Today, helminthiasis are the most common parasitic diseases, the causative agent of which are helminths - two types of worms: flat and round.A characteristic feature of helminthic infection in the human body is the non-specificity of symptoms, that is, the symptoms of the disease correspond to many other pathologies.People are interested in such questions: "How to determine the presence of parasites in the body, and can I recognize helminths in my intestines at home?"
Symptoms of helminthiasis
The clinical course of the disease is divided into two stages - acute and chronic.The acute stage begins from the moment the helminth enters the human body and lasts from several weeks to several months.Symptoms of the acute stage develop due to sensitization of the body - an allergic reaction in response to the introduction of a foreign agent (parasite) and include:
- Increase in body temperature.
- General health impairment.
- Dyspeptic symptoms - diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting.
- Pain in joints and muscles.
- Abdominal pain in various places.
- Apathy, lack of appetite, constant fatigue.
- Skin rashes, itching of different parts of the body.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
The chronic stage is characterized by various symptoms depending on the type of helminths, their location and the intensity of reproduction.It is characterized by increased disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, weakened immunity, frequent allergic reactions, irritability, nervousness, weight loss and sleep disorders.Patients often complain: "I often suffer from diarrhea and abdominal pain, I feel tired" - such symptoms should make the doctor think about helminthic infection.
Even the most experienced doctor cannot make a correct diagnosis based on symptoms alone, so it is almost impossible to detect worms at home.
Scatological methods for disease diagnosis
All methods for the diagnosis of helminths can be divided into two types of research:
- Direct - allows doctors to directly detect the helminth itself, fragments of its body, as well as eggs or larvae.An infected person's feces, urine, bile, sputum or blood, as well as tissue and scrapings are examined.
- Indirect - identify the pathological changes caused by the presence of helminths in the human body.The method allows the doctor to check the blood picture, the state of the immune system, structural and functional disorders of the affected organs.Among indirect methods, doctors often use X-ray and immunological diagnostic methods, as well as morphological blood tests.
A common direct method of diagnosing helminthiasis is scatological examination, which can be micro and macrohelminthoscopic.
Macrohelminthoscopy diagnostics allows to detect a whole helminth or its parts - segments, cestodes, scolex.Such a study is prescribed by a doctor if the eggs of the parasite are not excreted with the feces or their number is not enough to detect, for example, when identifying pork or cattle tapeworm, helminth segments are visible in the feces, and if all pinworms are visible during enterobiosis.
You can detect parasites or their parts by examining the feces with the naked eye.If it is necessary to differentiate the diagnosis or if there are doubts about the reliability of the findings, the stool is additionally examined using a magnifying glass or a microscope.
Microhelminthoscopy examination is so called because of the use of a microscope.It allows to identify parasite larvae or eggs in feces prepared by a special method on a glass slide before the microscope.The research is quite reliable and allows the doctor to distinguish some types of helminthosis from each other.
Special diagnostic methods for different forms of helminthosis
Using special diagnostic methods, you can find out if there are certain types of parasites in your body.The choice of method is made by the doctor based on clinical data.
Diagnosis of taeniadoses
Detection of tapeworms in pigs or cattle is quite difficult today, because 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 examination of feces.
Diagnosis of enterobiosis
How can I identify parasites that cause enterobiosis in my body?The study is carried out in the morning, without washing the perianal area.The simplest method is perianal scraping using a wooden spatula or a cotton swab dipped in glycerin solution.The resulting material is transferred to a glass slide, then examined under a microscope.
A modern type of scraping is to buy material using adhesive tape, for example, scotch tape, cut into strips 9-10 cm long.The tape is applied to the perianal folds with the adhesive side and smoothed with a spatula, after which it is carefully peeled off and transferred to a glass slide.It is important to stick it carefully, without air bubbles, to avoid distortion of the research results.
Microscopy of intestinal contents allows to identify not only intestinal parasites, but also parasites localized in the liver and gall bladder during opisthorchosis, fascioliasis and other infections.
Examination of sputum for the diagnosis of pulmonary forms of helminthosis
In order to identify parasites localized in the lungs and trachea, sputum drawn on a special plastic plate or glass is examined and covered with another glass.First of all, the material is examined with the naked eye, and only then a microscope is used.
Examination of muscle tissue in trichinosis and cysticercosis
To identify larval forms of Trichinella, a small portion of the gastrocnemius or biceps muscle is surgically removed, dissected into individual fibers in the laboratory, and placed between two glass slides with the addition of glycerol.Trichinella larvae are clearly visible when microscopy of the tissue sample.
Cysticerkin identification 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, the contents are placed between glasses and taken under a microscope to determine the viability of the resulting parasites.
Diagnosis of schistosomiasis
Urine collected in the middle of the day is used as material to detect schistosomes.
In addition to urine, the material can also be feces, which undergo certain processing and microscopic examination.
Immunological methods for diagnosis of helminthiasis
Today, the most modern methods for identifying helminths are various immunological studies.Similar diagnostic methods are suitable for helminthosis, the causative agent of which is localized in the tissues themselves or is at an early stage of development and spreads throughout the human body through the bloodstream.Skin and intradermal tests are considered an informative method that can detect the presence of parasitic antibodies.
Direct immunological diagnostic methods include:
- Immunofluorescent antibody reaction (IFA) for detection of cysticercosis and trichinosis.
- Ring precipitation reaction in the diagnosis of trichinosis.
- Latex agglutination reaction for the diagnosis of alveolococcosis and echinococcosis.
- Immunoenzyme reaction in the diagnosis of echinococcosis, opisthorchosis, trichinosis and alveolococcosis.
Self-diagnosis of helminthosis - is it possible?
Is it possible to check whether there are parasites in the body at home without the help of experts?The answer to this question is ambiguous - no.All existing methods of computer diagnostics of the organism advertised on the Internet, as well as other unproven and scientifically unfounded methods, are not able to identify the pathogen and make a correct diagnosis.In addition, refusal of medical care in favor of "unconventional" methods of diagnosis and treatment can lead to dangerous consequences, including disability and death of the patient.You should not neglect scientific achievements and try to diagnose yourself - it can be dangerous.It is better to consult a doctor at the first suspicious symptoms.