The human intestine performs one of the important functions in the body. Through it, nutrients and water enter the blood. Problems associated with the violation of its functions, in the initial stages of diseases, as a rule, do not attract our attention. Gradually, the disease becomes chronic and makes itself felt by manifestations that are hard to miss. What could be the reasons that caused a functional violation of the intestine, and how these diseases are diagnosed and treated, we will consider further.
What does pathology mean?
Functional bowel disorder contains several types of intestinal disorders. All of them are united by the main symptom: impaired motor function of the intestine. The disorders usually appear in the middle or lower parts of the digestive tract. They are not the result of neoplasms or biochemical disorders.
Let's list what pathologies belong here:
- Irritable Syndromeintestines.
- The same pathology with constipation.
- Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.
- Chronic functional pain.
- Fecal incontinence.
The class of "diseases of the digestive system" includes a functional disorder of the intestine, in the ICD-10 pathology code K59 is assigned. Consider the most common types of functional disorders.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
This disease refers to a functional disorder of the intestine (ICD-10 code K58). With this syndrome, there are no inflammatory processes and the following symptoms are observed:
- Colonic dysmotility.
- Bloating.
- Rumbling in the intestines.
- Meteorism.
- Stool changes - diarrhea, constipation.
- Pain in the region of the caecum is characteristic on examination.
- Chest pain.
- Headache.
- High heart rate.
There may be several types of pain:
- Spreading.
- Pressing.
- Stupid.
- Cramping.
- Intestinal colic.
- Migratory pains.
It is worth noting that pain can be aggravated as a result of positive or negative emotions, in case of stress, and also during physical exertion. Sometimes after eating. To reduce the pain syndrome can discharge gases, stool. As a rule, with functional disorders, intestinal pain disappears at night with falling asleep, but may resume in the morning.
In this case, the following course of the disease is observed:
- After a bowel movement comes relief.
- Gas builds up and feels bloated.
- Stool changes its consistency.
- The frequency and process of defecation is disturbed.
- Possible mucus.
If several symptoms persist for some time, the doctor diagnoses irritable bowel syndrome. A functional disorder of the intestine (ICD-10 identifies such a pathology) also includes constipation. Consider further the features of the course of this disorder.
Constipation is a bowel disorder
According to the international classification, such a functional disorder of the intestine according to the ICD-10 code is under the number K59.0. With constipation, transit slows down and dehydration of feces increases, coprostasis is formed. Constipation has the following symptoms:
- Escape less than 3 times a week.
- Lack of feeling of complete bowel movement.
- The act of defecation is difficult.
- Stool hard, dry, fragmented.
- Intestinal spasms.
Constipation with spasms, as a rule, there are no organic changes in the intestines.
Constipation can be categorized by severity:
- Easy. Stool 1 every 7 days.
- Average. Stool 1 every 10 days.
- Heavy. Stool less than 1 time in 10 days.
The following directions are used in the treatment of constipation:
- Integral Therapy.
- Rehabilitation measures.
- Preventive measures.
Diseasecaused by insufficient mobility during the day, malnutrition, disorders in the nervous system.
Diarrhea
This disease as a functional disorder of the large intestine ICD-10 classifies by the duration and degree of damage to the intestinal mucosa. A disease of an infectious nature refers to A00-A09, non-infectious - to K52.9.
This functional disorder is characterized by watery, loose, loose stools. Defecation occurs more than 3 times a day. There is no feeling of bowel movement. This disease is also associated with impaired intestinal motility. It can be divided by severity:
- Easy. Stool 5-6 times a day.
- Average. Stool 6-8 times a day.
- Heavy. Stool more than 8 times a day.
May become chronic but absent at night. Lasts for 2-4 weeks. The disease may recur. Often diarrhea is associated with the psycho-emotional state of the patient. In severe cases, the body loses a large amount of water, electrolytes, protein, and valuable substances. This can lead to death. It should also be taken into account that diarrhea can be a symptom of a disease that is not associated with the gastrointestinal tract.
Common causes of functional disorders
The main reasons can be divided into:
- External. Psycho-emotional problems.
- Domestic. Problems are associated with poor intestinal motility.
There are several common reasonsfunctional disorders of the intestines in adults:
- Wrong diet.
- Prolonged use of antibiotics.
- Dysbacteriosis.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Stress.
- Poisoning.
- Infectious diseases.
- Problems of the urinary organs in women.
- Hormonal failures.
- Menstruation, pregnancy.
- Not drinking enough water.
These reasons are typical for adults. Next, a few words about violations in children.
Causes and symptoms of functional disorders in children
Due to the underdevelopment of the intestinal flora, functional disorders of the intestine in children are not uncommon. The reasons may be as follows:
- The inability of the intestine to external conditions.
- Infectious diseases.
- Infection of the body with various bacteria.
- Violation of the psycho-emotional state.
- Heavy food.
- Allergic reaction.
- Inadequate blood supply to certain parts of the intestine.
- Intestinal obstruction.
It is worth noting that in older children, the causes of manifestation of functional disorders are similar to those in adults. Small children and infants are much more difficult to tolerate intestinal diseases. In this case, you can not do just a diet, it is necessary to take medication and consult a doctor. Severe diarrhea can kill the baby.
The following symptoms may be noted:
- Child becomes lethargic.
- Complains of stomach pains.
- Irritability appears.
- Attention decreases.
- Meteorism.
- Increased or absent stools.
- There is mucus or blood in the feces.
- Child complains of pain during bowel movements.
- Possible rise in temperature.
In children, functional bowel disorders can be infectious or non-infectious. Only a pediatrician can determine. If you notice any of the above symptoms, you should take your child to the doctor as soon as possible.
According to ICD-10, a functional disorder of the large intestine in a teenager is most often associated with a violation of the diet, stress, medication, intolerance to a number of products. Such disorders are more common than organic intestinal lesions.
General symptoms
If a person has a functional bowel disorder, the symptoms may be as follows. They are characteristic of many of the above diseases:
- Pain in the abdomen.
- Bloating. Involuntary passage of flatus.
- No stool for several days.
- Diarrhea.
- Frequent burping.
- False urge to defecate.
- The consistency of the stool is liquid or solid and has mucus or blood.
The following symptoms are also possible, which confirm the intoxication of the body:
- Headaches.
- Weakness.
- Abdominal cramps.
- Nausea.
- Strongsweating.
What should I do and which doctor should I contact for help?
What diagnosis is needed?
First of all, you need to go for an examination to a therapist who will determine which specialist you should contact. These could be:
- Gastroenterologist.
- Dietitian.
- Proctologist.
- Therapist.
- Neurologist.
To make a diagnosis, the following tests may be prescribed:
- General analysis of blood, urine, feces.
- Biochemical blood test.
- Stool examination for occult blood.
- Coprogram.
- Sigmoidoscopy.
- Colonofibroscopy.
- Irrigoscopy.
- X-ray examination.
- Biopsy of intestinal tissues.
- CT.
- Ultrasound.
Only after a full examination, the doctor prescribes treatment.
Make a diagnosis
I would like to note that with a functional bowel disorder, unspecified, the diagnosis is based on the fact that the patient has the following symptoms for 3 months:
- Abdominal pain or discomfort.
- Defecation is either too frequent or difficult.
- Stool consistency is either watery or hard.
- Defecation process disturbed.
- Does not feel like a full bowel movement.
- There is mucus or blood in the stools.
- Meteorism.
Important palpation during examination, should besuperficial and deep sliding. You should pay attention to the condition of the skin, to the increased sensitivity of individual areas. If we consider a blood test, as a rule, it does not have pathological abnormalities. An X-ray examination will show signs of colon dyskinesia and possible changes in the small intestine. Barium enema will show painful and uneven filling of the large intestine. Endoscopic examination will confirm swelling of the mucous membrane, an increase in the secretory activity of the glands. It is also necessary to exclude peptic ulcer of the stomach and 12 duodenal ulcer. The coprogram will show the presence of mucus and excessive fragmentation of feces. Ultrasound reveals the pathology of the gallbladder, pancreas, pelvic organs, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine and atherosclerotic lesions of the abdominal aorta. After examining the feces, bacteriological analysis excludes an infectious disease.
If there are postoperative sutures, adhesive disease and functional bowel pathology should be considered.
What treatments are there?
In order for the treatment to be as effective as possible, if a functional bowel disorder is diagnosed, a set of measures must be taken:
- Establish a regime of work and rest.
- Use psychotherapy methods.
- Follow the advice of a nutritionist.
- Take medication.
- Apply physiotherapy treatments.
Now a little more about each of them.
A few rules for the treatment of intestinal diseases:
- Stay outside regularly.
- Exercise. Especially if the work is sedentary.
- Give up bad habits.
- Avoid stressful situations.
- Be able to relax, meditate.
- Take a warm bath regularly.
- Don't snack on junk food.
- Eat foods that are probiotics and contain lactic acid bacteria.
- Restrict fresh fruits and vegetables for diarrhea.
- Massage the abdomen.
Methods of psychotherapy help to cure functional disorders of the intestine, which are associated with stressful conditions. So, it is possible to use the following types of psychotherapy in the treatment:
- Hypnosis.
- Methods of behavioral psychotherapy.
- Abdominal autogenic training.
It should be remembered that with constipation, first of all, it is necessary to relax the psyche, not the intestines.
Dietitian's recommendation:
- Food should be varied.
- Drink should be plentiful, at least 1.5-2 liters per day.
- Do not eat foods that are poorly tolerated.
- Do not eat food that is cold or very hot.
- Don't eat fruits and vegetables raw and in large quantities.
- Do not abuse products with essential oils, whole milk products and refractory fats.
Treatment of functional bowel disorder includes the following drugs:
- Anspasmodics: Buscopan, Spazmomen, Dicetep, No-shpa.
- Serotonergic drugs: Ondansetron, Buspirone.
- Carminatives: Simethicone, Espumizan.
- Sorbents: "Mukofalk", "Activated carbon".
- Antidiarrheal drugs: Linex, Smecta, Loperamide.
- Prebiotics: Lactobacterin, Bifidumbacterin.
- Antidepressants: Tazepam, Relanium, Phenazepam.
- Neuroleptics: Eglonil.
- Antibiotics: Cefix, Rifaximin.
- Laxatives for constipation: Bisacodyl, Senalex, Lactulose.
The attending physician should prescribe medicines, taking into account the characteristics of the organism and the course of the disease.
Physiotherapy treatments
Each patient is prescribed physiotherapy individually, depending on the functional disorders of the intestine. They may include:
- Bishofite carbon dioxide baths.
- Treatment with interference currents.
- Use of diadynamic currents.
- Reflexology and acupuncture.
- Therapeutic and physical culture complex.
- Electrophoresis with magnesium sulfate.
- Intestinal massage.
- Cryomassage.
- Ozone therapy.
- Swimming.
- Yoga.
- Laser therapy.
- Autogenic exercises.
- Warm compresses.
Good results have been noted with the use of mineral waters in the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract. It should be noted that afterphysiotherapy procedures sometimes do not require medication. The work of the intestines is getting better. But all procedures are possible only after a full examination and under the supervision of a doctor.
Prevention of functional bowel disorders
Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. There are rules for the prevention of intestinal diseases that everyone should know. Let's list them:
- Food should be varied.
- It is better to eat fractionally, in small portions 5-6 times a day.
- The menu should include whole grain bread, cereals, bananas, onions, high fiber bran.
- Exclude gas-producing foods from your diet if you have a tendency to flatulence.
- Use natural laxative products: plums, dairy products, bran.
- Be active.
- Control your weight. Obesity leads to diseases of the digestive system.
- Give up bad habits.
Following these simple rules, you can avoid such a disease as a functional bowel disorder.
