Giardiasis is perhaps the most common parasitic disease that can affect a person at any age. However, most often, children with preschool age suffer from giardiasis.
The causative agent of giardiasis is found throughout the planet. So far, doctors do not have accurate statistics, but according to indirect data, approximately 20% of children worldwide are infected with these parasites. The carrier of the infection, in most cases, is a sick person. Infection can occur through the use of unclean water, foods (especially poorly washed fruits), as well as through dirty hands.
Once in the human body, lamblia pass through the stomach, as they are acid-resistant, and then attach to the villi of the epithelium lining the intestines.
Giardiasis can manifest itself acutely, and can occur in a chronic or asymptomatic form. The acute form of the disease is observed in half of sick children. The main symptoms are fever, diarrhea, weakness. The stool in this disease is liquid, foamy with pop-up admixtures of fat. Flatulence, abdominal pain, which increases with pressure, is observed. The acute stage of giardiasis lasts about a week, then the symptoms are smoothed out, and the disease becomes chronic.
Since the main manifestation of giardiasis is a violation of the absorption of nutrients, the symptoms of a chronic disease are pallor, fatigue, circles under the eyes, sometimes a manifestation of allergic dermatitis.
Effective treatment of giardiasis in children proceeds in several stages. First, you need to go through the preparatory phase, during which you need to follow a strict diet. Sugar, any sweets, cow's milk are completely excluded. It is recommended to feed the child porridge with buckwheat and oatmeal, boiled vegetables, boiled meat. Kefir, sour fruit drinks, for example, from cranberries, are very useful. In the same period, the intake of sorbents begins - bran, activated carbon, smecty, etc. The purpose of treatment is to maximize bowel cleansing. The first stage lasts from two weeks to a month.
Next assigned actually treatment of giardiasis in children. There are two possible solutions. The first is treatment with the use of drugs - metronidazole, tiberal, tinidazole and other antiparasitic drugs.
Perhaps also the treatment of giardiasis with homeopathy, in this case, celandine, dandelion and others are selected. It is very helpful to eat raw pumpkin seeds, fresh garlic or ginger. You can drink peppermint tea, dill water.
The last stage, which includes the treatment of giardiasis in children, is rehabilitation. At this time, it is important to increase the immune forces of the child, restore the activity of the intestines and liver. During this period, it is important to establish proper nutrition for the child, it is useful to take special vitamin supplements.
It is not recommended to treat giardiasis in children on their own, all medicines should be selected by a specialist gastroenterologist or homeopath.
If you plan to treat giardiasis with alternative methods, it is also extremely important to adhere to a diet, the principles of which are described above. It is useful to hold a tubage for a sick child. To do this, he is given a half glass of heated mineral water (Essentuki No. 17), in which a spoonful of sorbitol is dissolved. Such tyubazh can be done at the preparatory stage of traditional treatment. The procedure is carried out twice with a break per week.
Preventive measures against infection with giardiasis are to instill in the child useful hygienic skills, as well as the exclusion of the use of unfiltered water. If giardiasis was detected in someone in the family, an examination of the remaining households should be carried out, even if none of them show any signs of the disease.