Having consulted a doctor because of a general discomfort caused, in the patient's opinion, by an intestinal disorder, he is often surprised to hear a diagnosis such as colitis. A person unfamiliar with gastrointestinal pathologies will immediately have multiple questions:
- What does "colitis" disease mean and why did it occur to me?
- How do I get treated and what to eat now?
- What are the consequences?
There are usually many questions about this disease, therefore, this pathology should be considered in more detail, since every second person who suffers from digestive problems can manifest this pathology.
Colitis in the digestive tract
This disease is an inflammation of the large intestine, its mucosa. But there may be a situation where the process starts simultaneously in both the thick and the small intestine. In this case, a disease is diagnosed, which is called enterocolitis. Disturbances in blood supply processes that occur in the large intestine are also a prerequisite for the development of such a pathology. What are the reasons for this disease?
Colitis is a consequence of penetration into the intestine of any infectious particles. This happens for the most part as a result of food poisoning. A sharp increase in the symptoms of this pathology of the colon is usually caused by pathogens of dysentery or salmonellosis, certain viruses or fungi. So there is an acute form.
If the patient's lifestyle is accompanied by persistent stress, alcohol abuse, frequent eating disorders and eating poor-quality or high-preserving foods, she quickly becomes chronic, which is very difficult to cure and can lastyears.
Exacerbations of chronic intestinal colitis usually provoke the following diseases:
- Infection with helminths;
- Any intoxication;
- Dysbacteriosis.
Also, exacerbation of colitis can occur due to uncontrolled intake of certain forms of medications, gross disorders in nutrition and constipation. The manifested signs of this pathology can significantly worsen the patient's standard of living due to the unpleasant and painful symptoms that develop during its development.
Varieties of colitis
The passage of acute forms of this intestinal pathology continues a rather short period, usually not more than 2 weeks. They can end either as a complete recovery of the patient, or, as is usually the case with inaccurate compliance with medical recommendations, a transition to a chronic condition.
Also such a course of the disease can be accompanied by various complications. The most dangerous are usually such as gangrenous or purulent inflammation of the rectum with possible perforation, and narrowing of the lumen in the sigmoid colon.
The acute form of this pathology is not a separate disease. By morphological changes it can be divided into several species, which, although they differ in morphology, but have common symptoms. For this reason, all the varieties of the disease are united in one common group. The acute colitis is subdivided into the following types:
- Catarrhal. This is the initial stage of inflammation of the mucosa. Most often it appears in the season of ripening fruits and vegetables. Therefore, it is confused with the usual intestinal frustration, and do not hurry with a visit to the doctor. This is fraught with the transition of the pathology into a chronic form, which causes the patient great problems;
- Erosive. This variety of colitis is a harbinger of a peptic ulcer. At a visual examination, a specialist can see the presence on the intestinal mucosa of a large number of small erosions, until they are prone to bleeding;
- Ulcerative. At this stage, the pathology proceeds very violently and is characterized by the presence on the mucosa of a large number of ulcers, which almost constantly bleed. This type of colitis is prone to relapse;
- Fibrinous. With this form, the walls of the intestine are covered with a film of fibrin deposited on them.
This pathology affects the entire intestine or its individual segments. At visual inspection all these varieties of colitis have a similar outline. The mucous membrane located in the large intestine has a strong puffiness and is covered with pus mixed with mucus. In the most severe cases, fibrinous effusion or complete necrosis of epithelial tissue is formed on the walls of the intestine, followed by perforation of the walls of this gastrointestinal organ.
Symptomatic of colitis disease
On the patient's question, what does the name of this pathology mean, we can say that it speaks for itself. The most obvious sign of any kind of colitis will be sufficiently strong abdominal pain, which is often accompanied by its swelling and sound effects in the form of rumbling and bubbling. In addition to them, with this inflammatory disease, the following symptoms may also be present, which usually accompany pathological processes in the digestive tract:
- Violations of stool in the form of severe diarrhea;
- In fecal masses there is blood and mucus;
- The urge to defecate becomes painful.
In addition, in a large number of patients, local symptoms of colitis are manifested in conjunction with a general malaise. Here there is almost constant weakness, high temperature, a constant feeling of nausea with occasional vomiting, rapid fatigue and a decrease in body weight.
All these signs are present for 2 weeks, bringing a lot of suffering to the patient. That is, all the time, while the acute form of this intestinal pathology is developing. They disappear only after the appropriate treatment has been initiated, or independently, in the case of the transition of the disease to a chronic form. It proceeds with constant changes of periods of exacerbations and remissions. Inflammation of colitis, having a chronic course, can be triggered by the following factors:
- Mismatches in the diet( any deviations from the prescribed by the expert to the use of meals, as well as the inclusion in the diet of products banned in this disease);
- Alcohol;
- Emotional overload;
- Overheating;
- Overstrain.
Consequences of colitis
In case of an acute exacerbation, hospital treatment will be required under the constant supervision of a specialist. Any form of this intestinal pathology, if it is not given due attention and ignored the appropriate treatment, can cause quite serious complications.
In case of an incomplete acute course of colitis patient can expect such serious consequences as nephritis, disglycemic syndrome, cardiovascular insufficiency, intoxication of the body, hypochloraemia, dehydration. And with colitis, which corresponds to a chronic course, complications can be much worse:
- Cancerous degeneration;
- Liver abscess or intra-wall;
- Polyposis proliferation;
- Pancreatitis;
- Pileflebit with portal vein.
For sure, almost everyone knows what it means the emergence of these pathologies, so the need for timely and proper treatment of this inflammation of the intestine will not be denied.
Effective methods for the treatment of colitis
If the signs of this disease are present, urgent hospitalization and the appointment of appropriate medical treatment is necessary, which is selected depending on its type, shape and stage of leakage. What does it mean for the patient to take certain medications prescribed by the attending physician in accordance with the clinic of the disease?
Thanks to medicines, it is possible to quickly remove acute signs of the arisen intestinal pathology and timely suppress the cause of its occurrence. The main drugs that are used in acute colitis are the following:
- Absorption tablets, the main purpose of which is the ability to bind toxins. Very often, activated carbon is used for this purpose. This drug is not only very effective, but also completely safe;
- To relieve spasms, which are always accompanied by colitis, antispasmodics are prescribed;
- In the event that the disease is caused by an infection, the specialist will prescribe antibiotics that eliminate the cause that caused this intestinal pathology.
Diet in colitis
Any pathological problem of the digestive tract requires special attention to the diet, which means mandatory compliance with a certain diet. In colitis, it is also the basis of treatment.
In order not to cause additional injuries to the injured intestine, the patient is recommended to completely reconsider his diet. The basis of nutrition for this disease should be fish or meat broth, which must be degreased. In them, for the best work of the digestive tract, mucous broths should be added.
Good influence on the intestines, affected by colitis, will also have cereal. Only they should be cooked on water, practically without salt and sugar. Meat and fish should be prepared only for a couple and must be wiped before use. And eggs are recommended to patients either soft-boiled, or in the form of an omelette, also steam.
Traditional methods of treatment of colitis disease
When getting rid of the unpleasant and severe symptoms accompanying the development of this intestinal pathology, and also for the prevention of colitis, popular methods of treatment are of great popularity among patients.
- Decoction of peppermint relieves pain from spasms of the intestines, as well as inflammation;
- Tea from strawberry leaves has an excellent healing effect. When colitis it can be drunk from time to time instead of tea;
- If the disease is accompanied by diarrhea, the wormwood will certainly help.
All phytochemicals are recognized and recommended by traditional medicine. However, it is worth remembering that any folk remedy should be taken only after consulting a specialist.
Preventative measures for colitis
Colitis is not a sentence, as many can count. It not only succumbs to complete cure if all the recommendations of the attending physician are observed, but also any person has the opportunity to avoid the emergence of an acute form of this disease.
To prevent colitis, the necessary preventive measures should be observed, which are as follows:
- Mandatory dietary requirements, rejection of products of questionable quality and semi-finished products;
- Getting rid of addictions: overeating, especially at night, alcohol abuse, smoking;
- Regular sanitation of the oral cavity;
- Compliance with personal hygiene;
- I Do Sports.
If you adhere to these rules, you can avoid the occurrence of this pathology of the intestine, even during periods of its mass distribution.