How to tell if you have worms
Diagnosis of the presence of intestinal worms, also called intestinal parasites, should be made by the doctor according to the symptoms presented by the person and by laboratory tests capable of identifying the presence of cysts, eggs or larvae of these parasites, the most common being Giardia lamblia, Entamoe hisbatolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Taenia sp. and Ancylostoma duodenal, popularly known as yellowing.
- It is important that the result of the laboratory diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of symptoms.
- Because in the case of the person with symptoms.
- But the result is negative.
- It is important to repeat the test at least twice more so that the result can Most of the time.
- The negative result occurs only when 3 negative tests are controlled on different days.
- As it may be subject to interference from certain factors.
The main test performed for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites is parasitic examination of faeces, since eggs or cysts of these parasites can be found in the faeces, as they are intestinal parasites.
To perform the test one or more stool samples should be taken at home, preferably in the morning and with an interval of 2 or 3 days between samples, in these cases, or when the stool cannot be transported directly to the laboratory, they must be refrigerated. for up to 12 hours or order collection boats in the lab with a special liquid inside, which is used to store stool for longer.
For collection, it is recommended that the person evacuate on a clean paper or container and use the spatula supplied in the test kit to collect a small portion of the stool, which must be placed in the appropriate container and taken to the laboratory. to be treated and analyzed.
It is important to remember that red or rare meat should be avoided the day before the test and that it is forbidden to take medicines that affect bowel function within 7 days prior to stool collection, such as laxatives, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic and antidiarrheal remedies.
In some cases, diagnosis is difficult due to low parasitic load and therefore more collection and examination is required for diagnosis to be made correctly, especially if there are signs and symptoms indicating intestinal worm infection.
See some tips for collecting stool to review in the video below
The main parasites responsible for intestinal infections are protozoa and helminths, whose cysts and eggs can be easily identified in stool tests, especially when it is an acute infection or a high parasitic burden. Among the main parasites are:
These worms usually cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, itching in the anus, diarrhoea interspersed with constipation, fatigue and muscle weakness, and in some cases it is also possible to see worms in the stool or toilet paper, which is most common in cases of Enterobius vermicularis infection, commonly known as oxyurus.
Learn to recognize the symptoms of worms
The treatment of worms should be carried out according to the doctor’s recommendations and aims to eliminate the adult roundworm, most of the time the use of metronidazole, albendazole and mebendazole is recommended depending on the worm responsible for the infection.
These medications, however, do not fight worm eggs, being necessary to be hygienic to avoid recurrence of the problem, such as washing your hands frequently, not sharing towels and underwear with others and not sticking your fingers in your mouth. should look like.