Such an inflammatory disease as intestinal colitis develops in women more often than in men and children. The symptoms of intestinal colitis in women practically do not differ from the manifestations of this disease in men.
Intestinal colitis - this is what appears in the process of intestinal damage. Inflammation can be segmental or spread to all its departments. Usually there is a chronic form of the disease, as well as ulcerative colitis of unknown etiology, while the intestinal mucosa becomes prone to ulceration.
The process of inflammation itself begins with the entry of protozoan bacteria onto the mucosa of the organ, which damage it. The beginning of the inflammatory process in the large intestine contributes to the appearance of the first signs. The wall of the large intestine begins to swell, contract abnormally, and at the same time, mucus secretion begins.
The main danger of intestinal colitis is its complications.
The reason may be the unjustified and frequent use of enemas, the uncontrolled use of laxatives. Usually for these reasons it is possible in women, due to a strong desire to quickly lose weight.
In the secondary form of the disease, there is a connection with the presence of pathologies present in other organs of the gastrointestinal tract (cholecystitis, pancreatitis, gastritis, and others). The appearance of intestinal colitis can also contribute to overexertion - physical or mental.
Usually, the appearance of the disease is influenced simultaneously by several factors that lead to inflammation, then they speak of combined colitis.
Colitis classification
Colitis is divided into types according to the course, form of the disease, location and cause of occurrence.
Along the way, pathology happens:
- chronic- the disease develops slowly, the symptoms are often blurred, because of this it can be difficult to differentiate the disease from others. Here, the localization of the process is specified (right-sided, left-sided, total, transverse), phase (aggravation, remission); the nature of motor disorders of the colon (hypomotor, hypermotor, mixed dyskinesia);
- acute- The symptoms appear sharply and strongly pronounced.
In addition to the above intestinal colitis, there are the following types:
- erosive- inflammation of the part of the gastric mucosa adjacent to the duodenum, accompanied by the appearance of a large number of ulcers on its surface;
- catarrhal colitis- this is one of the stages of inflammation that begins in the colon mucosa - the walls of the intestine turn red and swell, and its lumen narrows slightly. Because of what cracks of various sizes appear. Inflammation covers both individual areas of the organ, and its entire surface. Against the background of catarrhal inflammation, enlarged lymphoid follicles appear in the mucosa ( follicularcolitis).
- diffuse- usually not a separate form, another colitis begins from this phase, which will appear later;
- atrophic (the initial stage is called subatrophic)- this is an inflammatory process that occurs in the large intestine, due to which the walls of the intestine become thinner;
- atonic- manifests itself in old age. In connection with the problem of timely emptying, overflow of the intestine occurs;
- diversionary- characterized by rectal bleeding, mucous or purulent-mucous discharge, sometimes colic can be felt.
There is also microscopic colitis (microcolitis) - lymphocytic and collagenous.
Inflammation can affect the rectum (proctitis), sigmoid (sigmoiditis), blind (typhlitis), transverse colon (transverse), when the entire organ is affected - this is pancolitis. Most often, patients experience proctosigmoiditis or distal colitis - this is a simultaneous lesion of the rectum and sigmoid colon (distal).
Common symptoms of colitis in women
Colitis in women has many symptoms:
- pain in the lower abdomen - occurs in 90% of cases. Exacerbation of pain occurs after eating and the influence of mechanical factors.
- alternating constipation and diarrhea;
- severe flatulence, bloating (aerocolia).
- false urge to defecate (tenesmus);
- the appearance in the feces, mucus, blood clots, sometimes pus.
- general weakness.
Symptoms of the disease in women and men can intensify during exacerbations and practically disappear during remission.
Pain in colitis is dull or aching in nature. Sometimes a woman may complain of bursting pains. In some women, the pain can be constant, dull and “diffuse” throughout the abdomen, with subsequent intensification and transition to cramping with localization in the lower abdomen: on the left or above the pubis. The attack can be combined with the urge to defecate. The symptoms of colitis in men are the same as in women.
The development of pathology can be divided into stages depending on the severity. Each stage has its own symptoms:
Symptoms of colitis in children
The course of colitis in children is more severe than in adult men and women.
Infectious colitis in children occurs with severe intoxication and dehydration.
The child has the following signs of acute colitis:
- exhaustion;
- painful sensations localized around the navel;
- false urge to defecate;
- severe diarrhea with watery, frothy, greenish stools, with much mucus and blood streaks;
- decrease in daily urine volume.
Chronic colitis has less severe symptoms than acute bowel disease:
- aching pain in the navel area, right or left side of the abdomen after eating (depending on the segment of the organ affected);
- constipation or diarrhea;
- feces with mucus, streaks of blood (hemocolitis) and undigested food particles;
- change in the structure of feces (watery feces, sheep, etc.);
- rumbling in the stomach;
- bloating.
Due to a violation of the defecation process in a child, anal tears and prolapse of the rectal mucosa are possible.
Symptoms of the disease in women with various colitis
If we consider the symptoms in connection with the types of colitis, we get the following table:
Type of colitis | Symptoms |
---|---|
Spicy | Severe pain; Nausea, vomiting; Weight loss; General weakness; Tenesmus, abdominal cramps, diarrhea with bloody discharge and mucus or pus (in acute left-sided colitis); Increased stool and aching pain in the right abdomen (right-sided colitis). |
Chronic | Severe pain in various parts of the abdomen; Frequent urge to defecate with discharge mixed with blood; stool disorders; The stench of feces; Flatulence; Nausea, sometimes vomiting; Bitter taste; Weakness. |
ulcerative | Severe stabbing pains in the abdomen (especially on the right side); constipation; A slight increase in temperature; There are joint pains. With the further development of the disease may occur: Rectal bleeding or bloody purulent discharge; Frequent bowel movements (up to 25 times a day); Increased sweating, chills; weight loss, anemia Lesions of the mucous membranes of the mouth (tongue, palate, cheeks) - aphthous and other stomatitis. Complications are possible in the form of intestinal expansion (dilation), internal bleeding, peritonitis, and intestinal obstruction. |
Spastic | Bloating and abdominal cramps; Violation of the intestines; Pain in the lower abdomen; The appearance of gases; There is mucus in the stool, sometimes blood. |
pseudomembranous | Mild: Usually virtually asymptomatic, diarrhea in women stops a few days after taking antibiotics. Moderate form: Frequent watery stools with impurities of blood and mucus; The temperature rises; Signs of general intoxication: weakness, vomiting, nausea; False urge to defecate. Severe form, to the above are added: bowel disorders; Malfunctions of the cardiovascular system; Violations in protein metabolism. |
Enterocolitis | Infectious has symptoms: There may be blood in the stool; Temperature rise; Weakness, aches all over the body; Cutting pains in the abdomen; Headache. The symptomatology of non-infectious depends on the type of microorganism that provoked it. |
Ischemic | Attacks of violent pain on the left; Intestinal obstruction; Bloating of the intestines; Spasmodic pains; Nausea, vomiting; Diarrhea. |
atrophic | Pain in the abdomen; Bloating of the intestines; Diarrhea or constipation. |
Complications
Complications of colitis are:
- dehydration and poisoning (if the infection is severe);
- acute blood loss and anemia (with ulcerative lesions);
- chronic poisoning of the body.
Chronic forms of colitis are a risk factor for cancer.
Diagnostics
When diagnosing a disease, the following studies are carried out:
- collection of anamnesis of diseases;
- palpation to determine the localization of pain;
- general and biochemical analyzes of urine;
- general blood analysis;
- sigmoidoscopy - to examine the intestine up to 30 cm;
- using a contrast agent;
- colonoscopy - to examine the intestine up to 1 meter.
Treatment of the disease
Diet is considered an effective treatment for inflammation of the large intestine, which is preferable to drugs, but if the cause of the disease is an infection, antibiotics are taken. In the case when the appearance of the disease was provoked by the use of drugs, their cancellation is provided. In the chronic form, complex methods are used in the form of thermal treatment and sessions with a psychotherapist. If the disease is accompanied by constipation, then microclysters are prescribed.
Medication therapy involves taking the following medications:
- anti-inflammatory drugs - Iberogast, Remicade, Salofalk, Sulfasalazine, sulfanilamide suppositories;
- hormonal drugs - "Prednisolone", "Methylprednisolone";
- to restore the motor activity of the intestine and in order to calm nervous tension - "Duspatalin", "Imodium", "Riabal", "Trimedat";
- antimicrobials "Metronidazole", "De-Nol", "Intetrix";
- after a course of antibiotic therapy, probiotics are used - "Linex", "Baktisubtil", "Bifiform", "Hilak forte", "Enterol", "Duphalak";
- to reduce flatulence: "Meteospazmil", "Pancreoflat", "Pepfiz", "Simethicone", activated carbon;
- laxatives: Bisacodyl, Lactulose, Macrogol, Sodium Picosulfate;
- drugs, proton pump inhibitors - "Omez"
- antidiarrheal: "Attapulgite", "Loperamide", "Smekta";
- antispasmodics (painkillers) - tablets "No-shpy", "Drotaverin".
The treatment regimen is prescribed taking into account the personal characteristics of the patient and the type of disease.
To improve the secretory function of the intestine, some methods of physiotherapy are used:
- electrophoresis with the use of drugs;
- UV irradiation of local exposure;
- applications with the use of paraffin on certain areas of the abdomen;
- magnetic therapy;
- mud applications.
In addition, sessions of massage of the abdomen, light sports (physiotherapy exercises) can be shown.
In some colitis, when conservative treatment fails, surgery is indicated. For example, with ulcerative colitis, but only in 10% of cases. In ischemic colitis, the surgical method is used in case of thrombi in the abdominal aorta and its branches.
Diet for colitis
Nutrition with this diagnosis is the basis of therapy and depends on the type of pathology. But with any type of colitis, the menu should consist of boiled or steamed dishes, food should be well chopped. Meals should be fractional, in small portions, you should drink plenty of fluids per day. Meals should be consumed at room temperature. The number of daily calories should also be limited - no more than 2000.
Approved Products | Prohibited Products |
---|---|
Biscuits, white bread crackers | Rye and fresh bread, muffin |
Low-fat broths with boiled cereals or vegetables | Pasta |
Lean meat, poultry, fish | Fatty broths |
Boiled cereals on the water from rice, buckwheat, oatmeal | Fatty meats, poultry, fish |
Soft-boiled eggs or as a protein omelette | Milk |
Potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, carrots - as mashed potatoes or casseroles | Caviar |
Apples baked like puree | Fried or hard boiled eggs |
Decoctions of blackcurrant, barberry, quince | Soups or cereals with pearl barley |
Pears, bananas | Legumes |
Non-acidic sour cream and fat-free cottage cheese | Fresh fruits |
Cheeses unsalted and not spicy | White cabbage |
Chocolate, strong coffee, tea, juices diluted with water (except apricot, grape, plum), still mineral water | Smoked meats, marinades, pickles, hot spices |
Kiseli, marshmallow, jelly, marmalade | Alcoholic and carbonated drinks |
A little parsley, dill | honey, sweets |
Folk methods of treatment
To eliminate some types of . With colitis and enterocolitis, various medicinal herbs are often used.
To relieve inflammation, mint infusion helps. To do this, take mint (2 tablespoons) and pour boiling water (450 ml), leave for 20 minutes. Drink several tablespoons three times a day before meals.
St. John's wort infusion is used for treatment. For 0.5 ml of boiling water, take 2 tablespoons of St. John's wort. Insist 2 hours. On the day you need to drink 250 ml in three doses. Use the infusion half an hour before meals. The course is 1 month.
A mixture of centaury and chamomile (1 teaspoon) can be poured with a glass of hot water and infused, take 1 tablespoon of infusion every 2 hours. After a few months, the dosage is reduced, and the time between doses is increased.
The stereotype that colitis and colic are one and the same is not true. Colitis is a disease that is not accompanied by colic.
It has several types, as well as peculiar symptoms and treatments.
What is colitis?
Colitis- a disease accompanied by an inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the large intestine. It is provoked by bacteria and intoxication.
Coli is considered one of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.. Every second person with dysfunctions of the digestive system faces manifestations of chronic colitis.
Colitis affects men in their 40s and 60s and women in their 20s and 60s.
The disease can be hereditary, so there is a high risk of its occurrence if someone in the family suffered from it.
The reasons
Colitis has many possible causes. These include:
Symptoms of colitis and diagnostic methods
Symptoms of colitis can be very different, as they depend on its type. Here are the main types identified taking into account its course:
- spicy;
- chronic.
By etiology, colitis can be classified as follows:
- spastic;
- pseudomembranous;
- enterocolitis;
- ischemic.
Acute colitis is characterized by the appearance of severe edema during the enlargement of the intestinal mucosa. A large amount of mucus or pus appears in the distal section, the walls turn red. Small hemorrhages are not excluded.
Within a few weeks, those suffering from acute colitis may experience the following symptoms:
- gagging and vomit;
- general deterioration of well-being;
- low productivity;
After the form of the disease becomes chronic, inflammation in the area of the ligamentous-muscular apparatus is added to the inflammation of the mucous membrane. The intestines in the affected area are reduced in size.
Chronic colitis has several characteristic symptoms:
- extremely unpleasant smell of feces;
- bowel problems (diarrhea or constipation);
Colitis is acute - it proceeds quickly with severe pain, nausea and diarrhea, and chronic - constant discomfort with a constant feeling of heaviness, loss of appetite and nausea. To avoid the difficulties and consequences that involve surgical intervention (for example, intestinal ischemia), it is better to immediately take care of the state of health and begin treatment.
Acute colitis (AC) of the intestine is a disease in which there is a progressive inflammatory process in the rectum. Not only external, but also internal factors can provoke an ailment. The causes of acute colitis include eating disorders, uncontrolled intake of certain types of medications, complications of chronic diseases of the digestive tract.
The disease can be diagnosed by a comprehensive examination. Some of its symptoms are similar to food poisoning, as well as other disorders in the digestive system. Acute colitis must be treated. In the absence of timely therapy, there is a risk of serious complications. Treatment of the disease involves the use of medicines, physiotherapy, diet. Surgical intervention is performed only in the presence of concomitant pathologies that threaten the patient's life.
Intestinal pathologies are quite common. One of them is chronic colitis, which is an inflammation of the mucosa and has characteristic signs. This form of the disease involves the alternation of the phase of exacerbation and remission, when there are no symptoms. Quite often it is accompanied by other inflammatory processes in the digestive tract.
There are a large number of reasons that can lead to this pathology. This will largely depend on the treatment. The therapy is usually complex, and one of its components is a special diet. Medications of various groups are also prescribed, aimed at eliminating both the cause and the symptoms.
Intestinal colitis is an inflammatory process that is localized in different parts of the body and causes a violation of the functional state of the digestive tract. In general, the causes and symptoms of the disease in women do not differ from the mechanism of development of pathology in other categories of patients.
Gastrointestinal diseases are the most common pathologies today, since poor nutrition, stress and many other factors contribute to the disruption of the normal functioning of the digestive system. One of the typical diseases is colitis. This term refers to acute or chronic inflammation of the intestine, which in some cases can lead to atrophy of its mucosa.
Basically, colitis occurs due to infection in the intestines. However, factors such as:
- irrational nutrition (dry food, abuse of fast food, food with chemical additives, spicy, sour and spicy food);
- congenital disorders;
- dysbacteriosis - lack of beneficial microflora due to prolonged use of antibiotics and other drugs;
- alcohol abuse;
- diseases of neighboring organs, due to which there is a lack of necessary enzymes (pancreatitis, cholecystitis, splenitis);
- the use of drugs that violate the acid-base balance in the intestine.
Often the disease occurs due to several causes at the same time.
Kinds
Depending on the cause of inflammation, colitis is divided into the following forms.
Kinds | Description |
---|---|
It occurs due to frequent constipation, the constant use of laxatives, the use of enemas. | |
Inflammation leads to irrational or prolonged use of any medications. | |
The main reason is the specific reaction of the body to any products, medicines. | |
Subdivided into: exogenous, when poisoning occurs with hazardous substances that enter the body from the outside (arsenic, mercury); endogenous, when the organism is poisoned by the products of its own vital activity (for example, an increased amount of urates accumulates or peritonitis occurs). |
|
It occurs when certain types of fungi, microbes and bacteria (salmonellosis, tuberculosis) penetrate. | |
Occurs when eating unhealthy food. | |
When the intestines are affected by helminths (pinworms, round, tapeworms). |
Also, colitis can be divided into:
- acute - symptoms occur abruptly, they are pronounced;
- chronic - the symptoms are often hidden, the disease proceeds slowly and often disguises itself as other types of gastrointestinal pathologies;
- specific of unclear etiology - the cause of such colitis cannot be fully elucidated.
Types of colitis.
- Nonspecific ulcerative colitis- inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, accompanied by its ulceration. The main reasons for its development are assumed to be immune failure or genetic predisposition. Such colitis is divided into: left-sided, when the colon or sigmoid colon is affected, proctitis, when the rectum is affected, and total, when the entire intestine is involved.
- catarrhal- the initial stage of inflammation of the intestine. Mostly manifested as a consequence of another disease. The most common causes of such colitis are: beriberi, stress, weakened immunity.
- diffuse(pancolitis) - not only the large intestine is affected, but also the sections of the small intestine. Symptoms are pronounced and similar to signs of gastritis.
- erosive- with this variant of the disease, the intestinal mucosa is eroded, but perforation and ulceration does not occur. Symptoms of this type of colitis include all the typical signs: pain, flatulence, heartburn, nausea, loss of appetite.
- Spastic- characterized by a decrease in the function of the large intestine, in some places, moreover, it can be narrowed, and in others expanded. This is the least severe form of the disease and it is expressed mainly in persistent constipation.
- atrophic- is a direct consequence of spastic colitis. Due to prolonged stagnant processes in the intestines, smooth muscles atrophy. Over time, this type can turn into ulcerative.
For reference! Some forms of colitis can progress to a disease such as bowel cancer. Therefore, timely treatment and the implementation of all medical instructions are necessary.
Symptoms
At first, the symptoms are mild, and sometimes the disease proceeds completely hidden. A person may be disturbed by periodic skin rashes, dry mouth, untimely defecation.
With the development of the disease and the symptoms take on a different color. The following signs of colitis:
- heaviness in the abdomen;
- bloating;
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- diarrhea, constipation;
- false urge to defecate;
- the presence of mucus, blood or pus in the stool;
- painful cramps after eating or on palpation of the abdomen.
Pain sensations are dull and aching in nature, often the pain spreads throughout the abdomen, then during attacks it is localized in one place.
Attention! The symptoms of acute colitis are similar to those of appendicitis. It is necessary first of all to exclude inflammation of the appendix in order to prevent peritonitis.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is carried out primarily with the help of an oral questioning of the patient. It is necessary to find out if he has chronic or hereditary diseases, what is his diet and lifestyle.
After that, the doctor palpates the abdomen and prescribes a number of laboratory tests.
It is necessary to pass tests:
- urine (general and for bacteriological culture);
- blood (general and biochemical);
- feces (coprogram);
- on the ovary.
To clarify the diagnosis, procedures such as:
- irrigoscopy - examination of the intestine with a contrast agent introduced into it using an x-ray;
- colonoscopy - examination of the intestines using a flexible probe, at the end of which there is a camera;
- biopsy - taking a small sample of intestinal tissue to test for cancer;
- finger examination.
You can start gradually expanding your menu only after the relief of acute colitis and with the permission of the doctor.
Of the medications, the following drugs can be distinguished.
Physiotherapy is also used for treatment, which includes:
- electrophoresis;
- mud applications;
- magnetic therapy;
- ultraviolet irradiation.
In some cases, if conservative treatment fails, surgery is required, for example, to remove ulcers and neoplasms.
The use of folk remedies is permissible only with the approval of a doctor and after a clear diagnosis has been made, otherwise you can only do harm. The following recipes are especially popular in the treatment of intestinal inflammation:
- Mint infusion. Around 2 st. l. dried leaves pour a glass of boiling water, let it brew for at least an hour, strain. Take 2 tablespoons before meals.
- Parsley root. Pour the parsley root grated on a fine grater with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for 5 hours (preferably in a thermos). Strain the resulting infusion and take ¼ cup before each meal.
- Alder cones. It is necessary to pour a handful of cones with boiling water (2 cups) and cook over high heat for about 15-20 minutes. Then the broth must be filtered, add about a glass of boiled water to it. The tool can be used like regular tea, add sugar and even honey.
To prevent colitis, it is enough to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, do not use uncontrolled drugs (especially antibiotics), and avoid constipation.
Like any disease, it is better to detect colitis in the early stages and undergo treatment in a timely manner than to deal with complications later. read our article.
Video - Symptoms and treatment of ulcerative colitis
Colitis is an inflammatory or dystrophic lesion of the large intestine. The term "intestinal colitis" used in some articles is only suitable for people who are completely unfamiliar with the anatomy of their body. The Latin name "colitis" already means an inflammatory process in the large intestine. It cannot exist anywhere else.
Symptoms of colitis occur in half of patients who visit a gastroenterologist. Statistics show that men get sick more often after the age of 40, and women from the age of 20. In childhood, the disease is rare.
Types of colitis by prevalence
Inflammation in the large intestine (colitis) can, in terms of prevalence, capture:
- limited area - segmental colitis, most often left-sided and proctitis (damage to the rectum);
- the entire large intestine - pancolitis.
Isolated inflammation of the caecum is called typhlitis, transverse colon - transversitis, sigmoid - sigmoiditis.
Simultaneous changes in the small and large intestines are called enterocolitis.
The disease is acute or becomes chronic with periodic exacerbations and interruptions (remissions).
How does acute colitis occur?
The cause of acute colitis is an infection (dysentery, salmonellosis, tuberculosis, fungal infection). Chronic inflammation occurs in undertreated patients due to dysbacteriosis and a sharp decrease in immunity. "Opponents" are their own microorganisms that inhabit the large intestine (mushrooms, staphylococci), helminths, giardia.
Infection in the acute form of the disease occurs through dirty hands, dishes, with insufficient cooking during meals. The source of the disease is a sick person with unclear symptoms, sometimes unaware of the causes of the ailment. And not following the sanitary rules of behavior and cooking is a way to spread the infection.
Rarely, acute colitis can develop in case of poisoning with industrial toxic substances.
Causes of non-infectious lesions
Chronic colitis has more varied causes:
- long-term medication (antibiotics, sulfonamides, laxatives);
- violations of the diet, passion for meat, fried and smoked dishes;
- poisoning with salts of heavy metals, arsenic;
- mechanical damage to the large intestine during operations, injuries;
- prolonged stagnation of feces with intestinal atony;
- release of toxic substances in renal failure, gout;
- allergic lesions in response to food, drugs;
- violation of the blood supply to the intestinal wall through the system of the mesenteric artery (atherosclerosis, vascular thrombosis);
- congenital malformations and structures.
Symptoms of colitis often occur secondary, against the background of existing gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, hepatitis.
Who gets colitis?
There are causes that do not cause inflammation of the intestine, but contribute to it. These include:
- stressful situations, unrest, hard work;
- general decrease in immunity;
- lack of vegetables and fruits in food;
- passion for starvation diets for weight loss;
- the presence of autoimmune chronic diseases;
- excessive alcohol consumption;
- anomalies in the vascular bed of the mesentery.
Against the background of these conditions, severe chronic damage to the large intestine may occur, requiring treatment.
Colitis classification
The classification also takes into account the underlying cause of the disease. It is customary to distinguish between the following forms:
- infectious;
- toxic;
- alimentary (due to nutrition);
- mechanical (damage by coarse feces, enemas);
- ulcerative (autoimmune nonspecific colitis);
- ischemic (due to impaired blood supply, mainly in old age).
Clinicians distinguish in a separate form the combination of irritable bowel syndrome with inflammation - spastic colitis.
Signs of acute colitis
Symptoms of an acute lesion, as a rule, are combined with an infection and occur against a background of elevated body temperature with chills.
Other symptoms:
Acute colitis is usually combined with gastritis, enteritis. Symptoms are added: heartburn, belching, epigastric pain, nausea.
The doctor determines the pronounced soreness of the abdomen, the tongue is coated with a thick coating, palpates the spastically contracted intestine.
Signs of chronic colitis
Dystrophic changes in the intestinal mucosa cause exacerbation symptoms:
- pains are not sharp, aching, appear after eating, traveling in transport, unrest;
- stool changes from constipation to diarrhea;
- stomach swollen growls;
- sometimes there are tenesmus;
- secretion of one mucus during defecation;
- nausea, belching;
- bitterness in the mouth;
- general malaise:
- disturbed sleep.
These symptoms are the result of metabolic disorders, lack of vitamins and trace elements, and a decrease in protein in the blood.
Anatomical changes in the intestine
According to the nature of the anatomical changes in the mucosa and intestinal wall, three stages of disease progression can be distinguished:
- catarrhal - the mucosa swells and swells, hyperemia appears due to dilated vessels, a lot of mucus is produced;
- fibrinous - the nutrition of the intestinal wall is disturbed, areas of necrosis covered with fibrin are formed;
- ulcerative - first erosion (scratch) is formed in the wall, then the lesion goes deep into the muscle layer.
Symptoms of complications
Damage to the deep layers of the intestine causes severe symptoms. This is due to perforation of the ulcer or gangrenous manifestations. In these cases, the infection, along with the feces, passes into the peritoneum and causes peritonitis. The patient feels severe pain in the abdomen, the condition worsens sharply, the stomach acquires a board-like density, blood pressure decreases.
The infection can cause inflammation in other organs: liver abscess, pyelonephritis, general sepsis. There are pains in the right hypochondrium with fever, in the lower back, urination disorders.
Ischemic colitis can cause intestinal necrosis and severe bleeding.
Diagnostic methods
With the above symptoms, you should contact your local therapist. In a serious condition with severe pain in the abdomen, you should call an ambulance. The therapist after the examination prescribes an examination to determine the cause of the disease:
- general analysis of blood and urine;
- feces for coprogram, worm eggs, bacteriological examination;
- biochemical blood tests.
Hardware studies of the intestine carry more information and make it possible to judge the form and stage of the disease. Apply:
- sigmoidoscopy - examination of the rectum;
- colonoscopy - a deeper introduction of an optical tube into the intestine;
- irrigoscopy - X-ray examination of the large intestine after it is filled with a barium mixture through an enema.
Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity allows you to exclude tumors, inflammatory changes in neighboring organs, to identify the causes of inflammation.
At the mention of this disease, many people have associations with colic in the abdomen. In fact, these are different things. The disease in question is an inflammation of the intestines. With an exacerbation of this disease, a person experiences a lot of discomfort, and the lack of proper treatment leads to sad consequences. Knowing this, you should be more attentive to your health. Learn about intestinal colitis, its symptoms, and treatment in adults so you know what to do when a health hazard arises. So let's discuss this issue in more detail.
What is colitis
From the Latin language the word "kolon" is translated as "large intestine". The prefix "-it" indicates that the disease is inflammatory. Based on this, we come to a simple conclusion: intestinal colitis is nothing more than inflammation of the internal mucous membrane of the large intestine. This dangerous disease can occur due to various circumstances. The most common causes of intestinal colitis include the following factors:
- The presence of an intestinal infection in the body. The causative agents of colitis can be numerous bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa.
- Prolonged use of powerful antibiotics and other drugs. These can be laxatives, antipsychotics, etc.
- Violation of blood circulation in the intestines. This factor often leads to inflammation of the large intestine in the elderly.
- Eating disorder. Intestinal colitis can develop with excessive consumption of animal / starchy foods, abuse of spicy foods / alcohol and single meals.
- hereditary factors. If one of your parents suffered from chronic inflammation of the large intestine, be on the lookout.
- Helminth infestation. In the absence of proper treatment, helminthic invasions lead to inflammation of the large intestine and other diseases of the digestive tract.
Symptoms of inflammation of the intestine
Medicine distinguishes several varieties of intestinal colitis. Each of them differs in its etiology, pathogenesis, symptoms, diagnosis. A detailed study of all these aspects is a task for doctors. The average citizen needs to have at least a general idea of the manifestations of these diseases in order to know when to seek medical help. In the list below, you will find common symptoms that are common to all types of intestinal colitis:
- Discomfort/pain in the lower abdomen. Such manifestations accompany intestinal colitis in 90% of cases. Exacerbation of pain is noted after therapeutic procedures, eating, and exposure to mechanical factors (shaking in transport, running, walking, etc.).
- Tenesmus (false urge to have a bowel movement). This symptom may indicate a number of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In this regard, colitis is distinguished by the rare occurrence of tenesmus - no more than two or three times a day. If the inflammatory process is localized in the sigmoid or rectum, the urge becomes more painful. As a rule, they occur at night and end with the release of small volumes of feces. In some cases, there are impurities of blood / mucus / pus.
- Disorder (unstable stool). This symptom cannot be considered the main one, however, in the presence of other signs, it can indicate intestinal colitis with a high degree of accuracy. The main difference between the stool in this disease and all other cases is the admixture of greenish or colorless streaks of mucus and / or drops of dark blood.
- Heaviness in the abdomen.
- Flatulence.
- Bloating.
To determine the type of disease more specifically, you need to pay attention to the characteristic signs and symptoms. Some of them are not so easy to fix, however, with careful monitoring of the state of health, it is still possible to make a preliminary diagnosis with a high degree of accuracy. By reading the table below, you will learn how inflammation of the colon manifests itself in different forms.
chronic colitis |
|
spastic colitis |
|
Ischemic colitis |
|
catarrhal colitis |
|
Methods for the treatment of colitis
The fight against inflammation of the large intestine is a complex long process, during which the patient is forbidden to eat harmful foods and expose himself to intense physical exertion. Traditional medicine practices the treatment of colitis with medicines in the form of tablets and injections. Along with this, there are many effective folk recipes to combat intestinal inflammation. The combination of techniques provides the fastest recovery.
medicines
An extensive arsenal of pharmaceutical drugs allows you to quickly stop the process of inflammation, strengthen the internal defenses of the body and alleviate the general condition of the patient. Nowadays, doctors often use drugs from the list below:
- "No-shpa"(domestic analogue - "Drotaverin"). Used to relieve spasms. This drug will help numb the symptoms until the doctors tell you exactly how to treat the inflammation of the intestine.
- "Colibacterin". An effective drug that contributes to the normalization of intestinal microflora. "Colibacterin" replenishes dead microorganisms, increasing resistance in case of damage to the mucous membranes of the large intestine.
- "Dekamevit". A sedative that normalizes the flow of metabolic and digestive processes.
- "Levomitsetin". Tetracycline drugs have long been called gastric antibiotics, as they effectively fight many diseases and disorders of the digestive tract. Levomycetin provides powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects without causing much damage to beneficial intestinal bacteria.
Folk remedies
In the early stages of intestinal inflammation, you can easily do without pharmaceuticals. Traditional medicines will help to cope with the disease in the bud. If you have reason to beware of this ailment, write down some of your grandmother's recipes for yourself:
- Mumiyo. Place in a small metal container (like a coffee pot) 1 gram of this product and add 250 ml of water. Drink 40-45 ml of the resulting solution once a day. To increase the effectiveness of the treatment of intestinal colitis, use rectal suppositories with mumiyo. The maximum daily dose of this remedy is 0.2 grams. Keep this in mind so as not to harm your intestines.
- Propolis. The antibacterial properties of this agent leave many pharmaceutical drugs against colitis far behind. If you do not know how to treat the intestines, and are not even completely sure that this is necessary, start taking a daily 20% propolis tincture on vodka, 80-90 drops per day. Such prevention normalizes the state of the gastrointestinal tract and does no harm.
- Microclysters. Using a small syringe or a simple medical syringe, inject 55-65 ml of sea buckthorn or rosehip oil through the anus. Make sure that the medicine does not leak out. Lie on your left side and try to sleep until morning. During the night, the exacerbation of intestinal colitis will noticeably ease.
- honey with water. A simple home remedy that has been shown to be highly effective in the fight against intestinal colitis. Start systematically drinking honey with water half an hour before taking a meal, and in a few days the inflammation will pass. After a few days, the symptoms of the disease will disappear completely.
- Herbal infusions. A decoction of St. John's wort will help cure intestinal colitis in a matter of days. Mix 10 grams of dry leaves and 50 ml of vodka, divide the total volume into three equal portions and drink throughout the day. Do the described actions every day, and after 2 weeks, intestinal inflammation will recede.