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Parasitology Lab

Parasitology deals with the study of parasites and parasitic diseases, including the physiology, distribution, ecology, clinical aspects, biochemistry and evolution of parasites. Parasites are organisms that live on a host and derive sustenance from it. In humans, infections caused by parasites can either be fatal or non harmful. Although this scientific discipline had its origin in zoology, presently, it’s largely influenced by other fields, such as biochemistry, microbiology, immunology and other life sciences. We offer a range of parasitology tests such as Stool R16, Occult blood test, Stool analysis, Stool pH test and Stool reducing sugar test, which we perform at our parasitology lab.

 

Occult Blood Test

 

It is a test used to check occult or hidden blood in your stool sample. Occult blood in stool may indicate bleeding in your digestive tract. It can be caused by certain medical conditions such as-

 

  • Ulcer
  • Haemorrhoid or piles(swollen blood vessels around rectum or anus)
  • Polyps(non-cancerous tissue growth within your body)
  • Colitis( inflammation of the inner lining of large intestine)
  • Diverticulosis (a condition characterized by the formation of small pouches or diverticula in the digestive tract)
  • Colorectal Cancer

 

The test is also used to-

 

  • Screen for Colorectal cancer
  • Diagnose medical conditions that lead to bleeding in the digestive tract

 

If the occult blood test is positive, it indicates that you have bleeding in your digestive tract, and it doesn’t indicate that you have cancer. For positive results, our healthcare provider will recommend colonoscopy to ascertain the reason for the bleeding. The test is considered negative if there are no blood traces in your sample. 

 

Stool Analysis

 

It is a combination of tests done, to help diagnose some medical conditions that affect your digestive tract. It can be cancer, infections caused by bacteria, parasites or viruses or poor absorption of nutrients. The stool sample is examined for 

 

  • Occult blood
  • Meat fibres
  • White blood cells
  • pH 
  • Bile
  • Fat
  • Reducing substances or sugars

 

Stool analysis is mainly done to-

 

  • Screen for Colon cancer
  • Diagnose digestive tract diseases
  • Ascertain the cause of an infection
  • Check for parasites
  • Check for poor nutrient absorption

 

For the test, a sample of stool is collected, which will be sent to our parasitology lab. 

 

  • Occult blood in the stool can be due to bleeding in the digestive tract.
  • WBC in stool can be due to inflammation of intestines.
  • Elevated reducing factor level can be due to problems in digesting certain sugars.
  • Low pH of stool can be due to poor absorption of fat or carbohydrate.
  • Meat fibres in stool can be due to pancreatitis.

 

Stool pH

 

In this test, your stool sample is tested for acidity in order to diagnose certain medical conditions. This test is often done to 

 

  • Check whether a condition is improving or worsening
  • Evaluate the success and failure of a treatment plan or medication

 

The Stool is normally alkaline, and an acidic stool indicates 

 

  • Diarrhoea
  • Lactose intolerance( inability to digest lactose)
  • Overgrowth of acid-producing bacteria
  • Infection caused by rotavirus or E.coli

 

Average pH of stool for a healthy person is 6.6, and A pH below 5.5 indicates acidic stool. A highly alkaline pH of the stool indicates the inability of the body to create sufficient acid with food which is undigested. 

 

The test lasts only for a few minutes and is performed in our parasitology lab. Low pH of stool can be due to poor absorption of fat or carbohydrate. It can also be due to small bowel bacterial overgrowth. High pH of stool is a risk factor for colorectal cancer.

 

Stool Reducing Substances Test

 

In a stool reducing substances test, your stool sample is tested to diagnose lactose intolerance, carbohydrate malabsorption and certain metabolic abnormalities. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a type of sugar. Such unabsorbed sugars are known as stool reducing substances.The test is often used to detect unabsorbed sugar in a stool sample. 

 

Your doctor may order a stool reducing substances test if you experience symptoms associated with lactose intolerance like frequent loose stool, especially if it appears frothy. This condition may also occur after prolonged viral gastroenteritis because of the poor absorption of lactose by the intestinal lining. Other conditions, as a result of poor absorption of other reducing sugars, such as fructose, pentose, glucose and galactose can also cause a positive test result. This test is performed in our parasitology laboratory on 5 grams of a stool sample. 

 

If the Stool reducing substances test is positive, it indicates that there are types of sugar which are not absorbed by your body, in your Stool. If the results are negative, it is a sign that there is proper absorption and digestion of sugar in your body. 

 

Laboratory testing allows physicians to make a timely diagnosis, prescribe medications and monitor treatments. All the parasitology tests are performed by experienced and qualified lab technicians making use of state-of-the-art equipment in our parasitology lab. We emphasize on the accuracy and speed of each parasitology test.