Parasitic diseases are a large group of diseases caused by helminths, some arthropods and protozoa.
Despite all the achievements of modern medicine and developed hygiene, according to statistics, about 90% of people around the world face these pathologies at least once in their lives. How to suspect the disease and what tests for parasites to take, you can learn from this article.
Types of parasites
Parasites are organisms that survive thanks to the vital activity of living beings. Settling in the human body, in the process of their growth and reproduction they lead to a lack of trace elements, vitamins, proteins and other nutrients. They can lead to recurrence and worsening of chronic pathologies, and they themselves can cause damage to internal organs.
There are the following types of parasites that can cause disease in humans:
- protozoa (amoeba, lamblia);
- pathogenic microorganisms (chlamydia, mycoplasma and others);
- helminths (earthworms, earthworms, bovine and porcine tapeworms, etc. );
- parasitic arthropods (scabies, demodex).
The main characteristic of the pathologies they cause is a long-lasting asymptomatic or weakly symptomatic course. Parasites skillfully hide their existence, trying to "squeeze everything out of the host's body" until its reserves are depleted and the organ or tissue is seriously damaged.
Symptoms of parasitic diseases
Parasitic pathologies most often mean helminthiases - diseases caused by the presence of worms in the body. In most cases, they are found in children, but in adults they can develop if the rules of hygiene are neglected. For a long time after infection they do not manifest in any way or are accompanied by subtle symptoms that often go unnoticed.
Each disease has certain characteristics, but there are also common symptoms:
- Headache, dizziness, increased weakness and fatigue. These manifestations are the result of intoxication caused by poisoning with waste products of parasites.
- Worsening of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, urticaria. They occur as a result of increased sensitivity to helminth cells and the products of their secretion.
- Disorders of the digestive system (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea). Helminths that parasitize in the intestinal lumen lead to inflammation, intestinal obstruction due to obstruction of the intestinal lumen.
- Anemia, vitamin deficiency, weight loss. It occurs due to a lack of protein, vitamins and minerals, reduced hormone production.
- Sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, irritability, nervousness, muscle and joint pain.
Detection of most helminth species requires stool analysis or blood donation for the presence of specific antibodies. You can access the study at the clinic in your residence, upon admission to the hospital, as well as in any of the private laboratories. Some medical centers offer to undergo an extended examination during which it is possible to diagnose the presence or absence of several types of parasites in the body at once.
Parasite testing
The doctor will tell which tests should be undertaken in case of suspicion of a parasitic disease, based on complaints, anamnesis and clinical manifestations of the disease.
Diagnosis begins with a complete blood count. The most typical changes in helminthiasis will be:
- Decrease in hemoglobin levels and decrease in the number of red blood cells (due to lack of protein and iron).
- Increase in the number of leukocytes, acceleration of ESR (these are signs of inflammation of internal organs, especially the gastrointestinal tract).
- Increased eosinophils (a characteristic allergy symptom that occurs in response to the irritating effect of helminth waste products).
For a more accurate diagnosis, the analysis of feces on helminth eggs and scraping is used. When examining feces, it is possible to detect the causes of enterobiasis, ascariasis, hymenolipedosis, as well as the presence of protozoan microorganisms (lamblia).
It is important to remember that in one study, the probability of detecting worm eggs in the feces is 30%. Therefore, to clarify the diagnosis with the first negative result, the study is conducted two more times with an interval of 2-4 days.
To improve the accuracy of the study, it is important to carefully prepare for the delivery of feces for analysis. Collect biological material only in a special sterile container that you can buy at the pharmacy. A few days before the analysis, you should stop eating coloring products (beets, red berries, exotic fruits, sweets and colored drinks), do not use laxatives, as well as rectal suppositories.
Immunological test
ELISA analysis in adults and children can detect antibodies produced by the human body in response to the presence of foreign objects in it. For this, blood is taken from a vein, in which specific IgG antibodies to lamblia, Trichomonas, swine and bovine tapeworm, Trichinella, echinococci, toxocara, roundworms and earthworms can be detected under laboratory conditions. With this study you can detect the presence of almost all parasites in the human body.
Preparing for research is not difficult. The analysis should be taken in the morning, on an empty stomach after 8-10 hours of fasting. Prior to the study, it is advisable not to take antibacterial and antihistamines, and also not to eat allergenic foods (honey, seafood, exotic fruits and red berries, nuts). Just before donating blood, experts recommend relaxing in the laboratory waiting room for 10-15 minutes.
The results of the research become known after 1-2 days. These studies are conducted both as a primary diagnosis and as a control of ongoing treatment.
Timely detection and modern effective treatment of parasitic diseases helps to avoid health hazardous complications.