Giardia Symptoms - Signs And Treatment Regimen In Adults

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Giardia Symptoms - Signs And Treatment Regimen In Adults
Giardia Symptoms - Signs And Treatment Regimen In Adults

Video: Giardia Symptoms - Signs And Treatment Regimen In Adults

Video: Giardia Symptoms - Signs And Treatment Regimen In Adults
Video: Giardiasis - Giardia Lamblia 2024, March
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Giardia symptoms - signs and treatment regimen in adults Giardia symptoms. The human body is home to various parasites: roundworms, pinworms, echinococcus, giardia, etc. are trying to penetrate it. It is very simple to become infected with lamblia, and the consequences of infection can be very serious. Giardiasis is an invasive disease caused by protozoal parasites and is characterized by damage to the small intestine. The main manifestations of giardiasis are allergic and pathological neurological reactions. The causative agent of giardiasis is the simplest flagellar microorganism - lamblia (Giardia). About 40 species of lamblia are known to modern science, but only Lamblia interstinalis parasitizes in the human intestine. Giardia causes a number of unpleasant symptoms in adults: it can be abdominal pain, appetite disorders, diarrhea, allergies, etc. Treatment of giardiasis …

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Giardia symptoms. The human body is home to various parasites: roundworms, pinworms, echinococcus, giardia, etc. are trying to penetrate it. It is very simple to become infected with lamblia, and the consequences of infection can be very serious. Giardiasis is an invasive disease caused by protozoal parasites and is characterized by damage to the small intestine. The main manifestations of giardiasis are allergic and pathological neurological reactions. The causative agent of giardiasis is the simplest flagellar microorganism - lamblia (Giardia). About 40 species of lamblia are known to modern science, but only Lamblia interstinalis parasitizes in the human intestine. Giardiasis cause a number of unpleasant symptoms in adults: it can be abdominal pain, appetite disorders, diarrhea, allergies, etc. Treatment of giardiasis should be started immediately,as soon as you know the diagnosis.

The content of the article:

  • 1 What is giardiasis
  • 2 Ingestion of lamblia in the human body
  • 3 What does lamblia look like
  • 4 How can you get lamblia
  • 5 Signs of giardiasis in adults
  • 6 Intestinal symptoms of chronic giardiasis in adults
  • 7 Acute giardiasis in adults
  • 8 Symptoms of giardiasis in children
  • 9 How to treat giardiasis
  • 10 Consequences of parasitism of lamblia in the body
  • 11 Prevention of giardiasis

What is giardiasis

Giardiasis is a protozoal invasion that occurs mainly with the defeat of the small intestine and is accompanied in some patients with allergic and neurological symptoms.

Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults

Giardiasis is widespread in rats, mice, rabbits, dogs, cats, and other animal species. The source of infection for humans is a person who secretes lamblia cysts, and, possibly, some species of animals with which a person often contacts (dogs, cattle, pigs, etc.). The leading role as a source of invasion belongs to humans. Mature invasive cysts of lamblia are excreted with feces.

Giardia symptoms. Cyst discharge with giardiasis is intermittent and wave-like, begins 9 to 22 days after infection. The number of viable cysts excreted with feces can reach 23 million per 1 g, and on average it is 1.8 million per 1 g. In experiments on volunteers it was found that the ingestion of 1 to 10 lamblia cysts into the human digestive tract can lead to the development of invasion in 10 - 30% of people.

The ingestion of lamblia in the human body

As a rule, infection occurs when lamblia cysts enter the body with food (for example, with vegetables, fruits, berries), drinking water, as well as if hygiene rules are not followed (unwashed hands, flies).

Giardia symptoms. In the environment, lamblia retain their ability to infect for a fairly long time - in the soil for about 3 weeks, and in drinking water for up to 3 months. According to some studies, cysts are found even in seawater (viability about 1.5 months) and in dairy products (up to 3.5 months). After Giardia has entered the stomach in one way or another, their further fate depends on the general state of immunity. a person and the number of cysts that have fallen: the weaker the immunity and the greater the number of cysts, the higher the likelihood of developing giardiasis.

In accordance with the peculiarities of the penetration of parasites into the body, the following paths are distinguished:

  • water - contamination occurs when using insufficiently purified water taken from the tap, as well as when water from an open reservoir enters the body; Contact-household - the accumulation of pathogens occurs directly on household items in the form of clothing, dishes, toys and others;
  • food - a variety of food products act as sources of infection. In particular, giardiasis often occurs after eating foods that have not undergone appropriate heat treatment (fruits, vegetables, berries).

Most often, the waterway of the spread of giardiasis leads to massive outbreaks of infection. Infection is not excluded when visiting the pool, when swimming in open water. Giardiasis can be transmitted by eating food that is seeded with the parasite's cysts.

Giardia symptoms. There is a high risk of transmission of giardiasis under the following conditions:

Causes of infection with giardiasis
Causes of infection with giardiasis
  • Lack of personal hygiene. First of all, this concerns poor-quality and untimely hand washing after visiting public places, the toilet and before eating.
  • Poor processing of food that is eaten raw.
  • Drinking unboiled water, especially from open natural sources. Giardia can be found in any water, including spring water.
  • Poor sanitary living conditions, presence of insects in the house. Flies and cockroaches, which are spreading infections, are especially dangerous in this regard.
  • Possible infection with giardiasis from invasive animals: dogs, guinea pigs, cats, etc.

Adults of the following professions are more susceptible to invasions:

  • Employees of educational institutions (kindergartens, schools).
  • Medical workers (laboratory assistants).
  • Sump trucks.

Risk factors for developing giardiasis in adults:

  • A large amount of carbohydrate foods in the diet.
  • Insufficient consumption of protein foods and foods with plant fiber (vegetables, fruits, cereals).
  • Decreased stomach acidity.
  • Impaired immunity.
  • Long-term treatment with antibacterial drugs, which leads to bacterial overgrowth in the intestine. This environment is favorable for the existence of lamblia.
  • Addiction.

What does lamblia look like

Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults

The parasite can exist in two forms: vegetative and cystic.

  • Vegetative (mobile) form. It is a single-celled, tear-shaped organism with 4 pairs of flagella and a special attachment disc. The parasite needs flagella to move through the small intestine, and the disc helps to attach tightly to the intestinal wall;
  • cystic (motionless) form. Serves as an adaptation of lamblia to adverse conditions. If the parasite is unable to attach in the right place, it enters the large intestine. Conditions in the large intestine are not suitable for the life of the protozoan, lamblia turns into a round cyst.

In this form, the parasite enters the environment with feces. Giardia in the form of a cyst can exist for a long time, wait for suitable environmental conditions, and when it gets into such conditions, it can again turn into a vegetative form.

How can you get giardia

Giardia symptoms. Giardia in the environment are present in an inactive form, in the form of so-called cysts, which live outside the human body for about 3 months. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, they can multiply by paired division, in those places where they accumulate a lot. How does infection with giardiasis occur in adults and children? How is giardiasis transmitted?

Violation of personal hygiene, through dirty hands, that is, by oral-fecal route; eating unwashed fruits, vegetables, salads; sexual infection is possible, if hygiene rules are not followed; the use of unboiled water, even in spring water there are lamblia cysts; the presence of a large number of flies in the premises, they are the main vectors and sources of infection with giardiasis.

Infection with giardiasis is more common in childhood, so the incidence among children reaches 70 percent. It is believed that giardiasis in adults occurs three times less often than in children, since the strengthened immune system of the adult population is more likely to have the resistance of the digestive system to various parasitic invasions.

However, often with giardiasis in adults, the symptoms can be erased, and the person does not seek a thorough medical examination, taking some of the signs of giardiasis for other disorders of the digestive system or exacerbation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Signs of giardiasis in adults

Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults

Giardia symptoms. With giardiasis in adults, the symptoms resemble diseases of the biliary tract and liver, and the full assimilation of essential nutrients is reduced, leading to general malaise. The symptoms of this disease depend on the localization of parasites in the body and on the duration of the damage to the body by these protozoa.

After the cysts enter the gastrointestinal tract, an adult can remain only a giardia carrier, without the characteristic symptoms of the disease, but when the reproduction of lamblia is massive, giardiasis manifests itself with clinical symptoms of the following diseases:

  • cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia;
  • enteritis, duodenitis, enterocolitis, duodenal dyskinesia;
  • allergic reactions - the occurrence of bronchial asthma and allergic cough, bronchitis, atopic dermatitis is often associated with the presence of giardiasis in a person;
  • depression - Giardia in the process of life, release a lot of toxins that depress the human nervous system, causing unexplained depression, sadness, apathy;
  • if an adult or a child is diagnosed with vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is necessary to be examined for the presence of giardiasis, since the signs of giardiasis in adults and children in the chronic stage are similar to this symptom complex.
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults

Given the above, the symptoms of giardiasis in adults can be as follows:

  • weight loss as a result of decreased appetite, nausea;
  • dyspepsia, change of constipation with diarrhea, frothy stools may appear;
  • soreness, bloating, increased rumbling of the abdomen, sometimes sharp severe pain in the gastrointestinal tract, heartburn, belching;
  • slight pain in the navel, in the right hypochondrium;
  • increased swelling, increased sweating;
  • pallor, dryness of the skin, yellowness and peeling of the skin, the formation of a jam in the corners of the mouth, cracked lips;
  • unmotivated fatigue, weakness, irritability, anxiety, dizziness, headaches; nervous disorders, tics, insomnia, restless dreams.

Intestinal symptoms of chronic giardiasis in adults

Giardia symptoms. In chronic giardiasis, pathologies in the biliary tract can develop, which provokes stagnation of bile and creates all the conditions for the penetration of intestinal bacteria into the gallbladder and bile ducts. Against the background of such changes, cholecystitis develops.

During the period of habitation in the human body, pests release toxic substances into the blood, causing intoxication. Small flagellate pests, localized in the intestine, contribute to the disruption of the absorption of nutrients and the transport of digested food to the lower intestines. Stagnation of chyme becomes the cause of the development of decay processes, which entails a vegetative failure. A sick person quickly gets tired, he feels constant malaise.

There are cases when autonomic disorders in acute giardiasis have more vivid symptoms than gastrointestinal lesions. A person has been trying to overcome vegetative dystonia for a long period, but the treatment is ineffective and the symptoms, on the contrary, become intense.

Signs of lesions of the gastrointestinal tract with giardiasis occurring in a chronic form appear as a result of mechanical damage to the intestinal mucosa. Giardia is attached by means of a special device in the form of a disk to the villi of the mucous membrane of the small intestine, which provokes inflammatory processes.

Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults

That is why the main signs of the intestinal form of giardiasis are dyspeptic disorders, abdominal pain. Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract include nausea, vomiting, flatulence, constipation, followed by diarrhea. The patient complains of frequent belching and a bitter taste in the mouth. Abdominal pain occurs in the navel area. Their intensity can be different - from cramping to stabbing and stretching. Sometimes pain that occurs with appendicitis can bother you.

Giardia symptoms. In chronic infection, abdominal pain is combined with signs of inflammation of the gallbladder, bile ducts. Against the background of massive invasion, intoxication develops, which most often affects the condition of the skin. In children, it becomes pale, an icteric tint appears in the neck, armpits and sides of the abdomen. The skin on the palms turns red and flakes heavily.

In toddlers, giardiasis causes rashes on the neck, shoulders, back and chest. With an advanced infection of the parasitic type, hair loss and the appearance of cracks and seizures in the corners of the lips can be observed. In children, the skin manifestations of giardiasis occur with pronounced symptoms. Quincke's edema can be a serious complication. Lack of vitamins and iron in the body also adversely affects the condition of the skin.

Acute giardiasis in adults

Giardia symptoms can vary. Their intensity depends on how massive the invasion is and on the general health of the patient. Basically, there are signs of gastrointestinal disorders. The duration of the incubation period is 7-20 days. A common symptom of giardiasis is gastrointestinal syndrome. Giardia colonize the small intestine, which provokes a malfunction of the digestive tract.

In the acute course of the disease in the navel, pain, nausea, belching, flatulence, poor appetite occur. The pain can be aching or cramping. Against the background of the invasion, a person may be disturbed by diarrhea. At the beginning of the disease, the stool will have a watery consistency, but over time it will become greasy and semi-formed. The duration of the acute phase is a week, after which the disease becomes subacute, and then chronic.

The main signs of the intestinal form of giardiasis include: pain in the epigastric region; pain around the navel; nausea; vomiting; belching; heartburn; steatorrhea; lack of appetite; diarrhea alternating with constipation.

Giardia symptoms. The hepatobiliary form in many cases occurs in adults. It is characterized by the following symptoms: pain in the right side; bitter taste in the mouth; belching; pain on palpation of the liver; yellowness of the skin and itching; irritability; general malaise; dark circles under the eyes; an allergic skin rash; cracked lips.

Giardiasis symptoms
Giardiasis symptoms

For the acute stage of giardiasis, the following symptoms are characteristic:

  • Nausea, lack of appetite, frequent belching.
  • Bloating, flatulence, rumbling in the intestines, profuse gas.
  • Weight loss.
  • In the area of the right hypochondrium and in the umbilical zone, painful sensations arise. At the same time, every second patient notes pain in the navel region, and about 15% of people indicate pain in the right hypochondrium. Painful sensations are very often associated with food intake, so they are not associated with giardiasis.
  • A bitter or sour taste appears in the mouth.
  • Diarrhea may develop. In this case, the chair becomes more frequent, it can happen from 3 to 5 times a day. If at the beginning of the acute period the nature of the stool is liquid and watery, then later it thickens and becomes greasy.
  • Salivation increases.
  • Rapid fatigue and unexplained weakness are observed.
  • Working capacity is deteriorating.
  • Skin rashes appear.
  • Avitaminosis. Its symptoms are reduced to increased fragility of nails, hair loss, peeling of the skin, etc.

The acute period lasts for five days, but sometimes it can last for a week. If a person has an immunodeficiency, then the acute period of giardiasis, as a rule, is longer, and all of the listed symptoms are manifested in full.

Sometimes in the acute phase, symptoms of biliary dyskinesia occur. If in children with giardiasis, the body temperature rises and symptoms of intoxication increase, then for adult patients such a clinical picture is not typical.

Symptoms of lambiosis in children

Giardia symptoms. Parasitic infection with flagellate protozoa such as Giardia intestinalis is a common disease that, according to various sources, affects up to 30% of children - newborns, infants, preschoolers, schoolchildren and adolescents.

Such an invasion can manifest itself in different ways: a rash, intestinal upset, dysfunction of internal organs and, most importantly, general intoxication of the body. And although giardiasis in a child is relatively safe, it can lead to an exacerbation of chronic diseases. The transition of the invasion itself to the latent stage is also dangerous. Therefore, parents should know exactly how giardia appears in children, symptoms and treatment, prevention of the disease.

In about half of the cases, the presence of parasites in the body is practically not manifested in any way. Minor ailments experienced by the child are written off by the parents for other reasons.

The disease in children is more common in acute form, the main symptoms of which are the following:

  • diarrhea. Diarrhea is the most common symptom of the disease. The nature of feces with giardiasis changes, the feces become liquid, with an unpleasant odor, admixture of mucus, usually yellow. Sometimes diarrhea alternates with constipation;
  • indigestion. The work of the intestines is disrupted, gas formation increases, and bloating occurs. Nausea and vomiting are symptoms characteristic of the acute form of the disease, rarely occur in the chronic course;
  • abdominal pain. Increased flatulence, flatulence, improper bowel function lead to spasms and pain around the navel and in the stomach;
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
  • temperature increase. A slight increase in temperature is possible with the initial ingestion of lamblia into the child's body. It is characteristic of the acute form of giardiasis and is combined with intoxication and deterioration in the general condition of the baby;
  • violation of appetite. Against the background of a general deterioration in the condition, the appetite of the little one also changes. With an asymptomatic course, there may be no changes in appetite;
  • malabsorption.

Giardia symptoms. Disruption of bowel function and frequent loose stools lead to decreased absorption of nutrients in the intestine. The kid does not receive enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals and begins to lose weight;

Skin changes. Lack of vitamins is manifested by skin symptoms, the skin becomes dry, seizures appear in the corners of the mouth, and cracks appear on the lips. Sometimes there is an increase in pigmentation, a marbled pattern of the skin;

deterioration of health. All this leads to a deterioration in the general condition of the crumbs, the baby becomes irritable, capricious, gets tired quickly. If giardiasis is not recognized for a long time and the correct treatment is not prescribed, chronic malaise leads to a lag in the physical development of children

Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
  • allergic reactions. Giardia multiply in the baby's body and release toxins that are absorbed into the bloodstream. Toxins suppress the functioning of the immune system and provoke the development of various allergic reactions, atopic dermatitis. Why do allergies and coughs occur in children with giardiasis? Giardia lives only in the intestines and does not enter the lungs in any way, why is coughing considered one of the signs of giardiasis? The cough is a response to the introduction of toxins, often of an allergic nature. A reduced immunity with giardiasis provokes the development of chronic bronchitis;
  • neurological disorders. Constant intoxication and vitamin deficiency lead to a disorder of the nervous system. In addition to irritability and anxiety, there are nervous tics, hand tremors, teeth grinding at night.

How to treat giardiasis

Giardia symptoms. The question of how to treat giardiasis requires an integrated approach, but the main remedy is antiparasitic drugs. However, they have a high level of toxicity and allergenicity, so it is worth preparing the body before taking them and recovering after.

In this regard, all treatment is divided into 3 stages:

  • preparatory. This stage lasts 2 weeks and includes: elimination of symptoms of intoxication; restoration of the enzymatic activity of the intestine; taking medicines that improve the flow of bile, enzymes, antiallergic, sorbents; raising immunity; diet;
  • taking antiparasitic drugs. The duration of this stage is no more than 10 days due to the toxic effect of the funds - this therapy includes the use of antiprotozoal agents, sorbents, as well as antihistamine therapy, which is directed against the body's sensitization to etiotropic drugs;
  • restoration of the body and increased immunity. This is the longest stage. It includes taking vitamins, probiotics, enzymes, and a diet that is aimed at restoring intestinal motility. At the same stage, and with chronic giardiasis, treatment with folk remedies is allowed.

It should be noted that specific drugs against lamblia have a number of contraindications: blood diseases; renal, liver failure; organic diseases of the central nervous system; pregnancy; lactation; allergies.

Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults

Among the side effects are: dyspeptic disorders: nausea, vomiting; loss of appetite, salivation; pain in the abdomen; violation of the stool; metal taste in the mouth; violation of taste perception; allergic reactions.

Nervous system disorders: headaches, dizziness; poor sleep, nervousness; violation of coordination of movements; convulsions; hearing loss; loss of consciousness.

Locally: pain in the vagina, abundant odorless discharge; fungal infections of the genitals; polyuria; possibly brick-colored urine. Some drugs are strictly prohibited for children.

The consequences of parasitizing lamblia in the body

Giardia symptoms. Parasitism of lamblia in the human small intestine is accompanied by a number of pathological effects:

the introduction of lamblia into the mucous membrane of the small intestine causes the development of inflammation in it, which is the result of the toxic effects of the parasite's waste products. As a result of inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, the tissues of the small intestine are damaged, which leads to impaired absorption and insufficient enzymatic activity

Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
  • the binding of bile acids is disrupted, which causes itching, impaired intestinal motility, dyskinesia of the biliary tract and the development of a chronic inflammatory process in the biliary system;
  • the synthesis of secretory immunoglobulin A decreases, which leads to chronic inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract;
  • long-term activity of lamblia, the effect of their metabolites on the body forms a syndrome of chronic endogenous intoxication and secondary immune deficiency.

Prevention of giardiasis

Giardia symptoms. To prevent the development of this disease, you should follow some simple rules:

  • the main thing in the prevention of giardiasis is to observe the rules of personal hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and water after coming from the street and before eating, no matter how corny it sounds, and tirelessly repeat this to the children. Towels for adults and children must be separate;
  • fresh vegetables and fruits should also be sanitized before eating;
  • drink only boiled water. Even tap water can be contaminated with parasites due to a poor filter system. And boiling kills giardia in almost 100% of cases;
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
Symptoms and treatment of lamblia in adults
  • get rid of the addiction of biting your nails. Children should be monitored so that they do not put their fingers in their mouths, toys and various garbage on the street;
  • boost immunity and eat well balanced. Limit easily digestible carbohydrates in your diet and introduce foods that normalize bowel function: vegetables, fruits, cereals; pay special attention to pets. Be sure to give them anthelmintic therapy.

Giardiasis is a disease, after which the body does not develop strong immunity. Therefore, you can get infected with it again. But its course, like the treatment, is quite long. Be on the lookout: if doubtful signs appear, see your doctor so as not to delay treatment.

Find out more:

  • Giardia in the liver: how to remove giardia from the liver
  • Giardia: what is it, how it manifests itself and how to treat it
  • Cleanse the body of parasites with folk remedies
  • Cleansing the body from parasites - means and drugs

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