According to statistics, more than 30% of all people suffer from parasites, being their latent carriers. In some cases, the lesion is asymptomatic, but can cause complications. Also giardiasis can go into the chronic stage. Most often, the objects are children, whose body is most susceptible to intoxication. Therefore, everyone should know what are Giardia, how to identify this disease, avoid it.
What is Giardia?
Giardia are single-celled microscopic helminths. They live in the intestines, gall bladder, duodenum. Especially dangerous are Giardia, which are parasitic in the liver. There are the following forms of lamblia:
- Vegetative. These are flat parasites of a pear-shaped form with a size of not more than 0.02 mm. In this form, they live in the small intestine and other digestive organs. Worms actively move with flagella, multiply, feeding on the remnants of split foods.
- Cysts is a spore form in which the active activity of the parasites is suspended. It is necessary for parasites to keep life for a long time in adverse conditions for them.
The vegetative form is transformed into a cyst, when helminths enter the large intestine, from which they are excreted into the external environment. Outside the body in an encapsulated form, they can live for months until they enter the body of a new carrier.
Despite its small size, such worms cause the greatest damage to health.
The results of their penetration and residence in the body are:
- violation of the process of assimilation of nutrients;
- the waste products of helminths adversely affect the work of the endocrine and nervous systems;
- the cardiovascular system suffers, because parasites affect the composition of the blood;
- often there are various dermatological diseases;
- increases the risk of developing asthma;
- reduced body defenses;
- appetite is deteriorating, due to which there is a loss of body weight.
Giardia infestation occurs when cysts enter the body through the mouth, which usually occurs in three ways:
water - in the case of the use of boiled or tap water or water from natural sources;- food, when the worms enter the body through unwashed or unprocessed foods;
- contact-household - in contact with a person, an animal that suffers from giardiasis, or with objects on which there were cysts.
water - in the case of the use of boiled or tap water or water from natural sources;For the development of pathology, it is enough that about 10 cysts fall into the human body. Particularly susceptible to this pathology are people with low gastric acidity.
Pathogenesis
Giardiasis is a disease of "dirty hands". Most common in children who attend schools and kindergartens. Through the mouth, lamblia cysts enter the intestine, where they turn into adult forms, attach themselves to the mucosa, and cover it with a carpet. Once inside, they begin to change the "habits" of the owner at their discretion. Often they dictate to a person what to eat, for example, lamblia are very fond of sweets. They also leave waste products.
From this, a person may develop symptoms of intoxication, for example, depression, drowsiness, weakness, as well as allergies, diseases of the digestive tract. According to many scientists, giardiasis is a disease of longing and sadness.
The body of a healthy person with a strong immune system reacts to the presence of microorganisms, gradually removing them from the intestines. And with re-infection the whole process of the immune response begins anew. There is an opinion that this microorganism does not harm, does not cause pathological changes. But living together with worms can give a person a lot of trouble in the form of allergies, depression, chronic diseases of the digestive tract.
In addition, the constant load on the immune system with long-term infection leads to increased susceptibility to infections, more severe course of pathologies. It is a mistaken opinion that it is necessary to treat giardiasis in the presence of pronounced symptoms, and in their absence it is possible not to take any drugs, since the body copes itself.
What is the danger of this disease?
Many parents not only do not know how to treat this pathology, but do not even think about the extent to which medical intervention is relevant in this situation. It is very important to understand the essence of the effects of lamblia on the human body.
The main factors include:
- Violation of enzymatic processes. It is in the small intestine that many trace elements and minerals, vitamins, nutrients are absorbed. Because of its constant movement, Giardia violates any enzymatic processes, changes the concentration of enzymes. As a result, a person does not receive the required amount of simple substances, which causes depletion of the body.
- Imbalance micro and macro. Some products are not absorbed, other substances are not produced in the right amount for the body. This situation directly leads to a slower development in children.
- Mechanical damage to the villi. Giardia constantly move, from time to time stick to the intestinal walls. As a result, delicate tissues are irritated, may become inflamed, and villi suffer. In some cases, parasites can invade them, destroying their structure completely, which leads to degeneration of the intestinal structure. As a result, the absorption of beneficial substances is almost nil, depletion increases.
- Toxic effects. The parasite all the time produces toxic substances that are released into the intestinal passages. As a result, the nervous system suffers, allergies can occur. The work of the gallbladder, stomach, and liver also suffers.
Signs of Giardia in the body
Giardia provoke the appearance of various symptoms. In many ways, their manifestations depend on the circumstances: the mass infection, the form of the disease, the individual characteristics of the organism, the age, the basic properties of immunity, the presence of associated diseases of the digestive tract.
Common symptoms that indicate the presence of active Giardia in the body include:
- stomach ache;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- lack of appetite;
- bloating;
- large amount of intestinal gas.
If the parasites hit the liver, then the clinical picture can be complemented by a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, heaviness, discomfort in the right hypochondrium, signs of cholecystitis.
In very young children, the clinical picture can be varied. Giardiasis in children causes more unpleasant symptoms, the treatment of this pathology should be started as soon as possible.
The main clinical features include:
severe pain syndrome;- total dysbacteriosis, which is not cured by standard methods;
- chronic loose stools;
- complete loss of appetite;
- severe exhaustion;
- irritability;
- lack of daytime sleep, constant moods, headaches.
severe pain syndrome;Over time, allergic skin rashes can occur. In addition, the small patient is subject to all forms of hypersensitivity: from small urticaria to chronic rhinitis, which is accompanied by swelling of the respiratory tract.
How is the diagnosis?
Nonspecific symptoms, often blurred clinical picture, asymptomatic course of the disease may complicate the diagnosis. As a result, children and adults are treated by other specialists.
The main diagnostic measures used for diagnosis include:
- Blood test for giardiasis - pronounced eosinophilia and monocytosis.
- Ultrasound of the hepatobiliary system. Helps to identify dyskinesia of the bile ducts.
- Blood biochemistry. Such deviations as increase in alkaline phosphatase, hypoalbuminemia are clearly visible.
- Analysis of feces for dysbiosis. Total change in intestinal microflora, reduction in the number of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, a high number of pathogenic life forms.
- Parasitological examination. Will detect lamblia cysts in the feces.
To finally confirm the diagnosis, carry out the procedure for the determination of antigens in the feces using PCR technology. Also relevant ELISA in serum. Some resort to the study of biopsy material, which is taken during endoscopic examinations.
Diagnosis Giardia in adults and children spend on the following indications:
- diarrhea, which is characterized by a long course, does not find viral or bacterial confirmation;
- allergic diseases of the respiratory tract and skin;
- prolonged temperature rise;
- the presence of confirmed contact with infected persons.
Visual markers of patients with giardiasis include: dry skin, bloating, furred tongue, enlarged liver.
And in order for the diagnostic result to be as reliable as possible, the following conditions must be observed:
- on the eve of the analysis, you must refuse to accept coarse food, liver, mushrooms - this will improve the visualization of the parasites
- to collect the biomaterial can not use an enema;
- a few weeks before the tests, you should stop taking antibiotics and sorbents;
- feces must be collected in sterile packaging, and the material must be fresh.
Features of the treatment of giardiasis
Treatment should be comprehensive, phased. During therapy, the doctor needs to eliminate the signs of cholestasis, toxic damage to the tissues of the organs. The essence of such treatment is the elimination of all forms of the parasite.
Diet
The patient is prescribed an optimal diet, the main purpose of which is to create the most unfavorable conditions in the digestive tract, which prevent the activity of the parasites. The basis of the diet: cereals, fresh vegetables, vegetable oil, fruits.
But from foods that are rich in fast carbohydrates, it is recommended to give up at least for the time of active therapy. It is also necessary to arrange fasting days during which they drink water, sorbitol, choleretic and antihistamines. However, this format of effects on the body is possible in the case of working with adult patients.
Drug therapy
Drug treatment involves the use of specific drugs that have an active effect on the parasites.
Most often prescribed:
- Metronidazole;
- Furazolidone;
- Ornidazole.
Treatment usually consists of two stages. At the final stage, when the patient's body begins to recover, multivitamin complexes, adaptogens of plant origin, enterosorbents, and immunostimulants are prescribed.
Folk remedies
Traditional methods of treatment will not replace drug therapy, but can be used as an auxiliary method.
There are several recommendations:
- Fresh plantain leaves chop into porridge, mix with an equal amount of honey. The composition is to take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
- In a glass of milk, add 1 crushed clove of garlic, drink.
- One tablespoon of leaves of bearberry is poured with a glass of boiling water, left to infuse for half an hour. During the day, the patient needs to drink the entire glass.
A well-known remedy for parasites of all types and forms - pumpkin seeds. The composition of this product contains a large amount of cucurbitin. This is a specific plant poison that affects parasitic invasions. Its maximum concentration is contained in the green shell of the seeds.
This poison is harmful to parasites and bacteria, but it is safe for humans at any age. Take 100 g of pumpkin seeds, grind to a smooth mass, add about 30 g of fresh lime honey. To the mixture has acquired the desired consistency, you can add about 40 ml of water. Mix everything thoroughly and give to the patient on an empty stomach. After that, you need to hold a cleansing enema. The procedure is recommended to carry out several times with an interval of 2-3 days.
Forecasts and Prevention
The effectiveness of treatment depends on the stage, the form of the pathology, on when the person turned to the doctor for help, how accurately he followed all the recommendations of specialists.
But we must remember that relapses can occur at any stage of life. There is no specific immunity or protection against Giardia.
Dispensary observation is relevant in the first six months. The patient will have to undergo a parasitological examination at least three times. To prevent contamination, it is important to monitor the quality of drinking water. It is especially important to break the chain of transmission of giardiasis. To do this, they are timely identified asymptomatic carriers, as well as patients with the active form of giardiasis for their subsequent treatment.
Regular tests should be carried out in kindergartens. After all, children of preschool age are most susceptible to this pathology.
