Inflammation of the intestines ranks second among the pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. According to statistics, pathology is equally common in men and women, and inflammation can occur at any age. With an illness, inflammatory processes appear on the mucous membrane of different parts of the intestine, causing a different clinic. It depends on the cause of a particular disease.
Causes of pathologies
The intestine consists of the duodenum, large intestine and small intestine. All of them take part in digestion, as well as in the immune system. Due to the occurrence of inflammatory processes, the production of secretion of enzymes is disrupted, the function of absorption of useful substances suffers. All this leads to impaired bowel function.
Inflammation of the intestine can occur for various reasons:
- Infectious pathologies. Bacteria, viruses, fungi (E. coli, salmonella, rotavirus) often cause pathology.
- Infection with worms.
- Irregular diet, frequentovereating, an abundance of fatty, fried, spicy, smoked foods.
- Heredity. There are cases when the lack of enzymes is transmitted at the genetic level.
- Dysbacteriosis. If the intestinal microflora is disturbed, pathogenic bacteria multiply, and mucosal pathology occurs.
- Impaired circulation of the intestinal walls.
- Autoimmune processes in which antibodies are produced against intestinal cells. This causes inflammation of the intestines.
Types of pathologies
The type of inflammation depends on which part of the intestine is affected. Based on localization, the following pathologies are distinguished:
- Duodenitis. Pathology occurs in the duodenum.
- Enteritis. Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by damage to the small intestine.
- Colitis.
Autoimmune pathologies are distinguished into a separate category, such as:
- Crohn's disease is characterized by inflammation of the intestines. The symptoms of the disease are manifested in pain, the pathology originates in the intestines, but can affect any part of the digestive system, including the oral cavity.
- Ulcerative colitis. Pathology develops in the large intestine.
- Catarrhal inflammation. The disease develops in the intestines. Colitis is divided into acute and chronic. In the first case, the pathology develops for about a month and is characterized by a vivid manifestation of symptoms. In the chronic form, inflammation develops from six months or longer.
Inflammation of the intestines and symptomsailments are interconnected.
Duodenitis
Inflammation of the duodenum is acute and chronic. The first type is rare, most often diagnosed with primary and secondary duodenitis. The first type is an independent disease. The second type is a pathology caused by cholecystitis, ulcers and other ailments.
The cause of primary duodenitis can be malnutrition: abuse of tea, coffee, sour or s alty, fatty. Superficial duodenitis affects only the upper layers of the mucous membrane. In this case, there is a malnutrition of the cells, while they themselves become thinner.
Diffuse duodenitis is characterized by an increase in secretory function: inflammatory processes reach the glands of the duodenum.
The atrophic form is the extinction of the secretory function of the mucosa, its thinning is observed.
Erosive duodenitis is characterized by the presence of small erosions on the duodenal mucosa.
Symptoms of duodenitis
Symptoms of intestinal inflammation in adults with duodenitis can proceed as pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis secretly and mixed. Most often, patients experience stabbing, cramping pains in the epigastric region, as well as in the umbilical zone. Pain usually appears one and a half to two hours after eating.
Duodenitis of the upper sections resembles a peptic ulcer, if the pathology is in the lower sections, then it resembles pancreatitis or cholecystitis.
With duodenitis, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, belching,increased sweating.
Treatment of duodenitis
Treatment of intestinal inflammation should be comprehensive. It includes diet, drug therapy. The doctor may prescribe folk remedies.
The following drugs are prescribed for the treatment of intestinal inflammation:
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics capable of suppressing Helicobacter pylori.
- Anti-invasive agents. When helminthic invasions are detected, appropriate drugs are selected.
- Anspasmodics, painkillers. They are necessary in cases where the pain syndrome is pronounced.
According to indications, the gastroenterologist may prescribe enveloping drugs, antiemetics and other drugs. Power adjustments are required.
Folk treatments for duodenitis
It is possible to treat intestinal inflammation with folk remedies, but only after consulting a doctor. The most popular means are:
- Decoction of St. John's wort. To prepare it, you need to pour two tablespoons of raw materials with a glass of water, boil in a water bath without boiling for half an hour. The remedy is taken in a third of a glass fifteen minutes before meals.
- Plantain with honey. Take a teaspoon of honey and the same amount of plantain juice. Everything is mixed. The received amount is taken at once fifteen minutes before meals.
- Kissel from rose hips. To prepare the product, a glass of dry berries and a liter of water are taken. Boil the product without a violent boilfor half an hour, then cooled to room temperature and filtered. From the resulting mass, the fruits are removed, crushed. Then they are poured with the resulting broth, boiled for another ten minutes. At the end of cooking, starch, previously diluted (a teaspoon per one hundred milliliters of water), is poured in a thin stream. Kissel is drunk in unlimited quantities at any time.
Malabsorption. Malabsorption
The concept of malabsorption includes a violation of absorption processes. The syndrome is specific, its manifestation can be provoked by various factors, and there is no such treatment.
The most common cause of the disorder is pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis and other gastrointestinal problems. Also, the disease can be triggered by infectious diseases, helminthic invasions. In each case, the doctor determines what exactly led to the disease.
Clinical manifestations of malabsorption
When inflammation of the intestine in an adult, there is a syndrome of malabsorption, the clinical picture depends on the severity, form of pathology.
Distinguish between extraintestinal and intestinal symptoms. The first group includes a violation of the absorption process, in which there is a decrease in weight, weakness, a violation of the psycho-emotional background, brittle hair, delamination of nails, a grayish skin tone. If treatment is not carried out, then palpitations, muscle cramps, decreased reflexes are added to the symptoms of inflammation of the large intestine and its other departments.
In the intestinal clinic, malabsorption is characterized by pain in the lower abdomen, in the right iliac region, diarrhea, rumbling andbloating, increased gas formation. If the pathology occurs against the background of cholecystitis, then there is dry mouth, a bitter aftertaste. With gastritis, heartburn with an unpleasant odor is noted.
Malabsorption treatments
Treatment is carried out by eliminating the underlying disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Only after that is the normalization of the intestines.
In case of illness, it is strictly forbidden to take medications that slow down intestinal motility. Because of them, harmful toxins will not be removed from the body, leading to a deterioration in the patient's well-being, the development of dysbacteriosis.
During attacks, doctors must prescribe enterosorbents - activated charcoal, Enterodes. Be sure to prescribe a diet for intestinal inflammation, which helps with malabsorption to normalize the digestive tract, and also relieves diarrhea and other problems.
Treatment for malabsorption
The symptoms and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease are closely related to malabsorption. A mandatory item in the successful treatment of malabsorption syndrome is diet. The table is adjusted to provide the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. For example, in case of violation of the absorption of lactose, dairy products are excluded from the diet. In case of malabsorption of gluten, protein-glue products are excluded from the menu.
As an additional therapy, vitamin-mineral complexes containing iron, magnesium, calcium are prescribed. Doctors may prescribeSupplements.
To speed up recovery, doctors select drugs that stimulate absorption in the large and small intestines. In inflammatory processes, hormonal drugs may be prescribed. To stimulate membrane hydrolysis of the small intestine, agents are prescribed that stabilize the intestinal microflora.
If malabsorption is life-threatening, surgery is performed.
Enteritis
Enteritis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the small intestine. During pathology, a change in the structure of the mucosa is observed, which disrupts the synthesis of intestinal juice and the barrier function of the intestinal walls.
Enteritis is of different origin, but downstream they are divided into acute and chronic.
Acute enteritis occurs with pronounced symptoms, and chronic is a complication of an acute process that occurs with improper treatment or in advanced cases.
Acute enteritis can be caused by infection with pathogenic microorganisms, viruses, poisoning, alcohol abuse, exposure to heavy metals, eating disorders.
Chronic form occurs with helminthic invasion, heavy metal intoxication, radiation sickness, autoimmune diseases, operations on the intestines. Hereditary diseases, including fermentopathy and enteropathy, can also lead to chronic enteritis.
Inflammation of the small intestine is manifested by loose stools, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rumbling, fever. In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the tongue is always screwed up. With severediarrhea, signs of dehydration are observed: dry mucous membranes, oral cavity. Patients are diagnosed with weight loss. In severe cases, convulsions, blood clotting disorders, shock and coma are observed.
The chronic form of inflammation is characterized by the occurrence of diarrhea after eating, mild pain near the umbilical zone, frequent watery stools, in which particles of undigested food are visible. Gradually develops anemia, osteopathy. The doctor diagnoses signs of beriberi, body weight decreases, discomfort occurs.
Methods of treatment of enteritis
Different types of enteritis require different treatment. The acute form is treated in a hospital. If the cause is pathogenic microorganisms, then drugs are prescribed that suppress their activity: antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals. Nutrition is necessarily adjusted, pureed and boiled food is introduced into the diet, which is not capable of irritating the intestines.
Enzyme therapy, correction of microbial balance is mandatory. Vitamins, immunotherapy are prescribed, sorbent preparations are selected.
Treatment of the chronic form of enteritis is carried out by prescribing a diet. For some patients, doctors recommend lifelong adherence to it. Enzyme preparations are also prescribed, intestinal motility is corrected, and medicines for diarrhea are selected. Be sure to prescribe probiotics and biologics, multivitamins, mineral supplements.
With proper and timely treatment of enteritis, the prognosis is favorable. Atthe chronic form of the disease, the prognosis depends on the cause, the severity of the intestinal lesion. With regular treatment, exhaustion and adverse outcomes can be avoided.
Colitis
Colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine resulting from an infectious, ischemic, drug-induced injury. Colitis occurs with pain, indigestion, flatulence, tenesmus.
Colitis can be acute or chronic. The first type is characterized by abdominal pain, flatulence. In the feces, impurities of mucus and blood are observed. If the disease is not cured, then it becomes chronic, and acute colitis can be complicated by ulcers, bleeding, carcinophobia.
In chronic colitis, there is a change in the structure of the intestinal mucosa with dystrophic changes.
Clinically, colitis is manifested by pain, defecation disorder, tenesmus. With inflammation, pain is noted, which is dull and aching in nature. In some cases, diffuse pain may occur. After eating, usually the pain syndrome intensifies, and after defecation, it weakens. Pain can be provoked by walking, enema.
If left untreated, colitis can cause intestinal perforation with peritonitis, anemia due to bleeding, intestinal obstruction due to adhesions, strictures, scarring.
Chronic colitis is treated in a hospital. In the treatment of chronic and acute types of inflammation, a diet is required. It provides for the exclusion from the diet of foods that can irritate the intestines.
In case of intestinal inflammation caused by pathogenic microorganisms, antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal drugs are prescribed. If helminths are found, then anthelmintic drugs are selected.
In the treatment of inflammation of the intestines, any of its departments, the infusion of chamomile, calendula and other folk remedies has a positive effect.
