Giardiasis. Causes, symptoms, modern diagnostics, effective treatment of the disease

Most often, young children become infected with giardiasis. One of the signs of invasion is the baby’s slow weight gain, as well as indigestion. Diarrhea followed by constipation, bloating, nausea - all these alarming symptoms may mean infection with Giardia.

A characteristic manifestation of giardiasis is atopic dermatitis. Therefore, foods that cause allergies (fruits, red vegetables) must be excluded from the menu. Otherwise, they can “blur” the clinical picture.

Giardiasis cannot be treated without taking medications. But it also cannot do without changing the diet. The anti-giardia diet is as effective as synthetic drugs.

Following a diet involves an increased number of meals (4-5 times a day) in small portions. Before eating, it is advisable to drink some sour drink.

It is necessary to exclude fried foods from the diet. You only need to eat what has been cooked by stewing, baking or boiling - in a double boiler, slow cooker, etc.

Worth knowing! The diet for giardiasis must be followed for a long time - 3-4 months.

Personal hygiene is very important. When returning from the street, after playing with animals, visiting the toilet, and before eating, you must wash your hands. Foods taken raw (vegetables, fruits) must be thoroughly washed under running water.

In addition to creating an uncomfortable environment for Giardia, the diet is also aimed at restoring healthy intestinal microflora.

The diet for the treatment of Giardia involves taking a large amount of berries and sour fruits - much more than what a person usually consumes. Fruits and berries can be taken either fresh or in the form of drinks and compotes. Acidulants are taken before meals - about half an hour before meals. Acidic fruits and vegetables should be eaten throughout the day. Citrus fruits (tangerines, lemons, oranges), sour apples, kiwis should be available to the patient in abundance.

Diet for Giardia in adults and children

The diet for Giardia in adults is not very different from that in children. It involves a complete abstinence from alcohol, baked goods, sweets, dried fruits, honey - that is, those products that contain a lot of “fast” carbohydrates, which include glucose. It is the latter that is the most nutritious medium for Giardia. You cannot completely give up carbohydrates, but you need to take slowly digestible carbohydrates - buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, barley porridge without sugar. Sour fruits and vegetables are useful, but you should not get carried away with them too much - to avoid flatulence.

The most preferred food is one that contains pure protein - chicken, fish. You can eat 2 servings of them per day. But at the same time, meat and fish should not be prepared by frying - only boiling, stewing or baking. Useful products are cottage cheese (low-fat) and kefir. Giardiasis is usually accompanied by dysbacteriosis, in which fermented milk products and cottage cheese are useful. All food taken should be light and agreed with the doctor.

If a child goes to kindergarten, then teachers need to be warned about what he can and cannot eat. Loving grandparents must be strictly punished that sweets are strictly contraindicated for their grandchildren. And not only in the form of sweets, but also sweet dried fruits, bananas, grapes, as well as raisins and dates. Fresh bread, both white and rye, must be replaced with biscuits and crackers.

Slow carbohydrates - various porridges (rice, oatmeal, wheat, buckwheat, corn) - must be present on the child’s menu. They just have to prepare on the water.

An acidic environment in the intestine that is hostile to Giardia must be created with acidic drinks, taken before meals - fruit drinks made from sour berries (cranberries) and fruits (apples, cherries, plums, kiwi, citrus fruits).

Useful substances for a giardiasis diet are pectins, which are found in abundance in apples and some berries (cranberries, lingonberries, currants, blueberries). Practically not absorbed in the digestive tract, enterosorbents work as “cleaners”. That is, they absorb everything harmful and unnecessary for the body and bring it out. And in addition, they increase peristalsis and normalize metabolism.

Important! Spicy, fatty, fried foods should be completely excluded from the diet.

This food irritates the intestines and creates increased stress on an already weakened digestive system. For the same reason, you should not eat raw garlic and onions. Cooking should only be done by stewing and boiling, including steaming.

Protein foods should be taken, but only in the form of lean fish, veal, and turkey. Smoked meats and sausages of all types should be excluded from the patient’s diet.

Along with “slow” carbohydrates (porridge), the basis of nutrition should be fermented milk products. It is necessary to eat fresh biokefir every day, since the lacto- and bifidobacteria contained in it normalize the intestinal microflora. You can take low-fat cottage cheese, but you should avoid whole milk, as it triggers fermentation processes in the intestines.

The frequency and volume of food portions is of great importance. It is recommended to increase the number of meals to 6 per day, portions should be small, food should be pureed and crushed.

With regard to drinking, the diet for the treatment of Giardia in children contains restrictions only on sweet drinks. The child needs to drink a lot, but preferably water or something acidified. Sweet juices, soda, cola, etc. must be completely excluded.

Diet menu for the treatment of lamblia

In a family where there is at least one patient with giardiasis, the words diet, lamblia, menu become the most frequently used. And this is understandable, given their importance for successful treatment.

The diet for giardiasis does not require a special variety of food, but at the same time it cannot be called tediously monotonous.

Porridge. At first, they are prepared exclusively with water. As for the specific product, it depends on the dietary preferences of the dieter. You can eat buckwheat, corn, rice, oatmeal, barley porridge. Who likes what. But legumes (peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas) should be excluded as they cause flatulence. If the diet has lasted a month, you can start adding milk diluted with water 1:1 to the porridge when preparing it.

Liquids. You need to try to drink a lot - up to 2 liters per day. Recommended drinks: lingonberry, cranberry, currant juice. You can prepare various acidified compotes. Tomato juice is allowed. The intake of beneficial bacteria - bifidumbacterin and acidobiffirin - can be combined with fresh fermented milk products, just add bacteria to them. Kefir and fermented baked milk are allowed for consumption starting from the 3rd week of the diet.

Soups. You can eat broths made from turkey, chicken, duck and other poultry (you need to remove the skin and fat when cooking). Soups are prepared only with vegetable broths. Fatty meat (fish) broths should not be consumed.

Meat. The main requirement is that it should not be bold. There are no special preferences regarding the type of meat. You can eat lamb, veal, poultry and even pork if it is lean. The only requirement for the cooking method is that fried foods should be excluded. You can boil (preferably steam), stew, bake. Chop finely; large pieces are contraindicated for giardiasis. As for the specific type of dish, preference should be given to steamed meatballs and cutlets.

Fruits. The main thing is that they must be fresh. The berries can be baked with low-fat cottage cheese, sweetened with a little stevia. It is advisable to take pears and apples baked.

Vegetables. Beets, potatoes, radishes, cabbage. Garlic, onions, legumes that irritate the intestines and cause flatulence should be avoided.

Flour products. For bread, stale rye bread is recommended. Among other things - everything that is unsweetened and dry - crackers, crackers.

Dairy. Cottage cheese (low-fat), fermented baked milk, kefir, feta cheese.

Homemade lemonade. Take the components in the following proportions: 5 liters of water, one lemon, a decent-sized bunch of mint, stevia. Boil water, add mint and sliced ​​lemon, boil for about 2 minutes, sweeten with stevia.

Berry juice. Boil water, add the berries and mash them with a masher, adding a little sugar. Turn off the heat and let the mars steep. You cannot boil for a long time, otherwise the berries will lose their vitamins.

Fish with vegetables. Take a piece of foil, put on it a portion of fish (lean), part of a tomato, carrot, herbs, a slice of lemon, a piece of eggplant. Salt everything, carefully wrap it in foil and bake on the grill. You can put foil in a steamer.

Cutlets. Add an egg and stewed (not too much) onion to the lean minced meat. Instead of white bread, add oatmeal. Form cutlets and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven until fully cooked. Excess fat will be absorbed by the paper. The oven can be replaced with a double boiler.

Porridge. Prepared on the water. To avoid being too ascetic, you can add a small piece of butter to the rice. Season the oatmeal with fresh berries and stevia. Buckwheat is delicious without any additives.

Vegetable stew. Ingredients: zucchini, cut into slices, tomato, sweet pepper, 1-2 potatoes, and, of course, carrots. In a tall frying pan or saucepan, add a little oil and water. Put the potatoes in first, cook them a little, then add the carrots, and a little later - everything else. Don’t forget to season with herbs; basil and oregano improve the taste. The peeled tomato is added last.

Baked apples. You need to take sour varieties. Cut out the middle and fill it with lean cottage cheese sweetened with stevia. Add a little cinnamon. Bake in the oven.

Conclusion

The effectiveness of anthelmintic drugs depends on how successfully this is done. Therefore, diet must be taken very seriously; the success of treatment largely depends on it.

Giardia provokes diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and causes illness. Starting from digestive disorders and ending with serious consequences, one of which includes cholecystitis. Giardia can cause daily headaches and nervous disorders, so it is necessary to correctly diagnose the disease and undergo timely treatment.

To determine the signs of giardiasis, you should know the general characteristics of living microorganisms. Here are measures to prevent infection and how giardiasis differs in adults and children. Protozoa are distinguished by their active reproduction by division, when the body is weakened by external conditions.

Giardiasis and digestive problems

During their life, every person has dealt with Giardia. This is a protozoan microorganism that causes a number of ailments in the human body:

Why should you pay attention to giardiasis symptoms in the body?

Stagnation of bile in the intestines causes gallstones to form. Cholecystitis has serious consequences and can lead to organ removal. According to reviews of patients who have undergone surgery to remove the gallbladder: they do not observe any deviations in their health and do not even adhere to a diet after the end of the recovery period.

But the organ serves as a reservoir of bile to facilitate digestion; it does not participate in the process of producing the latter. Its production is carried out by the sphincter of Oddi, which is shown in the photo; its location in the body is also indicated. In terms of functionality, it is a regular storage tank. But problems that arise in the bladder cause complications for the entire body.

Gallstones are most often found in women, this is due to the structure of the body's hormones. Small stones can clog the ducts and will require immediate surgical intervention. Such things are removed surgically or by internal crushing, but in Western countries the latter method has long been abandoned. Cholecystitis is a disease in which the patient comes to the doctor after a maximum of 2 days. What is cholecystitis and what does Giardia have to do with it?

Cholecystitis is the result of the harmful effects of Giardia

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder, which can be the result of Giardia in adults. Inflammation also occurs in the biliary tract. There are acute and chronic phases. If stones form, the disease is diagnosed as calculous cholecystitis. There are no stones, which means it is called stoneless. Complications are detected with the development of pancreatitis, gastritis or viral hepatitis.

In adults, this method passes without complications, but it is problematic to examine small children in this way, especially one month old. Therefore, other analysis methods listed below are used.

Ways of infection with cholecystitis

In addition to Giardia, cholecystitis can be reached in other ways:

• Eating fatty and fried foods. As well as smoked meats and things like chips, crackers and beer snacks. Actually alcohol and smoking itself.
• A sedentary lifestyle, when internal organs are squeezed and bile ducts are blocked.
• Constant constipation can deform the gallbladder.
• Violation of fractional nutrition and rare meals, bile does not fulfill its purpose and it stagnates. So, you can get a stomach ulcer.
• Fasting is accompanied by a large dinner, and overeating leads to an outbreak of inflammation in the gallbladder.
• Other complications contribute to the development of the disease: sore throat or pneumonia.

The development of cholecystitis comes from insufficient contractions of the organ and is accompanied by a change in the shape of the bladder. The resulting stones promise consequences that are unpredictable in time. It is impossible to determine when acute pain will occur, in which the organ will only need to be removed. The presence of stones serves as the basis for mandatory and prompt surgical intervention. For methods of determining complications, the following are used:

To treat chronic stone cholecystitis, it is possible to take drugs that help dissolve formations in the gallbladder. Often this method is successful and repeated examination shows that there is no trace left of the stones. But a predisposition to their formation in the body will require a person to follow a diet and a healthy lifestyle, otherwise he will soon be a guest of the clinic again.

Ways to acquire the simplest Giardia

We looked at the difficulties that harmless Giardia can cause. Let's look at the ways in which they enter the body of an adult. There are three main methods: water, household contact and food. Let's present each of them in more detail:

In the process of treating a person, there are three stages: the preparatory period, the actual administration of drugs and the restoration of health from the side effects of drugs. Preparation includes measures to reduce toxic substances in the body. Various enterosorbents are used. Activated carbon, enterosgel and polysorb are suitable. To help the body with digestion, a person takes medications: mezim, festal and those containing pancreatitis. It would be useful to take lactobacilli throughout the entire period of prevention.

Constant companions of Giardia are Candida; they increase their growth while taking antibiotics. To neutralize them, fluconazole is taken. Begin its use before the start of treatment. It would be helpful to follow a diet and eliminate the source of re-infection. Here are measures to reduce the risk of infection:

Giardia is the source and provocateur of a large number of diseases. The possibility of infection should be ruled out before treating organs such as the bowel, bladder and liver. Taking the test will be a measure to prevent complications.

But how effective are worms for weight loss and what consequences should we expect after the helminths settle in the body of a fat person?

To get rid of excess body weight, the patient should definitely know what causes obesity. Initially, you should make sure that you really are overweight. This is determined not only by measuring body weight, but also by calculating the amount of fat in the patient's body as a percentage.

So, the factors that can lead to excess body weight are:

1. Wrong eating habits - eating excessive amounts of fast carbohydrates, night snacks, stress eating, etc.
2. Sedentary lifestyle - for a modern person who does not engage in physical activity, 1200 calories is enough for the full functioning of the body, and he eats about 100-200 kcal more.
3. The course of certain diseases - hypothyroidism, rare genetic diseases, hormonal imbalances in women, Cushing's disease, polycystic ovary syndrome and others.
4. Effects after taking certain medications - insulin, corticosteroids, antidepressants, birth control pills and female hormones.

However, is this really so? And what consequences can be expected from such therapy?

As a rule, tablets should be taken 30 minutes before meals, and evening tablets should be taken half an hour before bedtime. In this case, the pills should be washed down with 1 glass of water.

Tablets with helminths: composition and instructions for use

Pills from Thailand that eliminate obesity contain only a couple of worm eggs. Moreover, some drugs, according to manufacturers, do not contain worms at all, but only include their enzymes.

As a rule, drugs containing worms for weight loss and weight loss contain the following components:

• Aspartame;
• senna;
• valerian;
• cordifolia tinospora;
• Indian chrysanthemum;
• round;
• garcinia cambogia;
• red murdania.

These natural ingredients, in addition to Aspartame, are added to various tablets that help to lose excess weight. Since they have a choleretic, laxative and diuretic effect.

In some cases, unscrupulous manufacturers added psychotropic components (Phentermine, Fenfluramine) to pills that remove excess weight. Amphetamine analogues affect appetite, eliminating the feeling of hunger. However, they are addictive and are drugs.

Release form and cost of Thai tablets

Thai pills are a list of different weight loss products that can have a variety of names. Such drugs are often counterfeited in clandestine laboratories. But real tablets must be labeled and sold in original packaging.

Products containing worms for weight loss are produced in a dosage designed for one course. The price of Thai drugs that combat the phenomenon of obesity is different.

So, if the course of treatment lasts 2–6 months, then for one package of tablets you can pay from 6,000 to 20,000 rubles.

Possible consequences of taking Thai pills

But in reality, in order for the weight to decrease by 10 kg, worms must live in the human body for 3 to 6 months. During this period, many patients experience the following adverse effects:

1. stomatitis;
2. stool disorder;
3. flatulence;
4. nervousness;
5. insomnia;
6. intestinal colic accompanied by pain;
7. Piston weakness;
8. allergic skin manifestations;
9. brittle nails;
10. formation of cracks in the heels.

Losing weight quickly also has its downsides. For example, when a person rapidly loses weight, his immunity decreases and anemia develops against this background.

Hemoglobin deficiency leads to deformation of the epithelium. Therefore, the mucous membranes of various organs become covered with ulcers.

During the entire period of artificial anemia, the heart works at an increased rate to saturate the entire body with oxygen. In addition, the likelihood of cardiomyopathy due to left ventricular hypertrophy increases.

Thus, with helminthiasis, the cardiovascular system can be overloaded, as a result of which the limbs begin to swell. In order for the body to recover from infection with worms, it will need a considerable amount of time. At the same time, a person is more likely to acquire diseases such as:

• neuroses;
• enterocolitis;
• diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
• irritable bowel syndrome;
• cholecystitis.

A specialist will talk about how the body is cleansed and what role worms play in this in the video in this article.

Giardia in children and their treatment: symptoms, forms, prevention (video)

• What are the types of Giardia?
• How does giardiasis manifest?
• Methods of infection with giardiasis
• Is the disease dangerous or not?
• Acute form of giardiasis
• How to treat Giardia in children?
• Practical recommendations

What are the types of Giardia?

Cysts are the same Giardia, only modified. If Giardia penetrates the large intestine from the small intestine into an environment less favorable for it, they become oval-shaped cysts approximately 1 mm in size. Subsequently, when excreted from the body through fecal deposits, they enter the external environment and others are at risk of infection. Cysts can maintain excellent viability at 18 degrees, can survive in direct sunlight for about 7 days and even about 3 days in cold aquatic environments. Once in the human body and freed from the shell, Giardia again becomes vital.

Symptoms are often similar to those of other diseases, but with careful monitoring, parents can still respond in time.

1. Temperature. Usually does not rise above 37.5 degrees, but is noted for duration. If a child has a fever for 2 or more weeks in the evenings, you should pay attention to this and make an appointment with a doctor.
2. Digestion. The regularity of stool and the processes of the digestive system are disrupted. Frustration or constipation may signal that a child has begun to become infected with Giardia. Of course, such symptoms can also indicate dysbiosis, so it is important to conduct an examination to exclude one of the causes.
3. Teeth. If a child grinds his teeth while sleeping, this indicates a disruption of the central nervous system due to toxins entering the blood.
4. Tone. Increased fatigue, low level of concentration, and superficial perception of information are also a signal for urgent consultation with a doctor.
5. Pain. Aching and nagging pain in the abdomen, usually manifested in the right hypochondrium and in the navel area, is another symptom.
6. Cough. The presence of a frequent and at the same time suffocating cough, enlarged lymph nodes - all of the above symptoms or several of them should prompt parents to consult a specialist.

Methods of infection with giardiasis

Through contact and household transmission, infection occurs from a sick person to a healthy person through dirty dishes, toys and other household items.

The risk of infection is also high in the process of biting nails and pencils.

Untreated tap water is also a source of Giardia infection.

If a child drinks water from the tap or takes a sip while bathing, this is already an alarming sign and a reason to watch him. The only exception is salty sea water.

Is the disease dangerous or not?

If Giardia is present in a child’s body, then the state of health worsens, and in general this does not go unnoticed for the state of health. Giardia cysts themselves, entering the body of children, are freed from their membranes and then they multiply, and very actively. But for successful reproduction, the presence of nutrients and nutrients in large quantities is also necessary.

Giardia throughout its existence is capable of releasing a large amount of toxins into the human blood, which significantly contributes to the suppression of the immune system. The consequences are not long in coming: various allergic reactions, frequent acute respiratory infections, chronic bronchitis, utopian dermatitis. Treatment by a pulmonologist, allergist, or immunologist will be useless until examination and identification of Giardia.

Acute form of giardiasis

A large number of Giardia in a child’s body can provoke an overwhelming reaction in the child’s general condition. Appetite decreases significantly or the desire to eat disappears, nausea and vomiting occur. Body temperature in some cases reaches 39 degrees. Skin rashes and bloating occur. Giardiasis in acute form occurs more often in children under 3 years of age, since the immune system is not fully formed.

The disease acquires a chronic form due to late diagnosis. Abdominal pain periodically appears, the child loses weight, the skin becomes pale, the tongue turns yellow.

Serological diagnosis is effective during the first 3-4 weeks of a child’s infection. This test allows you to detect in the blood specific antibodies produced by the child’s body when infected with Giardia.

Scatological diagnostics allows you to detect cysts in a child’s stool, but this does not always give a 100% result.

Duodenal examination is performed for children over 10 years of age and allows for effective examination of bile. Giardia cysts are always present there. In young patients this procedure is much more difficult to carry out.

How to treat Giardia in children?

After about 5-6 days after treatment for Giardia in children has begun, your child’s well-being may deteriorate significantly, which is normal. This happens because Giardia die and disintegrate in large quantities in the intestines. This condition is caused by the presence of toxic products released into the blood, which causes deterioration. The condition can be alleviated by taking antihistamines and laxatives (drugs). Clear improvements are observed on days 9-11 after the course of treatment begins. The skin becomes clear, coughing symptoms disappear, and the nodes (meaning lymph nodes) become significantly smaller. Diagnosis and treatment must be repeated to exclude recurrence of the disease.

If there is Giardia in children, treatment with traditional methods can be used as an addition to the main medication, but not as an independent procedure. Those. such a scheme is unacceptable to cure the disease. A sweet habitat is favorable for the reproduction of Giardia; an acidic environment causes rapid death. Therefore, fermented milk products can significantly increase the effectiveness of drugs prescribed by the doctor and significantly reduce the risk of complications.

Prevention of giardiasis in children reduces the risk of infection. The most important thing is cleanliness. Before eating food, it is important to carefully process it and observe hygiene standards. It is advisable to wash eggs, vegetables and fruits with soapy water and rinse with boiled water, since most often Giardia enters the baby’s body through these products. Personal hygiene habits, such as washing hands before eating and after using the toilet, will reduce the risk of infection. Bad habits of biting nails and other small objects also increase the risk of infection. Close contact with pets is undesirable for a child's body. Teach your child to wash their hands after playing with pets.

Statistics show that giardiasis mainly affects children. Which, in principle, is so, because a child’s body is not as strong as an adult’s. That is why adults are mainly only carriers of this disease. Firstly, we note that the carriers of the disease are mainly flies, which is why maximum efforts must be made to exterminate them. And this will already be considered preventive measures. Secondly, the transition period into the vegetative form in Giardia lasts from one to two weeks. This is a hidden form in which it is simply impossible to determine whether a person is sick or not.

Symptoms of giardiasis in adults

Treatment of giardiasis in adults

To make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a scatological analysis, an immunoassay of stool and an intestinal bioscopy. The treatment itself is carried out using very toxic drugs, after which the patient undergoes a course of rehabilitation, which can take several months. During this period, it is necessary to pay special attention to removing all the consequences of Giardia. This is a very important point.

But before starting treatment of giardiasis in adults, it is necessary to prepare the patient. That is, we must first improve the enzymatic activity of the intestines. And the more complex the patient’s condition, the longer the preparation will have to take. Sometimes this period lasts up to two weeks.

Diet for giardiasis in adults

Nutrition for giardiasis means that some foods have to be removed from the diet.

• Everything is floury.
• Sweets.
• Whole milk. It can be replaced with kefir or yogurt.
• Sausages.
• Cereals you can eat are corn, rice and buckwheat.
• Mayonnaise and ketchup.

But vegetables and fruits can be eaten in any quantity. Cranberry and lingonberry juice will also be useful. You can eat lean meat, but only boiled meat. It is better to season salads with vegetable oil. Remove all spices from your diet; salt can be used in small quantities. And one more important point - adopt separate nutrition, making sure that the body receives all the necessary nutrients.

is a well-known parasitic disease that primarily affects the human small intestine. Many people often confuse Giardia with parasitic worms - helminths. Yes, both of them are parasites, living at the expense of their host - humans. The difference is that Giardia is the simplest, smallest creature, consisting of only one cell, but at the same time functioning as a single integral microorganism.

Giardia - their anatomy and physiology

Giardia exists in two forms, which transform into one another in the course of their life.

Cysts– rounded formations, slightly smaller than trophozoites. The cyst is a protective shell under which a young, not yet fully formed trophozoid is reliably preserved from unfavorable environmental factors.

There is a vicious circle that will not end until basic hygiene rules are observed and appropriate adequate treatment is taken. The spread of giardiasis is more often observed in children of primary school age, especially in those who live in private houses with a toilet on the street. But don’t think that giardiasis occurs only in children. Any person is susceptible to the disease, no matter how strong their immune system is.

Symptoms of giardiasis

Being localized in the small intestine, most symptoms of the disease are associated with the gastrointestinal tract. There are also extraintestinal symptoms associated with allergic disorders and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Allergic manifestations can be:

• Small pinpoint rashes on the skin.
• Itching in the area of ​​the rash, in the nose and near the anus.
• Respiratory disorders in the form of bronchial asthma, rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal mucosa).
• Conjunctivitis – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes.

Diagnosis of giardiasis

To make a diagnosis, several methods are used, the main of which is the detection of Giardia cysts in the patient’s stool, in the contents of the duodenum, or by taking a piece of small intestinal tissue (biopsy).

To exclude the diagnosis of giardiasis in the chronic course of the disease, repeat stool tests are taken at intervals of seven days for four to five weeks. The contents of feces are subjected to microscopy, and in some cases trophozoids can also be detected.

In addition, the effectiveness of treatment depends in conjunction with a number of measures, the observance of which entirely determines the success of the treatment. Such measures primarily include drug therapy, hygiene measures, and diet, depending on the changes that have occurred in the gastrointestinal tract.

Drug therapy

Metronidazole (trichopolum)– is rightfully considered the drug of choice in the treatment of giardiasis. The mechanism of action is associated with inhibition of vital activity not only of Giardia but also of most protozoan microorganisms. It also affects certain types of pathogenic bacteria that often accompany various inflammatory processes. It has an anti-inflammatory effect, thereby improving the general condition and accelerating the healing process.
The recommended dose is 5 mg/kg body weight per day.

The dosage regimen is three doses of the drug per day. The duration of treatment varies from 7 to 10 days.

Tinidazole (phasizhin) And Ornidazole (Tibiral) taken in a single dose of 5 mg/kg.

Furazolidone– a drug with antiseptic and antimicrobial properties.

Application. Furazolidone is taken as a suspension at a dose of 2 mg/kg per day. The frequency of administration is 4 times a day. The course of treatment is carried out for 7 – 10 days.

By observing all the above measures, you will always feel safe and confident in your own health.

Why do children get giardiasis more often?

A child of any age, even a newborn, is not immune from Giardia infection.

However, giardiasis occurs most often in preschool children: according to statistics, about 30-50% of children attending preschool institutions are infected with giardia, since there is a large crowding in children's groups, and the risk of infection increases significantly. Whereas among “home children” this figure is two times less.

Children's susceptibility to Giardia is associated with two factors:

At asymptomatic form Sick children have no manifestations of the disease, and Giardia is detected by chance during examination.

Acute giardiasis

Develops in about 50% of children infected with Giardia. The first symptoms of the disease appear 7-21 days after infection.

However, if the disease does develop, then pronounced disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract come to the fore: profuse loose stools, nausea and vomiting, bloating, refusal to eat or decreased appetite. There is also seemingly causeless anxiety and periodic increases in body temperature to 37-38°C.

In the future, children lag behind in physical development and gain weight poorly, which is caused by impaired digestion and absorption of nutrients.

How does giardiasis occur in pregnant women?

At acute form signs of gastroenteritis - an inflammatory disease of the stomach and intestines. Frequent, loose, profuse stools appear with an unpleasant odor, but do not contain any impurities (mucus, blood). There is bloating and pain in the abdomen, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting. Sometimes the body temperature rises to 38-38.5°C, and a pinpoint rash appears on the body.

At chronic form diseases, the expectant mother is worried about constant bloating, unstable stools (constipation alternating with diarrhea), abdominal pain, severe weakness, dizziness and headaches, nausea, allergic reactions (food allergies, skin rashes and others).

However, the disease can be asymptomatic, or the expectant mother regards its signs as manifestations of toxicosis. Therefore, he does not consult a doctor in a timely manner.

Why is giardiasis dangerous during pregnancy?

Giardia itself is not able to penetrate the placenta and infect the fetus, but the disease adversely affects the course of pregnancy and the condition of the fetus. Since the waste products of Giardia and the decay of dead individuals enter the blood, worsening the mother's well-being and increasing the manifestations of toxicosis.

Besides, the fetus does not receive enough nutrients due to the fact that digestion is impaired, as well as the absorption of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Giardiasis can lead to the development of one of the most serious complications of pregnancy: chronic fetoplacental insufficiency. Therefore, the functions of the placenta are disrupted: delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus, production of hormones, excretion of fetal waste products, protection against the penetration of toxins and infections from the mother’s body to the fetus.

When placental insufficiency develops early in pregnancy (before 16 weeks), the likelihood of miscarriage is high.

If the condition occurs late in pregnancy (after 16 weeks), normal fetal development is often disrupted. As a result, a child may be born with intrauterine growth retardation (low weight and/or height), with immature organs and systems. There is also a high risk of premature birth.

However, if changes in the placenta are not pronounced, then compensatory mechanisms are triggered, so a full-term and healthy baby is born.

What types of skin rashes occur with giardiasis (photo)?

Changes in the skin are most pronounced when the allergic component predominates during the course of the disease.

Vivid skin manifestations are also present in patients who, before infection, already suffered from allergic diseases (for example, bronchial asthma). Moreover, the nature and abundance of rashes depend more on the initial state of the patient’s immune system rather than on the amount of Giardia in the body.

Hives manifests itself as bubbles filled with a clear liquid, which in some cases merge with each other. After some time during treatment, they disappear, but reappear when exposed to a provoking factor - food, pollen and others.

Infantile prurigo or struffulus- a type of urticaria with severe itching that develops in children from six months to three to five years. Initially, bubbles filled with clear liquid appear on the skin. After a short period of time, they thicken, turning into pink-brown nodules, on top of which there are small bubbles.

Most often, the rashes are located in large folds of skin (under the armpits, in the perineum), but can also spread to the torso.

Children's pruritus is persistent and therefore persists even after the cessation of exposure to the allergen. However, in most cases it disappears without a trace when the child reaches three to five years of age.

Eczema is an allergic skin lesion in the form of weeping small blisters that appear against the background of reddened and swollen skin. Bubbles most often occur symmetrically, on both sides of the body simultaneously, and tend to cluster. “Favorite” places for eczema are the skin of the neck and face. However, they can appear on any part of the body.

After opening, crusts and scales form in place of the bubbles, which do not have clear boundaries. If this process becomes prolonged, the skin at the site of the rash thickens and thickens.

The rash is accompanied by severe itching and burning at all stages of its development.

Neurodermatitis manifests itself as symmetrical skin rashes, which can be located in the inguinal and axillary folds, elbow and popliteal folds, on the face, neck and limbs, and scalp.

According to the nature of the rash with neurodermatitis, they undergo changes in their development. Initially, nodules or compactions of a pale pink color with severe itching appear on the skin. Then they grow and merge into large lesions, on the surface of which scales and crusts form.

Severe painful skin itching- the result of a violation of the binding of bile acids. Itching may appear without any rash on the skin, but if it persists for a long time, there are traces of scratching on the skin.

How is giardiasis treated in children (scheme)?

There is no uniform approach and standard for the treatment of giardiasis due to several circumstances:

• Many drugs have side effects that are undesirable for a growing body.
• The child’s general condition may worsen due to increased symptoms of the disease on the second or third day from the start of treatment: nausea, allergic manifestations and others. This reaction occurs due to the massive death of Giardia and the formation of toxins.
• Giardia has developed resistance to the most commonly previously used drugs.
• Sometimes co-infection with bacteria or fungi (Candida, Helicobacter pylori and others) occurs, which often requires additional medications.
• After successful treatment of giardiasis, unstable immunity is developed, so re-infection is possible.

There are two approaches to treating giardiasis:

Designed to increase the effectiveness of the drugs used and reduce the severity of symptoms of exacerbation of giardiasis.

The first stage is preparatory

Goals: normalization of the gastrointestinal tract and creation of conditions to reduce the amount of lamblia in the body.

Drugs used

1. Enterosorbents: Smecta, Enterosgel, Laktofiltrum and others.

They do not directly affect Giardia, but create unfavorable conditions for their growth and reproduction.

Operating principle: binding, as well as removal of toxins, bacteria and various substances (bilirubin, cholesterol, allergens and others) from the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, some enterosorbents create conditions for the proliferation of beneficial flora in the intestines (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli).

2. Medicines containing lactulose(Duphalac) are prescribed for constipation.

The second stage is the destruction of Giardia

It is carried out in two courses of antigiardiasis drugs of different groups with an interval of one week between them.

Medicines used

Choice of antigiardiasis drug

For the first course depending on the age of the child, it is recommended to use Ornidazole or Tinidazole, for the second- Macmiror or Albendazole.

In parallel with antigiardiasis treatment, the following medications are used:

• To reduce allergic manifestations Children are recommended to be prescribed desensitizing drugs. For example, starting from six months - Zyrtec (Cetirizine), over 12 years - Telfast.
• To improve treatment tolerability, it is advisable to use Wobenzym- a drug that has immunomodulatory, enzymatic, anti-inflammatory and decongestant effects.

The third stage is the final one

Drugs are prescribed for restoration of normal intestinal microflora: Enterol, Lactobacterin, Probifor and others.

With the aim of replenishing the body with vitamins and microelements complex preparations are used: Stimbifid, Alphabet, Vitrum and others.

To improve the functioning of the immune system Sometimes immunostimulants are prescribed: Polyoxidonium, Lykopid and others. However, if possible, it is better to establish a balanced diet rather than use synthetic drugs.

Attention ! All medications for the treatment of giardiasis are prescribed only by a doctor, taking into account the age and weight of the child, as well as the course of the disease.

How is giardiasis treated in pregnant women?

If the disease is asymptomatic, the expectant mother is in good health and the fetus is developing, it is recommended to refrain from treating giardiasis during pregnancy.

In other cases, the decision to use drugs to combat Giardia accepted individually, since traditional medications (Tinidazole, Macmiror and others) are contraindicated for use in the first three months of pregnancy.

However, there is a drug that can be used regardless of the stage of pregnancy: Enterofuril. Since the results of the studies did not reveal its negative effects on the fetus.

In addition, at Enterofuril has two advantages:

• It is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, minimizing the risk of allergic reactions.
• Does not disrupt normal intestinal microflora.

However, in the early stages of pregnancy (up to 12 weeks), Enterofuril is recommended to be prescribed with caution: when the expected benefit to the mother outweighs the risk of negative effects on the fetus.

What is the treatment for giardiasis with folk remedies?

Medicines are not always 100% effective against Giardia. Therefore, sometimes, in order to achieve better treatment results, it is advisable to combine pharmaceutical drugs with folk remedies, the action of which is based on anthelmintic properties.

Recipe No. 1: Horseradish tincture

Take one kilogram of unpeeled horseradish root and mince it. Place the resulting mass in a three-liter jar and fill it to the top with boiled, cooled water. Then put the jar in the refrigerator for three days, then strain and squeeze out the raw materials. Store the resulting infusion in the refrigerator.

Accept one tablespoon three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 4-5 weeks.

Recipe No. 2: Honey-plantain mixture

It is necessary to collect plantain leaves at the time of flowering. Then rinse and grind in a meat grinder. Mix the resulting raw materials with honey in a 1:1 ratio and store in the refrigerator.

Accept one tablespoon three times a day 30 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is 30 days.

Recipe No. 3: Mixture of flax seeds and cloves

Pass the dried clove buds and flax seeds separately through a coffee grinder. Then mix in a ratio of 10 parts flax seeds: 1 part clove buds.

Accept 25 grams daily if the patient’s weight is about 70-75 kg. If the patient weighs less or more, then divide this figure by three. The resulting figure means the number of grams that need to be taken daily.

The product can be added to food or consumed in its pure form with water. The course of treatment is 30 days.

What are the consequences of giardiasis?

They are more pronounced in children than in adults, since their compensatory mechanisms are imperfect.

Gets hit the immune system, since Giardia suppresses her work, making her weak. Therefore, the patient more often suffers from viral and bacterial infections.

Often develop diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: biliary dyskinesia, pancreatitis, chronic gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa) or gastroduodenitis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa and duodenum). Moreover, after removing Giardia from the body, recovery does not always occur, so the developed ailments become chronic.