Improper nutrition, chronic stress and overwork, hereditary or acquired diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to problems with bowel movements. The problem is quite delicate, and many patients are embarrassed to see a doctor to the last. One of the most common is the appearance of mucus during bowel movements. This symptom quite eloquently reports that you should contact your gastroenterologist as soon as possible. The article lists the most common causes of blood and mucus after bowel movements, and the treatment methods are also briefly described.
Description of a dangerous symptom
The patient should pay attention when exactly the mucus appears: directly during bowel movements or in between. At the appointment with a gastroenterologist, all the small details of the manifestation of the pathology should be reported. As a rule, in parallel with mucus during bowel movements, the patient may notice the following symptoms, expressed to a greater or lesser extent:
- bloating (flatulence, flatulence), especially after eating certain foods;
- pain in the epigastric region, which can be deployed both in the center of the peritoneum, and on the left or on the right;
- a feeling of nausea after eating fatty, high-calorie foods, as well as after drinking alcohol;
- the appearance of a sacrum or other exudates from the anus.
The causes of such symptoms are various. In no case should you self-medicate, you should visit a doctor, undergo the necessary studies, and then get an appointment for the necessary treatment.
List of the most common reasons why the described symptoms may be observed:
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- hemorrhoidal disease;
- paraproctitis, proctitis and other pathologies of the functioning of the intestine;
- peptic ulcer;
- the appearance of polyps or other neoplasms;
- chronic pancreatitis;
- violations of the outflow of bile of various etiologies;
- liver diseases (viral or toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis, fibrosis, fatty degeneration of organ cells, etc.).
Intestinal dysbiosis as the cause of the problem
Defecation with mucus is a common symptom with intestinal dysbiosis. The abundance of mucus appears as a result of the body's attempts to somehow get rid of the pathological microflora. With dysbiosis, the following symptoms are also observed:
- feces acquire a greenish tint;
- trace elements cease to be properly absorbed, due to which the patient suffers from vitamin deficiency despite proper nutrition;
- immunity decreases - a patient with chronic dysbacteriosis often catches a cold, he is exposed to viruses and infectious processes "flare up" in his body;
- dermatitis, eczema may be observed;
- mucus during bowel movements is also accompanied by a rarefied consistency of stool.
In some cases, dysbiosis develops as a result of an allergic reaction (food intolerance). Diagnosing the cause of dysbacteriosis is quite complicated - usually several qualified specialists need to be consulted at once to determine the exact cause (allergist, immunologist, hepatologist, gastroenterologist).
If dysbacteriosis is provoked by taking antibiotics or food poisoning, then it is usually enough to drink a course of one or more of the following drugs:
- Probiotic drugs - "Bifidumbacterin", "Linex", "Lactobacterin" - are effective for dysbiosis of almost any etiology. The composition of these drugs includes live strains of beneficial bacteria that normalize the intestinal microflora and inhibit the vital activity of pathological microorganisms. Probiotics can be drunk by almost everyone, from infants to pregnant women. However, each individual drug has a number of contraindications, which must be familiarized with before taking it.
- Duspalatin, Meteospasmil restore healthy intestinal motility. After the first dose, the patient is relieved: there is bloating, flatulence, stool normalizes, no mucus remains after defecation on toilet paper.
- "Levomizole", "Dekaris" refers to immunomodulators that have local effects and contribute to the restoration of local intestinal immunity. As a rule, these drugs are used already at the final stages of treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, the course of which was complicated by dysbiosis.
Hemorrhoidal disease as a cause of blood and mucus
Hemorrhoidal disease is an increase and inflammation of the walls of veins and arteries located on the rectal mucosa. Mucus after defecation on toilet paper, the appearance of bloody discharge, a feeling of fullness, burning and itching in the rectum are all direct symptoms of hemorrhoids. Do not panic: with timely treatment, the disease is quite simple and quickly goes into remission. If you do not take any measures to restore the rectum, then the hemorrhoidal nodes will begin to increase in size, causing severe pain. As a result, thrombosis may develop, surgical intervention will be required.
What are the causes of hemorrhoids? There are several factors:
- passive lifestyle;
- carrying and lifting weights;
- work "on the feet", a long standing position, which leads to stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs;
- malnutrition and alcohol abuse;
- persistent constipation;
- obesity;
- period of pregnancy.
Hemorrhoidal disease treatment methods
Methods to alleviate the condition of the patient with hemorrhoidal disease:
- Change your lifestyle. Switch to proper nutrition, refuse to drink alcohol. Try to move as much as possible, but at the same time avoid physical overwork. Refuse lifting weights. A sedentary lifestyle is also bad - it contributes to stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs and, as a result, an increase in the load on the vessels of the rectum.
- If there is a tendency to constipation, adjust your diet (add fiber, fresh fruits, prunes and other dishes and products that help normalize digestion).
- Drink as much clean water as possible. If necessary, drink a course of venotonic drugs.
- Refuse to visit saunas and baths, do not take hot baths. Veins and arteries "love" the cool. Useful contrast or just cool showers. You should also refuse to wear synthetic underwear - it should be made of the most breathable, natural materials.
Paraproctitis as a cause of mucus
If mucus is secreted during bowel movements, the risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases is also high. The most common ones are proctitis and paraproctitis. What are they, and how to get rid of mucus secretion during bowel movements after these diseases have been diagnosed?
Paraproctitis is an inflammatory disease of the rectum. The inflammatory process affects the soft tissues surrounding the organ from different sides: the pelvic-rectal, the ileo-rectal and the posterior rectal space.
The main danger of paraproctitis is that with this disease, pararectal fistula develops. This is a channel filled with pus. As a result, it becomes necessary to purulent contents, as a result of which the patient discovers mucus on the paper after defecation. Mucus can also be released in between the discharge of feces. Treatment at home is impossible, often surgical intervention is required to get rid of the pathology.
Proctitis usually develops as a result of infection in the intestinal cavity. As a result, an inflammatory process develops, which can lead to paraproctitis. With proctitis, mucus is also secreted during defecation, but in smaller quantities. the patient usually does not pay attention to her - he is more concerned about pain in the abdomen and indigestion. But if you start treatment at the proctitis stage, then you can get by with taking medications, in most cases, taking them helps to avert the need for surgical intervention.
Polyps, tumors and neoplasms in the intestine
If mucus has come out during bowel movements, this is a serious reason to consult a doctor as soon as possible. This can be a manifestation of a relatively harmless dysbiosis or hemorrhoids, or a signal that tumors have appeared in the intestine. They can be of different sizes and character - polyps, tumors, etc. Mucus at the end of a bowel movement with an admixture of blood may appear due to intestinal polyposis.
At an early stage, oncological processes of the large intestine are almost not felt. Primary symptoms include the appearance of mucus during bowel movements and frequent bloating. There may be streaks of blood in the feces. A growing tumor is more prone to injury, so the amount of blood and mucus increases over time. In this case, the stool becomes dark brown or black due to altered blood mixed with feces. Sometimes the exit of dark blood precedes the stool.
Colorectal ulcer as a cause of mucus
An ulcer of the rectum or large intestine develops if a portion of the mucous membrane has lost its integrity. In this case, the patient has a bowel movement with yellow mucus, spotting. An ulcer can be single (if there is one lesion of the mucosa) or multiple (if there are several such sites). Of great importance is the depth and degree of tissue damage: the severity of symptoms will depend on this.
An ulcer develops as a result of regular malnutrition, alcohol abuse, an infectious process, mucosal damage with fecal stones, or masses with constipation. A rectal ulcer can be triggered by its prolapse due to hemorrhoidal disease in the last stages.
Treatment of ulcers of any part of the intestine should not be carried out at home. Surgical intervention is required (in the later stages), otherwise the risk of internal bleeding and death is great. So that the disease does not progress, the patient must reconsider his lifestyle, change his diet, abandon bad habits.
Liver diseases and their treatment
Mucus at the beginning of bowel movements may occur when there is a violation of the outflow of bile, which accompanies liver disease. There are no nerve endings in the liver, so organ pain only occurs when cirrhosis develops (an incurable fatal disease). As a rule, if most of the liver has already been reborn, then we are not talking about regeneration.
Why does fibrosis develop, toxic hepatitis, why does fatty degeneration of the liver begin? The organ can suffer for years - the patient abuses alcohol, eats abundantly and high-calorie foods, there is an excess of fat in the diet - and as a result, "give up", in this case cirrhosis begins. You should take care of your liver in advance. There is no “magic pill” that would restore organ cells after extensive damage. But there are drugs (hepatoprotectors) that can help the liver partially recover at the beginning of fatty degeneration:
- "Karsil" - hepatoprotector with silymarin in the composition.
- "Heptral" - a modern hepatoprotector with antidepressant action, is indicated for the restoration of the body after intoxication.
- "Essential" - a drug with phospholipids in the composition.
Drug therapy is prescribed by the hepatologist after the results of the tests are known and a clinical picture of the patient's condition can be made.
Chronic pancreatitis and its effects on digestion
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) can be acute or chronic. In the first case, severe pain develops on the left side of the abdomen, digestion can completely stop due to a lack of enzymes produced by the gland. Chronic pancreatitis rarely makes itself felt with sharp pain, but after each intake of fatty high-calorie foods, the patient may suffer from heaviness in the left hypochondrium and minor digestive disorders.When defecating, mucus may be released in insignificant amounts due to the fact that the entire digestion process is disturbed.
There is still no cure for pancreatitis in medicine. Yes, it is possible to take enzymes in the form of tablets on an ongoing basis, but this can hardly be called "recovery." The key to achieving remission in pancreatitis is a strict diet. All the ingredients of the food consumed should be carefully chopped and stewed, or boiled. With proper nutrition, the symptoms of pancreatitis will go away, and the patient will be able to achieve remission.
Which doctor should I contact if a symptom occurs?
If a person has detected the appearance of mucus during bowel movements, you should make an appointment with a therapist. In any clinic, biochemical and general blood tests can be done free of charge, according to the results of which it will be possible to draw up a clinical picture and suggest a particular diagnosis.
To make an accurate diagnosis, you often need to undergo additional studies: MRI, ultrasound of the digestive tract. The therapist can also decrypt the results, but it is better to consult a gastroenterologist or hepatologist. If the condition of the internal organs is normal, but the problem remains, then you should contact an allergist or immunologist. Perhaps the reason for the presence of mucus during bowel movements in dysbiosis or intolerance to certain foods.
The importance of proper nutrition in the pathology of the digestive tract
With diseases of the digestive tract, nutrition is of great importance. Often in the early stages of the disease, it’s enough to just adjust the diet, and the problem will go away. At later stages, nutritional adjustments may not be enough - you will need to take medications.
Of great importance is the rejection of alcohol. It is generally accepted in society that a small amount of wine or beer will not harm health. However, in the presence of chronic diseases, even a tiny dose can cause a worsening of the condition.