Giardia is a unicellular parasite that lives in the human small intestine. As a result of their life activity, weight loss occurs, increased fatigue, abdominal pain appears, and in the future a whole bunch of diseases is formed. Once in the large intestine, where the conditions for existence are unsuitable for them, they transform into a cyst and, with time, are excreted in the feces. Being infected with giardiasis, a person may not experience any symptoms and be their carrier for a long time. They multiply rapidly and occupy more and more space in the intestine, feeding at the expense of man. In addition, parasites are able to move around the body and settle in other organs.
What is lamblia?
These are the simplest flagellar microorganisms. In total, there are about forty species, but only one, Lamblia interstinalis, parasitizes in the intestines of humans and animals. In appearance, they look like a cut pear, contain eight long filaments of flagella for movement and a suction disk for fixing to the intestinal epithelium villi. The size of the lamblia is a fraction of a millimeter, they can be distinguished only under a microscope. They feed on the entire surface of the body, absorbing nutrients.
A large accumulation of parasites is able to absorb a significant amount of nutrients and lead the carrier to vitamin deficiency and weight loss. Reproduction occurs by division, the process is very fast. In the small intestine, they feed, move, reproduce offspring, and outside it are covered with a protective membrane and turn into a motionless form of cyst existence.
An infected person can release several hundred million living organisms (cysts) into the environment that, with feces, enter the soil or water and wait for the moment to find a new owner. Without a human body, they can last up to 18 days, and in a humid environment - even longer. Cysts are immune to bleach, but are afraid of sunlight, prolonged freezing and boiling. In an arid environment, they die in a few hours.
Giardiasis
This is an invasive disease of humans and animals caused by lamblia, with damage to the small intestine. It is manifested by functional digestive disorders, allergic reactions and intoxication of the body. The disease is widespread. Most often it is found in countries of Central Asia, Latin America, Africa. Russia is no exception.
Animals, like humans, become infected with giardiasis. The disease occurs in dogs, cats, rabbits. It is also found in cattle. What causes giardiasis? An individual becomes infected from a carrier of infection - another person or animal, as well as from poorly processed food and drinking water. The vectors of the disease can be insects, for example, flies. Infection with parasites is also possible through ready-made food, when cysts fall from the dirty hands of people in contact with it. After 9-20 days, an infected person himself becomes a carrier of infection and poses a danger to others. The transmission mechanism is fecal-oral.
How to recognize a disease?
The incubation period is about thirty days. At this time, the disease is asymptomatic. Then the first signs of giardiasis in adults appear:
- general weakness;
- headache;
- loss of appetite and weight loss;
- irritability and irritability;
- tongue coating;
- pale skin.
In people with weakened immune systems, the disease at this stage is much more severe. Rare periods of weakening of the disease are replaced by exacerbations.
The disease from the initial stage becomes acute, symptoms of giardiasis in humans appear. Among them are the following:
- pain in the abdomen;
- palpable enlargement of the liver;
- there is bad breath;
- apathy and fatigue occur;
- flatulence and colic;
- choppy stools: alternating diarrhea with constipation;
- salivation increases;
- there are signs of vitamin deficiency - hair loss, brittle nails, peeling of the dermis;
- skin rashes.
In the chronic form of giardiasis in adults, the following problems arise:
- The work of the digestive system is disrupted. Appetite disappears, bloating and rumbling appear.
- General health continues to deteriorate, disability is impaired. A person becomes irritable, he is tormented by drowsiness and headaches.
- There are problems with the secretion of bile. In this regard, pain occurs in the upper abdomen and right hypochondrium, bitterness in the mouth, dry skin and jams in the corners of the mouth.
- Concerned skin rashes. There is no reaction to taking antihistamines.
- There is a strong peeling of the dermis.
- Aphthous stomatitis appears on the oral mucosa.
- Weight loss is observed.
- Decreased immunity, intoxication, inflammation of the lymph nodes.
Causes of giardiasis infection
The main causes of the disease are:
- Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules - poor hand washing after going to the toilet, public places, before eating.
- Eating poorly washed raw vegetables, fruits and berries.
- The use of unboiled water for drinking - chlorine does not kill giardia.
- Living conditions that do not meet sanitary and epidemiological standards - the presence of cockroaches and flies that are carriers of infection.
- Infected pets - cattle, cats, dogs, guinea pigs.
- Swimming in open water.
- Weakened immunity.
Diagnosis of giardiasis. What tests to pass?
It is difficult to identify symptoms related only to giardiasis, and therefore it can be difficult to diagnose. The most reliable method for determining the disease is the collection of feces on cysts. Moreover, a single study does not give the correct results, so they conduct a whole series of studies. For this, within two months they take feces for analysis at intervals of a week.
In addition, a blood test for antibodies to giardia is being examined. Their presence indicates that the patient suffered this disease earlier or is ill at the moment. A study of the contents of the upper intestine is done, for this, sounding is done. There is another modern research method using enterotest. To do this, use a special gelatin capsule with nylon thread inside. The patient swallows it, the capsule dissolves, and the thread is removed and subjected to microscopic examination for the presence of cysts.
Giardiasis treatment regimen
After making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor prescribes therapy. It depends on the symptoms, the results of the tests, and is selected individually for each patient. Treatment includes three stages:
- At the first, the body is cleansed of toxic substances that produce microorganisms, and inhibit their reproduction. For this, a course of enzyme therapy is prescribed, enterosorbents and antihistamines are given. A special diet is selected for the patient, limiting the amount of carbohydrates. A sweet environment promotes the reproduction of parasites. It is recommended to use products with a sour taste, they inhibit the activity of unicellular. And also choleretic drugs are indicated for giardiasis. This technique helps prepare the body for the treatment of parasites directly.
- At the second stage, lamblia are destroyed. To do this, use antiprotozoal drugs with an antibacterial effect.
At the third, final stage, they connect means to strengthen the body's defenses and maintain immunity. Use complexes of vitamins and minerals, probiotics. The general course of treatment for giardiasis with drugs takes a long period.
Therapy of the chronic form of the disease
For the treatment of the disease in adults, the following groups of drugs are used:
- nitroimidazoles - synthetic drugs that are highly active against anaerobic bacteria and causative agents of protozoal infections;
- nitrofurans - antibacterial drugs;
- funds containing acridine - which have antiparasitic and antibacterial effects.
The appointment of drugs is done only by a doctor, and all treatment is under his supervision. The first group of drugs for the treatment of giardiasis consists of the following agents: Ornidazole, Tinidazole. The second includes Trichopolum, Furazolidone, Macmirror (the latter is considered one of the best drugs for treating the disease in adults). The third group should include “Albendazole”, which is a universal anthelmintic agent, “Mezim” and “Creon” - from a series of enzyme preparations. Smecta and Enterosgel are used as enterosorbents. To maintain the body's defenses, immunomodulators and vitamin complexes are prescribed. How to cure giardiasis, in each case, the doctor decides.
Acute treatment
The method of treatment of the disease depends on the form of its course. With acute giardiasis, the patient is hospitalized in a hospital and undergoes a course of one-day treatment under the supervision of a doctor. It is comprehensive and is carried out in two stages. At the first, pathological substances released during the life of parasites are eliminated, and the enzymatic activity of the gastric mucosa is increased. During treatment, the following drugs are used:
- choleretic - "Mannitol", "Sorbitol";
- antispasmodic - “Metacin”, “No-shpa”, “Platifillin”;
- enterosorbents - "Polyphepan", "Smecta", "Polysorb";
- enzymes - "Festal", "Pancreatinum", "Hilak-Forte".
At the second stage of this treatment regimen for giardiasis, antiparasitic drugs are used. They have a detrimental effect on the simplest unicellular creatures. The doctor prescribes Metronidazole, Tinidazole, Macmirror. These drugs are able to kill microorganisms, prevent inflammatory processes and thereby accelerate recovery. It must be remembered that some of them have undesirable side effects and have significant contraindications. All of them are prescribed taking into account the individual characteristics of the body and are taken under the supervision of a doctor. The course of therapy in adults with medications for giardiasis is from five to ten days.
After completing the main course, enzymes, multivitamins and probiotics are prescribed to regenerate the disturbed intestinal microflora. To increase the body's defenses and improve the intestines, a therapeutic diet is used, including dishes using cereals, beets, zucchini, pumpkins, dairy products and fruits.
Infection methods
Giardiasis in the human body begins to develop after bacteria enter through the mouth. There are many such situations. Here is some of them:
- drinking water from infected sources;
- dirty or poorly washed hands;
- the use of unboiled milk;
- bad habits - to take hands and various objects into the mouth;
- communication with infected animals.
The main source of infection, in addition to animals, is man. How is giardiasis transmitted from person to person? This can happen as follows:
- through common household items: a toothbrush, towel, underwear and bedding, dishes;
- handshakes;
- when kissing through saliva.
When ingested, they do not make themselves felt for a long time. A person, without suspecting it, is a carrier of the disease and is able to infect others. All family members who live with an invasive person are at risk.
The first signs of giardiasis in children
Most often, the disease begins asymptomatic, the temperature remains normal. This is due to the weak response of the immune system to protozoan parasites. Only with a large accumulation of unicellular in the small intestine of a child appears:
- diarrhea up to six times a day, which is accompanied with giardiasis by abdominal pain (foaming stool, has a fetid odor, sometimes contains blood);
- nausea after eating, rarely vomiting;
- breakdown, tearfulness.
These symptoms are characteristic of many diseases of the digestive tract. In mild cases, after a few days, the disease disappears, and the parents remain unaware that their child was ill with giardiasis. Sometimes the disease progresses or becomes chronic. Then, in addition to loose stools, the following symptoms may appear:
- allergic dermatitis or cough;
- weight loss with good appetite;
- pain in the lower abdomen of paroxysmal character;
- nausea and belching;
- fatigue, drowsiness, headache.
It is impossible to determine the disease by external signs, therefore it is necessary to consult a doctor and take feces and blood tests. Only the doctor will make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment for giardiasis.
Elimination of the disease in a child
Opinions on whether to treat asymptomatic giardiasis or not differ. Some doctors argue that it is necessary to carry out therapy so that the disease does not turn into a chronic form, while others, on the contrary, believe that in this case medicines should not be used.
In medical practice, there is a wide selection of drugs for treating this disease in children. What exactly to use for a child with this disease, the doctor selects, taking into account the results of the tests and the individual characteristics of the body. Commonly prescribed medications for children from giardiasis include:
- “Tiberal” - has no age restrictions, of contraindications - only individual intolerance. Causes drowsiness and upset stomach. The dosage is selected according to the weight of the patient.
- "Nemozol" - is available in the form of a suspension, is prescribed from a year. May cause flatulence, abdominal pain, allergic reactions, sleep disturbances.
- "Macmirror" - has a wide range of effects, skin reactions and stomach upsets are possible.
- "Furazolidone" - is available only in tablet form, is prescribed to children from one month.
- "Metronidazole" - is prescribed for children over two years of age, allergic reactions are possible.
The use of folk remedies for the treatment of the disease in adults
Many people prefer to be treated with old proven recipes of traditional medicine. It should be borne in mind that grass that is harmless at first glance can harm health if used improperly. Therefore, when applying alternative recipes, you need to consult a doctor and pay attention to the following points:
- At the first stage of treatment, a weakened organism is prepared to destroy giardia, and not poison them immediately. You should be extremely careful and take into account all the features of the use of folk remedies.
- It may turn out that some herbal preparations cannot be used due to concomitant diseases, so you should not use them thoughtlessly.
- Treatment of giardiasis with folk remedies takes significantly longer than with drugs, therefore, in some cases, for their quickest recovery, they should be combined.
Here are some recipes:
- Tincture of wormwood. One hundred grams of dry wormwood insist for three weeks in a half liter of vodka in a dark place. Used to get rid of giardia three drops twice a day.
- Garlic tincture. 50 g of chopped garlic is poured into a glass of vodka and left in a dark container for a week. Take three times a day thirty minutes before meals, 20 drops in milk or water.
- Pumpkin seeds. 300 g of seeds are ground in a mortar, 50 g of water and honey are added. The prepared drug is eaten on an empty stomach for an hour. After administration, the intestines are freed using a laxative.
There are many different recipes for the treatment of giardiasis with folk remedies, but all such remedies should be taken with extreme caution after consulting with your doctor so as not to harm the body.
Giardiasis Prevention
Preventive measures against any type of helminths is to carry out various measures that prevent the occurrence of invasions. Prevention of giardiasis should be of two types:
- Social. It includes all types of control over the sanitary condition of catering workers, preschool and school educational institutions. It is necessary to conduct preventive conversations with children in compliance with sanitary standards. Particular attention should be paid to the water in the pools, given that Giardia cysts are not afraid of bleach. To protect people, it is recommended to disinfect, filter and constantly monitor the contents of the pools for the presence of parasites in it.
- Individualized. A person himself must protect himself from infection. Treatment of giardiasis is a complex and lengthy process. Parents should, from an early age, teach their child to constantly wash their hands with soap and prevent the development of bad habits: suck a finger, gnaw at pens, nails, and pencils. Adults are also recommended to observe hygiene standards when cooking: thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits, observe the temperature regime of food processing. Particular attention should be paid to drinking water - use it only in boiled form. After playing in the sandbox, children should treat their hands with antiseptic wipes. Pets should be checked regularly with a veterinarian and monitor their cleanliness.
Doctors have no consensus on the prophylaxis of anthelmintic drugs. Many people believe that it is necessary to treat giardiasis and other helminths with medicines twice a year. Others note that this is impractical because the drugs are toxic.