Giardia: symptoms in children, treatment and prevention!

All parents are afraid of the development of giardiasis in children. Pediatricians tirelessly scare them almost from the moment a young mother goes home with her child. The slightest health problems of a son or daughter - and lamblia becomes the first suspects. Symptoms in children can be very different, ranging from diathesis to abdominal pain. Who are lamblia, how is giardiasis manifested and how to treat it? All parents should be aware of this.

Who are Giardia?

It is not hard to guess that lamblia are very small parasites. They are representatives of the diplomatic squad and are quite widespread on the territory of Russia. However, from the point of view of medicine, "lamblia" is an unofficial name given to the parasites in honor of the doctor who discovered them, Giamblia Vilem Dusan, although Levenguk once spoke about them. It would be correct to call these parasites giardia or Giardia.

Giardia often cause the development of intestinal disorders in children. According to statistics, the overall incidence is 30% and most often the rate is highest among children.

On a note! Again referring to statistics, we can say with confidence that up to 80% of children in any institution, be it a school or a kindergarten, are infected with lamblia. Among adults, up to 30% of people have them in the body.

It is impossible to see lamblia with your own eyes - they are too small. However, using a microscope, you can see these small creatures or their cysts.

On a note! Giardia is a unicellular species that is an intermediate form between multicellular and bacteria. They can be found in two forms of existence.

Table. Forms of lamblia.

The form	Characteristic
Movable, also called vegetative	These are the same drop-shaped or pear-shaped parasites up to 20 microns in size, having 4 pairs of flagella and a special disc that allows them to attach to the intestinal tissues. Reproduction occurs through the process of cell division. If the vegetative form leaves the body with the feces, then the individuals live for only about 30 minutes, after which they die. This is the difficulty in determining the presence of parasites in the intestines - almost no one takes feces collected only 30 minutes ago for analysis.
Stationary	Cysts form if giardia enters an unfavorable habitat. Usually, modification occurs when representatives of this parasitic form enter the large intestine, while they live in the small intestine. Cysts are oval in shape, up to 1 mm long. They cannot move, in contrast to the previously described form. It is in this form that lamblia are found in the environment, where they get along with feces. Most disinfecting chemicals are not afraid of cysts, but quartzing or irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp is destructive for them. But even in the sun, parasites may well survive for up to 7 days. They are also afraid of low (up to -25 degrees) or high temperatures.

On a note! Giardia and their cysts usually live in natural reservoirs, where sewage flows, and can also be present on unwashed vegetables and fruits, in the sand where children play, on dirty hands.

Cycle of life

Giardia usually live in the small intestine, feeding on its contents. Contrary to popular belief, they are carried not only by humans, but also by other vertebrates - birds, dogs, rodents, cats, pigs, etc. The life cycle of parasites looks like this.

1. Cysts enter the human stomach, usually by the oral route.
2. From the stomach, parasites enter the small intestine - the aggressive environment of gastric juice is not dangerous for them.
   

   Dangers of giardiasis for the child's body

3. Cysts become vegetative and lamblia are attached to the intestinal mucosa. They begin to feed on various nutrients, in particular, preferring foods high in carbohydrates.
4. Reproduction of parasites occurs due to division, the habitat increases, some of the parasites go into the large intestine, where they form cysts. Their number doubles every 10 hours. Literally in a short period of time by 1 cm² the intestine will be home to up to 1 million parasites.
5. Further, with the feces, the parasites leave the host's body, going into the external environment.
6. Then other vertebrates and warm-blooded individuals become infected.

On a note! There is a theory that lamblia can enter the liver and affect the gallbladder, but so far in practice, it has not been confirmed.

How does Giardia infestation occur?

Of course, in order to get into the human gastrointestinal tract, lamblia must first get to the oral cavity, from where they already penetrate into the stomach, and then into the intestines. There are several ways of parasite infestation.

1. Contact and household. Giardia can be spread from person to person or from animal to person. Generally, it is enough to wash your hands poorly after using the toilet for the parasites to enter the body. Also, children, exchanging dishes, toys, etc., can pass lamblia to each other. At risk are guys who love to bite nails and pens, kiss pets.
2. Water. Also, these pathogenic microorganisms easily enter the digestive tract of a person bathing in open reservoirs, drinking untreated tap water - parasites are not afraid of chlorination. Fortunately, Giardia can only live in fresh water, and while resting on the seaside, you can not worry about infection.
3. Food. Parasites live on the surface of vegetables and fruits. This is why it is so important to wash these foods before consuming them. It is best to pour boiling water over them. Parasites can also be present in raw meat.

On a note! To become a carrier of lamblia, it is enough for only 10 cysts to enter the body.

Why are lamblia dangerous?

These microorganisms in any case have a negative effect on a person, especially a child. Parasites multiply very quickly, and in order to feed this "horde", you need a lot of nutrients. Of course, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals become the main source of food for them. The host's body is severely depleted, lacking the substances necessary for proper functioning. The result of the vital activity of lamblia in this case is vitamin deficiency.

Further, parasites in the course of their existence release a large amount of toxins into the host's body, which have a depressing effect on immunity, can provoke allergies, cause the development of chronic diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, etc. etc. The nervous system is also damaged, and neurological symptoms appear. The intestine also suffers from the abundance of parasites, its functions are suppressed.

Against the background of infection of the body with lamblia, giardiasis develops. And he is very insidious in that he easily disguises himself as a variety of diseases. It is not uncommon for a child to be treated not for parasites at all, but for completely different pathologies. Naturally, to no avail.

Giardiasis: symptoms

Not all parasites manifest themselves - as a rule, most people are hidden carriers due to good immunity and do not notice the presence of pests. Giardia is only found during a thorough diagnosis. However, young children and people with weak immunity can easily experience all the delights of giardiasis.

Attention! With a strong defeat of the body, giardiasis proceeds in an acute form and rather quickly. Usually, the disease in this form develops in children under 3 years of age, since their immunity is still weak. But it is quite difficult to diagnose pathology.

Symptoms of giardiasis in a child:

• a sharp decrease in appetite, the appearance of digestive problems in the form of constipation. It is important not to confuse the disease with dysbiosis. Loose stools may also be present up to 10 times a day;
• pallor of the skin;
• coughing fits;
• yellowish color of the tongue;
• nausea, sometimes vomiting, flatulence;
• weight loss;
• pulling abdominal pain in the navel or in the right hypochondrium;
• an increase in temperature to 39 degrees or a subfebrile temperature (37.5 degrees), which is observed for a couple of weeks in the evenings;
• the appearance of a rash resembling rubella. Allergic rashes resembling diathesis may also be present.

Over time, symptoms such as grinding teeth in a dream, hand tremors, and fatigue begin to appear. The infected person's mood fluctuates greatly. It is necessary to consult a doctor with suspicion of giardiasis if the child has at least three of these signs. The doctor may also detect enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver and spleen during the examination, and the concentration of eosinophils in the blood will be increased.

If the child is treated incorrectly, then giardiasis becomes chronic and greatly worsens the condition of all organs of the body. In the chronic form, the disease does not have vivid symptoms, but, as a rule, is characterized by the presence peeling and dryness of the skin, periodic nausea, unstable stools, bad breath, etc. etc.

Table. Forms of giardiasis.

The form	Typical symptoms
Carrier	In this case, the person does not observe any symptoms, does not complain about anything and is only a carrier of parasites. Giardia can only be detected with a thorough examination of feces.
Sharp	With this form, all the symptoms of the disease are clearly distinguishable. The patient is nauseous, he may have vomiting and loose stools. Usually the acute form lasts no more than 3-4 days, gradually developing into a chronic one.
Chronic	With this form of giardiasis, the symptoms of the disease are less pronounced, but there are periodic exacerbations of the condition. Usually, an exacerbation occurs against the background of stress, the development of other diseases, etc. The skin may be pigmented, there are minor intestinal disorders, a rash.
Hepatic	As such, this form of giardiasis has not yet been isolated, since the theory of the possibility of lamblia entering the liver has not yet been confirmed. However, the patient may have signs of hepatitis or cholecystitis.

Diagnosis of pathology

The more the disease is started, the more difficult it is to treat it. That is why it is advisable to identify giardiasis as early as possible, despite all the difficulties of diagnosis and the risk of confusing the disease with other pathologies. In order to identify it in a child, sometimes just one study is enough, and sometimes a whole series of diagnostic procedures may be needed.

As a rule, the list of studies that can diagnose the disease is as follows.

1. Serological diagnostics. In this case, the patient's blood is examined, in which special antibodies can be detected, which the body produces in response to the attack of lamblia. However, the method is effective only in the first 3-4 weeks after infection.
2. Duodenal examination. It is carried out for children aged 10 years and older. Doctors examine bile and may find lamblia cysts in it. For young children, the method is not used due to the complexity of taking bile for analysis.
   

   Duodenal examination

3. Scatological examination. Simply put, this is the analysis of feces, their study under a microscope. Parasite cysts cannot always be detected. However, the coprogram is still the main research method. It is best to carry out this analysis several times with an interval of 6-8 days.
4. Palpation. The doctor can feel the baby's belly. With giardiasis, a young patient will complain of pain in the small intestine.
5. Probing the esophagus. A study is carried out using a gastroscope, which takes the contents directly from the small intestine. Next, the doctor examines the sample for the presence of lamblia in it under a microscope.

Attention! Absolutely any of these methods of research can be ineffective and not give results if the patient is taking any drugs of the antibiotic class, as they can destroy most of the parasites in intestines.

Do I need to be treated?

Among physicians, there are several different opinions as to how and whether it is necessary to treat giardiasis at all. Some doctors consider lamblia a conditionally pathogenic microflora and are sure that parasites simply cannot provoke cirrhosis of the liver and other life-threatening diseases. And they now treat them more or less calmly, while back in Soviet times, giardiasis was necessarily treated.

On a note! In America, the treatment of giardiasis is carried out only in the case of the development of inflammatory processes in the digestive organs.

Thus, if Giardia was found in a child, but he feels well, and his immunity is quite capable of controlling the parasite population, then you should not panic. And only the acute form of giardiasis should be treated.

Treatment

Treatment of giardiasis, if prescribed by a doctor, is carried out in three stages.

1. Preparatory, during which the child eats on a special diet that cleanses the intestines. As a rule, sweets, pasta and other carbohydrate-rich foods are prohibited. It is best to eat vegetables and fruits, cereals, lean meat or fish. The patient also takes sorbents. In the preparatory period, lamblia experience discomfort from the changed conditions of life.
2. Elimination of lamblia. Then the child takes drugs against parasites. Only a doctor should prescribe them, based on data on the patient's condition. The course usually varies within 5-7 days. There may be signs of intoxication of the body, which appear due to the death of parasites and the appearance of toxins in the intestines. But the condition worsens only temporarily.
3. Recovery period. At this time, when Giardia has already left the carrier's gastrointestinal tract, the normal diet and functions of the digestive organs are restored. The child takes enzymes, restores the intestinal microflora.

But treatment does not always help. Sometimes after such therapy, if the feces are analyzed again after a few months, cysts can be found in it. And it is not possible to distinguish a relapse from a re-infection. Giardiasis is difficult to treat.

How to recognize giardiasis?

Step 1. If the first signs of the disease appear, then it is important to analyze the actions of all family members for the possibility of contracting giardiasis. It is easy to confuse it with other pathologies, but the possible prerequisites that took place will simplify the solution of the problem of making a diagnosis.

Step 2. It is important to try to determine the first signs of giardiasis in yourself and other family members: is there diarrhea, nausea, weakness, etc.

Step 3. You need to be prepared for the fact that often giardiasis is asymptomatic. Many people are immune to lamblia, and in this case, you can not panic.

Step 4. The symptoms of giardiasis can be life-threatening for a long time, although usually the acute form goes away quickly. Treatment will ease the patient's condition. But you need to see a doctor in any case.

Step 5. It is recommended that you take precautions not to infect anyone else. To do this, you should have less contact with people.

Disease prevention

The risk of Giardia infection is high, but you can try to prevent it. To do this, you need to follow simple preventive measures:

• observance of personal hygiene;
• washing food before eating, it is especially important to observe this rule for fruits and vegetables;
• eating meat only in a well-cooked form;
• the prohibition of kissing pets;
• a ban on licking fingers, pens and pencils;
• refusal to eat in small catering establishments;
• drinking only boiled or bottled fresh water;
• a ban on bathing a child in stagnant fresh water bodies;
• using only personal towels for hands and face;
• closing the children's sandbox from cats.

Video - Giardia in children and adults

Of course, no prevention can 100% protect a child from infection with lamblia. But you should not panic when they appear. If the child's health deteriorates, then only in this case you need to sound the alarm.