According to statistics, about 90% of people are infected with parasites, and most of them are not even aware of it. Many he alth problems, malaise and indigestion are associated with parasitic diseases. Fecal tests that are done to diagnose such pathologies are not always informative. In addition, they can show the presence of parasites only in the later stages of the development of the disease. Therefore, it is often recommended to donate blood for helminths. such an examination helps to determine the pathology some time after infection, so treatment begins on time.
Parasites in the human body
Not all people understand why they are recommended to donate blood for helminths. Namely, such an examination allows to detect infection at an early stage. Helminths are called parasites that live in the human body. Dozens of such parasites have now been discovered - from microscopic microorganisms to large worms. All of them cause serious harm to he alth. The most common parasitesis several kinds.
- Ascarids are long, round worms. They live in the human intestine, causing various unpleasant symptoms. The eggs of these parasites are transmitted through unwashed hands, vegetables and fruits.
- Pinworms cause the disease enterobiasis. These are small parasites that live in the intestines.
- Toxocars are transmitted from pets. Toxocariasis can affect not only the intestines, but also other internal organs, as well as the eyes.
- Trichinella can penetrate into the muscles, causing serious pathologies.
- Echinococcus, getting into the body, form a cyst. Especially dangerous is their penetration into the brain.
- Giardia get into the body through dirty hands and food. It is a highly contagious disease that causes unpleasant symptoms.
Danger of helminthiases
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the population is infected with parasites to one degree or another, for some reason these pathologies are not considered serious. Although helminthiases can actually cause rather unpleasant symptoms and lead to serious consequences. Their main danger is that often at the initial stage they are asymptomatic. And it is quite difficult to detect them, the now common diagnosis through the analysis of feces is not always informative. Moreover, parasites often live in other internal organs, the brain, and muscles. Therefore, the most effective for diagnosis will be a blood test for helminths. It is recommended to do it not only according to indications, but also with a preventive purpose, so as not toallow complications.
The presence of parasites in the human body greatly disrupts its vital functions. They take nutrients, release decay products into the blood, poisoning it, reduce immunity and disrupt metabolic processes. In people infected with helminths, beriberi and anemia, various pathologies of the digestive tract and decreased performance can be observed. It is especially dangerous when parasites enter the brain, eyes or heart. However, they can cause serious illness. The consequences of helminthiases can be a decrease in vision, motor disorders, severe intoxication of the body. Serious complications arise when children are infected with parasites. Their growth and development may slow down, the work of internal organs may be disrupted.
Symptoms of parasitic diseases
To prevent serious consequences of parasitic diseases, many doctors recommend doing blood tests for helminths and giardia. This diagnosis is more informative than stool tests. It allows you to identify the pathology at the initial stage and detect those parasites that do not live in the intestine. Indications for the appointment of such an examination may be such problems:
- indigestion;
- alternating constipation and diarrhea, flatulence, bloating;
- decrease or, conversely, increase appetite, weight loss;
- sleep disorders, decreased performance, drowsiness;
- enlargement of the liver, pain in the right side;
- decreased vision, brittle nails and hair;
- headaches, stomach cramps;
- muscle pain, weakness;
- irritability, depression;
- decreased immunity, frequent colds;
- skin rash, allergic reactions;
- itching in the anus.
It is especially important to detect helminthiasis in a child in time. This is difficult, as children are not always able to talk about their feelings. Parents may suspect the pathology of the restless behavior of the baby, decreased appetite, excessive salivation, itching in the anus. Allergic reactions, diarrhea, frequent colds may appear.
Why do a blood test for helminths
Diagnosis of helminth infections should be comprehensive. It is very important to accurately identify the type of parasite in order for the treatment to be more effective. Many helminths cause the appearance of the same symptoms, and in the initial stages the disease may not manifest itself at all. If the parasites live in the internal organs or muscles, stool tests will not be able to detect them. Therefore, it is recommended to donate blood for helminths - this is the most informative examination. It allows you to identify the disease at an early stage and start treatment on time.
The effectiveness of this analysis is due to the fact that in the presence of parasites in the body, special substances begin to be produced - antibodies. This happens almost immediately after infection. And the excretion of eggs of worms with feces occurs already in the later stages, when the parasites have colonized the intestines. Also, this doesn't always happen. For such a survey to beinformative, you need to pass feces at least three times.
Who needs to donate blood
A blood test for antibodies to helminths is recommended to be taken when symptoms of malaise appear that cannot be explained by other pathologies. It can be anemia, the occurrence of uterine fibroids, painful periods, causeless inflammation of the kidneys or bladder, prostatitis or prostate adenoma in men. In addition, a blood test for helminths in a child is always prescribed for signs of intoxication and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. For preventive purposes, they are needed when a child enters a children's institution, before visiting the pool or when registering at a sanatorium.
But such an examination is carried out not only in the presence of unpleasant symptoms. It is recommended to take a blood test for helminths in such cases:
- with a high level of leukocytosis or eosinophils in the blood;
- when worms are found in pets;
- women planning pregnancy;
- people living in areas disadvantaged in terms of parasite infestation;
- for workers in meat processing plants, farms and other enterprises where it is easy to get infected;
- when applying for a he alth book.
In addition, such an examination is often carried out for preventive purposes. This may be a planned medical examination or the patient's desire to prevent complications of helminthiasis.
Benefits of such research
To detect parasitic diseases, variousmethods. Which one to choose, the doctor decides. But recently, it is more often recommended to donate blood for antibodies to helminths. This test has advantages over fecal examination. First of all, worm eggs are not always excreted with feces. Only a three-time analysis is informative. In addition, the laboratory assistant may simply not notice them in the collected samples.
And blood tests do not depend on the human factor and detect parasites already at the initial stage. In addition, they can be used to assess not only the presence of worms in the body, but also the severity of infection - while increasing the number of antibodies. But there are also disadvantages to such a survey. First of all, it is not always available in state clinics, and for a fee they are quite expensive - about 400-500 rubles for the detection of each parasite. In addition, this is an invasive examination, and you need to donate blood from a vein, which is especially not liked by children.
Where to donate blood for helminths
Not all medical institutions have equipment for this kind of research. Therefore, it is usually recommended to take such tests in paid medical centers that are in every city. But the peculiarities of such an examination are that analyzes are made separately for each type of parasite. Not all clinics conduct a comprehensive examination, although it will cost less. Usually, each type of parasite is estimated at 400-500 rubles. The turnaround time for results is also different, depending on the institution. Tests are usually ready in 5-7 days.
Methods of suchresearch
Most often, enzyme immunoassay is done to detect parasites - ELISA. This is the most reliable test. It evaluates the reaction of the immune system and the presence of antibodies in the blood. They are produced in the presence of foreign substances in the body. Antibodies are needed so that the immune system receives information about the type of these microorganisms and can fight them more efficiently.
Sometimes a more complex examination is also carried out - polymerase chain reaction - PCR. It allows you to detect fragments of DNA of microorganisms and accurately identify their type.
Rapid tests
If a patient is suspected of having helminthiases, a hemotest can be prescribed. In this case, blood for helminths is also taken from a vein, but the analysis is carried out more quickly, by mixing with certain reagents. The following methods are used for express diagnostics:
- latex agglutination;
- indirect hemagglutination;
- antigen-antibody test.
Sometimes a rapid blood scan is also done. In this case, blood is taken from a finger and examined on a glass slide under a microscope. So you can find the larvae of parasites that live in the blood. In addition, a general blood test from a finger can indicate the presence of certain types of worms. This is determined by the number of eosinophils. If their level is elevated, this indicates the presence of toxins or foreign microorganisms. In this case, you can continue the examination for a more accurate diagnosis.
Blood test
So that when examining blood forhelminths and giardia, the results turned out to be reliable, you need to properly prepare for the analysis. It is given in the first half of the day on an empty stomach. 12 hours before this, it is undesirable to eat anything, you need to stop drinking alcohol and taking medications for a few days, avoid stress and increased physical exertion. Do not smoke for several hours before the analysis. The diet before the examination should exclude fatty, spicy foods, smoked meats and pickles - this will help make the analysis more reliable.
Blood for helminths is taken in the morning on an empty stomach. It is necessary to properly prepare for the procedure, following all the recommendations of the doctor. Take blood from a vein, filling a test tube. Then she is sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Test results
Informativeness of this survey is based on the detection of antibodies to different types of helminths. They begin to be produced within a few days after infection. The amount of Ig A, Ig M and IgG antibodies is estimated. Acute helminthiasis with a recent infection is manifested by a high level of Ig M antibodies. In a chronic long-term pathology, a large number of Ig G antibodies are detected. If there are many different types of antibodies in the blood, this indicates an exacerbation of chronic helminthiasis and the presence of an inflammatory process.
If the result of the analysis is borderline, that is, the amount of antibodies is at the borderline of the norm, it is better to retake it in 2 weeks. In addition, a negative result for the presence of some type of parasite does not yet indicate the absence of infection. Other parasites may be present in the body.
Actions after the detection of parasites
If the tests showed the presence of parasites, treatment is mandatory. It is necessary to do this under the guidance of a doctor, as there are different methods. Usually the treatment is complex, involves the use of different groups of drugs:
- special antihelminthics - "Nemozol", "Decaris", "Vermox", "Albendazole" and others;
- means for the normalization of intestinal microflora, for example, "Linex";
- adsorbents for removing toxins and waste products of parasites;
- immunomodulators and vitamin remedies to increase the body's defenses.
Prophylaxis of helminthiases
It is desirable for the patient to eat right, observe the daily routine, and avoid stress. It is very important to take preventive measures after treatment to prevent re-infection. This is, first of all, thorough hygiene - washing hands before each meal, after the street and going to the toilet. It is also important to properly process food, observe the duration of heat treatment of meat and fish, and use only purified water. In addition, it is desirable to undergo such an examination annually. Timely detection of parasites will help to avoid serious complications.
