The sigmoid colon is an important part of the digestive system. The overall well-being of a person depends on the balance of her work. After all, she is responsible for absorbing water from digested food and saturates the entire human body with it. The sigmoid colon, the inflammation of which is called sigmoiditis, is little known to the general public - many people in their entire lives will never hear the name of this organ of their digestive tract. This pathology rarely manifests itself independently, mainly it is combined with proctitis (an inflammatory disease of the rectum). The sigmoid colon, the inflammation of which disrupts the functioning of neighboring organs, is actively involved in the digestion of food, absorbs water and thereby completes the process of hardening feces. Any of its diseases disrupt the functioning of the entire digestive system and can even pose a threat to human life. The outcome of this disease depends on how quickly it is detected, diagnosed and started treatment.
The sigmoid colon is part of the colon, one of its departments. It originates from the small pelvis, namely its upper aperture, and passes on to the next section - the rectum. They called it that because of the form, which resembles the Greek letter "sigma" in form. In most people, it is located in the left half of the abdomen, but there are cases when its loops reach the midline or even rise to the right hypochondrium. The mesentery covers this organ completely.
Inflammation of the sigmoid colon. Symptoms
This disease, like many others, can occur in both acute and chronic form. Therefore, the symptoms can be quite different. In the acute form of sigmoiditis, a person suffers from severe pain of a spasmodic nature, while the amount of stool and its color will change. Constantly alternating diarrhea and constipation, the appearance of regular pain during an act of defecation indicate that the process began to acquire a chronic course. The sigmoid colon, inflammation of which causes rumbling in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting and bloating, needs a timely start to treatment, because with a pronounced course of the process, the patient quickly loses weight, he develops general weakness, and fever rises. If a person did not consult a doctor on time, or if he was mistakenly diagnosed, then the sigmoid colon, the inflammation of which will continue and worsen, will ultimately fail to fulfill its functions and there will be a direct threat to his life. With this development, even a fusion of the sigmoid colon with adjacent organs can occur and then conservative treatment will already be clearly insufficient. Even surgical intervention cannot always solve such problems - it is very difficult to separate the fused organs. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, based on the clinic of the disease, the results of additional studies and tests. Of particular importance in the diagnosis of this disease is irrigoscopy and endoscopic examination.
For the treatment of inflammation of the sigmoid colon, antibiotics are usually prescribed, which relieve the very cause of the inflammatory process - a microorganism. In addition to antibiotics, antispasmodics, painkillers, astringents, enveloping and sedatives are also prescribed. Locally apply microclysters and suppositories with decoctions of chamomile, vitamin A, various fats, corticosteroid hormones, methyluracil and other specific drugs. A strict diet and rest are recommended. If the doctor’s recommendations are strictly followed, then almost all patients with this diagnosis recover.