Inflammation of the intestine is the second among gastrointestinal pathologies. According to statistics, pathology is equally common in men and women, and inflammation can occur at any age. With an ailment, inflammatory processes appear on the mucosa 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 and small intestines. All of them take part in digestion, as well as in the functioning of the immune system. Due to the occurrence of inflammatory processes, the secretion of enzymes is disrupted, the absorption function of beneficial 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.
- Improper nutrition, frequent overeating, an abundance of fatty, fried, spicy, smoked food.
- Heredity. There are times when a lack of enzymes is transmitted at the genetic level.
- Dysbacteriosis In case of violation of intestinal microflora, reproduction of pathogenic bacteria is observed, mucosal pathology occurs.
- Violation of blood circulation of the intestinal wall.
- Autoimmune processes in which antibodies against intestinal cells are produced. Because of this, inflammation of the intestine occurs.
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. Intestinal inflammation is characterized by damage to the small intestine.
- Colitis.
In a separate category, autoimmune pathologies are distinguished, such as:
- Crohn's disease is characterized by inflammation of the intestines. Symptoms of the disease are manifested in pain, pathology originates in the intestine, but can affect any part of the digestive system, including the oral cavity.
- Ulcerative colitis. Pathology develops in the large intestine.
- Catarrh. 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 bright manifestation of symptoms. In a chronic form, inflammation develops from six months or longer.
Inflammation of the intestines and symptoms of the disease are interconnected.
Duodenitis
Inflammation of the duodenum is acute and chronic. The first type is rare, most often diagnosed as primary and secondary duodenitis. The first type is an independent disease. The second type is a pathology caused by cholecystitis, an ulcer and other ailments.
The cause of primary duodenitis can be malnutrition: abuse of tea, coffee, sour or salty, fatty. Superficial duodenitis affects only the upper layers of the mucous membrane. In this case, there is a violation of the nutrition of the cells, but they themselves are thinning.
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 mucosa of the duodenum.
Symptoms of duodenitis
Symptoms of intestinal inflammation in adults with duodenitis can occur as pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis, secretively and mixed. Most often, patients have stitching, cramping pains in the epigastric region, as well as in the umbilical zone. Usually pains appear one and a half to two hours after eating.
Duodenitis of the upper sections resembles peptic ulcer, but if the pathology in the lower sections, then it resembles pancreatitis or cholecystitis.
With duodenitis, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, belching may occur, sweating increases.
Duodenitis treatment
Treatment for intestinal inflammation should be comprehensive. It includes diet, drug therapy. The doctor may prescribe folk remedies.
The following drugs are prescribed to treat intestinal inflammation:
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics that can have an overwhelming effect on Helicobacter pylori.
- Anti-invasive drugs. When identifying helminthic infestations, appropriate preparations are selected.
- Antispasmodics, pain medication. They are necessary in cases where the pain syndrome has a pronounced severity.
According to indications, a gastroenterologist can prescribe enveloping drugs, antiemetics, and other drugs. Be sure to adjust the nutrition.
Traditional methods of treating duodenitis
You can treat intestinal inflammation with folk remedies, but only after consulting a doctor. The most popular remedies are:
- St. John's wort broth. To prepare it, you need to pour two tablespoons of raw materials in a glass of water, boil for half an hour in a water bath without boiling. One third of a glass is taken fifteen minutes before a meal.
- Plantain with honey. Take a teaspoon of honey and the same amount of plantain juice. Everything mixes up. The received volume is taken at once fifteen minutes before a meal.
- Kissel from rose hips. To prepare the product, a glass of dried berries and a liter of water are taken. Boil the product without boiling for half an hour, then cool to room temperature and filter. 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, a starch poured in a thin stream, previously diluted (a teaspoon per hundred milliliters of water). Unlimited jelly is drunk at any time.
Malabsorption. Malabsorption
Malabsorption includes impaired absorption processes. A specific syndrome, its manifestation can provoke various factors, and treatment as such does not exist.
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
With intestinal inflammation in an adult, malabsorption syndrome is observed, the clinical picture depends on the severity, form of pathology.
Extraintestinal and intestinal symptoms are distinguished. The first group includes a violation of the absorption process, in which there is a decrease in weight, weakness, violation of the psychoemotional background, brittle hair, exfoliation of nails, a grayish skin tone. If treatment is not carried out, then the symptoms of inflammation of the large intestine and its other departments add palpitations, muscle cramps, decreased reflexes.
In the intestinal clinic, malabsorption is characterized by pain in the lower abdomen, in the right iliac region, diarrhea, rumbling and bloating, increased gas formation. If the pathology proceeds against the background of cholecystitis, then there is a dry mouth, a bitter aftertaste. With gastritis, heartburn with an unpleasant odor is noted.
Methods for the treatment of malabsorption
Treatment is carried out by eliminating the underlying gastrointestinal disease. Only after this is the normalization of the intestines.
With the disease, it is strictly forbidden to take medications that slow down intestinal motility. Because of them, harmful toxins will not be eliminated from the body, leading to a deterioration in the patient’s well-being, and the development of dysbiosis.
During attacks, doctors must prescribe enterosorbents - activated charcoal, Enterodesum. A diet is prescribed for inflammation of the intestine, which helps to normalize the digestive tract in case of malabsorption, and also relieves diarrhea and other problems.
Treatment for malabsorption
Symptoms and treatment of intestinal inflammation are closely related to malabsorption. A mandatory point in the successful treatment of malabsorption syndrome is dieting. The table is adjusted to provide the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. For example, with a violation of the absorption of lactose, dairy products are excluded from the diet. If gluten absorption is impaired, protein-sticky products are excluded from the menu.
As an additional therapy, the intake of vitamin-mineral complexes containing iron, magnesium, calcium is prescribed. Doctors may prescribe dietary supplements.
To speed up recovery, doctors select drugs that stimulate absorption in the large and small intestines. In inflammatory processes, hormonal drugs can be prescribed. To stimulate membrane hydrolysis of the small intestine, drugs are prescribed that stabilize the intestinal microflora.
If a malabsorption threatens the life of the patient, then an operation is performed.
Enteritis
Enteritis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the small intestine. During the pathology, a change in the structure of the mucosa is observed, which violates the synthesis of intestinal juice and the barrier function of the intestinal walls.
Enteritis can be of different origin, but with the course of it they are divided into acute and chronic.
Acute enteritis occurs with pronounced symptoms, and chronic is a complication of the acute process that occurs with improper treatment or in advanced cases.
Acute enteritis can be caused by infection by pathogenic microorganisms, viruses, poisoning, alcohol abuse, exposure to heavy metals, and a violation of the diet.
The chronic form occurs with helminthic invasion, intoxication with heavy metals, with radiation sickness, autoimmune diseases, bowel operations. 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 always lapses. With severe diarrhea, signs of dehydration are observed: dry mucous membranes, the oral cavity. Patients are diagnosed with weight loss. In severe cases, convulsions are observed, blood coagulation, shock and coma are disturbed.
The chronic form of inflammation is characterized by the occurrence of diarrhea after eating, mild pain near the umbilical zone, rapid watery stool, in which particles of undigested food are visible. Gradually, anemia, osteopathy develops. The doctor diagnoses the signs of vitamin deficiency, body weight decreases, discomfort occurs.
Enteritis Treatments
Different types of enteritis require different treatments. The acute form is treated in a hospital. If pathogenic microorganisms became the cause, then drugs that suppress their activity are prescribed: antibiotics, antiviral agents, antifungal. Be sure to adjust the nutrition, in the diet is introduced mashed and boiled food, not able to irritate the intestines.
Necessarily prescribed enzyme therapy, correction of microbial balance. Vitamins, immunotherapy are prescribed, sorbing drugs are selected.
Treatment of a chronic form of enteritis is carried out by the appointment of a diet. Doctors recommend life-long adherence to some patients. Enzyme preparations are also prescribed, intestinal motility is corrected, medicines for diarrhea are selected. Probiotics and biologics, multivitamins, mineral supplements are necessarily prescribed.
With proper and timely treatment of enteritis, the prognosis is favorable. In the 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, or drug lesion. Colitis occurs with pain, digestive disorders, flatulence, tenesmus.
Colitis is acute and chronic. The first type is characterized by abdominal pain, flatulence. In 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, a change in the structure of the intestinal mucosa occurs with dystrophic changes.
Clinically, colitis is manifested by pain, defecation disorder, tenesmus. With inflammation, pain is noted that is dull and aching. In some cases, spilled pain may occur. After eating, usually the pain syndrome intensifies, and after defecation it weakens. Can provoke pain walking, enema.
If colitis is not treated, it can cause intestinal perforation with the development of peritonitis, anemia due to bleeding, intestinal obstruction as a result of adhesions, strictures, scars.
Chronic colitis is treated in a hospital. In the treatment of chronic and acute types of inflammation, a diet is mandatory. It provides for the exclusion from the diet of products that can irritate the intestines.
With intestinal inflammation caused by pathogenic microorganisms, antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal drugs are prescribed. If helminths are found, then anthelmintic agents are selected.
In the treatment of inflammation of the intestine, any of its departments, the infusion of chamomile, calendula and other folk remedies has a positive effect.