Parasitic infections are called helminthiasis. This is an insidious and common disease that may not be known for years. The parasites enter the human intestine through dirty hands, food, water and begin to actively multiply.
They absorb nutrients, disrupt the absorption of water and vitamins in the intestines, provoke diarrhea and damage to other internal organs. That is why it is very important to know what tests should be taken for parasites in order to identify them in time and start the right treatment.
Types of parasites and their diagnosis
Different types of worms can live in human intestines: round, flat, tapeworms. Each parasite is dangerous to the body because it releases toxic substances that affect the internal organs.
The consequences of helminthiasis can be very different, including death.
Everyone needs to know what tests should be taken for parasites. The examination is performed both for prevention and in the presence of characteristic symptoms. Do not delay your visit to the doctor.
The danger of this condition is that the symptoms do not always appear. For a long time a person may not know about the presence of helminths, but at the same time slow and irreversible destructive processes occur in the organs. The ways of infection are very different: contact with an infected person or animal, through dirty hands, soil, food, water.
| Title | Pathways of infection | Symptoms | Analyzes |
| Blades | Contamination by dirty hands | Anal itching, diarrhea, weight loss | Anal swab |
| Ascaris | Eating unwashed vegetables and fruits | Weakness, itchy anus, impaired stool | Blood Antibody Test (ELISA) |
| Cat Fluke | Eating infected fish | Pain in the right side, allergic reactions, signs of liver damage | ELISA blood test |
| Trichinella | Eating contaminated meat and lard | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, allergic skin reactions, weakness | Blood antibody test |
| Bowel acne | Any contact with contaminated soil | Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain | Fecal examination for worm eggs, ELISA analysis |
The treatment of helminthiasis is chosen individually. Before prescribing any medication, your doctor will advise you to take tests and determine the exact type of parasite. Each helminth has a different effect on the body and leads to different complications. In theory, they can affect any organ, but are more common in the gut. The risk group includes young children and people who work with the soil.
The main and dangerous signs of parasitic infection
It can be difficult to recognize an infection. The symptoms are influenced not only by the type of helminths, but also by the age of the infected person, the state of his immune system and other features of the body. Due to reduced immunity in children and the elderly, the clinical picture is more acute.
There are chronic helminthiasis that has no obvious signs and acute manifestations. They last for years and go unnoticed because the symptoms are blurred and easily confused with other chronic conditions.
See a doctor immediately and get tested for parasites when the following symptoms appear:
| Signs | Clinical presentation |
| Fever | This symptom does not always appear, but with severe damage to internal organs, the temperature can be high to high. |
| Stool Disorders | Both constipation and diarrhea occur with helminthiasis. Various intestinal disorders can alternate, increase or disappear over time. Impurities of mucus and blood are often found in the faeces. |
| Nausea and vomiting | Symptoms of intoxication appear in the acute form of the disease. These symptoms can be present with any parasite infection. |
| Cough | In the long course of the disease, helminths affect the bronchi and lungs. The patient develops a dry cough, eventually turning into a wet one. |
| Allergies | The immune system begins to react to parasites, so allergic reactions occur, usually skin reactions: itching, redness, urticaria. |
| Chronic fatigue | Helminthiasis provokes weakness and fatigue, drowsiness due to intoxication of the body. |
| Weight loss | Due to impaired intestinal absorption, a person loses weight even with the same diet. |
Regardless of which helminths are found in the gut, treatment should begin as early as possible. The parasites cause intestinal inflammation, penetrate the lungs, gallbladder and even the heart. Preventive screening will help avoid serious consequences and complications.
Preparation for blood and stool tests
The reliability of the result depends not only on the laboratory and equipment, but also on compliance with the rules of preparation. Violating these rules will lead to the wrong result. The person may miss the disease.
First of all, it is worth remembering that in order to assess the condition, you need to choose proven clinics, reliable laboratories, in which certified specialists work. If the examination is performed by a doctor, he will warn of preparation.
Preparation for stool analysis includes the following points:
- A few days before the delivery of the stool you should adhere to a sparing diet, do not eat spicy, fried, fast food and foods that cause flatulence. It is recommended to eat cereals, soups, low-fat dairy products.
- If you can't go to the toilet, you shouldn't do enemas or take laxatives.
- It is not recommended to eat foods that color the stool: prunes, tomatoes, beets, herbs.
- Before taking the test, you must buy a sterile container with a special spatula. Printed on the day of the test. Matchboxes cannot be used to collect material.
- The minimum amount of stool required for analysis is 15 g. If the amount is less, the analysis will need to be repeated. Collect the material carefully to prevent urine or menstrual flow from entering the stool.
- If the analysis showed the presence of helminths, after completion of the course of treatment, the analysis should be repeated, observing all the above rules.
Donation preparation is usually standard. You should visit the laboratory on an empty stomach, do not eat fatty or spicy foods the day before. Any medicine you take should be discussed with your doctor, as this may affect the result of the parasite test. It is recommended that you stop drinking alcohol a week before donating blood. On the day of blood collection and the day before it you can not attend physiotherapy procedures, to undergo an ultrasound scan. Smoking can also affect the outcome. It is recommended that you do not smoke for at least an hour before the examination.
Blood tests for parasites
The blood test for parasites is one of the most informative methods for diagnosing helminthiasis. There are several types of blood tests. The doctor prescribes one or more, depending on the clinical picture and medical history.
The advantage of a blood test over a helminth stool test is that the eggs are not always in the stool, you must enter a certain period of helminth reproduction. Blood can be donated at any time of infection. Almost all laboratory tests are performed using special equipment and do not depend on the human factor. ELISA allows you to determine not only the worms, but also the degree of infection.
The doctor should be responsible for decoding the result. The most common are 3 blood tests to detect worms in the body:
| Method | Analysis Functions |
| ELISA | ELISA is the most informative and reliable in detecting parasitic infection. The test is based on the antigen-antibody bond. The result shows the presence or absence of a specific antibody in the blood, which indicates an acute or chronic stage of the disease. So, in parasitic lesions, IgG antibodies appear in the blood. The result is quite clear, positive or negative. However, it should be remembered that these antibodies appear both in chronic infections and during the recovery period. |
| PCR | Polymerase chain reaction also allows you to reliably determine if there are parasites in the body. However, not all helminth species are identified in this way, only protozoa. The severity of the disease and the number of helminths also cannot be determined in this way. |
| UAC | This is a simple and quick diagnosis that gives an idea of how the body works as a whole. The presence of parasites can be suspected by the level of eosinophils, which will be increased. In helminthic invasions, the level of eosinophils exceeds 20% of other leukocytes. In this case, additional examination and determination of the type of parasite is prescribed. |
Stool parasite test
The coprogram is a laboratory stool test. It is prescribed when helminthiasis is suspected: stool disorders, sudden weight loss, weakness, nausea, etc. You can get a co-program in any laboratory: private or municipal.
The following indicators are taken into account when decoding:
| metrics | Decrypt |
| Consistency and smell | Normal consistency is viscous without undigested pieces. |
| Color | Usually yellow or brown. Or it is too dark, this indicates the presence of hidden blood. A light stool color indicates liver damage. |
| Weight | Blood or mucus in the stool is reported. |
| Leukocytes | Leukocytes are usually present in the faeces, but in minimal amounts. If there are many of them, then the inflammatory process has begun in the intestines. |
| Acidity | The feces of a healthy person have a pH of 4, 8-5, 8. If the acidity increases, then the absorption of fatty acids is impaired in the intestine.|
| Bilirubin | There is no bilirubin in the stool of a healthy person. Its presence indicates the presence of dysbiosis, increased peristalsis, rapid evacuation of feces. |
| Stercobilin | This enzyme may be present in faeces up to 350 mg / day. The increase indicates anemia, the decrease indicates lesions of the gallbladder. |
Only a doctor can make a diagnosis based on such a result. Additional tests may be needed. For the result to be reliable, you must properly collect and store the material. It is recommended that you deliver it to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Scraping for enterobiosis
Scraping for enterobiosis is also an informative diagnosis. It is transmitted according to indications or for prophylaxis. This is a painless procedure. Using a small spatula or cotton swab, take some material from the anus. It is enough to slide the rod several times to get the material.
Scraping is quite simple - worm eggs are either missing or present. The disease is treatable, but if the result is positive, the patient is isolated to prevent further transmission of the infection.