Giardia, a parasite that explains the digestive discomfort you confuse with intolerance.

“Giardia intestinalis” is a species of parasite of the genus Giardia, which is human pathogenic intestinal parasite more often. It has a geographic distribution throughout the world, although it usually appears predominantly in warm climates and usually affects children more, although there is a high prevalence in adults.

giardiasis is the name of the pathological condition that this parasite causes, and, in addition, it is one of the causes of the famous traveler’s diarrhea. Travelers’ diarrhea is a syndrome that occurs when visiting exotic countries where water may not have adequate hygiene measures or food is not processed safely. This can occur when traveling to countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia and is caused by various microorganisms, among which we find the parasite Giardia intestinalis.

Infection and diagnosis

If you are wondering how you can become infected with Giardia, then, unfortunately, it is very simple. Giardia exhibit forms of resistance. Cysts are responsible for the transmission of giardiasis, a pathological condition that causes and They can survive in water for months.

Infection occurs through ingestion of cysts which can be found in water, in food contaminated with contaminated water, or through the fecal-oral route.

After the parasite enters the body They live in the small intestine, where they can be free or attached to the mucous membrane through the adhesive discs they have, when the free parasites move towards the colon, at which point cysts are formed, which are excreted in the feces. Because cysts are contagious and are passed in feces, transmission between people is possible due to poor hygiene.

Animals can also be infected with Giardia, but its impact on human infection is not known with certainty. It is known that dogs and cats can become infected with Giardia from humans, but not vice versa. Its diagnosis is carried out by cyst search and the adult life form of the parasite in feces.

Symptoms and pathology

Giardiasis can manifest itself in two ways:

– Asymptomatic: Occurs in 60-80% of infected people. In adults, you may not have symptoms, but you are still infected and therefore are a carrier and can pass on the parasite.

– Symptomatic: In children or some adults, the disease is usually symptomatic and represents a very wide clinical spectrum, that is, it can range from mild discomfort to severe diarrhea and malabsorption syndrome.

Being a parasite living in Intestinal mucosa It causes malabsorption syndrome, as it is located on the intestinal microvilli, where most important nutrients are absorbed, preventing absorption:

– Fats and fat-soluble vitaminssince its absorption occurs in the duodenum.

– Carbohydratescausing intolerance to lactose, sucrose, fructose, etc. secondary type.

Therefore, giardiasis causes constant destruction of microvilli, leaving no time for regeneration, villous atrophy and, in addition, infiltration of B-lymphocytes attacking the mucous membrane itself, therefore, an increase in lymphocytes occurs.

giardiasis The incubation period for acute illness ranges from 1 to 3 weeks and various symptoms may occur:

1. Soft painting: lasts a maximum of 6 weeks and is manifested by pain in the epigastric region, discomfort, nausea, vomiting, lack of hunger, changes in bowel rhythm, flatulence, bowel sounds.

2. Moderate box: there is an increase in the intensity of nausea and flatulence, bloating, liquid and explosive stools, which also float (since fat is not absorbed) and have a yellowish color.

3. Serious condition: nausea, flatulence, general malaise, very frequent diarrhea (5-10 times a day), yellowish, shiny and smelly.

4. Chronic condition: appears when the correct dose of antiparasitic drugs has not been administered, re-infection has occurred, or it is not treated in any way. Occurs in 30-50% of cases. In this case it appears:

– Chronic diarrhea with periods of normal intestinal transit and normal stool consistency. In this sense, it is similar to celiac disease.

– General malabsorption syndrome, which concerns not only carbohydrates and lipids, but also problems with the absorption of vitamin B12, folic acid and other important nutrients for the proper functioning of our body.

– Transient or reversible malabsorption/intolerance of lactose and fructose, a symptom that complicates digestive symptoms and diet, since it can be confused with other pathologies or taken for a primary intolerance rather than a secondary one due to the action and location of the adhesions. parasite

This chronic disease is often confused with other digestive pathologies because its symptoms are non-specific and lactose and fructose intolerance can be treated by thinking that it is the underlying problem, when in fact the cause will still exist unless treated. correct diagnosis.

In children, the following usually occurs: giardiasis be more acute, and this leads to weight loss and stunting, and in underdeveloped countries, falling iron and folates which leads to a state of anemia and protein deficiency.

Complications

If chronic giardiasis is left untreated, it can cause complications outside the digestive system that resolve once the parasite is eliminated, including:

Gallbladder infections, as the parasite travels along the bile ducts and can cause an infection.

Allergic reactions such as hives on any part of the body, arthritis of the knees or bronchial asthma.

Eye diseases such as retinitiswhich appear especially in children.

What can we do to avoid getting infected by this parasite?

Once we know what Giardia is and what effects it can have on our body, and if you are wondering what to do to avoid it all, preventive measures will focus on:

– Hold proper personal hygiene to avoid self-reinfection or infection from person to person, especially after visiting the toilet or before and after contact with food.

– Swipe proper food hygiene and manipulators. Since contamination occurs through water and food irrigated with contaminated water, the main sources of contamination are fruits and vegetables, so they should be thoroughly cleaned before consumption.

– Water hygiene. Although in our country we usually have access to properly sanitized water, there are countries where this is not the case and if we are traveling to any of the above mentioned places, this is a very important aspect to consider as it is advisable to always drink bottled water.

– Control and hygiene of petsAlthough transmission of the virus from animals to humans is little known (the reverse route is known), it is advisable to monitor animals and conduct periodic veterinary examinations.

In addition, in addition to these measures, it is interesting to know that there are certain nutrients that act as immunonutrients, that is, they are cofactors that provide additional assistance to our immune system, among which stand out: glutamine, which also strengthens the intestinal walls. , helping its recovery and regeneration, arginine, vitamin A and L-isoleucine.

You can learn more about Elisa Escorihuela through her Instagram account: @eliescorihuela, her work at the Nutt Nutrition Center, and her book, Diet Therapy. You can also read all the nutritional advice contained in their articles in ABC’s Nutrition Class.