Symptoms of giardiasis in children - treatment and prevention

Various parasites often enter the child's body, because of imperfect immunity they grow rapidly and multiply. One of the dangerous varieties of infestations - lamblia in children, the symptoms and treatment of this disease must be known to all parents, since timely therapy allows avoiding complications.

• Symptoms of lamblia in children
• Why appear - the reasons
• Diagnosis - how to take tests
• Blood test
• Stool analysis
• Treatment of Giardiasis
• Treatment with folk remedies
• What is dangerous lamblia
• Prevention

Symptoms of lamblia in children

Lamblias are microscopic unicellular protozoa, which live in the small intestine, cause dysbacteriosis. Parasites have two cores and 4 pairs of flagella, due to which they actively move. Also, lamblia has a suction disk to attach to the cells of the intestinal epithelium. Cysts of lamblia are immobile, oval in shape, incapable of reproduction.

Can you see the parasites? In a small amount, protozoa can be present in feces, but you can not see them with the naked eye. The clinical picture of giardiasis is unspecific, moreover, quite often the disease is asymptomatic. Diagnosis during initial examination is difficult, laboratory confirmation of the preliminary diagnosis is required.

Signs of giardiasis in children:

• frequent attacks of nausea, vomiting is rare;
• the child often hurts and dizzy;
• there is heaviness and pain in the upper abdomen;
• constipation or diarrhea takes on a chronic character, while the fecal masses are yellow, have a consistency of porridge, they can see inclusions of mucus;
• belching after eating, increased gas production, rumbling in the abdomen;
• the appetite worsens, which leads to a sharp decrease in weight;
• discomfort in the anus;
• atopic dermatitis, urticaria, there is a rash and redness on the skin in the umbilical region;
• exacerbations of bronchial asthma occur more often, coughing attacks increase;
• there are signs of beriberi.

At a lambliasis the child becomes flaccid, badly sleeps, that leads to irritability.

Important! Lamblias are especially dangerous for the liver, because with long-term infection, tissues of this organ begin to disintegrate! With this form of the disease, the child develops a plaque in the tongue or ulcers in the oral cavity. In vomit masses can see impurities of bile, there is pain in the right hypochondrium.

Why appear - the reasons

Most often lyamblias actively manifest themselves in children with weakened immunity, chronic diseases of the digestive system. The main cause of the disease - non-compliance with hygiene standards, parasites enter the body by oral route, move to the stomach, where they begin to multiply actively.

Where do lamblia come from:

• when in contact with contaminated objects of everyday life and everyday life, if the child does not then wash his hands;
• the use of dirty vegetables, fruits, raw water;
• many parasites are found in sand, soil;
• Infants are infected from the mother during breastfeeding.

Giardiasis - is it contagious? As parasites are transmitted through toys, utensils, a sick person is dangerous to others, infected children are forbidden to go to kindergarten and school until full recovery.

Important! The duration of the incubation period for infection with lamblia is 7-14 days!

Diagnosis - how to take tests

If there are signs of parasite infection, do not postpone the visit to the doctor. Which doctor treats giardiasis? Diagnosis of the disease involved: infectious disease specialist, parasitologist, gastroenterologist, but first you need to visit a pediatrician. Detecting parasites can be in feces and blood, for which the specialist appoints appropriate tests.

Blood test

Immunological analysis of blood helps to identify antibodies, which are formed with increased activity of parasites. For examination, the material is taken from the vein, it should be taken in the morning on an empty stomach, the last meal should be 10 hours before the examination, after which the child can drink only water.

Analysis of the analysis:

• a high level of antibodies IgM - the infection occurred about 2 weeks ago;
• IgG immunoglobulins can circulate in the blood up to 1.5 years, which can speak of both a disease in the stage of recovery and a long-gone lambliasis.

In the diagnosis, the level of positivity is also determined, in norm it is less than 0.85 units, the value more than 1 confirms the diagnosis of Giardiasis.

As an additional method of diagnosis, a general blood test is prescribed - when infection with Giardia is observed an increase in the level of eosinophils and leukocytes, there are signs of anemia and lymphocytosis.

Stool analysis

A coprogram is not as informative as a blood test. Determine lambliasis is possible in 50-70% of cases of infection, in the decorated chair you can find lamblia cysts, in liquid - adult parasites. Cal will have to be taken 3-4 times with an interval of several days to confirm or deny the diagnosis. The material must be collected in the morning, placed in a sterile container, delivered to the laboratory for 2 hours. In addition, in the study of stool, there are signs of impaired absorption of nutrients: undigested fiber, muscle fibers, starch, etc.

PCR analysis of feces is a more effective method of diagnosis, its accuracy is more than 92%. To collect the material use special containers with chopsticks, they need to be opened immediately before use.

Children older than 10 years can be assigned a duodenal analysis - using a probe take a small portion of bile, which is examined for the detection of cysts. The method is accurate, but for the child is not very pleasant.

Treatment of Giardiasis

If the tests show the presence of lamblia in the child's body, the doctor will prescribe antiparasitic drugs, the dosage and the regimen of the therapy will be determined based on the age and weight of the small patient. How much to treat the disease? In mild cases, if there are no complications, you can get rid of giardiasis for 5-7 days.

Than to treat a lambliasis:

1. Macmoror (Nifuratel) - one of the most effective remedy against lamblia, tablets help get rid of parasites in 96% of cases of infection. The drug has a wide range of effects, it can be used to treat children older than 2 months, is excreted through the kidneys, which reduces the burden on the liver. Side effects in the form of allergies, rashes appear rarely, the duration of treatment is 7 days.
2. Nemosol (albendazole) - the drug is released in the form of tablets and suspensions. In pediatrics it is allowed to take it for children over 2 years old. Treatment schedule - 20 ml of suspension or 1 tablet once a day for 5 days.
3. Metronidazole (Flagil, Trichopolum) is an inexpensive but rather effective medicine against Giardiasis. Dosage depends on the age, you need to drink the drug once a day for 10 days.
4. Furazolidone - the drug is low cost, a wide range of effects, for children released in the form of granules for the preparation of a suspension. The daily dose is 0.01 g / kg, it should be drunk in 3-4 meals. The duration of therapy is 5-7 days.
5. Imidazole - a powerful medicine, when infected with Giardia it is enough to take it once, the dosage is calculated taking into account the weight - 50 mg / kg. If necessary, re-administer the drug.
6. Decaris is an antiparasitic agent with an immune-modulating effect, it can be used for treatment if the child is already 3 years old. For children, only tablets with a dosage of 50 mg are used. It is enough to take the medicine once, if necessary, repeat the procedure in 1-2 weeks.

After the end of antiparasitic therapy, it is necessary to eliminate pathologies that have emerged against the background of infection - for this purpose, symptomatic treatment is prescribed. Antihistamines will help to cope with rashes, enzymes, bifidobacteria and probiotics - to restore the digestive system, vitamins are designed to strengthen immunity.

To treat giardiasis was effective, you should adhere to a special diet. From the diet to exclude foods high in fast carbohydrates, the menu should predominate foods high in fiber. Prohibited foods - fatty meat and rich broths, legumes, mushrooms, packaged juices, carbonated drinks. It is necessary to give the child every day sour berries.

Important! Since the first days of taking antiparasitic drugs, it is necessary to drink enterosorbents! This will help to cleanse the body of the products of life lamblia.

Treatment with folk remedies

Recipes of alternative medicine will help strengthen the therapeutic effect of medicines. As an independent means, they should not be used, since lamblia are very tenacious parasites.

Simple folk remedies against Giardiasis:

1. Grind 2-3 fresh horseradish roots, combine in 1 liter glass container, pour over with water, cover, leave for 72 hours. Strain, mix with an equal amount of honey, leave for another 3 days. Children from the first year of life are given 0.5 h. l. drugs, up to 10 years - 10 ml, over 11 years - 15 ml. Take the drug three times a day for half an hour before meals. Duration of treatment is 10 days, after a week the course should be repeated.
2. On a piece of refined sugar, drop 1 drop of bergamot essential oil, give the baby before breakfast for 7 days.
3. Grind 200 g overripe cucumber with large seeds, pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 2 hours. Strain, store in a cool place. During the day the child should drink 500 ml in small portions. The duration of therapy is 7 days.
4. Pour 5 g of birch buds with 200 ml of water, simmer for a quarter of an hour, cool, drain. Take 100 ml three times a day for a week.
5. In 15 ml of natural apple juice, dilute 1 drop of liquid tar, take three times daily before meals. The medicine destroys parasites, removes toxins, restores intestinal microflora.

Important! If a lamblias is found, all family members must be treated at the same time! It is necessary to clean the house. After 2 weeks after the end of the drug therapy, you should re-take the tests.

What is dangerous lamblia

Since parasites affect the digestive tract, with their massive accumulation, severe consequences arise which adversely affect the state of the whole organism.

If you do not treat Giardiasis, what will happen:

• syndrome of impaired suction due to parasitism of lamblia in the parietal area of ​​the intestine;
• chronic cholecystitis, pancreatitis - frequent complications of giardiasis;
• beriberi, anemia;
• decreased immunity, which is fraught with frequent colds, the onset of chronic diseases;
• acquired hypersensitivity, up to allergies, to many factors.

Important! With severe invasion a child may have problems with physical development for up to a year!

Prevention

The best way to avoid infection with Giardia is to teach your child to follow the rules of hygiene from the early years, always wash your hands after the street and toilets, before meals, and use antiseptic sprays or napkins during your walk after playing in the sandbox.

How to prevent giardiasis:

• carefully wash vegetables and fruits with hot water;
• drink only purified water;
• regularly shorten the nails of the child;
• carry out antiparasitic prophylaxis to pets;
• wean the toddler to pull his fingers and toys into his mouth;
• up to 6 years of swimming in open fresh water for children is not desirable.

Important! Cysts of lamblia in the external environment at a temperature of 18 degrees remain viable for 1.5 months! If the indicators fall below the zero mark, parasites die within 72 hours.

Giardiasis is a parasitic infection, in which the work of the digestive tract is disrupted, for a small patient the disease can turn into serious complications, if not start treatment on time. Compliance with the rules of hygiene reduces the risk of infection with lamblia by 60%.