
- Apply some glue to its edge, which is also included in the kit;
- Put 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 the spatula to the lab.It is not difficult to find out where to get tested for parasites in Moscow.You can visit the lab.
In small towns, a referral from a parasitologist or infectious disease specialist is often required to submit material to a clinical laboratory.
General blood test
Sometimes a general blood test for parasites is needed in children and adults.It is able to indirectly confirm the presence of an infestation.If he confirms it, then expensive and accurate blood tests for antibodies against parasites can be ordered.UAC is cheap.
In this type of test, you need to donate blood from your finger, as it is performed using a capillary sample.It is taken from the finger;infants may have alternate collection sites - auricle, heel, thigh.
You should do a fasting test.Such research helps to establish the following:
- The 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 parasites (but such indicators are also caused by viruses, infections and inflammatory processes);
- A reduced iron content during an 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, as they damage the mucous membrane for nutrition.
Sometimes a blood test is also recommended.A sample is taken from a vein and helps determine whether the internal organs are functioning normally.Based on its results, it becomes indirectly clear which organ may be affected by the invasion, but it is prescribed quite rarely.The doctor does the decoding.
Enzyme immunoassay
ELISA blood test for parasites is the most expensive and accurate test.This is the name of the analysis that shows the presence in the body of specific antibodies that the immune system begins to produce in response to the invasion.
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 for the presence of parasites in the body allows not only to make an accurate diagnosis, but also to prescribe a more "targeted" treatment.
This serological blood test for parasites is performed using a vein sample.You can take it in the morning, it is important to do it on an empty stomach.Such an analysis to identify parasites is prepared from several hours to days.From the laboratory, the patient receives a detailed result indicating the type of immunoglobulins (if any) as well as their amount.
Deciphering a blood test for parasites is simple.Antibodies are present in large quantities when the infection develops.In some types of invasions, the body's immunity to it is formed;in this case, a small amount of immunoglobulins in the blood may mean 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 antibodies have not yet had time to develop.
You can donate blood for parasites yourself in this way, but due to the significant cost, it is better to consult a doctor first.Therefore, it is sometimes pointless to donate blood for the presence of parasites by the ELISA method to people with immunodeficiency conditions, HIV and lupus.