Does your stomach often turn over? It could be a Giardiasis infection!

Sometimes we suddenly get a stomach ache, don't we? We feel full, our stomach hurts, or we have diarrhea. Most of the time we think it's just a normal stomach ache, or that something has gone wrong with our food. But that's not always the case. Sometimes the cause of this can be a small parasite that we can't see with our eyes, and that can be transmitted through dirty water or food. Today we're talking about one such infection, 'Giardiasis.' It's very important to be aware of this, especially if we have small children at home.

What is Giardiasis?

Simply put, giardiasis is an infection of our intestines. It is caused by a tiny, single-celled parasite called Giardia intestinalis , which is invisible to the naked eye. This parasite lives anywhere in the world, especially in areas where clean drinking water is not available. It is one of the most common waterborne diseases.

When this parasite enters our body, it attaches itself to the walls of our small intestine and begins to live. That's when we start to experience symptoms like stomach upset and diarrhea.

What are the symptoms of this?

Symptoms usually appear between 1 and 3 weeks after the parasite enters the body. These symptoms can last from 2 to 6 weeks. Some people may not show any symptoms, but they can still spread the disease to others.

Let's look at the table below to see what the most common symptoms are.

How does this disease spread to us?

This infection is spread by the parasite that enters our bodies in the feces of an infected person or animal. Imagine, before this parasite leaves the body with the feces, it builds a hard shell called a 'cyst' around itself. It's like putting on armor before going into battle. Because of this cyst, the parasite can live outside the body, in water, or on any surface, for months.

You can get this infection in the following ways:

• Drinking contaminated water: You can become infected by drinking unboiled water taken directly from wells, streams, or lakes where the parasite is present. You can also become infected by using ice cubes made from that water.
• Close contact with an infected person: The risk of infection is higher when you are in close contact with someone who is infected, especially if you live in the same household.
• Touching dirty surfaces: The parasite can be present by touching things like bathroom door handles, baby changing tables, diaper pails, and toys, and by eating food without washing your hands .
• Swimming in dirty water: Accidentally swallowing a drop of water while swimming in pools, lakes, or streams.
• Eating contaminated food: Eating uncooked food (e.g. lettuce) contaminated with the parasite.
• Traveling: There is an increased risk when traveling to countries where this disease is common.

Who is most at risk?

Although anyone can develop this infection, some people are more likely to be exposed to this parasite.

• Young children and their caregivers: Especially for children in kindergartens and parents and staff who change their nappies.
• Household members with an infected person: The risk of spreading the disease is high when living in the same household.
• People who drink unboiled water: For those who drink water directly from natural water sources such as wells, streams, and rivers.
• Tourists and hikers: If you don't take care of cleanliness when traveling, especially when traveling to jungle areas.
• People who engage in anal sex: The risk of transmitting the infection is higher here.

How does a doctor diagnose and treat this?

To find out for sure if you have giardiasis, your doctor will ask you to provide a stool sample . It will be sent to a lab to be tested for the presence of this parasite. Sometimes, it may be difficult to detect in a single sample, so you may need to provide samples over several days.

Most of the time, this infection will go away without treatment, but if your symptoms are severe or persist, your doctor will prescribe medication. The most common medications used for this are Metronidazole (Flagyl) , nitazoxanide (Alinia) , and tinidazole (Tindamax) . It is very important to take the medication your doctor prescribes exactly as prescribed.

Can this cause other complications?

Yes, some problems may remain after a giardiasis infection has cleared up. These can be especially serious for infants and young children.

• Dehydration: Excessive diarrhea can cause a dangerous decrease in the amount of water and salts in the body.
• Failure to thrive: Prolonged diarrhea can cause a child to not receive the necessary nutrition, affecting their physical and mental development.
• Lactose intolerance: Many people who have this infection later have difficulty digesting milk and milk products (such as milk and cheese). This means that the intestines cannot digest the sugar (lactose) in milk.

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