Warning Signs Of Giardiasis

Giardiasis, also known as Giardia infection or beaver fever, is a condition caused by a microscopic parasite called Giardia lamblia, also known as Giardia intestinalis. While giardiasis can occur anywhere in the world, including the United States, it is most common in places where individuals don’t have access to clean drinking water. Even so, G. lamblia is the most common intestinal parasite in the United States.

G. lamblia lives in its host’s small intestine and is eventually excreted out along with the feces. The parasite can grow a cyst or hard shell to protect it. The cyst can survive for months outside the body. Dogs, cats, beavers, and humans can all be hosts to G. lamblia. Humans contract the parasite by swallowing contaminated water, and they can also get it by eating contaminated food that hasn’t been thoroughly cooked.

While some individuals show no symptoms, others display symptoms, which include the following:

Loss Of Appetite

Most patients start to develop symptoms within one to three weeks of contracting the parasites, and untreated giardiasis generally runs its course within six weeks. Loss of appetite is an incredibly common symptom of giardiasis. The patient may also suddenly be unable to tolerate milk and dairy products. While this lactose intolerance is temporary in many patients, it can become permanent. While undergoing treatment for giardiasis, patients should, therefore, avoid dairy products for several weeks.

While doctors often treat giardiasis with a variety of antibiotics, they can also use herbal remedies as treatments. The various herbs work by stimulating the immune system and different enzymes to either kill the parasite or prevent it from reproducing. Garlic, for example, affects the parasite’s ability to adhere to the intestines. It may also stimulate an enzyme that can kill the parasite.

Excessive Gas

Patients with giardiasis develop excessive gas in their intestines and will have many bouts of flatulence. Their belches will also taste sulfuric.

A patient should call their doctor if their symptoms last for over a week. They should also call the doctor if they start developing signs of dehydration like extreme thirst, dizziness, lack of saliva, or confusion. Patients should call their doctor if they are over fifty and have diarrhea accompanied by severe abdominal pain, or if they are over seventy and have loose stools. The patient should tell the doctor about any recent travels to foreign countries or interactions with small children, who are often carriers, as well as if they swam or drank from a lake or other body of water. The doctor will then take stool samples and check them for signs of parasites.