Parasites can live in different organs of the human body and not reveal their presence for years. In this case, the patient will complain of a violation of well-being and problems with the organ in which the parasite has settled. A person can be treated for years, but at the same time not get any improvement, because the objective reason for feeling bad is a plague that has settled in the body.
Many believe that if they wash their hands and do not touch stray animals, then they are insured against parasites, but this is not the case. You can get infected if you don't wash your vegetables very well or eat raw meat and fish, which is especially important with the modern craze for sushi. Therefore, with a prolonged deterioration in well-being, it is advisable to test for parasites in order not to waste time on the treatment of non-existent diseases.
Stool analysis for parasites.
If you suspect parasites in you or your child, but don't know what tests to take to check for parasites, then you should see a doctor. The simplest, and therefore the first, analysis that you will be offered to do will be a fecal analysis. After a stool sample enters the laboratory, the specialist will try to find worm eggs in it.
This analysis allows you to determine the presence of various types of parasites, these include:
- roundworms or nematodes such as roundworms, whipworms, nematodes, hookworms;
- trematodes or trematodes such as liver flukes, cat flukes, schistosomes;
- tapeworms like bovine tapeworm, pork tapeworm, broad tapeworm.
The main drawback of this parasite test is its low reliability, as helminths may not lay eggs for long enough or lay eggs at certain times when they breed. Therefore, such an analysis is usually taken three times, but even then 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
In addition to fecal analysis, an enterobiasis analysis is used to look for helminth eggs. It is designed to detect pinworm eggs, both in feces and in skin folds around the anus, the so-called scraping of enterobiasis. In order to make this analysis as informative as possible, it is also carried out several times with a couple of days off.
Blood test for parasites.
A fairly effective and modern method of detecting parasites is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA. This test allows you to detect antibodies and antigens against parasites in a blood sample.
Antigens are the parasites themselves and their parts, as well as their metabolic products, and antibodies are immunoglobulin proteins that the body produces to fight antigens. This method allows you to identify a variety of parasites in the human body.
The main advantage of a blood test for parasites is the ability to detect them in the body at an early stage, when there are still very few pests, and their eggs will definitely not be found in the stool analysis. The ELISA parasite test is very simple, for this you need a blood sample from a vein. The time to study this sample is from 1 to 9 days, and then a result whose reliability is 95% will be obtained.
In the case of an acute course of helminthiasis, other blood test methods for parasites are also used, such as immunofluorescence reaction (RIF), indirect hemagglutination reaction, latex agglutination reaction (RAL). In addition, ultrasound and X-ray studies of human organs, computed tomography, endobiopsy, endoscopy are used. What tests for parasites to take and what examinations to undergo are usually decided by the attending physician, analyzing the patient's complaints and her symptoms.
How to donate feces for parasite analysis
To get the most accurate result, it is necessary to successfully pass the tests for parasites. An analysis of feces for worm eggs must be taken to the laboratory in a special disposable container with a tightly screwed lid. Urine samples or secretions from the genital organs should not be allowed to enter the material selected for analysis.
To take a stool sample, empty it into a clean, dry container, and then take a stool sample with a volume of approximately two teaspoons, which is approximately equal to 8-10 cubic centimeters, of the material obtained. The sample should be taken from different parts of the faecal mass, from the top, from the sides and from the inside.
For the most reliable parasite test results, stool should be delivered to the laboratory within 30 to 45 minutes of defecation. If you need to keep the stool longer, you need to put it in the refrigerator, but not more than 5-8 hours. It should be in a closed container and at a temperature of +4 - +8 ° С. But even such storage can negatively affect the efficiency of the analysis.
The results of such an analysis can be negative if no parasites are detected and positive if parasites are detected. Then it will be indicated which worms a person has.
How to take an analysis for enterobiasis
Enterobiasis or pinworms are more common in children. To make a correct diagnosis, you can take a scraping for enterobiasis or a blood test for parasites in children. Scraping allows you to identify the eggs of the parasite. Do a scraping in the morning, before going to the bathroom. It is necessary to scrape the surface of the skin folds around the anus with a cotton swab dipped in glycerin. After that, the stick is placed in a plastic test tube and tightly closed with a lid. If necessary, you can store the tube in the refrigerator for several hours. To obtain a reliable test result, it is necessary to perform scraping at least three times over several days.
A blood test for parasites in children allows you to determine the presence or absence of one parasite at a time. But often children are afraid to donate blood, so fecal analysis is preferable for them. These blood and stool tests can be performed in almost all laboratories of the clinic or in any private laboratory that participates in such research.