Everyone has probably heard about the terrifying consequences that parasite infection leads to. Many, not knowing whether they actually have worms or not, start taking anthelmintic medications, ostensibly for the purpose of prevention. However, the means of this category are extremely toxic, so their use must have real reasons. In order to prevent complications that can lead to helminthic invasions, it is necessary to periodically undergo preventive diagnostics. We will talk about what tests to take for worms in this article.
Varieties of research
Since many types of worms can parasitize in the human body, various laboratory and clinical methods are used to detect them. Each of the possible procedures is informative and reliable to varying degrees, but differs from the others in the features of its implementation, preparation, method of obtaining results and their interpretation. For reasons that force you to take tests for worms (you will find out what tests you need to go through below), there are several types of diagnostics.
The most common is preventive. Laboratory tests are carried out in order to timely confirm helminthiasis, regardless of the presence or absence of characteristic symptoms. Such studies are done on the personal initiative of the patient or in case of hospitalization. The optimal frequency of preventive examinations is once a year. What tests for worms are recommended most often?
Another type of diagnosis of helminthic invasions is a complex of barrier procedures. They are carried out in order to minimize the likelihood of the spread of parasites among the population. Barrier diagnostics must be passed by children who enter kindergarten, school. To undergo annual preventive examinations and issue a medical book, it is necessary to take tests for worms (no matter how excellent your state of he alth is) for workers in the food industry and public catering places, he alth workers.
Who is recommended for diagnostics
As prescribed by a doctor, this type of analysis can be indicated if any of the existing types of helminthiasis is suspected. When characteristic symptoms appear, the patient will be given a referral and told what tests should be taken for worms. The following manifestations serve as the reason for undergoing laboratory and clinical diagnostics:
- nausea;
- frequent diarrhea;
- constipation;
- itching and burning of the anus;
- rapid weight loss;
- poor appetite;
- fatigue;
- dizziness.
In somecases, even with a negative result, it is necessary to re-take the study to be sure of its reliability. People who have pets, those who are engaged in agricultural work, as well as veterinarians should periodically undergo antiparasitic diagnostics.
If you have a habit of drinking tap water, from wells that have not passed all the necessary stages of purification, as well as eating unwashed vegetables and fruits, it is advisable for you to take tests to detect worms. Which studies are suitable specifically for your case, the doctor will determine. At risk of infection with helminths are lovers of sushi, raw, dried meat and other thermally unprocessed delicacies. Those people who have noted a sudden loss of body weight should also think about the advisability of undergoing tests.
Study of feces for eggs of parasites
What analysis is taken to determine the worms in the first place? The answer is unlikely to surprise anyone - this is a fecal analysis. This research method involves a microscopic study of feces in order to identify larvae of worms or fragments of mature helminths. Fecal analysis can detect the presence of various types of parasites in the body, but it is most effective for confirming intestinal worms. This old, proven for decades, simple laboratory method is suitable for enterobiasis, ascariasis, hookworm, trichuriasis and other helminthic infestations.
How to get tested
To pass the study, you will need special sterile dishes for taking feces. A patientcan get it at the clinic or independently purchase it at the pharmacy. Further, everything is simple:
- The container must be filled with excrement by a third.
- It is advisable to perform the act of defecation in the morning, but evening (yesterday) feces are also suitable for analysis.
- It is important to make sure that foreign impurities (urine, female secretions, mucus, blood) do not get into the jar.
- Then the container for collecting feces is tightly closed with a lid, and the jar itself is signed with a marker (patient data are indicated on the dishes).
Before undergoing this procedure, it is necessary to responsibly prepare for it. Approximately 5-7 days in advance, you should stop taking medications, especially antibiotics, anthelmintics. Directly before collecting the biomaterial, rectal suppositories or enemas should not be placed. Ideally, a few days before the test, you should stop eating high-calorie, fried foods, red meat, flour, so as not to provoke constipation or, conversely, indigestion.
The results will be known the next day after the test. Among the shortcomings of this laboratory method, it is worth noting the low efficiency of diagnosing helminthiasis. On average, the reliability of the conclusion reaches 50%, since intestinal worms do not lay eggs every day. Therefore, if the worms in the feces are not detected, it is advisable to retake the analysis after 3-4 days. If the result is negative three times in a row, then there is no doubt about the absence of helminths.
Scraping
Among the tests for worms for a child (what tests to take in childhood, only the attending physician decides) scraping is one of the paramount. It is passed at the onset of the first symptoms or for prophylactic purposes. With the help of scraping, by the presence of pinworms around the anus, enterobiasis can be detected. This type of worm is localized in the intestines, and at night adults lay eggs in the perineum and anus. This analysis is not suitable for the detection of other types of helminths.
Since enterobiosis is a disease of children of kindergarten age, babies need to be examined at least once every six months. Scraping is also recommended for an adult if he has the first signs of helminthiasis, for example:
- itching and burning in the rectal area;
- sleep disorder;
- headache;
- irritability;
- weight loss;
- appetite reduction.
How scrapings are taken
The procedure can be done in two ways. For a smear, you will need a sterile spatula or a regular cotton swab, which is moistened in saline or warm water before scraping. A spatula or cotton swab is used to take a swab around the anus and perineum.
The second option is to apply tape or sticky tape to the skin around the anus. Then it is removed and glued to a clean, dry surface of a laboratory slide. The procedure must be carried out in the morning, and before taking the biomaterial directly, you cannot go to the toilet andtake a shower. You can take a smear at home on your own, without the help of doctors. To do this, it is necessary to carefully and tightly pack the cotton swab that was used to come into contact with the anal area in a sterile bag. By the way, it is desirable to deliver the scraping to the laboratory on the day the material is taken. If necessary, scrapings can be stored in the refrigerator, but no more than five hours.
What tests to take to check for worms, the attending physician decides in each case. The results of the study will be ready by the next day. It is recommended to undergo a re-examination if the results of the previous analysis were negative, and the symptoms typical of enterobiasis still appear. The procedure should be repeated after 1-2 days. Just as in the case of the analysis of feces for eggs of worms, the maximum efficiency of scraping is guaranteed by 2-3 negative test results.
Why take blood tests for worms
Whatever species of worms parasitize in the human body, they will in any case affect the general indicators, since as a result of their vital activity, parasites release toxic substances and affect internal organs and mucous membranes. Accordingly, there are changes in the composition of the blood.
First of all, the level of immunoglobulin rises - these are antibodies that are produced by the immune system as a response to the presence and activity of disease-causing agents in the body. After some time from the moment of infection with helminths, changes becomenoticeable in the results of the study.
What tests are given for worms in adults besides this? In the earliest stages of helminthiases, the most effective examination option is enzyme immunoassay. This is a very informative test that gives the most reliable result (more than 85%). However, its success largely depends on the qualifications of the specialist, his ability to decipher the results.
What parasites can be detected by a blood test
Research allows you to recognize the presence of giardia, round and tapeworms, fluke, trichinella, trematode. Their individuals parasitize not in the intestines, but in such internal organs as the liver, lungs, bile ducts, therefore, using other analyzes, these types of parasites will not be detected. For the study, you will need venous blood (3-5 ml is enough).
The patient will have to go through a preliminary stage of preparation before being tested for the presence of worms. What steps need to be taken before donating blood? The patient will get acquainted with the instructions for preparing for a blood test at the appointment with the attending physician. It looks something like this:
- One week before the analysis, you should stop taking medications, especially hormonal, immunostimulating and antibacterial agents.
- The day before the procedure, it is important to completely exclude fatty foods, sweets, flour, carbonated drinks, coffee and alcohol from the menu.
- Manipulation is done on an empty stomach in the morning.
Readytest results will be available in 2-3 days, but in some cases, the analysis takes longer, depending on the type of parasites detected.
Transcript of results
The resulting blood is subject to laboratory study, experts determine the presence or absence of specific antibodies in it:
- IgG - the indicator indicates the chronic stage of helminthic invasion;
- IgM - increases during exacerbation of helminthiasis;
- increased activity and reproduction of parasites can be indicated by a simultaneous increase in IgM and IgG.
It's hard to imagine what kind of tests to identify worms a specialist will recommend. Often, to confirm the assumptions about helminthic invasion, they begin with a complete blood count. When deciphering, the level of hemoglobin is also taken into account (it is reduced when infected with worms) and leukocytes, which decreases markedly with helminthiasis. This type of research has the maximum informative value in relation to such diseases as ascariasis and enterobiosis.
If giardiasis is suspected, an appropriate diagnosis is prescribed. To identify any of the varieties of worms, a separate type of study is carried out. What tests for worms to take in a particular case and how much they cost, the patient will find out directly at the appointment with a specialist. On average, the price of one analysis varies between 400-500 rubles.
Where can I get tested for helminths
In some cases, a referral for tests is issuednot only to those patients who have symptoms characteristic of helminthiases, but also to those who suffer from the chronic form of this infectious disease in order to control the dynamics of recovery. In addition, it is not uncommon for situations in which it turns out that he alth problems are not caused by physiological disorders, but are a direct consequence of infection with parasites.
If the patient is suspected of being infected, it is imperative to take an analysis for worms. Which studies the doctor will prescribe depends on a number of factors (symptoms, the presence of chronic diseases, age, etc.). You can undergo diagnostics both in a municipal medical institution, and in a private clinic or a paid medical laboratory, the main thing is the availability of modern equipment and qualified competent specialists. In Russia, the clinical laboratories "Invitro", "Helix" have proven themselves to be excellent, where you can undergo any type of research, including the presence of helminths.
A therapist (for children - a pediatrician) or highly specialized specialists can issue a referral for analysis: a gastroenterologist, an infectious disease specialist, a proctologist, a dermatologist. The patient has the right to choose the place for testing at his discretion. With the form of results, which is issued after the study, you need to come to an appointment with your doctor. The specialist will decipher the expert opinion and, if helminths were detected in the body, prescribe treatment.
