What tests should be performed for parasites - types and their decoding

Parasitic infections are called helminthiasis. This is an insidious and common disease that he has not known for years. Parasites enter the human intestines with dirty hands, food, water and begin to multiply actively.

eat food, disrupt the absorption of water and vitamins in the intestines, diarrhea and disrupt the functioning of other internal organs. Therefore, it is very important to know what tests should be performed 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 the human intestine: round, flat, ribbon. Any parasite is dangerous for the body because it releases toxins that affect the internal organs.

The consequences of helminthiasis can be very different, including death.

Everyone should know what tests should be done for parasites. The examination is performed both for prophylaxis and in the presence of characteristic symptoms. Do not delay your visit to the doctor.

The danger of this condition is that the symptoms are not always visible. 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. Ways of infection are very different: dirty hands, contact with soil, food, water with an infected person or animal.

title Ways of infection symptoms Analyzes
Pinworms Contamination from dirty hands Itching, diarrhea, weight loss in the anus Anal stick
Ascaris Eating unwashed vegetables and fruits Weakness, itching in the anus, restless stools Antibody Blood Test (ELISA)
Cat Fluke Contaminated Fish Food 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 Antibody Blood Test
Acne in the gut Any contact with contaminated soil. Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain Stool examination for worm eggs, ELISA analysis

Treatment of helminthiasis is selected individually. Before prescribing any medication, your doctor will recommend that you have tests and determine the exact type of parasite. Each individual helminth affects the body differently and causes different complications. Theoretically, they can affect any organ, but more often they are localized in the intestines. The risk group includes young children and people working on the land.

Basic and dangerous signs of parasitic infection

It can be difficult to recognize an infection. Symptoms are affected not only by the type of helminth, but also by the age of the infected person, the state of the immune system and other features of the body. The clinical picture is more acute due to reduced immunity in children and the elderly.

There are chronic helminthiasis without obvious symptoms and acute manifestations. It lasts for years and goes unnoticed because the symptoms are blurred and easily confused with other chronic diseases.

See a doctor immediately and get tested for parasites when the following symptoms appear:

Signs Clinical presentation
Increased body temperature This symptom does not always occur, but with severe damage to internal organs, the temperature may be high.
Fecal Diseases Helminthiasis causes both constipation and diarrhea. Various intestinal diseases can change over time, increase or disappear. Mucus and blood contaminants 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 invasion.
Cough With a long course of the disease, helminths affect the bronchi and lungs. The patient has a dry cough, which eventually turns into a wet cough.
Allergy The immune system begins to react to parasites, so allergic reactions, usually skin reactions occur: itching, redness, urticaria.
Chronic fatigue Helminthiasis causes weakness and fatigue due to intoxication of the body, drowsiness.
Weight Loss Due to intestinal absorption disorders, a person loses weight with the same diet.

Regardless of which helminths are located in the intestines, treatment should be started as early as possible. Parasites cause inflammation of the intestines, penetrate the lungs, gallbladder and even the heart. Prophylactic examination will help prevent serious consequences and complications.

Preparing for blood and stool tests

The reliability of the result depends not only on the laboratory and equipment, but also on the observance of the rules of preparation. Violation of these rules will lead to a wrong conclusion. The person may miss the disease.

First of all, you need to remember that to assess the situation, you need to choose proven clinics, reliable laboratories staffed by certified specialists. If the examination is performed by a doctor, he will warn about the preparation.

Preparation for stool analysis includes the following points:

  1. A few days before the delivery of feces, you should follow a gentle diet and avoid spicy, fried, fast food and flatulence. It is recommended to eat cereals, soups, low-fat dairy products.
  2. If you can't go to the toilet, you shouldn't give enemas or take laxatives.
  3. Stool-stained foods: plums, tomatoes, beets, greens are not recommended.
  4. Before taking the test, you need to get a sterile container with a special spatula. Printed on trial day. Matchboxes cannot be used to collect material.
  5. The minimum amount of feces required for analysis is 15 grams. If the limit is small, the analysis should be repeated.
  6. Carefully collect the material so that urine or menstrual flow does not fall into the stool.
  7. If the test shows the presence of helminths, the test should be repeated after the end of the treatment, following all the above rules.

Preparation for donation is generally standard. You should visit the laboratory on an empty stomach, do not eat fatty or spicy foods the day before. Any medication you take should be discussed with your doctor as it may affect the results of the parasite test. It is recommended not to drink alcohol for a week before donating blood. You cannot participate in physiotherapy procedures or undergo an ultrasound examination on the day of blood sampling and the day before. Smoking can also affect the outcome. It is recommended that you do not smoke for at least one hour before the examination.

Blood tests for parasites

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 test for helminths is that there are not always eggs in the stool, you have to go through a certain reproduction period. Blood may be donated during infection. Almost all laboratory tests use special equipment and do not depend on human factors. 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 identify worms in the body:

Method Analysis Features
ELISA ELISA is the most knowledgeable and reliable way to diagnose a parasitic infection. The examination is based on antigen-antibody association. The result indicates the presence or absence of a specific antibody in the blood, indicating an acute or chronic stage of the disease. Thus, IgG antibodies are formed in the blood with parasitic lesions. The result is very straightforward, positive or negative. However, we must not forget that these antibodies appear both in chronic infections and during the recovery period.
PCR The polymerase chain reaction allows you to reliably determine whether there is a parasite in the body. However, not all helminths are identified in this way, only protozoa. The severity of the disease and the number of helminths cannot be determined in this way.
UAC This is a simple and quick diagnosis that gives you an idea of ​​how the body works as a whole. The presence of parasites may be suspected by increased levels of eosinophils. With helminthic invasions, eosinophil levels exceed 20% of the remaining leukocytes. In this case, more examination and determination of the type of parasite is scheduled.

Fecal Parasite Test

Coprogram is a laboratory examination of feces. If helminthiasis is suspected, it is prescribed: fecal disorders, sudden weight loss, weakness, nausea, etc. You can buy a coprogram in any laboratory: private or municipal.

The following parameters are taken into account in decoding:

Metric Don't decrypt
Consistency and smell Normal viscosity is viscous without undigested fabrics.
Color Normally the color is yellow or brown. Or it is too dark, it indicates the presence of hidden blood. Light-colored stools indicate liver damage.
Weight Blood or mucus in the stool is considered.
Leukocytes Leukocytes are normally present in the feces, but in minimal amounts. If there are many of them, the inflammatory process in the intestines has begun.
acidity The pH value of the feces of a healthy person is 4. 8-5. It is 8. If the acidity rises, the absorption of fatty acids in the intestine is impaired.
Bilirubin A healthy person does not have bilirubin in their stool. The presence indicates dysbiosis, increased peristalsis, rapid discharge of feces.
Stercobilin This enzyme can be present in feces up to 350 mg per day. Increased anemia, decreased gallbladder lesions.

Only a doctor can make a diagnosis based on such a result. Additional testing may be required. You need to collect and store the material properly for the result to be reliable. It is recommended to deliver to the laboratory as soon as possible.

Scratching for enterobiasis

Itching for enterobiasis is also an informative diagnosis. Handed over for indications or for prevention. This is a painless procedure. Using a small spatula or cotton swab, remove some material from the anus. It is enough to beat the stick several times to get the material.

Peeling is very simple - worm eggs are either absent or available. The disease can be treated, but if the result is positive, the patient is isolated to prevent further transmission of the infection.