Colitis is a fairly common disease that affects mainly people of mature age. This is an extremely unpleasant disease, which significantly affects the quality of human life. If untreated, the inflammatory process can lead to a host of unpleasant consequences.
That is why people quite often are interested in the question of what constitutes such an ailment. What are the first symptoms of inflammation? When should I see a doctor immediately? What treatment does modern medicine offer? Are there any preventative measures? This information will be useful to many readers. So, then we will consider different types of intestinal colitis and their treatment.
What is colitis?
Colitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the mucous membranes of the colon. According to statistics, most often the disease affects men aged 40 to 60 years, and in women the age threshold is even lowered: even twenty-year-olds are among the patients.
Today, there are many 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), infections in other departments digestive system. In addition, there is a certain genetic predisposition.
In most cases, colitis responds quite well to drug treatment, especially if therapy was started in a timely manner. That is why it is important to know about the main causes and first symptoms of the disease.
The main types of intestinal colitis and their causes
Unfortunately, this disease cannot be called rare. It is not surprising that many patients are interested in additional information about the disease. One of the most common questions is: “What is ulcerative colitis?” 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 intestinal inflammation 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 or worsen).
Depending on the location of the inflammatory process, such forms as proctitis (inflammation of the rectum), sigmoiditis (affected sigmoid colon), transversitis (transverse colon) and typhlitis (inflammation of the cecum) 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 defeat several departments.
Depending on the causes of the development of the disease, it is customary to distinguish the following types of the disease:
- Infectious colitis. It develops against the background of the activity of bacterial microflora. The disease can be caused by streptococci or staphylococci. Infection can enter the digestive system from the outside, for example, colitis develops against a 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 the intensive reproduction of opportunistic microflora begins.
- Ischemic colitis. It develops if 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 called radiation colitis.
- There is also a toxic form of colitis, which is caused by exposure to toxins or drugs. For example, quite often, uncontrolled use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs leads to inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and other organs of the digestive tract.
- Quite widespread and dangerous is ulcerative colitis, which is accompanied by the formation of ulcers on the walls of the intestine. Unfortunately, the exact etiology of this disease is unknown - scientists were able to find out that the autoimmune process, genetic heredity and certain infectious agents play a role in the formation of the disease.
Naturally, there are other classification schemes, as well as forms of inflammation. For example, colitis can develop against a background of allergies. 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 a variety of types of intestinal colitis. Symptoms of acute forms for the most part look the same, regardless of the form of the disease, so you should familiarize 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 abdominal pain, especially in the navel. Often any meals are accompanied by rumbling, bloating.
A feature of inflammation of the large intestine is constant diarrhea - acts of defecation become more frequent up to 5-6 times a day. Often, patients feel the urge immediately after eating, in the morning or even wake up at night. Feces, as a rule, are relatively liquid and fetid, which is associated with 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, the appearance of blood impurities in the feces is possible. If unchanged blood appears constantly, you must definitely tell the doctor about it.
Chronic colitis and features of its course
Chronic intestinal colitis - the disease is quite dangerous. Periods of exacerbation are replaced by periods of relative calm, when a person feels normal, and therefore does not believe that he needs medical attention. 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 stools - diarrhea is often replaced by constipation, and vice versa. Sometimes the act of defecation is accompanied by abdominal pain. 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 a loss of body weight. In addition, food is not completely absorbed, which gradually leads to the development of anemia, hypo- and vitamin deficiencies, disruption of the normal balance of electrolytes, and exhaustion. The disease also affects the emotional state of a person - there is depression, deterioration in mood, increased irritability, sleep problems, constant fatigue. Therefore, in no case should you ignore the problem.
Modern diagnostic methods
What to do if you are concerned about symptoms resembling colitis? What to do in such cases? Of course, first of all you need to go to the doctor. The fact is that under the same symptoms other, more serious diseases, including cancer, can be masked.
To begin with, the doctor must collect a complete history. He will probably 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.
A standard inspection follows. The doctor will palpate the abdomen to detect abnormally enlarged organs. If colitis is suspected, a rectal examination is necessary , during which the specialist can quickly detect swelling or swelling in the rectum .
The patient is also required to take blood tests (to detect an inflammatory process, occult bleeding, blood clotting disorders) and feces (an infection or blood impurities can be detected). 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, a biopsy is also performed during the examination - tissue sampling with further laboratory examination of the samples.
There are some other studies that help not only detect colitis, but also assess the degree of mucosal damage, 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 of the large intestine. Often, patients are recommended and computed tomography, which allows the specialist to make a specific diagnosis, evaluating the features of the inflammatory process.
In any case, during the diagnosis process it is important not only to find out if 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.
Medical treatments
What to do after you have been diagnosed with colitis? Only a doctor knows how to treat it, so in no case should you try to cope with the problem yourself. The choice of drugs depends on the cause of the disease.
For example, with an infectious form of the disease, antibacterial agents are necessary. Treatment of ulcerative colitis of the intestine involves the use of a whole range of drugs. In particular, aminosalicillates and glucocorticoids (hormones that inhibit the inflammatory process) are used.
If there is a suspicion of an autoimmune reaction, cytostatics are used - drugs that inhibit the activity of the immune system. Quite often, patients are prescribed "Mercaptopurin", "Methotrexan", "Azathioprine" and other drugs.
Naturally, symptomatic treatment is also an important part. In the presence of severe pain, analgesics are prescribed that help 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 the use of hemostatic drugs, for example, Tranexam or Dicinon.
In some cases, additional activities 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.
It is immediately worth noting that the doctor makes the decision about hospitalization. In mild cases, treatment at home is possible, but only subject to all recommendations of the treating specialist. If the patient is in a serious condition (intestinal bleeding, dehydration, exhaustion), then he must constantly be under the supervision of medical personnel - such rehabilitation therapy can be carried out only in a hospital.
When is surgery necessary?
Unfortunately, conservative treatment of ulcerative colitis of the intestine (or any other varieties of this disease) is not always effective enough. In such cases, surgery is required.
An 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 "emergency" 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.
Quite often, radical procedures are performed in which the large intestine is completely removed. In some cases, doctors impose a permanent ileostomy on the anterior abdominal wall to empty, while preserving the bowel stump. Unfortunately, such treatment leads to a loss of ability to anal bowel movements, as a result of which patients become disabled. Partial bowel removal is also performed, but among patients, the percentage of relapse 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, and pain medications. 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, products that irritate the intestinal mucosa should be excluded. 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 for patients periodic intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, which help prevent the development of vitamin deficiencies, as well as normalize the functioning of the immune system.
Proper diet is an important part of therapy.
Today, many people are interested in questions about what constitutes ulcerative colitis of the intestine. The symptoms, treatment and causes of this ailment have already been discussed. But you should also understand that an essential part of therapy is proper nutrition. 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 intestines, which, accordingly, affects the digestive processes. That is why a diet with such a disease must necessarily be sparing. To begin with, it should be noted that all dishes should be either steamed or boiled (the diet can be slightly varied with baked food). Fractional nutrition is recommended for patients - 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 meal should be no later than 7 pm.
It is imperative to include a sufficient amount of animal protein in the diet - it can be eggs, low-fat meats (for example, poultry, veal, rabbit meat), but in no case fried foods.
There are some categories of products that irritate the intestinal mucosa, which leads to increased symptoms. Such food should be completely excluded 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, spices. The menu should not contain fried, fatty and salty foods. Prohibited foods also include sunflower seeds, sodas, alcohol, dried apricots and prunes.
If the patient does not suffer from overweight, then the diet must necessarily be high-calorie (at least 2-3 thousand kcal per day) in order to avoid a sharp 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 need to be very careful. Firstly, before using any home remedy, be sure to consult a 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 need to take 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 manifest.
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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 foods and water you use, follow all cooking rules, 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 state of the immune system. An integral part of any prophylaxis is a proper diet rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as feasible physical activity.
It has been proven that some types of colitis are much more likely to develop against the background of insufficient blood circulation, therefore it is extremely important to observe the prevention of diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension, as well as stop smoking.
If you have the first alarming 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.