Parasitic infections are called helminthiasis. This is an insidious and common ailment that can be oblivious to for years. 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 intestine, cause diarrhea and disruption of other internal organs. Therefore, it is very important to know what tests need to be performed for parasites to identify them in time and start the correct treatment.
Types of parasites and their diagnosis
Various types of worms can live in the human intestine: round, flat, ribbon. Any parasite is dangerous for the body, as it releases toxic substances that affect internal organs.
The consequences of helminthiasis can be very different, including death.
Everyone should know what tests need to be done for parasites. The examination is carried out both for preventive purposes and in the presence of characteristic symptoms. Don't postpone 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 be aware of 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 | Infection Paths | Symptoms | Analysis |
| Pinworms | Contamination through dirty hands | Itching in the anus, diarrhea, weight loss | Anal Swab |
| Ascaris | Eat unwashed fruits and vegetables | Weakness, itchy anus, disturbed stool | Antibody Blood Test (ELISA) |
| Cat Fluke | Eating contaminated fish | Right-sided pain, allergic reactions, signs of liver damage | ELISA blood test |
| Trichinella | Eating contaminated meat and lard | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, allergic skin reactions, weakness | Antibody blood test |
| Intestinal acne | Any contact with contaminated soil | Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain | Study of faeces for worm eggs, ELISA analysis |
Treatment of helminthiasis is selected individually. Before prescribing medications, your doctor will advise you to take tests and determine the exact type of parasite. Each individual helminth has a different effect on the body and leads to different complications. In theory, they can affect any organ, but are most often located in the intestine. The risk group includes small children and people who work with the soil.
The main and dangerous signs of a parasitic infection
It can be difficult to recognize an infection. Symptoms are influenced not only by the type of helminth, but also by the age of the infected person, the state of his immune system and other characteristics of the body. Due to the reduced immunity in children and the elderly, the clinical picture is more acute.
There are chronic helminthiases that do not show obvious signs and acute manifestations. They last for years and go unnoticed because symptoms are blurry and easily confused with other chronic conditions.
See a doctor immediately and get tested for parasites when the following signs appear:
| Signs | Clinical Presentation |
| Increase in body temperature | This symptom does not always occur, but with severe damage to internal organs, the temperature can be high, up to fever. |
| Stool disorders | With helminthiasis, constipation and diarrhea are observed. Various intestinal disorders can alternate, increase or disappear over time. Mucus and blood impurities are often found in the stool. |
| Nausea and vomiting | Symptoms of intoxication appear in the acute form of the disease. These symptoms can be present with any parasite infestation. |
| Cough | With a prolonged course of the disease, helminths affect the bronchi and lungs. The patient develops a dry cough, which eventually turns into a wet one. |
| Allergy | The immune system begins to react to parasites, then allergic reactions occur, usually skin reactions: itching, redness, hives. |
| Chronic fatigue | Helminthiasis causes weakness and fatigue, drowsiness due to intoxication of the body. |
| Weight loss | Due to reduced absorption from the intestine, a person loses weight even on the same diet. |
Regardless of which helminths have lodged in the intestine, treatment should be started as soon as possible. Parasites cause intestinal inflammation, penetrate the lungs, gallbladder and even the heart. A preventive examination 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. Violation of these rules will lead to an incorrect result. The person could miss the disease.
First of all, it is worth remembering that to assess the condition it is necessary to choose proven clinics, reliable laboratories where certified specialists work. If the examination is performed by a doctor, he will warn about preparation.
Preparation for stool analysis includes the following steps:
- A few days before the delivery of feces, it is necessary to follow a delicate diet, do not eat spicy, fried, fast food and foods that cause flatulence. It is recommended to eat low-fat cereals, soups, dairy products.
- If you can't go to the bathroom, you shouldn't have enemas or laxatives.
- It is not recommended to eat foods that color the stool: plums, tomatoes, beets, herbs.
- Before testing, you need to purchase a sterile container with a special spatula. It is printed on the day of the test. Matchboxes cannot be used to collect material.
- The minimum amount of stool required for testing is 15 g. If the quantity is less, the analysis will have to be repeated.
- Collect material carefully so that no urine or menstrual flow enters the stool.
- If the analysis revealed the presence of helminths, after the completion of the course of treatment, the analysis should be repeated, observing all the above rules.
Preparation for donation is generally standard. It is necessary to visit the laboratory on an empty stomach, not to eat fatty or spicy food the day before. Any medication you take should be discussed with your doctor, as it may affect the parasite test result. It is advisable to stop drinking alcohol one week before donating blood. On the day of blood sampling and the day before it is not possible to attend physiotherapeutic procedures, undergo ultrasound. Smoking can also affect the result. It is advisable not to smoke for at least one hour before the exam.
Blood test for parasites
A 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 anamnesis.
The advantage of a blood test over a stool analysis for helminths is that eggs are not always found in the stool, it is necessary to enter a certain period of reproduction of helminths. Blood can be donated at any time during the infection. Almost all laboratory analyzes are carried out 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 physician should be responsible for decoding the result. The most common are 3 blood tests to determine the worms in the body:
| Method | Analysis functionality |
| ELISA | ELISA is the most informative and reliable for determining a parasitic infection. The test is based on the antigen-antibody relationship. The result shows the presence or absence of a certain antibody in the blood, which indicates an acute or chronic stage of the disease. So, with parasitic lesions, IgG antibodies appear in the blood. The result is pretty simple, positive or negative. However, it should be remembered that these antibodies appear both in chronic infections and during the recovery period. |
| PCR | The polymerase chain reaction also allows you to reliably determine whether there are parasites in the body. However, not all types of helminths are defined in this way, only protozoa. Not even the severity of the disease and the number of helminths can be determined in this way. |
| UAC | This is a quick and easy diagnosis that gives an idea of how the body as a whole works. The presence of parasites can be suspected from the level of eosinophils, which will be increased. With helminthic invasions, the level of eosinophils exceeds 20% of the remaining leukocytes. In this case, additional examinations and determination of the type of parasite are prescribed. |
Test for parasites in faeces
Coprogram is a laboratory test for stool. It is prescribed in case of suspicion of helminthiasis: stool disorders, sudden weight loss, weakness, nausea, etc. You can do a coprogram in any laboratory: private or municipal.
The following indicators are taken into account in decoding:
| Metric | Decryption |
| Texture and smell | Normal consistency is viscous with no undigested pieces. |
| Color | Normally, the color is yellow or brown. Or it is too dark, this indicates the presence of hidden blood. Light colored stools indicate liver damage. |
| Weight | The presence of blood or mucus in the stool is taken into account. |
| Leukocytes | Leukocytes are normally present in faeces, but in minimal quantities. If there are a lot of them, an inflammatory process has begun in the intestine. |
| Acidity | The stool of a healthy person has a pH of 4. 8-5. 8. If acidity increases, 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 stool. |
| Stercobilin | This enzyme can be present in faeces up to 350 mg / day. An increase indicates anemia, a decrease indicates gallbladder injury. |
Only a doctor can make a diagnosis based on this result. Further testing may be required. In order for the result to be reliable, it is necessary to correctly collect and store the material. It is recommended to deliver it to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Curettage for enterobiasis
Scraping for enterobiasis is also an informative diagnosis. It is delivered according to clues or for prevention. This is a painless procedure. Using a small spatula or cotton swab, grab some material from the anus. Just swipe the stick several times to get the material.
Scraping is quite simple: worm eggs are absent or present. The disease is treatable, but if the result is positive, the patient is isolated to prevent further transmission of the infection.