Giardiasis can proceed in different ways, classifying this disease, physicians distinguish two forms: acute and chronic. Chronic lambliasis is diagnosed when a very long time passes( 5-6 weeks) from the time of infection. During this period there is an incubation period and an acute phase of the disease. Chronic lambliasis in adult patients often occurs asymptomatically, in children, clinical manifestations are much brighter. Knowing about them and how you can win a protracted lambliasis, you can try to keep your own health.
It is noticed that under normal immunity, when observing a special low-carbohydrate diet, the body can cope with the infection itself. Purification from microscopic parasites takes place in six months. When the protective functions of the body are weakened, and the infected person does not observe the rules of proper nutrition, the amount of lamblia in the intestine increases significantly. Giardiasis begins to develop rapidly. The acute phase outlives itself in just seven days, and then the wave of acute symptoms fades away slightly, persistent chronic giardiasis in children and adults passes undulating with a combination of different symptoms. His clinical picture can be very diverse. It is able to consist of the following manifestations:
- Syndrome of general intoxication of the body.
- The manifestations of lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Allergic manifestations.
- Malabsorption syndrome( unsatisfactory absorption).
Let's talk about each group of symptoms in more detail.
Symptoms and treatment of chronic lambliasis
During its life, lamblia produces a large number of toxins. They are actively absorbed into the blood, poisoning all internal organs. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the simplest flagellum microorganisms, parasitizing the human intestine, disrupt the absorption of digested food and evacuate it further to the lower intestine. Stagnation of chyme provokes the appearance of decay processes, they are the causes of the emergence of vegetative disorders. A sick adult man experiences an oppressed state, he has an increased fatigue, a general weakness. Kids at such moments become irritable and whiny, they sleep badly and do not eat well enough. In many patients, persistent lambliasis causes another symptom of the disease - a slight increase in body temperature( 37.3-37.5).Patients often complain about headaches, dizziness, unpleasant sensations in the chest in the heart area.
There are cases when vegetative disorders in chronic giardiasis prevail over symptoms of lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients undergo treatment for years, able to help to eliminate vegetative dystonia, but it does not help. And all because the cause of malaise continues to progress. Recently, all patients who complain about the presence of general intoxication and vegetative disorders, doctors recommend to undergo a complex of examinations, helping to detect the presence of worms and microscopic parasites, such as lamblia.
Intestinal Symptoms of Chronic Giardiasis
Signs of gastrointestinal pathologies with persistent chronic giardiasis are associated with mechanical damage to the intestinal mucosa. Giardii parasitize, attaching the sucking disc to the villi of the small intestine mucosa. They repeatedly sucked to the brushes of villi, then break away from them. This effect leads to the appearance of foci of inflammation. That is why the main symptoms of the chronic intestinal form of Giardiasis are dyspeptic disorders and abdominal pain, in the upper parts of the peritoneum. Dyspepsia manifests itself in the form of nausea, vomiting, increased gas formation, alternating diarrhea and constipation. Patients may complain of an unpleasant eructation and a constant bitterness in the mouth.
Abdominal pain with chronic giardiasis lends itself to a fairly accurate description:
- It occurs near the navel.
- There are two types of pain in the abdomen. In children, as a rule, they are of a paroxysmal nature. Adult pain moderate, cutting or stitching.
- Some patients experience rare pain, similar to the pain that occurs with appendicitis.
- With a chronic type of infection, abdominal pains are often combined with symptoms of inflammation of the gallbladder, bile ducts or liver ducts.
A simple examination of sick toddlers or adults gives the doctor a very open picture. He reveals the following characteristic symptoms: plaque in the language of yellow, from the mouth there is an unpleasant characteristic odor, a slight increase in the liver.
Symptoms of chronic lambliasis on the skin
General intoxication of the body, provoked by chronic giardiasis, often leads to the appearance of skin manifestations. In children, the pallor of the skin shows up, the color of the epidermis becomes uneven( an icteric tinge appears on the neck, along the sides of the abdomen, and in the armpits).A white line is clearly visible along the belly line, dividing the abdominal wall exactly exactly half. The skin on the palms becomes red, almost brick-colored, it constantly flakes. Often in children, chronic giardiasis is accompanied by a rash, it has a nodular character, first appears on the neck, and then spreads over the shoulders, back and chest.
In advanced stages of chronic lambliasis leads to intense hair loss, to the appearance of jaedings in the corners of the lips. Chronic giardiasis provokes the development of atopic dermatitis, persistent blepharitis, the onset of asthma attacks( bronchial asthma).In children, allergic reactions are always acute, they are difficult to treat, leading almost always to dangerous complications, such as Quincke's edema, for example. That is why, if a combination of dyspeptic disorders and allergic reactions is found, medical help should be sought immediately and adequate therapy should be started immediately.
What can lead to poor absorption of partially digested food? The body stops receiving nutrients. As a result - the deficit of almost all vitamins, minerals, constant weight loss, the appearance of hypochromic anemia.
Can I cure chronic giardiasis?
Analyzing the clinical picture of the disease, it becomes clear why it is so difficult to cure chronic giardiasis. There are several points to consider when designing a treatment regimen:
- First, taking drugs that kill lamblia in adults and children necessarily provokes mass death of giardias, and this exacerbates the intoxication of the body and intensifies the intensity of intestinal disorders. Therefore, at the first stage of therapy conditions are formed in which it becomes possible to restore the functions of the gastrointestinal tract, reducing the number of microscopic parasites. This is achieved as follows. The protein diet creates unfavorable conditions for the normal functioning of giardias. Enterosorption is an important part of the treatment, its goal is to remove toxins and toxins from the body of a sick person. The intake of enzyme preparations is an important group that helps regulate digestion.
- Secondly, the basis for treating the chronic form of Giardiasis in adults is the destruction of the cause of the disease - microorganisms. The peculiarities of this stage is that the giardias very quickly develop sensitivity to the action of the main component of a particular drug. Therefore, competent treatment is carried out with a consistent replacement of several medicinal antiparasitic agents.
- Third, in the treatment of persistent chronic giardiasis, it is important to apply preventive measures that can help prevent re-infection or rule out the possibility of another relapse. To do this, work is being done to eliminate the dysbiosis, then there is a full-scale replenishment of the shortage of vitamins and minerals. And the last stage is the strengthening of the body's protective functions.
Elimination of chronic giardiasis in adults and children - a long process, consisting of several courses. Observance of all prescriptions of the drawn up scheme, and also rules of reception of the prescribed preparations is an important point of effective therapy.