How to cure Giardia in a child: methods of infection with parasites, diagnosis of the disease and competent treatment. Giardiasis in children - signs and treatment of the disease

Infection in children can occur in various forms and with a variety of clinical symptoms, for example, allergic-dermatological, dyspeptic, intoxication, etc. Susceptibility to infection in children is three times higher than in the general population.

The danger of pathology is that in young patients it can hide under the guise of other diseases, so the diagnosis and prevention of the development of giardiasis is a rather serious problem.

Therefore, in children affected by Giardia, fungal infections, Helicobacter pylori are often detected, and the content of lacto- and bifidobacteria organisms drops critically.

Against the background of such changes, a pronounced one develops, which creates a favorable environment for the further progression of giardiasis in the structures of the intestinal sections.

As a result, a multivitamin type deficiency and an acute micronutrient deficiency are formed.

Against the background of these processes, the intestinal walls are irritated, their nerve endings activate reflex reactions, causing abdominal syndrome. As a result of sensitization, the child often begins to show allergic reactions, etc.

Photo of a rash in the form of dermatosis with giardiasis in children

Classification

Primary, when there is an acute form of giardiasis. Typically, such lesions are detected in very young children of toddler and kindergarten age;
Secondary or protracted is chronic giardiasis, which usually occurs in school-age children and adults.

Also, giardiasis can develop in a child as a concomitant pathology.

Symptoms of an acute form of giardiasis in children

The main blow is directed at the small intestine structures that are involved in digestion and absorption, so the pathology is often manifested by exhaustion.

It is possible to determine the development of giardiasis in a child by some specific manifestations:

Often, giardiasis occurs with a neuropsychic syndrome, in which patients complain of headaches and dizziness, memory impairment, or nervous tics.

Signs of a chronic form

Against the background of giardia lesions, there may be instability of the stool, peeling and noticeable dryness of the skin, allergic pathologies, keratosis or periodic hyperthermic signs to subfebrile values, as well as symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Diagnostics

It is necessary to pass tests for giardiasis for all children with deviations in the gastrointestinal tract of activity, neurotic or vegetative disorders, increased allergenicity, etc.

To identify giardiasis invasions, the child needs to take a stool sample for analysis, and this procedure must be done three times, since the cysts are excreted unevenly, which is why they may not be found in the stool.

Also, for the diagnosis of giardiasis, laboratory studies of duodenal masses, serological studies, diagnostics, etc. are prescribed. Additionally, diagnostic studies such as ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, blood biochemistry, detection of dysbacteriosis by feces, etc. can be prescribed.

How to cure an infection?

The treatment of giardiasis should be handled exclusively by an experienced specialist, especially when a child is affected. To do this, you need to contact an infectious disease specialist or a gastroenterologist.

The general scheme of therapy is based on diagnostic data, laboratory results, assessment of the general well-being of the baby, etc. The preparatory stage of treatment requires strict adherence to the diet and relief of cholestasis. This stage lasts about 20 days.

Diet

In children's giardiasis, it involves an approach that necessarily takes into account the allergenic effect. For example, allergic reactions are usually caused by citruses and berries, nuts, etc. Therefore, these products will have to be excluded from the diet of a small patient for the duration of treatment.

The basis of the menu should be simple dishes of lean meat, vegetables, compotes and low-fat cottage cheese, etc. If there is no rash characteristic of giardiasis, then a small amount of bright red berries, fruits or vegetables like cherries, tomatoes or beets can be introduced into the menu.

To exclude the wrong selection of products, you need to contact the pediatrician, who will select the dietary diet necessary for the baby.

Food should be steamed or boiled. Only strict adherence to the principles of diet therapy guarantees the child a speedy recovery.

Folk remedies

Among the folk methods, the following are especially known:

Cucumber water. Half a kilo of overripe cucumbers must be poured with a liter of boiling water and insisted. The resulting drink should be given to the child throughout the day.
Garlic milk. Boil the milk and cool a little, pour into a glass and add a couple of garlic cloves there. The tool is suitable for the treatment of children over 6 years of age, who should be given a drink of ¼ cup four times a day, about an hour before meals. Take this milk until recovery.
Plantain with honey. Chop plantain leaves and mix with honey 1:1. Give the baby such a mixture of tsp. three times a day about half an hour before meals. The medicine is suitable for children over 7 years of age.
Flax-seed. It is necessary to prepare a mixture of 10 teaspoons of flaxseeds and 1 teaspoon of cloves, pour it with water and boil for half an hour. Divide the weight of the child by 3. The final result will be the dose of decoction for the baby. Drinking should be given no more than three times a day, the course is one and a half to two weeks.

There are still a lot of folk recipes for the treatment of giardiasis in children, however, they cannot be practiced on their own in order to exclude the possibility of unforeseen complications. Therefore, it is necessary to first discuss the details of such treatment with a specialist.

Preparations

It is the second phase of therapy for giardiasis. Usually, the duration of taking the drugs does not exceed a weekly course, although in some cases the doctor may extend the treatment.

The drug Macmirror is often used for the treatment of giardiasis, and the number of possible adverse reactions from it is minimal, and the water spectrum of antimicrobial action, on the contrary, is quite wide.

15 mg of the drug is taken per kilogram of weight. Parents of young patients who were prescribed this drug were very satisfied with the therapeutic result.

Svetlana:

They found giardiasis in my son, the doctor prescribed Macmirror. I was very afraid for the child, I thought it was safer to treat folk remedies, but my husband convinced me. We drank a course of the drug, I was pleasantly surprised that it acts gently, I did not notice any side effects. Therefore, I was worried in vain, for the kids it is safe.

Nemozol

A fairly popular anthelmintic drug is Nemozol. It is able to destroy not only adult giardia, but also their larvae, which often makes this remedy a priority in the treatment of giardiasis.

But it cannot be used to treat children with hepatic pathologies, diseases of the eye retina. The drug should be taken only at the same time as meals. The dosage is 10 mg per kilogram.

Elena:

When my daughter was diagnosed with lamblia during registration at school, I was simply shocked. I myself am literally obsessed with hygiene and my daughter taught it from the cradle, but giardiasis was diagnosed. Nemozol was prescribed for his treatment. I didn’t think before that he was prescribed small, but you can’t argue with the doctor. After the first dose, there was no reaction to the drug, but after the next dose of the drug, the daughter began to feel nausea and vomited several times. It happened a couple more times, but then all the side reactions disappeared, the body adapted to the medicine and we successfully drank the entire course. Control analyzes of lamblia were not found.

Hofitol

The drug Hofitol is also considered an effective remedy, and the drug is of plant origin, and its basis is the artichoke.

The tool helps to eliminate many toxins, nitrates, etc. The drug is directly indicated in the presence of giardiasis.

For children, syrup forms are usually used.

Forecast

If the course of treatment is carried out completely, then remission according to clinical and laboratory data is achieved in about 95% of small patients. But there are situations when there is a relapse or reinfection of giardiasis in children.

Therefore, in order to avoid such a reaction, the pediatrician observes the child after treatment for another six months. During this time, it is necessary to undergo 2-3 preventive examinations for giardia infestations.

Prevention

Preventive measures for giardiasis involve the timely detection of infected children in children's groups, as well as their timely treatment. Parents should instill personal hygiene habits in their children from an early age.

For drinking, it is better to use pre-boiled water, and fruits or vegetables should be thoroughly washed and poured over with boiling water. Also excellent preventive methods are anti-epidemic measures in preschool and school institutions.

What doctor treats?

Giardiasis is treated by a pediatric gastroenterologist.

Video transmission of Dr. Komarovsky about giardiasis in children:

Ways of infection

To protect the child from infection, it is necessary to study all possible ways of infection. So, there are three main methods of infection:

Important! Pay close attention to what your child eats and what they do during independent play. Prevent routes of infection by explaining their dangers and consequences.
Symptoms of giardiasis in babies do not differ from the signs that appear in adults. Therefore, parents should take a closer look not only at the child's behavior and appearance, but also at themselves in particular.

Signs of Giardia in children

The main signs of the presence of lamblia in children include:

Subfebrile body temperature - it does not exceed 37.5 degrees and can rise before bedtime for two weeks every day. At the same time, the baby does not complain of sore throat, he does not have a cough or runny nose.

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract - the baby's parents are concerned about indigestion, which is manifested by constipation and diarrhea replacing each other. At the same time, adults cannot determine what causes nutritional problems and what foods cause diarrhea or constipation. Such violations within a few days can lead to dysbacteriosis, the treatment of which will take a long time.

Often Giardia settle in the liver, passing into the body through the natural blood circulation. Such an infection leads to several distinctive symptoms, which include:

The child's tongue is "lined" - a plaque appears in the oral cavity. There may not be a plaque - characteristic ulcers or acne appear instead.

The baby often vomits, and often there are bile secretions in the vomit.

With damage to the liver, the organ increases, which is manifested by the same pains in the abdomen, in the right hypochondrium. A characteristic enlargement of the liver or spleen (which also increases due to damage to internal organs) is determined by palpation.

Stool donation

The collection of feces in this case should take place in the following sequence:

The collected biomaterial, which has just been removed from the body of an infected child, is placed in a sterile jar.

The received material must be delivered to the clinic within 20 minutes, which is not always possible.

Maximum - laboratory assistants conduct a standard study, if 2 hours have not passed after the collection of the material, as indicated on the jar (indicate the time of collection of the biomaterial).

How to donate blood

Blood is taken in the morning on an empty stomach. The child should not be given food, sweets and other goodies. The maximum that a child can consume in the morning is water. In "critical" situations, it is allowed to drink tea without sugar, milk and other food additives.

It should also be noted that before taking the tests, it is forbidden to eat food for 10 hours.

How, then, to identify Giardia in a child? Experts in the survey are guided by complex data. It takes into account tests, urine and blood, symptoms and changes in the child's behavior, palpation of the abdomen and the child's complaints of pain during such an examination.

Important! For greater reliability, analyzes are carried out several times with a difference of 2-3 weeks, often within a month. At intervals of the specified time, the child undergoes the prescribed treatment, compiled by a specialist so as not to harm the health of the baby.

How to cure a disease in a child

After determining the infection, the question quite reasonably arises of how to remove Giardia. After all, this also causes difficulties. Unlike conventional helminthiases, this treatment must include certain stages.

Preparatory stage - diet

Before removing Giardia from a child, he must be put on a diet that prohibits fatty and spicy foods and foods, sweets, and a large amount of flour. The baby needs a complete balanced diet with plenty of cereals in the water. You can give fruits and vegetables in small amounts, but only those that do not cause bloating in the child.
It is important to restore the intestinal microflora during the diet, so whole milk, cabbage or boiled rice are prohibited here. In the process of treatment, it is necessary to use medicinal mineral water, which is purchased in pharmacies. It can be replaced by a special solution taken by children during a period of severe poisoning.

The presented diet is followed for two weeks.

Medical treatment

Effective remedies include:

Metronidazole - the drug is approved for the treatment of children older than 2 years. It is taken for 5 days with a daily dose of 0.4 g, which is divided into three doses.

Albendazole - the dosage is calculated as 0.015 g per 1 kg of the child's weight. The duration of treatment is also 5 days. The drug is approved for use by children of all ages.

Furazolidone - taken after meals 4 times a day for a week. The daily dosage is calculated as 0.01 g per 1 kg of body weight.

Flamin - allowed for all children, the drug is taken one hour before meals. The duration of treatment is 10 days. The daily dosage of half a tablet is divided into 3 doses.

The listed drugs have many side effects, therefore, if a child worsens, you should immediately stop using the drug and consult a doctor again for a different treatment regimen.

Recovery stage

After the course of drug treatment has been applied, the recovery phase begins within two weeks. Some drugs may be extended depending on the health of the baby. The following drugs are used here:

Treatment with folk remedies

Several methods of treating giardiasis with alternative methods should be indicated, which are used only after consulting a doctor. Effective recipes include the following options.

cucumber infusion

Use slightly overripe cucumbers, which contain a large number of seeds. Two hundred grams of cucumbers are poured with boiling water in a saucepan and covered with a lid. Wrap the pan with a towel and leave for two hours to infuse. After the infusion has cooled, put the pan in the refrigerator. Let the baby drink the infusion during the day. The daily dosage is at least half a liter.
Dandelion roots are purchased at a pharmacy or prepared independently. The plant must be washed, dried and chopped. Pour 3 tablespoons of roots with a liter of boiling water and leave on low heat to boil for a quarter of an hour. The broth is filtered and given to drink to the child with the calculation of a teaspoon per 10 kg of the child's weight. Take at least twice a day for 10 days.
Take the herb, wash, dry and grind it. Pour a tablespoon of the collection into a thermos and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Keep the infusion for two hours and strain before use. The medicine is given to the baby in the amount of 1 tablespoon before each meal.

These methods can be dangerous for children. Often, they simply develop an allergy. Therefore, the selected recipe should be used carefully - after the first use, monitor the condition of the baby. If you notice any abnormalities in him, immediately stop treatment.

Komarovsky: treatment of giardiasis

Disease prevention

Prevention of Giardia infection is carried out in compliance with the following rules:

It is necessary to monitor the state of food and products that the child and all family members consume. Be sure to wash fruits and vegetables with special cleaners that remove all dirt, including harmful microorganisms.

Don't let your baby drink plain tap water. It must be filtered or boiled.

Monitor your child's personal hygiene. Teach him to wash his hands before eating and every time after the street or visiting public places.

Wean your child from bad habits. The child should not suck his thumb, bite his nails or objects.

Do not bathe your baby and do not bathe yourself in waters with questionable water conditions.

To prevent infection in a child, be sure to undergo an examination yourself. In no case do not allow the baby to come into close contact with the animal, and after playing, go wash your hands. If you have a pet, wash the floors more often using special detergents.

Protozoa enter the child's body in the form of cysts. In the people, giardiasis is called the disease of "unwashed hands", which is quite difficult to treat. The protozoa in the body quickly come out of their dormant state and begin to multiply, localizing in the internal organs, causing their functional disorder. Giardia also causes a significant decrease in immunity, a low percentage of absorption of nutrients, and the immunity of the child's body to vaccination.

Giardiasis is an insidious disease. Its symptoms are so similar to other intestinal infections that it is quite difficult to diagnose the disease without special tests. There are a number of cases of useless treatment of children with an unexplained diagnosis in the pulmonological, allergic, immunological department of clinics, at a time when their body was affected by protozoa - lamblia, says the head of the children's infectious diseases department of the Moscow Multidisciplinary Clinical and Diagnostic Center Trustmed, an infectious disease specialist Irina Viktorovna Semina.

In children, the intestinal form of giardiasis develops with the ingestion of protozoa with poorly washed fruits and vegetables, but most often with dirty water. These are summer bathing in open reservoirs infected with infection, drunk water from the tap. Even modern water filters are not able to prevent infection from entering the child's body. Only boiling helps to purify water from protozoa.

Every decade - 10 days, there is a release of cysts from the child's body with feces. That is why it is so difficult to detect their presence in fecal feces the first time.

In some cases, self-rejection of the protozoa by the body may occur. But this is observed only in the case of a strong immune system of the child, able to heal itself, and an absolutely healthy gastrointestinal tract with an intact mucosa. Under other circumstances, Giardia can again go into a dormant state, form cysts, hiding in the internal organs, and do not show signs of life for many years. Only with the onset of favorable conditions, the disease can manifest itself.

Over the past period, cases of diagnosing giardiasis of infancy have become more frequent. There are signs of giardiasis in breastfed babies:

tearfulness;
refusal to eat;
episodic temperature up to 38 ° C, or subfebrile, not falling for a long time;
severe diarrhea;
dysbacteriosis;
allergic reactions;
slowdown in physical development.

In this case, the entry of lamblia into the baby's body could only occur due to the negligence of the parents. In the event of the manifestation of the above symptoms, parents should urgently contact a pediatric infectious disease specialist. Independent measures to suppress the signs of the disease in infants are categorically not recommended..

Giardia in children older than one year of age

There are drastic changes in the child's behavior. At first, the child refuses to eat, and then begins to rapidly lose weight, up to exhaustion..

According to the form of the disease, two types of giardiasis are distinguished: acute and chronic. Both one and the second form must be treated.

Symptoms of acute giardiasis:

frequent defecation with liquid, watery, fetid masses - “fatty diarrhea”, which is poorly washed off the walls of the pot;
feverish state;
abdominal pain, the clinical picture is similar to the diagnosis of "acute abdomen";
allergic manifestations in the form of a pink rash;
exacerbation of the disease in the presence of atopic dermatitis;
general condition is poor.

Without appropriate treatment, the signs of the disease gradually fade away and the disease becomes chronic.

Symptoms of chronic giardiasis:

indigestion;
gastroduodenitis;
biliary dyskinesia;
flatulence;
pain in the middle of the abdomen, around the umbilical region;
unstable multiple bowel movements with mushy feces.

In addition to the general signs of an infectious lesion, there are a number of characteristic signs of Giardia lesions in a child older than one year of age:

Prolonged diarrhea. Fecal masses of a sharp unpleasant odor that stick to the walls of the toilet bowl, since fats are not digested by the body during infection.
Long-term non-falling temperature, keeping on subfebrile indicators.
Prolonged feverish state - chills interspersed with heat against the background of general weakness in the body.
The occurrence of acute pain around the umbilical region - the place of the projection of the small intestine on the surface of the body.
Skin allergic reactions in the form of an itchy rash are possible.
Occasionally - nausea accompanied by vomiting.

Against the background of these symptoms, a rapid weight loss of the child occurs, leading to exhaustion..

The manifestation of giardiasis in adolescents

When infected in a child in adolescence, giardiasis manifests itself in the form of vegetative dysfunctions of the body and is noted:

pressure drops;
dizziness;
vasomotor rhinitis;
motion sickness in transport.

Often, the symptoms of giardiasis in adolescents are confused with signs characteristic of biliary dyskinesia..

Any prescribed treatment that is not aimed at suppressing the vital activity of lamblia, of course, leads to nothing and is ineffective.

That is why it is so important to conduct an appropriate diagnosis for the child for the simplest, especially if the uncharacteristic signs are supported by the above symptoms of the manifestation of the presence of lamblia in the body.

Examination of the child's body and tests for Giardia

There is a specific diagnosis of giardiasis in children with a standard analysis for protozoa:

Taking a coprogram, or examining feces under a microscope.
Taking blood for serological testing.
Taking blood for duodenal examination.

A duodenal blood test is performed only for children who have reached the age of 10.

The main conclusions of the diagnosis of giardiasis are made on the basis of the findings of studies of feces and the contents of the duodenum. Solid stools are examined during the first day after taking the analysis, since the survivability of cysts persists for a ten-day period. Feces that are liquid in consistency must be delivered and examined in the laboratory no later than 15 minutes after a bowel movement, since the survivability of the vegetative form of Giardia is barely 30 minutes.

Targeted studies of feces for giardiasis are carried out daily for 3-4 days, since the accuracy of any analysis of feces does not exceed 70% in terms of its effectiveness. In this case, the child is given a small dose of laxative, which allows you to regularly collect feces for analysis. Microscopy by formalin-ether precipitation should be performed immediately, while the feces are still warm.

A blood test is the search and detection of antibodies formed as a result of infection of the body with Giardia. But even this analysis does not give a clear picture, inducing the presence of protozoa in the body.

It is precisely because of the difficulties in conducting research on children that the treatment of giardiasis is classified as a disease that is difficult to treat, despite the abundance of pharmacological preparations, as well as folk recipes for expelling protozoa from the body.

If the disease has affected the child, it is necessary to resort to classical medicine, and traditional medicine to be used as an adjuvant therapy, since the child, with an established diagnosis, needs serious and immediate treatment.

To expel protozoa from the body in a modern therapeutic technique, an effective scheme has been developed for the destruction of Giardia of the intestine, liver, bile ducts and duodenum. The technique is divided into three stages, the duration of which depends on the degree of damage and the severity of the disease.

As noted by the reviews of parents whose children received complex treatment in a clinical setting, the fifth day is critical in all respects. As a rule, the child becomes worse, the condition of the intestine is noted as painful, the body temperature rises. This is due to the death of protozoa and the entry of intoxication products into the blood. Already at the first stage, antihistamines are introduced into the course. The treatment prognosis is favorable, and from this moment the second stage of complex therapy begins.

At the second stage, anti-allergic drugs are administered. This can be either Loratedin or Cytirizine, as well as the introduction of choleretic herbal preparations into the scheme - Allochol and Holosas. Smecta, activated carbon or Polysorbate are prescribed as sorbents. For additional body support, enzymes are prescribed - Festal or Pancreatin, as well as a laxative for better defecation.

On the 10th or 12th day after the start of complex treatment, the reviews of parents note a significant improvement in the child's condition. In total, the child's lambliasis is cured in two to three months, but do not forget that there is a disease prevention that prevents not only relapses, but also a priori infection with protozoa.

Prevention of infection with protozoa comes down to elementary hygiene rules: washing hands, washing vegetables and fruits with high quality and rinsing them with boiled water before eating, being attentive to pets and timely deworming them.

Under the blow of insidious Giardia, the small intestine and liver are primarily affected. There are problems with the absorption of nutrients. The consequences of the vital activity of helminths affect the quality of blood, inflicting a “poison blow” on the donor.

What is lamblia?

vegetative;
spore.

➡ Vegetative form

In its vegetative, active form, Giardia is pear-like, less than 0.02 mm in size. "Equipped" with four pairs of flagella, with the help of which it moves in the donor's body. On the thickened part of the "pear" there is a suction disc - thanks to it, the protozoan is attached to the walls of the intestine. Giardia feeds on a solution of nutrients formed during digestion. "Prefers" carbohydrate foods - sweets and flour products.

In the vegetative phase of their life, Giardia actively reproduces by ordinary division, like amoeba. Their number is growing at an incredible rate.

If an immature Giardia individual falls into less comfortable conditions, it adapts to the environment, turning into a cyst. From the large intestine with feces, helminths exit the body. In encapsulated form, they can live for months until they find a new "owner".

The number of viable cysts is directly dependent on the degree of infection and the food consumed by the child. In summer and autumn, there are more of them due to the large amount of fiber in the diet. The longer the baby is infected, the greater the number of encapsulated Giardia secreted by him. The main source of infection with giardiasis is a person who is able to excrete helminth cysts, his habits and lifestyle. The mechanism of infection is fecal-oral.

There are three main modes of transmission of the disease:

not washed or poorly washed vegetables, fruits and berries;
undercooked or undercooked meat;
products infected with flies or cockroaches;

⇒ 2. Water. A significant part of the epidemic manifestations of the disease is of a water nature. In a humid environment, Giardia cysts live for a very long time - up to several months. A very high incidence of giardiasis is noted when effluents from contaminated soil or effluents containing infected animal excrement are poured into the drinking water intake. Fraught with similar outbreaks and malfunctions at treatment facilities. Infection occurs:

through unboiled drinking water;
through vegetables and fruits washed with tap water or water from rivers and lakes;
when swimming in open water contaminated with Giardia cysts.

non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
unsanitary living conditions;
use of infected household items (linen, dishes, toys);
the presence of bad habits (sucking fingers, pencils, biting nails);
playing with yard cats and dogs;
infection of the infant from the mother during childbirth or through breast milk.

Important! Giardia cysts do not live in sea water.

Symptoms of giardiasis in children

The clinical picture of giardiasis is often similar to the manifestations of other "sores". If parents doubt whether children have Giardia, the symptoms and treatment of the disease should be controlled by a specialist. However, signs of infection with helminth cysts should be known. If you have several symptoms, you need to rush to an appointment with a specialist. The main manifestations of giardiasis:

loose stools (frothy, sometimes fetid), turning into diarrhea. Sometimes diarrhea is replaced by constipation within a few days;
belching, heartburn, bitterness in the mouth;
nausea and vomiting;
bloating, increased gas formation;
pain in the right hypochondrium and in the navel;
slight increase in body temperature;
allergic manifestations that outwardly resemble diathesis or measles. In adolescents, the appearance or exacerbation of acne is possible;
poor appetite;
weight loss;
dizziness, headache;
general malaise;
enlargement of the spleen and liver;
causeless enlargement of the lymph nodes;
choking cough;
fatigue, decreased concentration;
irritability;
grinding of teeth, usually during sleep;
change in skin pigmentation (darkening, pallor, "marble" nose);
the appearance of a yellowish coating on the tongue;
dry skin (“chicks”, seizures, cracks in the feet);
hair thinning.

A large number of Giardia cysts provokes an acute form of the disease. It usually occurs in the youngest children under the age of three. This is explained by the fact that babies have an underdeveloped immune system. Diagnosing acute giardiasis is not easy. The baby begins to be treated for other diseases, and giardiasis becomes chronic. The clinical picture of the disease must be confirmed by laboratory tests.

Diagnosis of the disease

If giardiasis is not detected on time, unpleasant consequences are possible. In addition, it is easier to treat a disease detected in the early stages. There are several research methods that allow diagnosing the infection of the body with Giardia:

Palpation. The doctor analyzes the pain sensations of a small patient in the area of the intestines, gallbladder, liver;
Coprogram. A study of feces is being carried out to detect Giardia cysts. May show a false negative result - at the "silent" stages, when cysts are not excreted in the feces. Repeated studies are recommended;
Sounding. Examine the biliary system. With this method, you can detect not only cysts, but also active forms of lamblia. False negative results are excluded. To carry out probing, the child must be more than ten years old;
Biopsy. The epithelium of the small intestine is studied.
ELISA blood test. Antibodies to Giardia appear in the body two weeks after infection. This method even allows you to name the approximate period of development of the disease. Blood from a vein is taken on an empty stomach. It is recommended to use simultaneously with a coprogram.

There are modern immunological methods for detecting giardia antigens in feces and antibodies in the small intestine, blood serum, and saliva. They are promising, but are still rarely used in domestic medicine. Usually, experts resort to the simplest method - the study of feces.

Important! Diagnosis of the disease can give incorrect results if the patient is taking antibiotics. Drugs are able to temporarily destroy a significant part of the helminths.

Drug treatment of giardiasis

Doctors of the "old school" recommend that when Giardia is detected, treatment should be started immediately. Experts who adhere to the modern approach advise resorting to massive therapy only after the manifestation of obvious symptoms - vomiting and diarrhea.

Parents should think about it. Perhaps the child is only a carrier of Giardia cysts. And it is still unknown how his body will react to the use of serious drugs. Although, according to Russian sanitary rules, a child infected with giardiasis will not be allowed into kindergarten. In any case, it is better to consult a specialist with a good professional reputation and credibility.

Doctors treat giardiasis according to a well-established scheme, which includes three stages:

Important! It is advisable to start the diet two weeks before drug therapy.

➡ Restorative. After the elimination of the causative agents of giardiasis, enzymes and agents are prescribed to stabilize the intestinal flora. The intake of sorbents is not canceled, the diet is observed.

It happens that during the secondary diagnosis, after a few months, the tests again show the presence of helminth cysts in the child. But there is no unequivocal answer to the question whether this is caused by re-infection or the treatment only temporarily “suppressed” giardiasis. In any case, a second cycle of treatment of the disease with other drugs is carried out.

Treatment of giardiasis folk remedies

At the stage of recovery of the body, traditional medicine gives good results. But "grandmother's" means should be used, only supplementing the main treatment.

Cucumber tincture. Pour 200 g of seed cucumbers with boiling water, insist. Drink at least half a liter a day;
Bergamot oil. Drop a drop of oil on a cube of refined sugar. Consume on an empty stomach for seven days;
Aspen decoction. Grind the bark, leaves, buds of the tree. Pour a spoonful of the resulting powder with a liter of water. Boil for half an hour. Strain, let cool. Drink 200 g twice a day for half a month;
A decoction of dandelion roots. Grind two tablespoons of roots, add half a liter of water. Boil 15 minutes. Drain through cheesecloth, let cool. Drink in the morning and before going to bed on an empty stomach for 10 days. Dosage - a teaspoon of decoction per 10 kilograms of a child's weight;
Tincture of celandine. Grind a tablespoon of grass, pour into a thermos, pour 400 g of boiling water. Let it brew for two hours, drain through the filter. Take a tablespoon before meals. After five days of taking the tincture, take a two-day break;
Compresses with grease. Take a towel soaked in hot water, put on the stomach in the liver area for 10-15 minutes. Wipe the skin dry, put a sheet of paper on this place, on it - a white grease. Cover with plastic wrap. Do at night. Wash off grease in the morning, lubricate the skin with a greasy cream. The procedure is carried out every night for a crescent;
Garlic. Grind 300 g of garlic, pour vodka, let it brew for 10 days in a dark, well-heated place. Take 10-20 g twice a day after meals. Do not use in the treatment of children under 12 years of age;
Kalina. In the morning for two weeks, eat a handful of viburnum. Chew the bones thoroughly;
Sagebrush. Grind. 10 days to use a teaspoon with plenty of liquid. To eliminate bitterness, add a little honey;
Flax-seed. Grind the seeds, mix in a ratio of 10: 1 with spicy cloves. Take with food;
Coconut. Open the nut, divide into parts. Grind the pulp on a grater for three days, eat on an empty stomach. After taking the pulp, refrain from eating for about three hours;
Linden. Burn tree branches. Sift the ashes, mix with honey. Four days to drink before breakfast and dinner. Children under 10 - a teaspoon, after 10 - a tablespoon. Drink warm milk;
Pumpkin seeds. Eat from 50 to 100 g. The dosage depends on the age of the child;
Fennel. Grind, in a ratio of 1: 2, pour warm water. Insist during the day, drain the water. Pour water into the soaked fruits again in a ratio of 1: 1, boil. Strain, add drained water. Drink 30 minutes before meals for 50-100 g.

It is better to start auxiliary treatment with traditional medicine methods, nevertheless, on the recommendation of the attending physician. Perhaps some component of the tincture or decoction is contraindicated for the child. The specialist will also tell you how to choose the right menu for the baby. The basic principles of building a child's diet, taking into account the characteristics of giardiasis pathogens:

Avoid eating fast carbohydrates. The causative agents of giardiasis "love" sweets and pastries. These products contribute to the avalanche reproduction of helminths. You can ask the kindergarten staff to exclude buns and cheesecakes from the child's menu. It is recommended to limit the consumption of sweet fruits, dried fruits, fresh bread. It is allowed to give the baby crackers and crackers;
Planning a diet with the inclusion of slow carbohydrates. The child must eat porridge cooked on water: oatmeal, rice, wheat, buckwheat, corn;
Inclusion in the diet of foods that can create an acidic environment in the stomach. Before eating, children should eat sour fruit drinks and compotes. Sour fruits and berries are useful;
"Delivery" to the body of pectins. They cleanse the body of toxic substances, have a positive effect on peristalsis, and improve metabolism. Contained in fruits (apples) and berries;
Refusal of fatty, spicy, fried foods. It loads the digestive system to the maximum;
Selective protein intake. For cooking, varieties of meat and fish with a minimum fat content are suitable. Smoked products and all types of sausages are excluded;
Inclusion in the diet of dairy products. They normalize the intestinal microflora, it is advisable to use daily. Milk is banned - it creates conditions for fermentation in the intestines;
Organization of frequent meals. The daily ration should be divided into at least six doses. Food is good to grind, wipe;
Creation of a special drinking regimen. The body of the child should receive a lot of fluid. Water is preferred. Soda and juices are excluded.

Important! When conducting therapy in children, all family members and pets should be treated for giardiasis.

Prevention of Giardia infection

Cured giardiasis does not give the body immunity to the disease. Re-infection is possible. Moms and dads of children who got rid of helminths and parents who do not want the infection to get into their children must remember:

💡 Giardia enters the intestines of the child through dirty hands. It is not enough to moisten them with water after a walk, going to the toilet or playing with a kitten. It is important to lather your hands for at least 10-15 seconds. Parents should make sure that this becomes a habit for the baby.

💡 The most contagious object on a walk is a sandbox. Stray animals use it as a toilet. It is necessary to close the sandbox at night with a thick film stretched over rails. It will not be difficult to make it. It is worth taking care of such protection in kindergarten, asking teachers to close sandboxes after walks.

💡 All households must have a personal towel.

💡 Pets, whether it be a dog, cat or hamster, should be treated regularly for anthelmintic treatment. Do not interfere with them and wearing a flea collar. Do not allow your child to empty and clean animal trays.

💡 It is necessary to monitor if the child has developed bad habits. Gently, not relentlessly, you need to wean the baby from biting his nails, sucking his fingers, and taking foreign objects into his mouth.

💡 Drinking water should be boiled. Sanitizing tap water is not enough to kill Giardia cysts.

💡 Vegetables, fruits, fresh herbs should be washed under running water. Then they must be poured with boiling water and dried with a clean cloth.

💡 When relaxing on open water, pay special attention to the behavior of the child. No one is protected from swallowing water when bathing, so it is better to protect small children from water procedures in a river or lake. Sea water is an exception.

💡 The diet of the child should be complete and balanced. Foods containing simple carbohydrates (sugar, muffins, sugary drinks) should preferably be kept to a minimum. They should be replaced with products that can cleanse the intestines.

💡 Due attention should be focused on the nutrition of the child outside the home. You should not buy him food in fast food establishments.

💡 More time should be devoted to improving the immunity of the child. Hardening, classes in sports clubs and sections, active games in the fresh air will help this. The lack of essential vitamins and microelements should be replenished with preparations selected taking into account the characteristics of the child's body.

💡 If you find two or more symptoms of giardiasis, you need to contact a specialist. Better to be safe than to start a disease.

Although prevention does not guarantee 100% protection against Giardia, it will certainly reduce the possibility of infection. And the observance of basic precautions will protect against other, more serious diseases.

Hundreds of thousands of microorganisms have been identified in the world, and only some of them are capable of causing significant harm to a child's body. Since children are especially active, mobile and learn about the world, they are most often exposed to contact with the environment. At the same time, they do not have clear knowledge of how to observe personal hygiene. From this article you will learn everything about giardiasis, what are the symptoms and treatment of this disease, how to identify the signs of pathology and what are the causes of the development of the disease.

What is giardiasis

You should learn everything about Giardia in order to know your enemy in person. This microorganism is able to live in two forms:

mobile living individual;
immobile cyst.

Live Giardia (photo can be seen below) has the shape of a pear. It has 4 pairs of flagella, thanks to which it moves, and a special disk, with which it is fixed on the intestinal mucosa. The size of Giardia is from 9-20 microns.

Since mobile Giardia live in the environment for only about half an hour, diagnosing the disease can be difficult. Although they are excreted along with the feces, they soon die and cannot be detected.

Cystolamblia are able to stay in the environment for a long time, outside the body of a person or animal. This form of life is formed when a microorganism is exposed to unfavorable conditions in which an ordinary mobile individual does not live.

You can destroy Giardia of all forms in the following way:

after 10 minutes of boiling;
exposure to temperatures from -20 to -25 degrees.

The microorganism is well tolerated by any household disinfectants. However, for lamblia, the sun's rays, ultraviolet and quartz are detrimental.

You can get Giardia by mouth as follows:

Note! It is rare, but possible, that infection will occur through the mother's breast milk.

The source of Giardia can be earth and dust, which contains particles of animal excrement, contaminated water, and fruits and vegetables growing close to the ground.

The mechanism of the development of the disease

Giardia in children adversely affect their well-being and health. It is believed that infection will begin if 10 or more individuals have entered the body at a time.

Note! A child suffering from Giardia has an increased risk of developing bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis and chronic bronchitis.

Identifying Giardia in a child can be extremely difficult. Symptoms can resemble many different pathologies. Many doctors prescribe treatment for other diseases, but the clinical picture persists, as the true cause does not disappear.

Clinical picture of the disease

A good doctor should determine the symptoms and treatment of Giardia in children, since there is always a risk of misdiagnosis. Signs of giardiasis in children are usually pronounced. If, during the initial infection, a lot of cysts got into the body of the crumbs at once, the development of the disease will be rapid, and the course will be acute.

The main symptoms of lamblia in children are as follows:

prolonged diarrhea;
sticky stool;
fetid odor of feces;
prolonged nausea and vomiting;
weight loss;
fever;
rapid rise in temperature;
pink rash accompanied by itching;
dry allergic cough.

In severe cases, in a child with giardiasis, the skin turns pale. The tongue may become yellowish.

Giardia in the blood of a baby can lead to a decrease in the overall tone of life. The child becomes less active, lethargic, learning ability decreases. Children with such a diagnosis at school do not absorb information well, weakly concentrate attention.

Note! Giardiasis in children may be accompanied by pain localized around the navel.

If Giardia is localized in the liver, the baby may complain of pain in the right hypochondrium. When diagnosed, it may turn out that the lymph nodes, liver and spleen are enlarged.

Features of the disease in infancy

If Giardia appeared in a baby who was recently born, the symptoms may be as follows:

periodic increase in body temperature to 38 degrees;
severe watery diarrhea;
signs of dysbacteriosis;
giving up your favorite food.

At an early age, the development of giardiasis is especially dangerous, since the body lacks the necessary substances for the full development of the crumbs. Children can noticeably lag behind in development from their peers, be very capricious. Many parents noted causeless crying.

Features of the disease in children older than a year

Treatment of Giardia in children older than a year old can begin after the appearance of such symptoms:

fever;
allergic rash, as with hives;
shortness of breath, as after a run;
bruises under the eyes;
general weak appearance and well-being;
decreased physical activity.

If blood has not been donated for Giardia, the signs of the disease can be confused with the onset of bronchial asthma. Undoubtedly, any treatment in this case will be ineffective.

Features of the disease in adolescents

It is possible to determine whether Giardia lives in the human body in adolescence or not by the presence of such symptoms:

jumps in blood pressure;
motion sickness in transport;
the presence of vasomotor rhinitis;
dizziness;
spontaneous cramping pain in the abdomen.

Sometimes giardiasis with such a course is confused with appendicitis, gastroduodenitis and biliary dyskinesia.

Diagnostic measures

Several methods are used to diagnose giardiasis:

stool analysis;
analysis of the contents of the duodenum;
immunological analysis.

Important! In order for the diagnosis to be accurate, with a negative result, the study should be repeated after a while.

Cysts do not form constantly, this process takes place periodically. If the first test result is negative, the procedure should be repeated after a few days and then after a week.

The study of the secret from the duodenum is extremely rare. In our state, this is an expensive procedure and rarely used. The patient swallows a special capsule with reagents, it is fixed on a nylon thread, and then the data obtained is analyzed.

Taking a blood test without conducting a stool test may turn out to be uninformative. When a small amount of Giardia enters the body, the immune system copes with them on its own. At the same time, antibodies remain in the blood, which can be seen on the analysis. In this case, the body itself is no longer infected. A different picture is also possible: a person has just received an infection, cysts are present in the feces, but antibodies have not yet been developed in the blood.

Is therapy always required?

Opinion differs as to when to treat giardiasis. Some doctors believe that this is not necessary and the body will cope on its own, others conduct intensive therapy even if a small number of cysts are found in the feces.

Treatment of giardiasis in children is usually long-term. The most effective remedy can only be prescribed by the attending physician after the examination, so you should not self-medicate.

Most young patients tolerate both the disease itself and the treatment used well. However, stable immunity is not developed to the disease, so the risk of re-infection is quite high.

The treatment regimen for giardiasis includes several stages. It is noteworthy that therapy does not begin with the use of drugs.

To begin with, it is important to normalize the functioning of the digestive system. For this, enzyme preparations, sorbents (such as "Polysorb") can be prescribed to the child. It is extremely important at this stage to follow a diet for giardiasis.

The diet during treatment lasts 10-14 days and includes the following features:

refusal of fatty, fried foods;
elimination from the menu of whole milk, sweets;
refusal to bake;
the menu should be focused on the use of cereals;
you can eat dishes with vegetable oil;
lingonberries and cranberries have a beneficial effect.

After 2 weeks, you can start using drugs for Giardia. These can be such medicines:

skin rashes;
acne;
diarrhea;
intense pain in the abdomen.

The total duration of drug therapy is about a week. Means that have a choleretic effect can be prescribed, for example, "".

It will take about two more weeks to treat Giardia after this. This time is allotted for the use of enzymes, probiotics and immunomodulators. It is important to help the child's body fully recover from the disease.

In agreement with the attending physician, you can use folk remedies for Giardia. The following home remedies are used:

bergamot oil on a piece of sugar;
decoction of leaves and twigs of aspen;
tincture of cucumber seeds;
decoction of dandelion roots;
tincture of celandine.

Any therapy must be agreed with the attending physician.

Prevention

Prevention of giardiasis in children can be carried out with the help of walnuts. They can be consumed raw. It is important to do this regularly, at every meal. Prophylactic reception should last at least three days.

It is also important to observe the following measures:

always thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits before serving;
teach your child to wash their hands often with soap;
wean the baby from bad habits such as biting nails or other objects;
avoid close contact with pets, as they can carry infectious diseases

It is necessary to teach the child how to keep himself clean and explain why eating outside the home can lead to infection.

Compliance with all these rules will prevent infection with Giardia. If unpleasant symptoms appear, it is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible and take feces for analysis.

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