The first step in eliminating tapeworms from your system is learning how to test them. That’s exactly what this article will tell you about: the different ways of testing for tapeworms in humans.
Tapeworms are a quite dangerous infestation that occur within the human body. They make the person experience extreme discomfort, and can remain within the intestinal tract of the person for years on end and still go undetected. There are different types of tapeworms that occur in humans, most of them being caused due to proximity to the carriers like cattle and fish, eating undercooked foods (carrier meat) and also due to things like drinking contaminated water or hand to mouth contact with contaminated food or carriers. You can test yourself by using the methods given in this article and then move on with the treatment suggestions meted out to you by your doctor.
Diagnostic Tests for Tapeworms
Stool Testing
The first and probably the most widely used method of testing for tapeworms within a person’s digestive system is the examination of stool of the person. For this, you’ll need to do the following. Wash your hands and wear a pair of sterile surgical gloves. Prepare the toilet for stool collection by keeping a container ready. When the person passes stool, take a sample and place it in the container. After you have done this, remove the gloves, dispose them off and wash your hands clean with soap. Hand the sample over to your doctor for testing. You may have to do this for about three days in a row. Generally, stool samples of three days are used to detect the presence of eggs of the parasites within the digestive tract of the person.
Blood Testing
When a person has worms in his stomach, he exhibits certain unmistakable symptoms. One of the major internal symptoms of this condition is the rapid increase in the presence of eosinophil, which is a white blood cell. It also causes the red blood cells to become enlarged and pallid in color. The body also faces a shortfall of vitamin B12. All these conditions can be verified with the help of an immunological test of the blood. Hence, the blood sample of the person is taken by the doctor to confirm the condition.
Tape Swab Testing
Another method of testing is to use a sticky transparent tape to do it. What you have to do is, ask the person to lie on the bed on his side and remove his trunks. Ask him to lift his legs up to his chest and hug his knees. When he is in this fetal position, you must wear a pair of surgical gloves and take a piece of transparent tape in your hand. Use this piece of stick tape to get a swab of his perianal area. Press the sticky side tightly and pull off the tape. You’ll get a swab that you can send to the doctor for further microscopic examination. You’ll probably need to perform this test for three days in a row as well, just like the stool test.
MRI Testing
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI scan as it is popularly known, is also quite helpful in detecting the presence of parasitic cysts, larvae or eggs in the human digestive system. This test does a full body scan and can display any existing larvae or infestation that appears in the vicinity of the central nervous system. So, you may have to do this test to confirm if you’re really suffering from tapeworms.
Once you’ve been diagnosed with tapeworms, you’re bound to be given the appropriate medication and other treatment options to help you get rid of the problem. Make sure you take these treatments seriously and get yourself tested every 3 to 4 months even after the dosage is over, using any of the methods given above. If the test results come negative, you’ve been successfully dewormed.
