The fact that the human body is affected by helminthic invasion, can speak a variety of symptoms and malfunctions in his work. These are:
- constipation and diarrhea,
- bloating and gas formation,
- joint and muscle pain,
- nervousness and bad sleep,
- allergy and weight loss,
- weak immunity and depression.
The list of signs indicating the presence of helminths is very extensive. And often doctors mistakenly start to treat not from them, but from another disease that has similar symptoms.
If there are suspicions of the presence of parasites, you should contact the polyclinic, since the detection of helminths is only possible with the help of special laboratory studies. Also a preliminary analysis for helminths and their eggs can be done in the laboratory of a sanitary-epidemiological station.
What tests detect worms?
The diagnosis of "helminth infestation" can be made on the basis of a study of a stool specimen submitted for analysis to a laboratory. Since the phases of vital activity of parasites at different times of the day are significantly different, it is recommended to take stool samples at least three times for several days to increase the accuracy of the studies.
In parallel with this, blood samples are taken to study the traces of the presence of helminths in the body. Such an integrated approach has become most widespread and is considered fairly objective.
It is strongly advised not to engage in self-medication by taking antiparasitic medications at home without presaging. You should know that these drugs are toxic and are dangerous not only for worms, but also for who they live in. With extreme caution, you should use pills for children and people with chronic diseases. Moreover, only as a result of the examination it is possible to know exactly which type of worms it parasitizes in the body and which means will be effective for the child or adult.
The course of treatment and the scheme of taking medications, in case of detection of worms, should appoint a specialist - a pediatrician, treating a child, or a parasitologist in case of an adult. The subsequent treatment can be carried out at home.
How to identify worms in a child?
Currently, various techniques for diagnosing worms have been developed and are successfully used. With their help, not only the identification of worms in the body is carried out, but their appearance, as well as the degree of development of parasitic infection, are determined.
The vast majority of our population does not even suspect that helminthiases are among the most common diseases in the world. In this case, this group of parasitic diseases occurs, both in humans and in animals. Today, scientists know about two hundred kinds of parasites. The most common are flat and round worms, as well as nematodes and Acanthocephala. Experts not only know how to identify worms in humans, but also how to drive away parasites. For diagnostics modern methods are used, which make it possible to detect helminthic invasion even at an early stage. All techniques are suitable for both the child and the adult.
How to identify helminths: direct and indirect
techniques Before deciding which tests to pass to detect worms, you should know that they are divided into two main methods: direct and indirect. With the help of the first, it is possible to identify parasites, larvae and eggs directly in the body.
Indirect method is the process of studying secondary changes in the body, which are the consequence of the vital activity of certain types of worms.
Also among the doctors the most common diagnostic measures are macro and microhelminthoscopic methods.
The macroscopic research method is aimed at identifying parasites and their larvae in human feces. Some types of worms can be detected even visually. In this case, specialists use equipment such as magnifying glass and Petri dishes. As a rule, this method reveals ascarids and pinworms.
Many parents who are wondering how to identify worms in a child can effectively use this method. At home, they can regularly monitor each chair of the child for several days and in case of infection see parasites on the stool. In full this method answers the question "How to identify worms in the home" and in adults.
Using a microscopic method, the larvae and eggs of parasites are identified. During the research, the Kato method is used, based on the analysis of a thick smear specimen, which is placed on a cover slip. Since this method does not allow the identification of many types of worms, then with it techniques such as the method of Füllbörn and Kalantaryan are used. Such a joint study allows to determine the degree of intensity of helminthic invasion in a patient.
Detection of worms using the blood test
This method is based on the detection of specific antibodies in serum samples that are characteristic of certain parasites. For this study, the following are used:
- enzyme immunoassay;
- immunoelectrophoresis;
- method of immunoabsorption and indirect hemagglutination.
Using this method, it is possible to determine the infection of the body with schistosomes, ascarids, pork chain and other types of parasites.
How to identify worms in skeletal muscles?
If a muscle tissue infection is suspected, a biopsy is used. For this, a person takes a sample of the muscle and conducts a study. This method allows to reveal with high accuracy trichinella.
If there are suspicions of infection of the body with parasites, it is necessary to find out what tests to hand over for the detection of worms. To do this, you need to contact a medical specialized institution. Only qualified physicians can prescribe the required studies on the symptoms, and, according to their results, prescribe a course of treatment.