Today, helminthiasis are the most common parasitic diseases caused by helminths - two types of worms: flat and round.A characteristic feature of helminthic infestation in the human body is the non-specificity of the symptoms, i.e. the signs of the disease correspond to many other pathologies.People are interested in questions: "How to determine the presence of parasites in the body and can I identify helminths in the intestines at home?"
Signs of helminthiasis
The clinical course of the disease is divided into two stages - acute and chronic.The acute phase begins from the moment the helminth enters the human body and lasts from several weeks to several months.Symptoms of the acute phase develop due to sensitization of the organism - an allergic reaction in response to the introduction of a foreign agent (parasite) and include:
- Increased body temperature.
- Violation of general health.
- Dyspeptic symptoms - diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting.
- Joint and muscle pain.
- Abdominal pains in different locations.
- Apathy, loss of appetite, constant fatigue.
- Rashes on the skin, itching on different parts of the body.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
The chronic stage is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, which depend on the type of helminth, its location and intensity of reproduction.It is characterized by increasing disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, weakened immunity, frequent allergic reactions, nervousness, irritability, weight loss and sleep disorders.Patients often complain: "I often suffer from diarrhea and abdominal pain, I feel exhausted" - such symptoms should prompt the doctor to think about helminthic infestation.
Even the most experienced doctor cannot make a correct diagnosis based on symptoms alone, so it is difficult to detect worms at home.
Scatological methods for diagnosing diseases
All methods for diagnosing helminthiasis can be divided into two types of studies:
- Direct - allows doctors to directly detect the helminth itself, parts of its body, as well as eggs or larvae.The infected person's feces, urine, bile, sputum or blood, as well as tissue and scraped materials are examined.
- Indirect - to identify pathological changes in the human body that are the result of the presence of helminths.The method allows the doctor to check the blood count, the state of the immune system, structural and functional disorders of the affected organs.From indirect methods, doctors often use X-ray and immunological diagnostic methods, as well as morphological blood tests.
The usual direct method for diagnosing helminthiasis is a scatological examination, which can be micro- and macrohelminthoscopic.
Macrohelminthoscopy diagnostics allows detection of the whole helminth or its parts - segments, cestodes, scolex.Such a study is prescribed by the doctor if parasite eggs are not excreted together with the feces or their number is insufficient for detection, for example, when identifying pig or beef tapeworm, helminth segments are visible in the feces, and in the case of enterobiasis, entire pinworms are visible.
Parasites or their parts can be detected by examining the feces with the naked eye.If it is necessary to differentiate the diagnosis or there are doubts about the reliability of the findings, the stool is additionally examined with a magnifying glass or a microscope.
Microhelminthoscopy is so called because of the use of a microscope.It allows you to identify larvae or parasite eggs in feces, which are prepared in a special way on a glass slide before microscopy.The study is quite reliable and allows the doctor to distinguish some types of helminthiasis from each other.
Special diagnostic methods for different forms of helminthiasis
You can find out if you have certain types of parasites in your body using specific diagnostic methods.The choice of method is made by the doctor based on clinical data.
Diagnosis of taenia
Detection of pork or beef tapeworms is quite difficult today, because the segments of the parasite are often not excreted from the body in feces.The doctor can use the method of scraping from the perianal area and microhelminthoscopy of the stool.
Diagnosis of enterobiosis
How can I identify parasites in my body that cause enterobia?The study is performed in the morning, without washing the perianal area.The simplest method is perianal scraping with a wooden spatula or cotton swab dipped in glycerin solution.The resulting material is transferred to a glass slide, which is then examined under a microscope.
A modern type of scraping is taking material using adhesive tape, for example, Scotch tape, cut into strips 9-10 cm long.The tape is applied with the sticky side to the perianal folds and smoothed with a spatula, after which it is carefully removed and moved to the glass.It is important to glue carefully, without air bubbles, in order to prevent distortion of the research results.
Microscopy of intestinal contents makes it possible to identify not only intestinal parasites, but also those localized in the liver and gallbladder during opisthorchiasis, fascioliasis and other invasions.
Examination of sputum for the diagnosis of pulmonary forms of helminthosis
To identify parasites localized in the lungs and trachea, sputum is examined, which is applied to a special plastic plate or glass and covered with another glass on top.First of all, the material is examined with the naked eye, and only after that the microscope is used.
Studies of muscle tissue in trichinosis and cysticercosis
To identify the larval forms of Trichinella, a small piece of gastrocnemius or biceps muscle is surgically removed, which is divided into individual fibers in the laboratory and placed between two glass slides with the addition of glycerol.Trichinella larvae are clearly visualized when looking at a tissue sample under a microscope.
Identification of cysticer is also done after taking muscle or subcutaneous tissue.With the naked eye, you can see a small bubble up to 2 cm in size.This bubble is crushed, its contents are placed between glasses and microscoped to determine the viability of the resulting parasites.
Diagnosis of schistosomiasis
For the detection of schistosomes, urine collected in the middle of the day is used as material.
In addition to urine, the material can also be excrement, which undergoes certain processing and microscopic examination.
Immunological methods for diagnosing helminthosis
The most modern methods for identifying helminths today are various immunological studies.Similar diagnostic methods are suitable for helminthiasis, the causative agents of which are localized in the tissues themselves or are in an early stage of development and spread throughout the human body through the bloodstream.Skin and intradermal tests are considered an informative method, which can detect the presence of parasitic antibodies.
Direct immunological diagnostic methods include:
- Immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) reaction for the detection of cysticercosis and trichinosis.
- Ring precipitation reaction in the diagnosis of trichinosis.
- Latex agglutination reaction for the diagnosis of alveolococcosis and echinococcosis.
- Immunoenzymatic reaction in the diagnosis of echinococcosis, opisthorchiasis, trichinosis and alveolococcosis.
Self-diagnosis of helminthiasis - is it possible?
Is it possible to test the presence of parasites in the body at home, without the help of experts?The answer to this question is unequivocal - no.All existing methods of computer diagnostics of the organism, advertised on the Internet, as well as other unconfirmed and scientifically unfounded methods, are unable to identify the causative agent and make a correct diagnosis.In addition, refusing medical care in favor of "non-traditional" methods of diagnosis and treatment can lead to dangerous consequences, including disability and death of the patient.You should not ignore scientific achievements and try to make a diagnosis yourself - it can be dangerous.At the first suspicious symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor.