Parasites can live in different organs of the human body and do not reveal their presence for many 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 many years, but at the same time not get any improvement, because the objective reason for feeling unwell is a pest that has settled in the body.
Many believe that if they wash their hands and do not touch wild animals, then they are insured against parasites, but this is not so. You can get infected if you don’t wash vegetables thoroughly or eat uncooked 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 take tests for parasites so as not to waste time on the treatment of non -existent diseases.
Fecal analysis for parasites
If you suspect a parasite in yourself or your child, but do not know what tests the parasite should take, then you should see a doctor. The simplest analysis and therefore the first analysis you will be offered to take is a fecal analysis. After the stool sample enters the lab, the specialist will try to find the worm eggs in it.
This analysis allows you to determine the presence of several types of parasites, including:
- tapeworms or nematodes such as tapeworms, whip worms, necator, mine worms;
- flukes or flukes such as liver flukes, cat flukes, schistosomes;
- tapeworms such as cow tapeworms, pig tapeworms, broad tapeworms.
The main disadvantage of this parasite test is its low reliability, as helminths may not lay eggs long enough or lay eggs at certain times when they reproduce. Therefore, such an analysis is usually taken three times, but 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
In addition to fecal analysis, enterobiasis analysis was used to find helminth eggs. It is designed to detect cream worm eggs, both in feces and in the folds of skin around the anus, called scraping for enterobiasis. To make this informative analysis possible, it was also conducted several times with a break of a few days.
Blood tests for parasites
A relatively effective and modern method for detecting parasites is the enzyme -linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA. This test allows you to detect antibodies and antigens to parasites in blood samples.
Antigens are the parasite itself and its parts, as well as its metabolic products, and antibodies are immunoglobulin proteins produced by the body to fight antigens. This method allows you to identify various 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 a few pests, and the eggs will certainly not be found in fecal analysis. Testing for parasites by ELISA is very simple, for this you need a blood sample from a vein. The time to study this sample is 1-9 days, and then the results will be obtained, the reliability of which is 95%.
In the case of an acute course of helminthiasis, other methods of blood analysis 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 the parasite should take and what examinations should be undergone are usually decided by the attending physician, analyzing the patient’s complaints and symptoms.
How to donate feces for analysis for parasites
To get the most accurate results, it is necessary to pass the test for parasites correctly. Fecal analysis for worm eggs must be brought to the laboratory in a special disposable container with a tight screwed lid. Urine samples or secretions from the genitals 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 about two teaspoons, which is approximately equal to 8-10 cubic centimeters, of the material obtained. Samples must be taken from different parts of the stool mass, from above, from the sides and from the inside.
To obtain the most reliable analytical results for parasites, feces should be sent to the laboratory within 30-45 minutes after defecation. If you need to keep the stool longer, it should be put in the refrigerator, but no more than 5-8 hours. It should be located in a closed container and at a temperature of +4 - +8 ° С. But such storage can affect the effectiveness of the analysis.
The results of such an analysis may be negative if parasites are not detected, and positive if parasites are detected. Then it will be shown which worms are on a person.
How to take an analysis for enterobiasis
Enterobiasis or pinworms are most common in children. To make a correct diagnosis, you can take scraps for enterobiasis or blood tests for parasites in children. Scraping allows you to identify parasite eggs. Do the scraping in the morning, before going to the toilet. It is necessary to scrape the surface of the skin folds around the anus with a cotton swab dipped in glycerin. Afterwards, the wood was placed in a plastic test tube and tightly closed with a lid. If necessary, you can keep the tube in the refrigerator for several hours. To obtain reliable analytical results, it is necessary to take scraping at least three times over several days.
Blood tests for parasites in children allow you to determine the presence or absence of parasites at one time. But often children are afraid to donate blood, so stool analysis is better for them. Such blood and stool tests can be carried out in almost any laboratory in the clinic or in any private laboratory conducting such research.