Colitis - inflammation or dystrophic-inflammatory lesion of the colon, leading to atrophy of the mucous membrane and impaired functions of the organs. Pathological processes that encompass the intestinal surface of the intestine are localized in all departments( pancolitis) or in some areas( segmental colitis).
In colitis( inflammation of the intestine), the symptoms are characterized by the presence of blood, mucus in the bowel movement, abdominal pain, nausea and false urges to defecate. In most cases, its chronic form develops, as well as nonspecific ulcerative colitis of the intestine of an unknown etiology, while the intestinal mucosa becomes prone to ulceration.
Causes of
Why does colitis develop? What is it? Acute colitis in adults often occurs simultaneously with inflammation of the small intestine and stomach. The most common pathogens of acute colitis are pathogens.
Chronic colitis can develop in the presence of foci of infection in the gallbladder, pancreas and other organs that are anatomically related to the intestine, as well as prolonged monotonous nutrition, the systematic consumption of food in large amounts of indigestible food, the abuse of spicy food, alcohol.
Risk factors for that lead to the development of colitis in adults:
- Infection( dysentery, salmonellosis, tuberculosis, chronic infections, giardiasis, amoebiasis, helminthiases).
- Drugs( long-term use of antibiotics, laxatives, suppository medications, frequent enemas).
- Food or chemical poisoning. Penetration into the blood of components that kill a beneficial intestinal microflora. Stress, violation of daily routine.
- Action of toxic substances( salts of heavy metals, mercury, lead, arsenic, etc.).
- Circulatory disturbance. It is also a good reason for the development of manifestations of colitis, because as a result of a deficiency in blood, the body is often unable to independently overcome the irritant and get rid of harmful components.
- Alimentary factor( the use of rough, not enough thermally processed food, irregular and malnourished food, food "dry", insufficient intake of dietary fiber, frequent use of spicy, salty, smoked, fatty foods, alcohol).
To exacerbate of colitis most often result: the use of foods that irritate the colon or cause allergic reactions( marinades, canned food, citrus, cabbage, cucumbers, etc.), overwork, emotional overload, overheating, taking large doses of antibacterial drugs.
Classification of
On the etiology distinguish colitis:
- Ulcerous is a disease with an unclear etiology, in the mechanism of development of which there is a role of heredity, autoimmune mechanisms and infection.
- Infectious - is caused by a pathogenic microflora, which can be specific( eg, dysentery colitis), banal( streptococcus, staphylococcus) and opportunistic( eg E. coli);
- Ischemic - with occlusive lesions of branches of the abdominal aorta( for example, with atherosclerosis), which supply blood to the large intestine;
- Toxic or medicinal for poisoning with certain poisons or medicines( eg, NSAIDs);
- Radiation for chronic radiation sickness.
Spastic colitis of the intestine
Often spastic colitis of the intestine is triggered by an unhealthy lifestyle, as well as by errors made in the diet. By doctors such an ailment is in many cases called irritable bowel syndrome, during which there is an inflammatory phenomenon of a chronic type in the mucosa of the large intestine.
The disease can develop after consuming coffee, soda, alcohol, poor-quality food, and after suffering gastroenteritis for a long time.
Ulcerative Colitis of the Intestine
The ulcerative colitis of the intestine is characterized by hemorrhagic-purulent inflammatory process of the colon with the development of systemic, local complications. The exact causes and origin of the disease are still unknown.
There are suggestions that the ailment can be caused by an unbalanced diet, an unidentified infection, medications, genetic mutations, shifts in intestinal flora and stresses.
Symptoms of colitis in adults
In case of colitis, symptoms will depend on the type of disease that is present, but in general, colitis in adults is most often associated with abdominal pain and diarrhea. Other signs of colitis that may or may not be present.
Symptomatic of colitis may include:
- Persistent or recurrent abdominal pain and bloating.
- Chills.
- Diarrhea.
- Fever.
- Persistent urge to defecate.
- Bloody stool. Diarrhea can sometimes cause hemorrhoids, which can bleed. Nevertheless, blood during defecation is not a normal phenomenon.
- Dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, weakness, decreased urination, dry mouth, on the surface of the eyes and skin.
In some patients, local manifestations are accompanied by weakness, nausea and vomiting;increased fatigue, weight loss. The symptoms persist for several weeks, disappearing during treatment. Transition of the disease into a chronic one is accompanied by the involvement of ligaments and muscles in the process. In this case, the capillaries expand, ulcers and abscesses are formed. Patients are concerned:
- pain;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- of tenesmus;flatulence;
- sharp odor of stool.
Patients feel satisfactory, worried about malaise, decreased performance, lack of appetite, bitterness in the mouth, eructation and nausea.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of colitis begins with a careful history. Since the symptoms are usually abdominal pain and diarrhea, it is important to learn about the onset and duration of these pains and any other complaints or symptoms that a patient may have. Since most causes of diarrhea are relatively benign and self-eliminating, questions can be asked to find the reasons listed above.
To instrumental diagnostic manipulations include:
- Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy .With the help of such studies - you can find catarrhal or atrophic changes on the intestinal mucosa.
- Coprology .With the help of this analysis of stool it is possible to evaluate the state of metabolic processes and digestive system. In the chronic form of colitis in the feces there is a lot of mucus. The results of microscopic examination show the presence of leukocytes and erythrocytes.
- Radiography or Irrigography .These studies make it possible to assess the state of the intestinal mucosa, the localization of the inflammatory process. They also allow you to identify dyskinesia.
Colitis in terms of symptoms and clinical picture are very similar to malignant tumors of the large intestine, so a biopsy of suspicious areas of the intestine should be performed in order to determine or exclude the oncological nature of the changes.
How to treat colitis of intestines in adults
When acute or acute colitis worsens, treatment should be carried out in a hospital in the proctology department if infectious nature of colitis is detected, then in specialized departments of infectious hospitals.
When symptoms of colitis of the intestine appear, treatment in adults is carried out in a complex, prescribing means that eliminate the cause of the disease and eliminate its consequences. For all types of colitis, regardless of its cause, diet 4( a, b, c) according to Pevzner, intestinal adsorbents, drugs regulating stool( laxative( Guttalax) or antidiarrheal( Loperamide)), stimulating regeneration( Metiluracil, etc.), restoringmicroflora( prebiotics and probiotics), desensitizing and detoxification treatment, vitamins and immunomodulators, mineral waters and exercise therapy.
How to treat colitis of the intestine? Etiopathogenetic therapy is aimed at eliminating the causes of the disease. With helminth colitis, antiparasitic drugs are administered, in case of infectious - antimicrobial agents( sulfonamides, antibiotics, etc.), with ischemic - with vascular drugs that improve the intestinal blood flow( antiaggregants( Pentoxifylline), thrombolytics, spasmolytics, etc.).With proctitis and sigmoiditis, the introduction of drugs in the form of suppositories is indicated.
Folk remedies
Treatment of colitis with folk remedies also occurs depending on the variety of the disease. The most common treatment with herbs, which is based on the intake of infusions of chamomile, centenarius and sage. One teaspoon of each herb should be brewed in 200 ml of boiling water. Take a tablespoon with an interval of two hours.
Approximately one month after starting the infusion, you can either reduce the dose or increase the interval between doses. What good are the herbs for colitis? This infusion can be taken for a long time if you are concerned about intestinal colitis, whose treatment, as a rule, is quite long.
Chronic colitis of the intestine: symptoms and treatment
The chronic form of colitis is characterized by a lingering course, with episodic exacerbations. Pathological changes in the mucosa that occur in the large intestine with this form of the disease are the result of a prolonged inflammatory process. Inflammation affects not only the mucous membrane, but also the ligamentous-muscular apparatus, there is a shortening and narrowing of the intestine at the site of the lesion.
Common symptoms of chronic colitis can be divided into species depending on morphological changes :
- Catarrhal;
- Ulcerative;
- Erosive;
- Atrophic;
- Mixed.
All these species have common clinical features of :
- False urge;
- Rumbling in the abdomen;
- Constipation, diarrhea;
- Abdominal pain after eating;
- Flatulence( bloating);
- Psycho-emotional discomfort;
- Bitterness in the mouth;
- Vomiting, nausea.
These symptoms are formed with all nosological forms of the disease, but their severity and combination are individual.
Chronic colitis is one of the few diseases, the basis of treatment is not medicines, but nutrition and diets. Antibacterial drugs and symptomatic agents for the treatment of chronic colitis are used only during an exacerbation, under the strict supervision of a doctor. And everything else is in your hands.
- During the exacerbation for 2 to 5 days, the diet No. 4a is prescribed for the treatment of chronic colitis.
- Next, go to the main for chronic colitis diet № 4b.
- Outside the exacerbation, that is, during the period of remission, diet N 4c is recommended.
Approximate one-day diet menu for chronic colitis №4b, recommended by the Institute of Nutrition RAMS:
For the whole day:
- White bread - 400 g.
- Sugar - 50 g( part of it can be replaced with jam, sweets).
Breakfast( 7 h. 30 min.):
- Rice porridge on the water( 300 g) with the addition of 1/3 milk with butter( 5 g).
- A glass of tea.
Lunch( 12 - 13 hours):
- Soup plate on meat broth with pasta.
- Meat steak cutlets( 150 g) with carrot puree( 150 g).
- A glass of apple jelly.
Dinner( 17 - 18 hours):
- Boiled fish( 85 g).
- Mashed potatoes( 150 g).
- Uncomfortable bun, Russian cheese( 25 g).
- A glass of tea.
At night( 20 hours):
- A glass of non-acid kefir with white bread or a glass of tea with dry biscuits( "School", biscuits, dried biscuit).
In order to overcome, harmful bacteria should be attributed to antibiotics, and in the presence of dysbiosis, - drugs that contain the necessary bacteria for microflora. It should be noted that chronic colitis is often accompanied by spasms. That is why, during the treatment by a specialist, antispasmodics are prescribed. But with a violation of the stool, you need the use of adsorbing drugs.
The use of physiotherapy procedures can be considered a fairly frequent method of treating this ailment. If, for example, an intestinal disorder has arisen as a result of a nervous breakdown or severe overstrain, an expert in psychotherapeutic treatment may be prescribed.
Treatment of ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis of the intestine is treatable more difficult. More intensive therapy is required, which means a longer and more expensive treatment. The drugs for treating this type of pathology are not only expensive, but they also have a lot of side effects, therefore they are applied strictly according to the instructions of the specialist.
They are issued in the form of rectal suppositories, enemas, in tableted form( Salofalk, Pentasa, Mezavant, Mesakol).In some cases, resort to the use of biological therapy drugs, such as drugs Humir( Adalimumab), Remicade( Infliximab).
In the most severe cases, the use of corticosteroid medicines is acceptable( Prednisolone, Methylprednisolone, Hydrocortisone).Preparations are issued in the form of rectal droppers, suppositories, tablets.