Giardiasis

General description of the disease

 

It is a parasitic intestinal disease that can affect people of any age. Animals and birds also suffer from giardiasis.

The causative agent of this infection is the protozoa – lamblia, which affect the intestines and liver. They parasitize in those locations of the small intestine where vitamins, trace elements and all nutrients are absorbed. Giardia consume food resources, and a person develops a deficiency of silicon, iodine, chromium, zinc, as a result of which the work of vital organs is disrupted[3].

Giardia ensure their livelihoods completely at the expense of the infected organism. These protozoa have a high ability to survive – they can exist without a human or animal body for up to 4 days or up to 18 days in water.

This disease is widespread throughout the world, but most often affects people in Asia, Africa and Latin America, where untreated water is often consumed. In our country, there are also quite high rates of this disease. According to statistics, about 20% of the world’s population is infected with lamblia.

 

In 25% of cases, this infection is asymptomatic, in half of cases in a subclinical form and in 25% in a manifest form. Depending on the clinical symptoms, such forms of giardiasis are distinguished:

  • E. – accompanied by duodenitis, enteritis and other intestinal disorders;
  • extraintestinal proceeds in allergic manifestations and astheno-neurotic syndrome;
  • biliary-pancreatic may be accompanied by cholecystitis, manifestations of pancreatitis and biliary dyskinesia.
  • mixed.

In order to diagnose giardiasis, a stool sample is examined or a biopsy of a piece of tissue from the small intestine is performed.

Causes of giardiasis

Infection usually occurs through the fecal-oral route. Giardia leaves with the feces of the patient. Protozoa easily spread in the environment and get onto food. Often a person does not yet know that he is infected, but is already a distributor of the disease. 1 g of a patient’s feces can contain up to 2 million lamblia cysts. In order to become infected with this intestinal parasite, only 10-15 cysts are enough. Giardia can be carried by rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, dogs and other pets. Flies and cockroaches can be mechanical transmitters of infection.

The reproduction rate of protozoa in the human body depends on the quality of nutrition. For example, when fasting or consuming excessive amounts of protein, the number of cysts drops dramatically. Conversely, if a person begins to actively consume carbohydrates, then lamblia begin to multiply rapidly. Especially actively increases the number of intestinal parasites with low acidity of the stomach. Also, risk factors include:

  • drug addiction;
  • an excess of carbohydrates in the diet;
  • insufficient consumption of foods with plant fiber, as well as a lack of protein food;
  • long-term use of antibiotics;
  • postponed gastric resection;
  • age of 10 years;
  • malfunction of the immune system.

In our country, the peak of giardiasis occurs at the end of spring and summer. In the autumn-winter period, the incidence rate is significantly lower.

Parasites can enter the human body in the following ways:

  1. 1 water – when using unboiled tap water, while swimming in the pool, when visiting open water bodies;
  2. 2 food grade – eating food products that have not undergone high-quality heat treatment or poorly washed berries, fruits and vegetables;
  3. 3 contact-household – the presence of insects in the apartment, untimely washing of hands before eating or after coming home. The causative agents of giardiasis can be on toys, dishes, clothes.

The most at risk of contracting giardiasis are representatives of such professions as sewer workers, laboratory assistants in medical institutions, school and kindergarten workers. People who have such bad habits as biting nails or the cap of a pen are also prone to giardiasis.

The risk of invasion also increases if children under 10 years of age live in the house.

Giardiasis symptoms

Cysts are localized in the intestines, therefore, the symptoms of this infection are directly related to the intestinal tract. A week after infection, a person begins to worry:

  • upset stomach – frequent loose stools with an unpleasant odor, but without admixtures of mucus and blood, characteristic of dysentery;
  • pain in the abdomen, usually during and after diarrhea. Pain sensations can be of varying intensity: from mild aching to intense excruciating spasms;
  • bloating, which provokes a violation of the intestinal microflora. Flatulence may be accompanied by abdominal pain and diarrhea;
  • salivation increases;
  • decreased body weight;
  • symptoms of biliary dyskinesia;
  • nausea, loss of appetite, belching.

The above symptoms can bother the patient for 5-10 days, then, depending on the state of immunity, the symptoms disappear or the disease becomes chronic.

Chronic giardiasis is characterized by:

  1. 1 decreased appetite;
  2. 2 unstable stools, when constipation gives way to indigestion;
  3. 3 headaches and irritability;
  4. 4 emotional instability;
  5. 5 the phenomenon of urticaria or dermatitis;
  6. 6 xerosis – peeling of the heels in the autumn-winter period;
  7. 7 follicular keratosis in the shoulder area;
  8. 8 stomatitis, inflammation of the border of the lips;
  9. 9 pain in the right hypochondrium;
  10. 10 short-term temperature rise;
  11. 11 fragility of hair;
  12. 12 the skin of the face, neck, armpits and abdomen becomes jaundiced.

Giardiasis can be accompanied by allergic and neuropsychiatric disorders. On the patient’s skin, rashes with severe itching may appear, allergic conjunctivitis is possible.

Companions of giardiasis are often fatigue, impaired concentration, deterioration in performance and even dizziness. An infected patient does not receive enough nutrients and the body spends a lot of energy fighting parasites.

Sometimes disorders of the respiratory system can also be observed, which manifest themselves in the form of bronchial asthma and rhinitis.

Complication of giardiasis

A person infected with giardiasis does not get enough nutrients and vitamins, which can lead to:

  • significant decrease in body weight;
  • anemia. With giardiasis, B vitamins are not sufficiently absorbed, which take part in the formation of new cells and participate in metabolic processes;
  • decreased immunity, as a result of which the body’s resistance to viruses, bacteria and infections decreases;
  • irritable bowel syndrome with upset stools, stomach pain and bloating;
  • secondary fermentopathy, in which lamblia destroy the cell walls, which negatively affects the digestion of food;
  • dysbiosis – prolonged intoxication and lack of nutrients can lead to dystrophy in children;
  • reproduction in the intestine of pathogenic microflora in the form of staphylococci and Candida fungi, which damage the cell walls;
  • desensitization of the body, which is manifested by itchy rashes on the body;
  • steatorrhea, as a result of which the absorption of fats in the intestine worsens, while there is a large excess of fat in the feces. Steatorrhea is always accompanied by indigestion;
  • lactose intolerance, which is accompanied by bloating and flatulence.

Prevention of giardiasis

Prevention of this disease is to prevent cysts from entering the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. The main preventive measures include:

  1. 1 timely detection of infection with subsequent correct therapy;
  2. 2 timely and regular hand washing;
  3. 3 strict adherence to hygiene rules;
  4. 4 drinking only bottled or boiled water;
  5. 5 protection of soil and water bodies from parasite infestation;
  6. 6 regular scatological examination of children and employees of child care facilities;
  7. 7 wear gloves during gardening work;
  8. 8 destroy insects in the house;
  9. 9 wash fruits and vegetables well;
  10. 10 regularly carry out anti-lambliasis treatment to pets;
  11. 11 do not swim in bodies of stagnant water.

Treatment of giardiasis in official medicine

First you need to correctly diagnose and make sure that the patient really has giardiasis. Therapy should be aimed at destroying the parasites that have settled in the intestines.

An infectious disease doctor, depending on the duration of the illness and concomitant diseases, prescribes medications. Therapy for giardiasis should be carried out in stages:

  • for a start, you need to try to mechanically remove the maximum number of cysts in order to reduce the manifestations of intoxication. To do this, you need to include foods rich in fiber in the diet, give up dairy foods and carbohydrates, drink plenty of fluids;
  • the next stage is taking antiparasitic drugs;
  • the last stage is the restoration of the immune system and intestinal microflora.

Useful foods for giardiasis

All dishes and products must be thermally processed. You need to eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. During treatment, preference should be given to easily digestible foods, such as:

  1. 1 dairy products – cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, kefir;
  2. 2 sour fruits – citrus fruits, pears, kiwi and apples;
  3. 3 foods high in animal protein – eggs, lean meat, hard cheeses;
  4. 4 dried fruits;
  5. 5 porridge – pearl barley, oatmeal, millet, buckwheat;
  6. 6 lean fish;
  7. 7 berries of currants, lingonberries and cranberries;
  8. 8 green tea with lemon;
  9. 9 freshly squeezed carrot and beet juices;
  10. 10 Birch juice;
  11. 11 sauerkraut;
  12. 12 baked apples.

Traditional medicine for giardiasis

Folk remedies for the treatment of giardiasis effectively complement drug treatment.

  • fruit drinks and jams from sour berries, since lamblia do not like sour environment;
  • horseradish and garlic in a 1: 1 ratio are peeled and chopped thoroughly. 50 g of the resulting mass is poured into ½ l of vodka and infused for 7 days in a dark place. The tincture must be filtered and taken in the morning and in the evening for 1 tsp;
  • consume raw pumpkin seeds as often as possible[1];
  • prepare an infusion of dried rowan berries. For this 1.l. 150-200 ml of boiling water is poured into the material and insisted until it cools down, drink before meals;
  • spread tar on a slice of bread with a thin layer and eat on an empty stomach for 5-6 days;
  • collect fresh plantain leaves during the flowering period of the plant, grind and combine with the same amount of honey, take for 20-30 days three times a day[2];
  • boil a glass of milk with a peeled head of garlic and drink on an empty stomach;
  • chop flax and clove seeds in a 10: 1 ratio and take in small portions;
  • eat coconut pulp for 1 tsp. before eating.

Dangerous and harmful foods for giardiasis

For successful therapy, the following products should be discarded:

  • muffins and white bread;
  • sweets;
  • fatty fish and meat;
  • beans that take a long time to digest and provoke flatulence;
  • semi-finished products;
  • milk, as it contains a lot of lactose;
  • carbonated drinks;
  • hot and spicy spices;
  • fast food.
Information sources
  1. Herbalist: golden recipes for traditional medicine / Comp. A. Markov. – M .: Eksmo; Forum, 2007 .– 928 p.
  2. Popov A.P. Herbal textbook. Treatment with medicinal herbs. – LLC “U-Factoria”. Yekaterinburg: 1999.— 560 p., Ill.
  3. Wikipedia, article “Giardiasis”.
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Attention!

The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!

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