How to diagnose and treat giardiasis?

Sources

There are 3 types of transmission of parasites.

• Water (drinking unboiled water).
• Food (unwashed fruits, vegetables, rare meat).
• Contact (directly from the carrier). For example, sexual contact, kissing.

People with chronic pancreatitis are at risk due to low acidity of gastric juice. Also, the likelihood of getting sick increases with insufficient personal hygiene.

The habit of biting your nails, not washing your hands before eating, not using soap increases the likelihood of getting sick many times over.

Symptoms

Often parasites do not cause much discomfort, and it is very difficult to identify signs of the disease in the early stages. With a long-term course of the disease, the body reacts as follows.

• Change in the color of the skin and mucous membranes.
• Peeling and dehydration of the skin.
• Weight loss.
• Dermatitis and other inflammations on the border of the lips.
• Pain in the liver area.
• Intestinal dysfunction (constipation, diarrhea, nausea, bloating).
• Failures in the biliary tract.
• Decreased hemoglobin.

Signs of giardiasis also include heaviness in the right hypochondrium, attacks of pancreatitis, urticaria, eczema and manifestations of allergies to food products.

Diagnostics

It is not always possible to correctly diagnose the disease. The disease lasts a long period, so you will have to undergo tests several times, preferably within a month.

To get a diagnosis, you should:

• take a stool test. The laboratory conducts an examination for the presence of cysts. It should be remembered that they can be absent for up to 20 days, and then appear for a short time.
• check your blood. In case of infection, antibodies that fight parasites will be detected.
• perform a duodenoscopy. It allows you to examine the contents of the duodenum, which gives a more accurate result.

Treatment

Therapy for giardiasis is divided into several stages.

• At the initial stage, a diet helps well. It is necessary to limit the amount of carbohydrates and fiber as much as possible, this will not allow parasites to develop. It is also necessary to take drugs that improve the outflow of bile, reduce toxicosis, and tone digestion. For example, "Polyphepan", "Polysorb", "Mezim", "Pancreatin", "Creon", activated carbon, choleretic herbs.
• At the second stage, the fight against parasites begins. The patient is prescribed drugs that destroy single-celled pests (Ornidazole, Albendazole, Metronidazole, and others). If allergic reactions occur, additionally take Diazolin, Loratadine, and Cetrin.
• The third, consolidating phase of therapy involves the use of probiotics and enzyme drugs. The most popular are Linnex and Bifiform. Birch, carrot, or beetroot juices will help strengthen the immune system and create unfavorable conditions for the existence of foreign organisms.

The duration of each stage and the dosage of drugs are prescribed by a helminthologist based on the test results and the general well-being of the patient.

The best way to avoid illness is to follow hygiene rules and undergo periodic examinations. Giardiasis is not considered a life-threatening disease, but it can disrupt the balance of functioning of systems. And this will open the way to other, more serious illnesses.