Giardia. Это слово периодически слышим мы все, но не обращаем особого внимания, полагая, что нашего ребенка это заболевание не коснется. Однако подобная точка зрения является в корне ошибочной – по статистическим данным, рано или поздно с заражением лямблиозом сталкивается каждый третий ребенок. Согласитесь, что это – не такая уж маленькая цифра, и в группу риска попадает абсолютно любой ребенок. И лямблиоз симптомы проявляет у очень большого количества деток. Слыша от лечащего врача слова о том, что ребенок заражен лямблиями, родители зачастую до конца не понимают, с чем именно им пришлось столкнуться. В данной статье достаточно подробно рассказано о том, что же такое лямблии, каким путем они попадают в организм ребенка, какие вызывают осложнения, какими симптомами проявляются и, наконец, о том, как избавить ребенка от них. Лямблиоз по своей сути есть не что иное, как банальная паразитарная инфекция. Возбудителем заболевания является простейший микроскопический одноклеточный паразит – лямблия. В организме ребенка лямблии обитают в печени и тонком кишечнике, нарушая их нормальное функционирование. Лямблии подразделяются на два вида:
- Vegetative (mobile) form.
Lamblia of this species are pear-shaped,the front end is rounded, while the tail end is pointed. Its length is approximately half a millimeter. Lamblia has four pairs of flagella and one disk, with the help of which it is firmly fixed to the intestinal mucosa.
- Cysts.
В том случае, если лямблии из тонкого кишечника When they enter the large intestine, they change shape, as the conditions there are extremely unfavorable for them. Lamblia transform into cysts, which are oval in shape and about a millimeter in size. The cysts are completely immobile. However, cysts are extremely important for the reproduction of lamblia. Cysts from the large intestine enter the feces and are excreted from the body. When they enter the external environment, lamblia can remain there for a long time, putting others at risk of infection. At an ambient temperature of about 18 degrees, lamblia remain viable for 40 days, under the scorching sun - up to 7 days, and in ice water - up to three days. When they enter the human body, lamblia cysts are again freed from their membranes and become mobile. The most popular habitats for giardia are wastewater, natural reservoirs with wastewater, dirty hands of children already infected with giardiasis, unwashed fruits and vegetables, as well as sand in children's sandboxes, especially if there are cats in your yard and the sandbox is not closed at night. Doctors distinguish three main ways of transmitting giardia cysts:
- Waterway of infection.
In case of waterborne infection, lamblia cystspenetrate the child's body when he or she drinks contaminated tap water. Unfortunately, very often and in many cities tap water does not undergo the necessary thorough purification, and the risk that a child will become infected with giardia simply by drinking tap water is very, very high. The same thing can happen if a child accidentally swallows water while swimming in an open body of water. However, in fairness it should be noted that giardia cysts live only in fresh water and never in salty sea water.
- Contact - household way of infection.
With this type of infection, the transmission of lamblia is fromfrom one child to another occurs through toys, dishes, towels, and dishes contaminated with cysts. The risk of infection with giardia is especially high in children who have a habit of gnawing toys, pens, pencils, and nails. As a rule, almost one hundred percent of such children are found to have giardia during examination.
- Nutritional route of infection.
If a child eats unwashed fruits and vegetables, and especially meat that has not undergone the necessary heat treatment, there is a fairly high risk of infection with giardia.
Dangers of Giardiasis for a Child's Body
It goes without saying that the presence in the bodya child of such "neighbors in captivity" cannot but have the most negative impact on the well-being and health of the baby. Below we will tell you about what happens after the introduction of lamblia into the child's body. After the lamblia cysts get into the child's intestines and are released from their shells there, they begin to multiply very actively. However, pay attention to the following fact: in order for lamblia to be able to multiply, they must have a sufficient amount of nutrients. And, of course, lamblia take them from the child's blood. Thus, the baby itself risks being left without vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. As a result, there is a risk of developing vitamin deficiency in the child. Lamblia, despite their tiny size, are still quite independent living organisms. During their life cycle, lamblia secrete a number of different toxic substances into the child's blood, which can significantly suppress the normal functioning of the immune system and provoke the development of severe allergic reactions to the most minor allergens in the child. Doctors note that children infected with lamblia very often suffer from diseases such as bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis with an atopic component, atopic dermatitis and frequent colds. Lambliasis is a rather insidious disease that very successfully disguises itself as other ailments. And as a result, if an examination aimed at identifying the presence of lamblia in the child's body is not immediately carried out, the child will be forced to undergo long-term and completely useless treatment from a variety of specialists - an allergist, pulmonologist, immunologist.
Acute form of the disease
In the event that the child's bodya large number of lamblia cysts got in at the same time, the disease develops quickly and is acute. The child's appetite decreases sharply - he can almost completely refuse to eat, he may feel nauseous and even vomit. In addition, the baby often has a fairly high temperature - up to 39 degrees. The child may have pronounced bloating and extensive rashes similar to rubella. Most often, the disease occurs in acute form in small children under three years of age. This feature is due to the fact that the immune system is not well developed in small children. As a rule, at this stage, doctors very rarely manage to diagnose giardiasis. And the baby begins to be treated for anything - most often for an acute intestinal infection - but not for giardiasis. As a result, the disease develops into a chronic form. The child periodically experiences diarrhea and abdominal pain, the baby begins to lose weight. The color of the skin changes - they acquire a very pale shade. The tongue of a sick child, on the contrary, most often takes on a yellowish tint.
Symptoms of Giardiasis in Children
As mentioned above, the symptoms of the diseaseGiardiasis can have a variety of symptoms, often very similar to those of other diseases. However, if parents notice two or more of the symptoms listed below in their child, they should contact a doctor and ask for the necessary examination. So, giardia in children has the following symptoms:
- Violation of the child's normal process of digestion.
Chronic diarrhea or constipation in a child canindicate that the child is infected with giardia. However, we must also not forget that such a digestive disorder is very often provoked by ordinary intestinal dysbacteriosis. Therefore, if the child suffers from digestive disorder, be sure to also check whether he or she has dysbacteriosis.
- Subfebrile temperature in a child.
Doctors call subfebrile a temperature that is notexceeding 37.5 degrees. If your child's temperature rises in the evenings for at least two weeks without any apparent reason, be sure to see a doctor for testing for giardiasis.
- Drawing pain in the abdomen.
As a rule, a small child cannot accuratelyindicate where exactly he feels pain. And only very grown-up children indicate a more precise localization of pain sensations - as a rule, around the navel and in the right hypochondrium.
- Low vitality of the child.
Have you noticed that your previously active child has lostyour former "spark"? If your child is more tired, has a decreased ability to concentrate, or perceive new information, try to show the child to a doctor as soon as possible - even if the cause is not giardiasis, the cause must be found as quickly as possible.
- A squeak of teeth in a dream.
Toxic substances entering the bloodchild, can negatively affect the functioning of the central nervous system. And, as a result of its disruption, grinding of teeth at night may occur.
- Enlarged liver and spleen.
- Enlargement of lymph nodes, for no apparent reason.
- Attacks of suffocating cough.
- Increased amount of eosinophils in the blood of the child.
Now it has become clear to you why diagnosing giardiasis is quite difficult. It successfully disguises itself as dozens of other diseases.
Diagnosis of the disease in children
If giardiasis is not detected in time, it cancause a large number of different troubles. And, in addition, the more advanced the disease, the more difficult it is to treat. That is why it is best to catch the disease at its very beginning. In order to detect the presence of giardia in a child's body, certain methods are used. Sometimes it is enough to conduct just one study, and sometimes you have to resort to a whole complex. So, the analysis for giardiasis:
- Coprological examination.
To carry it out, the child must undergo a test.feces. The laboratory doctor will examine the contents of the feces under a microscope to determine the presence of cysts. However, it is important to keep in mind that lamblia cysts are not always found in the feces of a sick child.
- Duodenal examination.
If the diagnosis of giardiasis is carried out in a childover ten years old, a very effective method can be a study of bile, in which cysts of lamblia are almost always present, if, of course, the child is infected with giardiasis. In children, this method is practically not used due to the rather complicated procedure for the child to collect bile for analysis.
- Serological diagnosis.
Recently, it has become increasingly popularacquires a serological blood test to detect specific antibodies produced by the child's body in response to infection with giardia. However, this method has one significant drawback - a blood test for giardiasis is effective only in the first three to four weeks after the penetration of giardia into the body.
Treatment of giardiasis in children
Giardiasis itself is quite difficulta curable disease. There are a huge number of different folk methods of treating giardiasis. However, in no case should you refuse to have the disease treated by a doctor. For children over ten years old, if you really want to, you can try to use some of them without refusing the main treatment. For younger children, no folk medicine recipes will bring anything but harm. Giardiasis requires immediate and serious treatment. Doctors have worked out a treatment regimen for giardiasis in a child well to date. As a rule, a child should take special antiparasitic drugs, for example, macmiror or metronidazole. The dosage of the drug and the time of its administration should be prescribed only by a doctor, taking into account the characteristics of the course of the disease, the age and weight of the child. You should not determine the dosage of the drug yourself, since it is quite toxic and an overdose can lead to complex consequences, up to and including disruption of the normal functioning of the kidneys and liver. Parents should keep in mind the following information. Approximately on the fifth day after the start of treatment with antiparasitic drugs, the child's condition can often significantly worsen. There is no need to be afraid of this - the process is completely natural and normal. The child's condition worsens because under the influence of drugs, a huge number of lamblia in the child's intestines die and disintegrate. Toxic decay products are absorbed into the child's blood and worsen his health. To alleviate the child's condition, doctors prescribe antihistamines and laxatives. If giardiasis in children, treatment should almost always be comprehensive, to achieve a more successful result. However, despite all these difficulties, the child's condition improves significantly already on the ninth - tenth day after the start of treatment. The number of rashes on the skin is significantly reduced, shortness of breath, cough disappear, the lymph nodes decrease in size. However, do not forget - even if all signs of giardiasis have disappeared, after the end of treatment it is necessary to undergo another examination for the presence of lamblia in order to prevent a relapse of the disease.
Traditional methods of treating giardiasis in children
As mentioned above, for children it is moreIn addition to drug treatment, in older children, you can use traditional methods of treatment. Below are the most popular and effective traditional medicine remedies designed to combat giardiasis. However, once again, we draw the attention of parents - if a child has giardia, treatment with folk remedies can be used as an addition to the main treatment, but not as a replacement for it! To successfully get rid of giardiasis during treatment, the child must follow a certain therapeutic diet - otherwise, it will be much more difficult to achieve the desired result. Scientists have found that giardia feel most comfortable in a sweet environment, but in an acidic one, on the contrary, they die very quickly. Diet is an important component of how to treat giardia in children. As a rule, a diet for the treatment of giardiasis is also selected by the child's attending physician. When preparing a baby's diet, parents must take into account this feature of giardia. Exclude from your child's menu all sweet foods, including sweet drinks such as tea or cocoa. But fermented milk products, on the contrary, are very useful during the treatment of giardiasis - they increase the effectiveness of drugs several times. Diet for giardiasis in children also helps to significantly reduce the risk of developing complications typical for this disease.
- Ash of a linden tree.
A very effective remedy for treatment if you haveChild's giardiasis of the liver - this is ash from a linden tree. It is easy to prepare ash at home. Break off several thin branches, place them in a preheated oven for about half an hour to dry. After that, grind them and burn. Just be careful and do not forget about fire safety. It is best to burn linden branches in some kind of metal container. As a result, you should get at least one teaspoon of ash, which you need to sift through a sieve so that there are no lumps. Divide the ash into 7 equal parts - this is the amount needed for a week. Every morning, give the child ash mixed with a teaspoon of honey. Offer the child to wash down this mixture with a glass of warm milk. Please note that this recipe can only be used by those children who do not suffer from any food allergies. As a rule, one seven-day course of treatment is enough to get rid of parasites and improve the child's well-being. However, it is important to remember that after any treatment, you need to undergo a follow-up examination to ensure that all parasites have been completely expelled from the body.
- Decoction of aspen.
Aspen decoction is an excellent antiparasiticremedy for more than one century. And nowadays, aspen decoction has cured dozens of children of giardia. To prepare the decoction, you can use both buds and leaves, as well as bark. Take one spoon of raw material, place it in a saucepan and pour one liter of water. Bring to a boil and cook the aspen for about half an hour. After that, let the decoction cool and strain it through gauze. The child should take the decoction twice a day, one cup at a time. The course of treatment should last about two weeks, after which it is necessary to take tests for the presence of giardia in the child's body.
- Infusion of herbs celandine.
Celandine also very quickly rids the bodya person from giardia. To prepare the infusion, grind one tablespoon of celandine herb, place it in a thermos and pour two glasses of boiling water. Close the thermos tightly with a lid and let it brew for several hours. After that, strain the infusion through gauze, pour it into a glass container. The infusion must be stored only in the refrigerator. The child should take one tablespoon before each meal. The course of treatment should last no more than 5 days, after which it is necessary to take a break of two days. In total, no more than three such courses of treatment are allowed.
- Decoction of dandelion root.
A decoction of dandelion root can also be a curean ally of parents in the fight against giardia. You can buy dandelion root at the pharmacy. Grind two tablespoons of dandelion root, pour half a liter of water over them and put on low heat. Boil the decoction for at least 15 minutes. After that, cool it to room temperature and strain it with gauze. The prepared decoction can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days. The decoction should be given to the child in the morning on an empty stomach, and in the evening before bed. The dosage of the decoction is calculated based on the ratio of 1 teaspoon per ten kilograms of weight. The course of treatment should last at least 10 days.
- Oil of bergamot.
It has a very good effect on giardiasis.bergamot oil. To eliminate giardia, it is necessary to undergo a week-long course of treatment. Put one drop of oil on a sugar cube and give it to the child to eat in the morning, on an empty stomach.
- Tincture of cucumbers.
Traditional medicine recommends fightinglamblia in children with cucumber tincture. For the tincture, you will need seed cucumbers, as ripe as possible. Cut and place two hundred grams of seed cucumbers in an enamel bowl, pour one liter of boiling water and let it brew for two hours. Pour the prepared infusion into any container and store only in the refrigerator. Let the child drink at least half a liter of infusion throughout the day. The course of treatment should last for one week.
- Compresses with a solidol.
Another rather interesting folk recipemedicine, designed to relieve a child from giardiasis. For it you will need white grease, paper and plastic wrap. Place a towel soaked in hot water on the liver area for about 10 - 15 minutes. After that, wipe the skin dry in the liver area, then put a simple sheet of paper on top and cover with plastic wrap. It is best to do such a compress at night, leaving it on until the morning. In the morning, the grease must be thoroughly washed off the skin and the skin must be lubricated with any fatty cream. The course of treatment should last at least 14 days.
Prevention of giardiasis in children
This article tells you how to treatлямблиоз. Но хочется в очередной раз повторить – все лечение должны проводиться только под тщательным наблюдением врача. И напоследок нельзя не рассказать вкратце о таком важном аспекте, как профилактика лямблиоза. Ведь профилактика любого заболевания гораздо эффективнее, чем его последующее лечение. Самая первая и главная мера профилактики – это чистота. Обязательно мойте фрукты и овощи, а также яйца. Мыть их лучше всего щеткой с мылом, а после обдавать кипяченой (не сырой) водой. Возможно, подобная мера может показаться излишней, однако именно с немытыми фруктами и овощами чаще всего цисты лямблий попадают в организм ребенка. Ребенок точно должен знать, что пока яблочко или груша не вымыты – есть их ни в коем случае нельзя, и простого «Мама, вытри» не достаточно. Ведь вы же не знаете, на каком именно яблоке окажутся лямблии – вполне возможно, что на том самом единственном, которое вы дали ребенку немытым. Ну и, конечно же, родители должны прививать детям навыки личной гигиены. Мытье рук перед едой должно стать для ребенка такой же естественной частью жизни, как сон и еда. И еще очень важный аспект – если ваш ребенок имеет привычку грызть ногти, или какие – либо посторонние предметы, например, ручки или карандаши. На них также очень часто оказываются цисты лямблий. Казалось бы, достаточно безобидная привычка может служить причиной постоянного повторного инфицирования цистами лямблий. И, как результат, самое успешное лечение будет бесполезным, так как ребенок будет вместе с ручками тянуть в рот цисты лямблий. Если ваш ребенок пока еще слишком мал, от домашних животных лучше отказаться. Разумеется, эта аксиома справедлива только в отношении вновь приобретаемых любимцах. Если же у вас животное было еще до рождения ребенка, то просто постарайтесь максимально оградить ребенка от тесного контакта с питомцем. Ребенка постарше нужно приучить мыть руки после каждого контакта с животным. Не поручайте уборку кошачьих лотков даже более старшим детям, так как риск инфицирования возрастает втрое. Обратите внимание на проблему питания ребенка вне дома. Не стоит покупать «перекус» малышу в маленьких пунктах быстрого питания, так как неизвестно. В каких условиях там готовится пища. Не стоит давать ребенку слишком много карманных денег, так как он может потратить их на покупку еды именно в таких местах. Разумеется, вы должны позаботиться о том, чтобы у ребенка была возможность поесть – если в школе нет столовой, готовьте ребенку еду дома. Очень важный момент профилактики – это песочницы. Риск заражения лямблиями в песочнице достаточно велик. Ведь, как известно, песок служит магнитом для всех окрестных кошек, которые используют детскую песочницу в качестве туалета. Так что же, вовсе запретить малышам играть в песочнице? Конечно же, это не выход. А решить проблему достаточно просто – вам понадобится всего лишь 4 рейки и обыкновенная плотная пленка, которую используют для теплиц. Вырежьте пленку по размеру песочницы и закрепите ее на рамке, сделанной из деревянных реек. Закрывайте песочницу вечером, когда все малыши расходятся по домам. И в детском саду также необходимо сделать подобную крышку для песочницы и приучить воспитателей закрывать песочницу после детской прогулки. И, наконец, купание в открытых водоемах. Практически все маленькие детки в процессе купания периодически заглатывают воду. А в пресной воде водоемов, особенно если она стоячая, могут обитать не только цисты лямблий, но и прочая «живность», которая может попасть в организм вашего крохи и начать паразитировать там. Именно поэтому врачи – педиатры не рекомендуют купаться в открытых водоемах до пятилетнего возраста. Исключением является только купание в морской воде, так как в соленой воде не выживают никакие паразиты. Соблюдение этих несложных правил поможет снизить риск заражения лямблиозом примерно на 60%. Однако помните о том, что пусть и малая доля вероятности инфицирования, но все-таки есть всегда. И если вы заметите, что с организмом ребенка происходит что-то не то, обязательно обратитесь к врачу-педиатру с просьбой об обследовании на лямблиоз. Помните, чем раньше будет обнаружено заболевание, тем меньше лямблий успеет в организме ребенка размножиться. Советуем почитать:
