Small bowel inflammation (enteritis) is a chronic polyetiological disease that, if untreated, can lead to mucosal atrophy and other unpleasant consequences. What causes it? What are the prerequisites? What symptoms can I find out about their presence? And, most importantly, how to treat it? This and much more will now be discussed.
Briefly about the disease
Inflammation of the small intestine is manifested by a decrease in its functional capabilities, as well as structural changes in the internal mucous membrane. Among all pathologies affecting the digestive system, it is the most common. Many people have experienced the acute form, and about 25% of the inhabitants of our planet suffer from the chronic, according to statistics.
The small intestine is actively involved in many stages of food processing. If it is inflamed, then many of its functions are violated. This applies to the absorption of nutrients and the hydrolysis of complex food components. Based on this, it can be understood that enteritis is a serious danger not only for the digestive tract, but for the whole organism.
Causes
Inflammation of the small intestinal mucosa can have different conditions. In general, the reasons can be distinguished in such a list:
- Features nutrition. At risk are people who are unable to eat normal food, as well as lovers of fried, smoked and fatty. The lack of a diet leads to malfunctions of the entire digestive tract. According to statistics, this is the most common reason. It occurs in 75-80% of cases.
- Helminthiasis. Due to giardia and roundworm, inflammation of the small intestine also often develops.
- Infectious lesion. If a person has used an expired or low-quality product, then the probability of contracting shigella or salmonella increases at times.
- Dysbacteriosis If there are already problems with the large intestine, then the chance of spreading them to the small one is great.
- Autoimmune diseases. Enteritis, which arose for this reason, is rare. Such cases are difficult to treat. Most often, of autoimmune ailments, Crohn's disease manifests itself. It can cause not only inflammation of the small intestine - the entire digestive tract is at risk. And the cause of autoimmune ailments is any malfunction of the body's defense system.
- Allergy. As a rule, for this reason enteritis occurs in children. But in adults it occurs, albeit less often.
- Genetic features. Surely many people know that the specificity of the digestive system is due to heredity. And therefore, if one or several parents had enzymatic deficiency, then the child will receive the same features and a “bouquet” of possible problems. Among them - a predisposition to colitis, enteritis, etc.
- Heat intolerance. It is important to mention such a thing as "summer diarrhea." This name hides the hyperactivity of the small intestine, which makes itself felt in extreme heat (not all people tolerate it well).
In addition to the above, recently undergone surgery or trauma can cause inflammation of the small intestine.
Manifestations of the disease
Now we should talk about the symptoms of inflammation of the small intestine. Alarming signs can be identified in such a list:
- Pain that is localized in the navel and over the womb. It can have a aching, bursting, stupid character. Dagger pains are slightly less common. In the event that the pain spreads or changes its position, it is likely that the process has captured other areas of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Discomfort: rumbling, a feeling of transfusion or movement in the abdomen.
- Diarrhea. If isolated inflammation of the small intestine is diagnosed, the symptom does not occur. In addition to diarrhea, other changes in feces can be traced - stickiness, fatty and mucous impurities. And the frequency of urges sometimes reaches 15-20 times a day.
- False urge to defecate. They are found in the systemic process.
- Malaise and weakness.
- Elevated body temperature. May vary from 37.5 ° C to 40 ° C. It is accompanied by signs of general intoxication of the body.
- Poor appetite.
- Bloating and flatulence.
- Rashes if enteritis has an allergic origin.
- Vomiting, nausea, feeling of fullness in the epigastric region.
As a rule, symptoms last 7-10 days. Even if they all coincide, do not self-medicate. Otherwise, enteritis will simply turn into a chronic form.
Analyzes
Well, it was briefly described above about the features of inflammation of the small intestine. Treatment will be discussed a little later, but for now it is necessary to pay attention to the specifics of the diagnosis.
First of all, a gastroenterologist collects a patient's history, conducts an initial examination, performs abdominal palpation. Be sure to assign tests. And here are which ones:
- General blood analysis. Helps detect signs of inflammation. They are indicated by a high level of leukocytes and ESR.
- Fecal analysis. With its help, enzymatic insufficiency is determined, and the usefulness of the digestive function is also evaluated. It is also possible to detect infectious lesions. Typically, fat, starch, muscle fibers are found in biomaterial.
- Blood biochemistry. Allows you to identify signs of malabsorption syndrome.
Instrumental research
They also help identify acute or chronic inflammation of the small intestine. As a rule, such studies are prescribed:
- FGDS.
- Endoscopy with a capsule.
- Colonoscopy
- X-ray
It is very difficult to conduct endoscopic examination. The device can only be entered in the terminal departments. The procedure itself involves the collection of a biopsy sample of the mucosa for histological analysis. It is usually possible to identify atrophic and dystrophic phenomena from the intestinal villi and epithelial cells.
X-ray examination, which is carried out with the introduction of a contrast agent, allows you to detect a change in the folded structure, to identify segmental lesions, ulcers, tumor formations. The state of intestinal motor function is also evaluated.
Differential diagnosis
It is performed if a person suspects chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the small intestines. It is very important to differentiate this disease with diseases, which are also characterized by exhaustion and persistent diarrhea.
Symptoms are similar in diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis, Simmonds and Addison diseases. Similar manifestations are observed with amyloidosis, malignant neoplasms, ulcerative colitis. It is still necessary to exclude Crohn's disease and abdominal syndrome.
Still often problems in the gastrointestinal tract are identified due to pathologies of the liver, stomach, pancreas and hormone-producing tumors.
Inflammation of the mesentery of the small intestine
This ailment deserves special attention. The mesentery is a kind of ligament that fixes the organs of the abdominal cavity. She is also responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses through the NS receptors, supporting immunity and providing oxygen with nutrients.
Very rarely, the mesentery becomes inflamed on its own. Usually this occurs against a background of peritonitis. It is almost impossible to recognize the pathology, since the clinical picture is diverse. The most common and characteristic symptom is pain in the navel, which manifests itself in different intensities.
Of the non-obvious symptoms, an increase in the lymph nodes of the mesentery, hyperemia and edema of the inflamed area can be noted. Then foci of granulation tissue begin to develop, which later become scars.
Acute treatment
Now you can discuss therapeutic measures. What kind of treatment is shown to the patient is determined by the doctor. Because drugs that can eliminate, for example, catarrh of the small intestine with an allergic component, will be completely powerless in the fight against the disease that arose due to dysbiosis.
It is very important to act directly on the cause. Be that as it may, the acute form is treated in a hospital. Typically, patients are placed in the gastroenterological department, but if the disease is of a viral nature, then the person is sent to the infectious.
Each patient is shown bed rest, heavy drinking, diet, restorative and symptomatic treatment.
If severe dysbiosis develops, then the intestinal flora is corrected. And diarrhea is eliminated with astringents. If protein metabolism is impaired, then polypeptide solutions are administered.
As a rule, treatment does not take more than one week. When acute symptoms subside, a person is prescribed.
Chronic therapy
It is also necessary to tell about its specificity within the framework of the topic concerning the symptoms and treatment of inflammation of the small intestine. In this case, for human therapy is also placed in a hospital.
Doctors prescribe diet number 4, which implies the rejection of coarse, acidic, spicy foods, as well as anything that can harm the mucous membrane. It is important that the diet is enriched with carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Exclude milk and fiber-rich foods.
During periods of remission, a balanced diet is shown, which contains enough minerals, vitamins and valuable elements.
Medicines
Digestive enzyme deficiency is corrected with drugs such as Festal, Pancytrate and Pancreatin. Absorption is stimulated by drugs with nitrates. Protective drugs successfully restore the functionality of cell membranes.
In the treatment of diphtheria inflammation of the small intestine (or any other), “Loperamide” is often prescribed, which suppresses excessive propulsive motility.
Patients with diarrhea are shown astringents, antiseptics, absorbent and enveloping medicines. Often, phytotherapy is used for these purposes (decoctions of sage, chamomile, bird cherry, St. John's wort, alder cones, blueberries).
And for the correction of dysbiosis, eubiotics and probiotics are prescribed. Intravenous administration of amino acid solutions may be indicated. But this is if absorption is pronounced, and is accompanied by severe protein deficiency.
Sometimes diverticulums and polyps develop against the background of enteritis. If such neoplasms make themselves known, then their surgical removal is prescribed.
Forecast
If enteritis has a mild or moderate form of flow, then with competent treatment prescribed by a doctor, it passes in a few days.
When the disease is started, everything is somewhat more complicated. Severe form often leads to complications, including necrosis, bleeding, severe dehydration, perforation.
A chronic ailment that occurs with alternating exacerbations and remissions slowly progresses. Enteritis is aggravated, inflammation spreads throughout the digestive tract, signs of malabsorption intensify. If proper measures are not taken, then a fatal outcome is quite possible. The cause will be severe violations of internal homeostasis, as well as exhaustion.
Also, enteritis often entails the addition of infections.
With mild and severe forms, performance remains. But, of course, a person experiences difficulties. He is uncomfortable with physical activity and emotional stress.
Prevention
In order to prevent inflammation of the small intestine, you need to follow these recommendations:
- Eat right, enrich the diet with healthy foods.
- Handle food carefully. Do not consume possible toxic foods.
- Observe hygiene recommendations.
- Take medicine with caution, and be sure only according to indications.
But the most important thing is the timely detection and subsequent treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, endocrine and metabolic disorders.
And at the first suspicious symptoms, you should immediately go to the doctor without taking any antispasmodics and analgesics, since they “lubricate” the symptomatic picture, and this significantly complicates the diagnosis.