- Giardiasis is a condition that can cause intense gastrointestinal distress. It's not caused by a bacteria or by a virus, but by the parasitic protozoa Giardia lamblia. If you ingest giardia cysts, the giardia will take up residence in your small intestine. The tiny creatures eat and breed there, using you as a host. In some cases, people who have giardia inside their bodies don't have symptoms, but often the creatures' activities cause inflammation and giardiasis symptoms are produced.
- How do you get giardia in your body? Giardia cysts are hardy little creatures, and can live inside many different substances (although you can't get giardia through contact with blood). You can get giardia through drinking contaminated water, even if it is frozen (like in ice cubes) or through swimming in a contaminated pool or other body of water. Uncooked food can also be a source of giardia. Poor hygiene practices can also lead to fecal matter unwittingly entering the mouth. Giardia is more common in developing countries, and giardiasis is associated with (and can actually be mistaken for) "traveler's diarrhea."
- The major symptom of giardiasis is diarrhea. The first symptoms may include a lack of appetite, nausea and low-grade fever, followed by bouts of explosive, smelly, watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include bloating, cramping, intestinal gas and vomiting. Weight loss can occur. If giardiasis is left untreated, these symptoms can persist or go away on their own. Giardiasis can lead to an inability to absorb food.
- Giardiasis will probably pass away on its own in healthy individuals, but treatment will shorten the time spent dealing with the condition. The Federal Food and Drug Administration has approved two drugs, Tindamax (tinidazole) and Alinia (nitazoxanide), to treat giardiasis. Metronidazole is another commonly used drug used to treat giardiasis cases. These drugs kill off the parasites and destroy their cysts. As always with any cause of diarrhea, it's important to replenish fluid levels in your body, so drink lots of fluid from an uncontaminated source.
- There are ways that you can lower your chances catching the giardia parasite. Washing with soap and water and making sure that young, diaper-wearing children are clean can help. Don't drink recreational water (water in a fountain or swimming pool) or untreated water, such as in a lake or stream. If you're traveling in a country where the water sources may be contaminated, stick to bottled water.
