Colitis is a fairly common disease that mainly affects people of mature age. This is an extremely unpleasant disease that significantly impairs the quality of human life. If left untreated, the inflammatory process can lead to a host of unpleasant consequences.
That is why people are often interested in the question of what constitutes such an ailment. What are the first symptoms of inflammation? When should you see a doctor immediately? What treatment does modern medicine offer? Are there preventive measures? This information will be useful to many readers. So, next we will consider different types of intestinal colitis and their treatment.
What is colitis?
Colitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the lining of the large intestine. According to statistics, men aged 40 to 60 suffer most often from this disease, and in women the age threshold is even lowered: even twenty-year-olds appear among the patients.
Today there ismany varieties of this disease. The reasons for it may be different. For the most part, the inflammatory process is associated with the activity of bacterial microorganisms and viruses. Risk factors also include disorders in the immune system, insufficient blood supply to intestinal tissues (observed with high blood pressure, vasospasm, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis), as well as malnutrition (fiber deficiency), bad habits (smoking), the presence of infections in other departments digestive system. In addition, there is a certain genetic predisposition.
In most cases, colitis responds fairly well to medical treatment, especially if therapy was started in a timely manner. That is why it is important to know about the main causes and the first symptoms of the disease.
The main types of intestinal colitis and their causes
Unfortunately, this disease cannot be called rare. Not surprisingly, many patients are interested in additional information about the disease. One of the most common questions is: “What is ulcerative colitis of the intestine?” Symptoms, treatment and causes of the development of pathology also do not stand aside. However, it is worth knowing that there are dozens of different forms of inflammatory bowel disease and several commonly used classification systems.
For example, depending on the course of the disease, acute (symptoms are pronounced and appear quickly, intestinal inflammation is often associated with gastritis or enteritis) and chronic colitis (symptoms either fade away, thenescalate).
Depending on the location of the inflammatory process, such forms as proctitis (inflammation of the rectum), sigmoiditis (affected sigmoid colon), transverse colon (transverse colon) and typhlitis (inflammation of the caecum) are distinguished. In some cases, the mucous membrane of the entire large intestine becomes inflamed - a similar condition is called pancolitis. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously affect several departments.
Depending on the causes of the development of the disease, it is customary to distinguish the following types:
- Infectious colitis. It develops against the background of the activity of bacterial microflora. The disease can be caused by streptococci or staphylococci. The infection can enter the digestive system from the outside, for example, colitis develops against the background of dysentery. In addition, inflammation occurs against the background of a decrease in the activity of the immune system, as a result of which intensive reproduction of opportunistic microflora begins.
- Ischemic colitis. It develops if the normal blood supply to the large intestine is disturbed, which is observed, for example, with atherosclerosis of the branches of the abdominal aorta.
- People with chronic radiation sickness develop what is known as radiation colitis.
- There is also a toxic form of colitis, which is caused by exposure to toxins or drugs. For example, quite often, uncontrolled intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs leads to inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and other organs of the digestive tract.
- Ulcerative colitis is quite common and dangerous,which is accompanied by the formation of ulcers on the walls of the intestine. Unfortunately, the exact etiology of this disease is unknown - scientists managed to find out that the autoimmune process, genetic heredity and certain infectious agents play a role in the formation of the disease.
Of course, there are other classification schemes, as well as forms of inflammation. For example, colitis can develop against the background of an allergy. In addition, erosion of the mucous membrane or its gradual atrophy may develop in parallel.
What are the symptoms of acute colitis?
As you can see, there are many different types of intestinal colitis. Symptoms of acute forms for the most part look the same, regardless of the form of the disease, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with them.
Often, an acute inflammatory process begins with an increase in temperature and the appearance of signs of general intoxication of the body. In particular, patients complain of weakness, body aches, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite, chills.
There are more specific symptoms that accompany colitis. How is this disease manifested? First of all, disorders of the digestive system. In particular, many patients complain of severe sharp pains in the abdomen, especially in the navel. Often, any meals are accompanied by rumbling, bloating.
A feature of inflammation of the large intestine is constant diarrhea - defecation acts become more frequent up to 5-6 times a day. Often patients feel the urge immediately after takingfood, in the morning or even wake up at night. Feces tend to be relatively thin and smelly, due to the activity of intestinal bacteria.
There are some fairly dangerous symptoms of ulcerative colitis. In particular, in the presence of serious damage to the mucous membrane, blood impurities may appear in the feces. If unchanged blood appears constantly, you must definitely tell the doctor about it.
Chronic colitis and features of its course
Chronic intestinal colitis is a rather dangerous disease. Periods of exacerbation are replaced by periods of relative calm, when a person feels fine, therefore, does not consider that he needs medical help. Moreover, the chronic form of the disease is much more difficult to treat.
This disease is also accompanied by a violation of the digestive processes. Patients often suffer from problems with stool - diarrhea is often replaced by constipation, and vice versa. Sometimes the act of defecation is accompanied by pain in the abdomen. In addition, the inflammatory process can spread to other parts of the digestive system.
It is worth noting that in the absence of treatment, gradual changes are observed in all organ systems. Sick people lose their appetite, resulting in weight loss. In addition, food is not fully absorbed, which gradually leads to the development of anemia, hypo- and beriberi, disruption of the normal balance of electrolytes, and exhaustion. The disease also affects the emotional state of a person - there is depression, mood deterioration,increased irritability, sleep problems, constant fatigue. Therefore, in no case should you ignore the problem.
Modern diagnostic methods
What to do if you have symptoms that resemble colitis? What to do in such cases? Of course, first of all, you need to go to the doctor. The fact is that other, more serious diseases, including cancer, can be masked under the same symptoms.
First, the doctor must take a complete medical history. He will certainly ask about the symptoms present, their intensity, time of occurrence, etc. These facts are very important, so be sure to provide the specialist with all the necessary information.
Followed by the standard inspection. The doctor will palpate the abdomen to look for abnormally enlarged organs. If colitis is suspected, a rectal examination is necessary, during which a specialist can quickly detect swelling or swelling in the rectum.
The patient is also required to take blood tests (to detect inflammation, occult bleeding, bleeding disorders) and feces (you can detect infection or blood impurities). The results of laboratory tests in this case are very informative.
If necessary, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are prescribed - these studies help to carefully examine the mucous membrane of the large intestine. If the causes of colitis cannot be determined, or there is a suspicion of a malignant process, duringduring the examination, a biopsy is also carried out - tissue sampling with further laboratory examination of samples.
There are some other studies that help not only detect colitis, but also assess the degree of damage to the mucosa, find out the location of the inflammatory process, etc. For example, an x-ray examination with a barium enema allows the doctor to study the features of the anatomy and assess the condition large intestine. Often, patients are also recommended computed tomography, which allows a specialist to make a specific diagnosis, evaluating the features of the inflammatory process.
In any case, in the process of diagnosis, it is important not only to find out whether the patient has colitis. Causes, degree of damage, location, stage of development - all these are no less important points on which the choice of treatment regimen directly depends.
Medicated treatments
What to do after being diagnosed with colitis? Only a doctor knows how to treat it, so in no case should you try to cope with the problem on your own. The choice of drugs directly depends on the cause of the disease.
For example, in the case of an infectious form of the disease, it is necessary to take antibacterial agents. Treatment of ulcerative colitis of the intestine involves the use of a whole range of drugs. In particular, aminosalicillates and glucocorticoids (hormonal substances that inhibit the inflammatory process) are used.
If an autoimmune reaction is suspected, cytostatics are used- drugs that inhibit the activity of the immune system. Quite often, patients are prescribed Mercaptopurine, Methotrexan, Azathioprine and other drugs.
Of course, symptomatic treatment is also an important part. In the presence of severe pain, analgesics are prescribed, which help to alleviate the patient's condition. Antispasmodic drugs, in particular Papaverine and No-Shpa, help restore normal intestinal motility. In the presence of severe diarrhea, Loperamide or other antidiarrheal agents are prescribed. The presence of bleeding requires taking hemostatic drugs, such as Tranexam or Dicynon.
In some cases, additional measures are required. For example, with severe digestive disorders, patients are shown intravenous administration of nutrients. Persistent diarrhea can lead to dehydration, so patients are given mineral solutions to help maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.
Immediately it should be noted that the decision on hospitalization is made by the doctor. In mild cases, home treatment is possible, but only if all the recommendations of the treating specialist are followed. If the patient is in serious condition (intestinal bleeding, dehydration, exhaustion), then he must be constantly under the supervision of medical personnel - such rehabilitation therapy can only be carried out in a hospital.
When is surgery needed?
Unfortunately, conservative treatmentulcerative colitis of the intestine (or any other varieties of this disease) is not always effective enough. In such cases, surgery is required.
Indication for surgery is the ineffectiveness of drug therapy in severe forms of the disease. In addition, the surgical procedure is carried out if the patient develops the so-called "urgent" conditions that are life-threatening. In particular, this is toxic dilatation, the onset of malignant degeneration of tissues, as well as intestinal perforation, massive bleeding, etc.
Radical procedures are quite often carried out, in which the large intestine is completely removed. In some cases, doctors place a permanent ileostomy on the anterior abdominal wall for emptying while maintaining a bowel stump. Unfortunately, such treatment leads to the loss of the ability to anal defecation, resulting in patients becoming disabled. Partial removal of the intestine is also performed, but among patients the percentage of relapses is very high.
How are chronic forms of the disease treated?
Unfortunately, getting rid of chronic inflammation is very difficult. Therefore, therapy in this case is symptomatic, and it is aimed at maintaining normal bowel function and preventing complications.
During periods of exacerbation, which, by the way, are accompanied by almost the same symptoms as acute forms, patients are prescribed anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, painkillers. It is also extremely important to provide the body with the necessary amount of fluid,to prevent dehydration.
During periods of remission, the right diet comes to the forefront of therapy. In particular, it is necessary to exclude products that irritate the intestinal mucosa. In addition, doctors recommend eating only warm food (the same goes for drinks). But during exacerbations, the diet should be more strict. In addition, some doctors prescribe to patients the periodic intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, which help prevent the development of beriberi, and also normalize the immune system.
Proper diet is an important part of therapy
Today, many people are interested in questions about what actually constitutes ulcerative colitis of the intestine. We have already discussed the symptoms, treatment and causes of this disease. But you should also understand that proper nutrition is an integral part of therapy. Moreover, in severe forms of the disease and chronic inflammatory processes, a special diet must be observed even after the end of the course of treatment.
Colitis is an inflammation of the intestine, which, accordingly, affects the digestive process. That is why the diet for such a disease must be gentle. To begin with, it should be noted that all dishes should be either steamed or boiled (the diet can be slightly diversified with baked food). Patients are recommended fractional meals - you need to eat often (sometimes up to 7-8 times a day), but in small portions, in order to prevent stagnation and fermentation of food in the large intestine. By the way, the last trickfood should be no later than 7 pm.
Be sure to include enough animal protein in your diet - this can be eggs, lean meats (for example, poultry, veal, rabbit meat), but in no case fried foods.
There are certain categories of foods that irritate the intestinal mucosa, leading to increased symptoms. Such food should be completely eliminated from the diet. In particular, patients are forbidden to eat fatty meat, raw vegetables (fiber, of course, is necessary, but vegetables need to be boiled), as well as legumes, corn, mushrooms, and spices. The menu should not contain fried, fatty and s alty foods. Prohibited foods also include sunflower seeds, carbonated drinks, alcohol, dried apricots and prunes.
If the patient is not overweight, then the diet must be high-calorie (at least 2-3 thousand kcal per day) in order to avoid sudden weight loss.
Intestinal colitis: treatment with folk remedies
Of course, many people are interested in questions about whether there are any other ways to get rid of such a disease. Is it possible to cure, for example, ulcerative colitis at home?
Treatment with folk remedies, of course, exists. But here you have to be very careful. First, before using any home remedy, be sure to consult your doctor - only he can assess the possible benefit or harm.
In most cases, folk healers recommend taking a decoction of chamomile, sage and centaury. To prepare it, you needtake one teaspoon of dry grass of each of the plants, mix and pour a glass of boiling water. After the herbs are infused, the liquid can be filtered. It is recommended to take one tablespoon every two hours. The duration of the course of treatment should be at least a month - only then will the visible results of such therapy begin to appear.
There are other recipes. For example, dried watermelon rinds are considered useful for colitis. 100 g of crusts should be poured with 400 ml of boiling water and let it brew. You need to drink half a glass 4 to 6 times a day. In addition, you can prepare a decoction of pomegranate peels. 2 g of dry crusts should be poured with a glass of water and boiled over low heat for half an hour. It is recommended to take two tablespoons twice a day.
In any case, it is tedious to understand that alternative treatment of colitis is possible only as an auxiliary method and in no case can replace full-fledged drug therapy.
Prevention of colitis
Colitis is a very common inflammatory disease, and, unfortunately, there are no specific preventive measures to date. Naturally, you can follow certain rules that will help reduce the risk of developing the disease. In particular, you need to carefully monitor the quality of the food and water you use, follow all the rules of cooking, adhere to basic sanitary and hygienic standards, wash your hands before eating, etc.
Since the development of colitis is often associated with an incorrect immune response of the body, you need to take care of the conditionimmune system. An integral part of any prevention is a proper diet rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as feasible physical activity.
Some types of colitis have been shown to be much more likely to develop in the presence of insufficient blood circulation, so it is essential to take preventive measures against diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension, as well as quit smoking.
If there are the first warning signs, you should immediately consult a doctor: the sooner the disease is diagnosed and adequate therapy is started, the easier it will be to get rid of the disease without any serious complications.
