Pathological processes that affect the intestines develop gradually and in the initial stages practically do not bother patients. That is why people are often left without adequate medical care until the disease becomes chronic. What symptoms indicate diseases and how to treat an intestinal infection, we will understand together.
Intestinal diseases are a group of inflammatory processes occurring in the large and small intestines. As a result of various negative factors, the mucous membrane lining the internal organs is damaged and thinned. Gastroenterologists deal with intestinal problems.
Factors affecting the development of intestinal pathologies
Diseases of the stomach and intestines are caused by the impact on the body of negative factors, and in rare cases, the cause of inflammation is any one circumstance. The more different causes simultaneously affect the human body, the more difficultthe disease will proceed and, as a result, it will be harder to treat it.
Factors affecting the development of any intestinal pathologies include:
- eating disorders;
- immunological disorders;
- mental overstrain and stressful situations;
- genetic factor;
- physical inactivity;
- enteric viral infection;
- bacterial intestinal infection;
- alcohol abuse, smoking;
- taking certain medications (such as antibiotics).
Diseases of the small intestine include enteritis (a pathological disorder of the functionality of the small intestine), carbohydrate intolerance, gluten enteropathy (due to the lack of necessary enzymes in the body), vascular and allergic diseases of the small intestine, Whipple's disease and others. All of them begin their development due to a violation of the integrity or irritation of the mucous membrane lining the small intestine, due to malnutrition or the use of specific medications.
Diseases of the colon include colitis, including ulcers, Crohn's disease, diverticulosis and other colon irritations, tumors and other diseases. Most often, inflammatory processes in this area occur due to a bacterial infection, but there are cases when the cause is a long course of antibiotics, malnutrition, and so on.
Diseases of the small intestine
When it comes to illnessintestines, symptoms and treatment depend on the negative factors that provoked the pathology. The small intestine is the longest part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is involved in the absorption of nutrients from food. When considering diseases of the small intestine, it is necessary to take into account not only the factors of their occurrence, but also their various combinations. This will allow the patient to be given the most appropriate therapy.
Inflammatory processes that occur in the small intestine are called enteritis. The disease is usually acute or chronic. The cause of acute enteritis is usually an infection (food poisoning, "dirty hands disease", etc.). The characteristic symptoms of diseases of the small intestine are expressed by the appearance of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other signs of general intoxication, as well as fever, fever. The causative agents are salmonella, cholera and other microorganisms of the typhoid and paratyphoid group. Chronic enteritis is characterized by bacterial and protozoal infections, various disorders of the immune system. A feature of the chronic form of enteritis is the fact that it is preceded by an inflammatory or inflammatory-dystrophic disorder that occurs in the small intestine. As a result of such a violation, a person develops digestive problems, the multiplication of pathogens in the small intestine occurs, which leads to immune and metabolic problems.
Symptoms of diseases of the small intestine
In bowel disease, symptoms and treatment depend on the severity of the inflammation and its location. Signs of the diseasecan range from mild to severe. Periods of the active phase of the disease are replaced by periods of remission. The clinical picture of inflammation of the small intestine is characterized by the following manifestations:
- diarrhea is a common problem for people with similar diseases;
- increased body temperature and increased feeling of fatigue - often with problems with the intestines, a person develops a subfebrile temperature, he feels exhausted and overwhelmed;
- abdominal pain, colic - inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the small intestine can interfere with the normal movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract and thus cause pain and spasms;
- nausea, vomiting;
- the presence of blood in the stool - usually it indicates internal bleeding of the small intestine;
- loss of appetite - abdominal pain and colic, as well as the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, as a rule, dulls the feeling of hunger;
- rapid weight loss.
Clinic of chronic diseases of the small intestine is caused by the development of recurrent diarrhea and malabsorption syndrome. Diarrhea is provoked by hypersecretion of water and calcium ions in the body, intestinal hyperexudation, increased osmotic pressure and impaired transport function of the intestinal contents. Malabsorption syndrome is the result of recurrent diarrhea.
The symptoms of the chronic form of the disease include enteral dispersion syndrome (the appearance of discomfort in the abdomen in the area around the navel). In addition, the patient is tormented by rumbling and a bursting feeling in the lower abdomen, bloating. Abdominal pain can be spastic, cramping or dull in nature. If the pain intensifies after eating, this means that the disease has passed into a neglected form.
Diseases of the large intestine
Diseases of the colon include chronic inflammation of all or parts of the colon. First of all, it is ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Both conditions are associated with severe diarrhea, excruciating abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss. If a person is suspected of having bowel disease, symptoms and treatment should be determined as soon as possible, as lack of adequate therapy can lead to life-threatening complications.
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease that causes ulcers to form along the inner wall of the large intestine. Crohn's disease is characterized by inflammation of the lining of the entire gastrointestinal tract, inflammation usually extending deep into the affected tissues and can affect both the large and small intestines. Collagenous and lymphocytic colitis are also considered diseases of the colon, but are generally considered separately from classic inflammatory bowel diseases.
The exact causes of inflammatory bowel disease are still unknown. Previously, pathological factors included stress, diet abuse. Now doctors know that such causes can aggravate, but not provokeproblem. It is believed that most often diseases of the large intestine occur due to a bacterial infection that enters it with poor-quality food, drinks, and taking antibacterial drugs. Also one of the possible reasons is a violation of the immune system and heredity. Intestinal problems also appear due to narrowing of the blood vessels in the colon and disruption of its blood supply. As a rule, this reason is typical for older people.
Symptoms of diseases of the large intestine
Many signs of bowel disease are typical and overlap. The characteristic symptoms include pain in the abdomen of a dull or cramping nature, spasms are possible. The inner surface of the large intestine is covered with ulcers that can bleed. Patients complain of morning fatigue, defecation with the release of blood and mucus, anemia (with the loss of a large amount of blood), joint pain. Often, the disease occurs uncontrolled weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, flatulence, dehydration. Often, the patient develops anal fissures.
It is very important that such a disease of the large intestine, the symptoms of which can be mistaken for other diseases, be diagnosed in a timely manner. In the absence of adequate treatment, the patient has an increased risk of developing complications (oncology, fistulas, intestinal ruptures and intestinal obstruction).
Chronic enterocolitis
Chronic enterocolitis is a simultaneous inflammation of both thin and thickintestines, which is characterized by atrophy of the mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the intestines, which causes a violation of intestinal functions. Depending on the location of the inflammatory process, the disease is classified for the small (enteritis) and large (colitis) intestines separately.
The causes of chronic enterocolitis are due to the impact on the human body of the following pathological factors:
- prolonged malnutrition;
- impaired immunity and metabolism;
- hormonal disorders, stress;
- intoxication with drugs and chemicals;
- features of the structure of the intestine;
- enteric viral infection;
- diseases of internal organs;
- intestinal and parasitic infections.
One of the most common causative agents of chronic enterocolitis are intestinal giardia (photos of these parasites can be seen in the article). They are able to multiply rapidly and cause giardiasis. Signs of the disease include diarrhea, excess gas, abdominal cramps and pain, nausea, and vomiting. Giardia, the photo of which is shown in the picture, exists in two forms: active and inactive. Active forms of parasites live in the human body, when they go outside, along with feces, they turn into an inactive form and spread the infection outside the body.
Chronic enterocolitis is often the result of untimely or poor-quality treatment of acuteforms of inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, there is a risk of hereditary transmission of the disease in people who were formula-fed in infancy.
Adhesive bowel disease
Adhesions are thin fibrous tissues that form in the abdominal cavity due to various negative factors. Adhesive bowel disease, the symptoms of which are often expressed in the appearance of spasmodic pain, is especially dangerous for humans. The main complaint of patients, as a rule, is chronic abdominal pain, the nature of which is difficult to determine. Sometimes there is intestinal obstruction, constipation, disorders. In addition, adhesive bowel disease, the symptoms of which can be similar to gynecological problems, often causes female infertility.
The main symptoms of the disease include discomfort in the navel, cramps, a feeling of fullness in the abdomen. In places where adhesions appear, twisting of the intestine occurs, which interferes with the normal movement of its contents. Perhaps the development of complete intestinal obstruction. Unfortunately, not many diagnostic methods are able to detect adhesions: they are not visible both on an x-ray and on ultrasound. They can be seen when barium contrast is used in a CT scan. Treatment of adhesive disease is carried out by laparoscopic surgery or open surgery by cutting adhesions with a scalpel or electric current.
Diagnosis of bowel diseases
Inflammatory bowel disease should be diagnosed only after other possible problems have been ruled out. This will require a combination of diagnostic tests. Diagnosis of bowel diseases includes the following tests and procedures:
- Blood test - it is necessary to control the level of hemoglobin.
- Analysis of feces to detect blood in it.
- Colonoscopy - allows you to view the entire rectum using a thin flexible tube with a camera connected to it. During the procedure, the doctor may take tissue samples for additional analysis (biopsy).
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy - performed using a thin flexible tube with a light sensor that allows you to examine the sigmoid colon.
- Upper Endoscopy - The doctor uses a thin, flexible, lighted tube to examine the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine.
- Capsular endoscopy - performed to diagnose Crohn's disease.
- X-ray diagnostics - necessary for serious problems with the intestines, in order to exclude serious complications (for example, perforation of the colon).
- Computed tomography - the method allows you to see more different details in the picture than with x-rays. The test evaluates the entire intestine as well as tissue outside of it.
- Magnetic resonance imaging is a particularly effective method to rule out fistulas, ruptures and other complications.
Treatment of bowel diseases
To heal effectivelybowel disease, symptoms and treatment should be closely related. The goal of treating inflammatory bowel disease is to reduce the inflammatory process that causes symptoms and discomfort. Adequate therapy will not only facilitate the manifestation of the disease, but also lead to a long-term remission, reduce the risk of complications. Before treating an intestinal infection, the doctor conducts a thorough diagnosis, which will allow you to choose the most effective methods of therapy.
Treatment can be carried out by medical, folk and surgical methods. Medicines can relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of complications. It should be said right away that many patients will be forced to take medication for an extended period of time. The choice of drugs depends on the location of the inflammation, the severity of the symptoms of the disease and will be aimed at preventing the recurrence of the disease. Sometimes it may be necessary to combine drugs, supplement drug therapy with folk recipes.
For the treatment of intestinal infections and inflammatory processes, the following categories of drugs are used:
- anti-inflammatory drugs (aminosalicytals, corticosteroids);
- antibacterial drugs (for example, Ciprofloxacin);
- immunomodulators (drugs "Methotrexate", "Azathioprine");
- disease-modifying agents (drugs "Infliximab", "Adalimumab").
Treatment with medication should be accompanied by changes in diet, stress reduction, and rest regimen. A very important step in the treatment is that patients follow a diet for bowel disease. The diet should consist of he althy, balanced foods with sufficient protein and nutrients. The diet is selected individually for each individual patient. General recommendations for proper nutrition include the following:
- eat small meals throughout the day;
- drink plenty of pure water (up to 2 liters in small portions evenly distributed throughout the day);
- avoid high fiber foods (legumes, nuts, bran);
- give up fatty and fried foods, sauces, foods that cause bloating;
- limit dairy products (for lactose intolerance);
- during treatment it is important to take vitamins B12, D, calcium, iron supplements.
Often, the treatment of intestinal diseases is carried out surgically. The main operations, called resections, involve the removal of affected areas of the intestine. Abscesses and fistulas in the anus are treated with surgery followed by drainage.
Prevention
Proper digestive function starts with good overall he alth. The organs of the gastrointestinal tract depend on a reliable immune system that is able to resist infectious factors. Preventive measures are aimed at improving the he alth and well-being of a person.
- Smoking cessation. Everyone knows that smoking provokes diseases of the heart, lungs, causes hypertension. According to statistics, 30% of all diseases caused by smoking are in the digestive system, more than 40% of them are intestinal diseases. Smoking increases the risk of developing ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, impairs the functioning of the liver and pancreas, and others.
- Control of body weight. Obesity, especially if excess weight is localized in the abdomen, causes diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the esophagus and rectal cancer are especially likely.
- Active lifestyle. Studies show that physical activity reduces the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, intestinal disorders in older people.
- Rational nutrition. Avoiding high-fat foods contributes to weight loss. In addition, he althy foods are rich in fiber, which contributes to the normal functioning of the intestines.
