Parasitic infections are called helminthiasis. This is a common and insidious ailment that can be ignored for years. Parasites enter the human intestines through unclean hands, food, and water and begin to actively multiply.
They absorb nutrients, interrupt the absorption of water and vitamins in the intestines, cause diarrhea and alteration of other internal organs. Therefore, it is very important to know what tests to perform for parasites in order to identify them in time and start the correct treatment.
Types of parasites and their diagnoses
Several types of worms can live in the human intestine: round, flat, ribbon. Any parasite is dangerous for the organism, since it releases toxic substances that affect the internal organs.
The consequences of helminthiasis can be very different, including death.
Everyone should know what tests to run for parasites. The examination is carried out both for prevention purposes and in the presence of characteristic symptoms. Don't put off 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 routes of infection are very different: contact with an infected person or animal, through dirty hands, soil, food, water.
| Title | Infection routes | Symptoms | Analysis |
| Roundworms | Contamination by dirty hands | Itchy anus, diarrhea, weight loss | Anal swab |
| Ascaris | Eating unwashed fruits and vegetables | Weakness, itchy anus, altered stools | Antibody blood test (ELISA) |
| Cat Fluke | Eating contaminated fish | Right side 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 | Feces study for worm eggs, ELISA analysis |
Treatment of helminthiasis is selected individually. Before prescribing any medication, your doctor will recommend that you get tested 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 most often they are located in the intestines. The risk group includes young children and people who work with the soil.
The main and dangerous signs of a parasitic infection
Recognizing an infection can be difficult. Symptoms are influenced not only by the type of helminths, but also by the age of the infected person, the state of their immune system and other characteristics of the body. Due to reduced immunity in children and the elderly, the clinical picture is more acute.
There are chronic helminthiases that do not present obvious signs or acute manifestations. They last for years and go unnoticed because symptoms are fuzzy and easily confused with other chronic diseases.
See a doctor immediately and get parasites tested 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, even fever. |
| Stool disorders | With helminthiasis, constipation and diarrhea are seen. Various intestinal disorders can alternate, increase, or disappear over time. In the stool, mucus and blood impurities are often found. |
| Nausea and vomiting | Symptoms of intoxication appear in the acute form of the disease. These symptoms can be present with any parasite infestation. |
| Tos | With a prolonged course of the disease, helminths affect the bronchi and lungs. The patient develops a dry cough that eventually becomes wet. |
| Allergy | The immune system begins to react to parasites, therefore 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 poor absorption in the intestine, a person loses weight even on the same diet. |
Regardless of which helminths have settled in the intestines, treatment should start 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 the equipment, but also on compliance with the preparation standards. Violation of these rules will lead to an erroneous result. The person can overlook the disease.
First of all, it is worth remembering that in order to assess the condition it is necessary to choose proven clinics, reliable laboratories where certified specialists work. If the exam is performed by a doctor, they will advise you about the preparation.
Preparation for stool analysis includes the following points:
- A few days before the stool is released, it is necessary to follow a soft diet, not eat spicy, fried, fast food or foods that cause flatulence. It is recommended to eat cereals, soups, low-fat dairy products.
- If you cannot go to the bathroom, you should not give enemas or take laxatives.
- It is not recommended to eat coloring foods in stool: prunes, tomatoes, beets, herbs.
- Before testing, you need to buy a sterilized container with a special spatula. It is printed the day of the test. Matchboxes cannot be used to collect material.
- The minimum amount of stool required for the analysis is 15 g, if the quantity is less, the analysis must be repeated.
- Pick up the material carefully so that no urine or menstrual flow enters the stool.
- If the analysis showed the presence of helminths, after completing the course of treatment, the analysis should be repeated, observing all the above rules.
Preparation for donation is usually standard. You must visit the laboratory on an empty stomach, do not eat fatty or spicy food the day before. You should speak to your doctor about any medications you take as it can affect the test result for the parasite. It is recommended to stop drinking alcohol one week before donating blood. On the day of the blood sample and the day before, you can not attend physiotherapy procedures, undergo an 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 of 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 the eggs are not always found in the stool, it is necessary to enter a certain period of helminth reproduction. Blood can be donated at any time during infection. Almost all laboratory tests are performed with special equipment and are not dependent 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 worms in the body:
| Method | Analysis functions |
| ELISA | ELISA is the most informative and reliable for determining a parasitic infection. The test is based on the antigen-antibody ratio. The result shows the presence or absence of a certain antibody in the blood, indicating an acute or chronic stage of the disease. So, with parasitic lesions, IgG antibodies appear in the blood. The result is pretty straightforward, positive or negative. However, it must 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 if there are parasites in the body. However, not all types of helminths are defined in this way, only protozoa. The severity of the disease and the number of helminths cannot be determined in this way either. |
| UAC | This is a simple and quick diagnostic that gives an idea of how the body is working as a whole. The presence of parasites can be suspected by the level of eosinophils, which will increase. With helminthic invasions, the level of eosinophils exceeds 20% of the remaining leukocytes. In this case, a more detailed examination and determination of the type of parasite are prescribed. |
Stool parasite test
Coprogram is a laboratory test for stool. It is prescribed if there is suspicion of helminthiasis: stool disturbances, sudden weight loss, weakness, nausea, etc. You can carry out a coprogram in any laboratory: private or municipal.
The following indicators are taken into account when decoding:
| Metric | Decryption |
| Consistency and smell | Normal consistency is slimy with no undigested chunks. |
| Color | Typically the color is yellow or brown. Or it is too dark, this indicates the presence of occult 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 stool, but in trace amounts. If there are a lot of them, then an inflammatory process has started in the intestines. |
| Heartburn | The stool of a healthy person has a pH of 4. 8-5. 8. If the acidity increases, the absorption of fatty acids is affected 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 stool up to 350 mg / day. An increase indicates anemia, a decrease indicates gallbladder injury. |
Only a doctor can make a diagnosis based on that result. More tests may be needed. In order for the result to be reliable, you need to properly collect and store the material. It is advisable to deliver it to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Enterobiasis scraping
Scraping for enterobiasis is also an informative diagnosis. It is delivered according to indications or for prevention. This is a painless procedure. Using a small spatula or cotton swab, take some material from the anus. Just slide the stick several times to get the material.
Scraping is pretty simple: worm eggs are absent or present. The disease is treatable, but if the result is positive, the patient is isolated to avoid further transmission of the infection.