Despite the fact that the anatomy of the human body is the same for everyone, some organs can vary in shape and size in different people. Most often, differences are found in the digestive system of the body, namely in the area of the large and small intestines. The sigmoid colon is located in the thick section, and the condition of a person directly depends on its proper functioning.
This gut helps to digest food, saturating the human body with water. It is usually located at the level of the iliac crest, but can also reach the hypochondrium. Inflammation of the sigmoid colon is a fairly common occurrence, which is called sigmoiditis. Symptoms of the disease are quite clearly expressed, they will be discussed in this article. It is important to note that this is a fairly commonly diagnosed ailment, and a large number of people face it.
Word Definition
Before talking about the symptoms and treatment of the disease, it is necessary to clarify the meaning of the concept of "sigmoiditis". What is it?
This disease is an inflammation of the lower part of the intestine, namely the sigmoid colon. Because ofanatomical features of the body structure, this department is considered one of the weakest places in the body. It looks like it's attracting an infection. The shape of the sigmoid colon resembles the letter of the Latin alphabet "sigma". Even despite the individuality of a person, in almost everyone this gut is similar to this letter.
Everything needs to be done on time, especially when it comes to he alth. Sigmoiditis can develop both independently of other ailments, and together with them. So you should be careful in this matter, with the slightest symptoms, contact a specialist.
Causes of disease
Why does sigmoiditis occur? The reasons can be very different, but the main one is the structure of the human body. Oddly enough, we cannot influence the anatomy of our intestines and other organs. The large intestine has curves, each person has a different number of them. The more kinks in the bowel, the more likely it is to become inflamed, as it is difficult for the contents to pass freely through the bowel, resulting in stool stagnation.
In pregnant women, inflammation of the sigmoid colon can occur as a result of pressure from the uterus. Also, the cause of this disease can be other ailments of the gastrointestinal tract, such as dysbacteriosis or proctitis. Since the sigmoid colon is a poorly protected organ, it is more prone to diseases than others. Sigmoiditis is a rather serious disease that can lead to irreversible malfunctions in the digestive tract.human.
Types of sigmoiditis
Classification of the disease has several divisions. According to the degree of activity, acute and chronic sigmoiditis are distinguished. They will be reviewed later. In more detail, one should dwell on the division according to the changes that occur in the body during inflammation of the sigmoid colon.
- Catarrhal sigmoiditis. This is the weakest form of the disease, it is practically not dangerous, the lesion does not extend to the entire intestine, but only to the upper layer.
- Erosive sigmoiditis. This is the next form of the disease, into which catarrhal sigmoiditis can flow if timely treatment is not prescribed. In addition to the signs of the first form, the examination can detect erosion (defects on the gastric mucosa).
- Ulcerative sigmoiditis. It is a very dangerous form of the disease, characterized by the fact that inflammation passes from the upper to the lower layers. In some cases, inflammation can also spread to the muscles.
- Perisigmoiditis. It is the latest and, accordingly, the most severe form. With it, the intestinal wall becomes completely infected, which can lead to irreversible consequences.
Different types of sigmoiditis have their own symptoms and causes. When you contact a doctor, you can find out if you have this disease, at what stage it is and how to treat it.
Sigmoiditis: symptoms of the disease
As already noted, the degree of activity can distinguish between acute and chronic forms of the disease. The symptoms in each case will be different. To begin with, consider the case when a person has an acutesigmoiditis:
- pain appears in the left iliac part;
- pain is accompanied by spasms and radiates to the lower back;
- bloating and regular rumbling of the abdomen;
- quite often loose stools with blood;
- weakness, pallor, constant nausea.
The chronic form of the disease usually manifests itself along with intestinal dysbacteriosis. It is characterized by alternating diarrhea and constipation. If a person feels constant fatigue, weakness, and acute pain during defecation, then most likely it is sigmoiditis. Symptoms, treatment of this form of the disease largely depend on the cause.
Digestion of food does not occur properly with this ailment. If you do not go to an appointment with a specialist in time, then a person can lose a lot of weight, get tired quickly, and will feel constant fatigue. It is possible that everything will return to normal for a while, but you should not rejoice too early. Sigmoiditis may recede, but if a person has not been treated in any way, then he can be sure that the disease will return again.
Repeated illness can lead to serious infectious diseases, hypothermia and injury.
Diagnosis of sigmoiditis
Even doctors can make mistakes, and even more so when it comes to the fact that the sigmoid colon has become inflamed. Where is it located and how does it hurt? The fact is that the symptoms of sigmoiditis are very similar to the symptoms of acute appendicitis. Often there are cases when doctors confuse these two diseases, since diagnosing sigmoiditis is quite difficult.
If a person is lateturned to the doctor with this problem or an incorrect diagnosis was made, then the inflammation can grow to enormous proportions, endangering life and he alth. In this case, there is a possibility that the sigmoid colon will fuse with other organs that are located nearby. Then conventional medicines and measures for sigmoiditis will not help, surgery will become necessary.
Only an experienced doctor, a professional in his field, will be able to diagnose sigmoiditis. The localization of the patient's pain and the focus of the disease is what the specialist needs to determine first of all. The patient himself, as well as palpation of the abdomen, can help the doctor with this. It is mandatory to take a blood and stool test so that the doctor can determine the severity of the disease. Since the correct diagnosis is very important, the specialist may order the patient to undergo an abdominal ultrasound. In order to diagnose the disease for sure, the patient can be examined with an endoscope.
Treatment of inflammation of the sigmoid colon
A person's life is practically spoiled if he is diagnosed with sigmoiditis. Symptoms, treatment of the disease are inextricably linked with each other. Regardless of the stage of the disease, the patient is in constant discomfort, regularly feels weak and tired.
The more pronounced the symptoms of the disease, the longer and more thoroughly the treatment will be. Currently, literally for all stages of the disease there are good and high-quality medicines. The main thing is to identify the cause in time and startsurvey.
Depending on what caused the disease, drugs are prescribed. If it enters the body as an infection, then doctors recommend using antibiotics in treatment. If the disease has arisen due to the anatomical structure of the body, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Each doctor chooses the dosage and quantity individually for the patient.
If the patient feels very ill, he will be offered hospitalization. If any similar symptoms begin to appear, you should immediately consult a therapist. Self-treatment for sigmoiditis is not recommended, as it is very dangerous. In this case, it is better to completely trust the attending physician and not take rash and uncoordinated actions.
Treatment with folk remedies
Despite the fact that at home there is a minimal chance of a complete recovery, the treatment of sigmoiditis with folk remedies does take place. Herbal decoctions are an excellent solution, as they will help improve well-being with intestinal inflammation, as well as stop diarrhea and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
For this decoction, you will need small amounts of plantain and celandine leaves, rose hips and chamomile flowers. Put all the ingredients one teaspoon into a container and pour boiling water over it. After the broth is infused (6 hours), you can start using it. It will be correct to drink it 6 times a day, half a glass before meals. After drinking the decoction for 4 weeks, you need to break for a week,and then restart again. For best results, it is recommended to repeat this cycle three times.
If a person suffers from diarrhea, then juice from plantain leaves will be a good helper. To prepare this liquid, you need to grind the leaves, squeeze the juice out of them. One tablespoon of juice is diluted in a glass of boiling water. It is recommended to take half an hour before meals.
Still, the treatment of this disease with the help of traditional medicine is not very effective, it will only help relieve pain for a while. Seeing a doctor is a must for anyone with ulcerative or non-ulcerative sigmoiditis. Treatment of the second folk remedies is more appropriate, as it will not allow the disease to grow further.
Proper nutrition in case of illness
In almost all cases of sigmoiditis, the doctor prescribes a diet. Most often this is diet number 4. Its purpose is to eliminate inflammatory and other negative processes in the body, as well as to achieve proper bowel function. The main thing in this diet is to exclude fats and carbohydrates, thanks to this, a sufficient amount of gastric juice is secreted.
As already noted, this diet is prescribed to almost everyone who has found sigmoiditis. Symptoms in this case are not very important. This diet is low in calories, contains a lot of protein, and the amount of fat and carbohydrates is minimized. The optimal diet period is about 7 days. Since it does not contain enough vitamins, its long-term use can adversely affect he alth. Eat 5-6 times a dayday in small portions.
Allowed and recommended products include:
- crackers or stale bread;
- boiled or steam dietary meat;
- boiled lean fish;
- porridge cooked with water;
- green tea, coffee without sugar;
- sour apples, blueberry, quince or pear jelly.
Prohibited foods include:
- fresh bread, flour products;
- meat, lard, sausages;
- fatty fish;
- spices, sauces, spicy additives;
- carbonated drinks, cocoa and coffee with sugar.
As you can see from the products, this is a fairly low-calorie diet, and not everyone can withstand it even for a week. However, it is necessary. Of course, after consultation with the attending physician. Often patients lose several kilograms after taking this course. This will ease the pain and slightly reduce the level of inflammation. After the patient has been on a diet for a week, do not immediately switch to fatty and high-calorie foods, this can only worsen sigmoiditis. Symptoms in women are about the same as in men, there are no particular differences. So everyone will have to diet, regardless of gender.
Disease prevention
This ailment is very common, and in order to somehow protect yourself from it, you need to know about sigmoiditis. What it is, many do not even know until they find themselves in constant pain in the iliac crest. The famous proverb says: forewarned is forearmed.
Prevention of this disease comes down to the timely solution of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the prevention of extreme forms of ailments. A very important point is proper nutrition. If possible, you should minimize the intake of fatty foods, eat more vegetables and fruits. It is advisable not to eat large portions twice a day. It is better to divide these portions into six times, this decision will have a positive effect on digestion. Thus, a person avoids overeating, and, accordingly, bloating.
In this case, all parts of the gastrointestinal tract will work normally. Of course, it is also necessary to seek professional help in time. At the first sign of any disease, especially related to the intestines, you need to make an appointment.
It is very difficult for people to understand if their sigmoid colon is inflamed. Where is it located and how does it hurt? You need to know the answers to these questions. At the slightest manifestation of the first symptoms, action should be taken immediately.
Forecast
The future of a patient's disease depends on a large number of factors. Depending on what the symptoms are, the cause of the disease, the degree of sigmoiditis, the form of the disease, it depends on what will happen next with the patient. In general, it can be noted that sigmoiditis with timely treatment and maintenance of preventive measures almost always has a favorable outcome.
Of course, any disease that is discovered late becomes difficult to treat, and in this case sigmoiditis is no exception. Symptoms, causes of the diseasealways different, a lot depends on it. An unfavorable outcome can only be if the disease has been too advanced. Then surgery is the only option.
