Atonic colitis: symptoms and treatment of the disease

Atonic colitis (a.c.) - a type chronic colitis. Colitis is the leading gastrointestinal disease. It is triggered by external factors (infections, bacteria), malfunctions of the body of an endogenous nature.

Colitis is a polyetiologic disease (there are many inducers in the disease, or one unknown factor triggers the rest of the reactions). The essence of the disease is an inflammatory reaction in the mucous membrane of the large intestine. The variety of colitis is great. Alcohol, collagen, spastic, hemorrhagic and other types are distinguished. Atonic colitis manifests itself in old age. There is a filling of the intestine due to problems with emptying.

The cause of the disease

Atonic colitis begins with inflammation. Causes of the inflammatory response:

• Sometimes the source is the simplest, as in dysentery or salmonellosis.
• Treatment with antibiotic drugs destroys its own "useful" intestinal microflora, which will lead to dysbiosis.
• "Harmful" diet (spicy, starchy foods, alcohol abuse).
• Physical and mental stress.
• Allergy.
• Poisoning.
• Heredity (mitochondrial disease was found in patients with a.c.).
• Age.

Drugs acting as inducers:

• Against heartburn.
• Antidiabetic.
• Pain relievers.
• Narcotic substances.

Atonic colitis is predominantly common among the elderly population, doctors had to meet with colitis in young people. Inflammation occurs as a result of a blockage, the intestine receives insufficient blood supply due to a sedentary lifestyle. In old age, prolonged inflammation leads to the death of cells in the mucous membrane of the large intestine. Nerve death occurs. Reduced conductivity of nerve fibers leads to disruptions in peristalsis, hence constipation.

Diagnosis of atonic colitis

Launched a.k. leads to intoxication of the body, which in the case of the elderly leads to irreversible consequences. It is important to be able to diagnose the disease early. Any symptoms play a decisive role.

Symptoms

Sometimes you just need to count. We tend to empty ourselves once every 24 hours. With a.k. the patient does not defecate for several days, does not feel the urge to defecate. Reasons for concern:

• Abdominal discomfort that turns into pain.
• Gas, flatulence (common symptom).
• Bloating.

Over time, feces in the intestines poison the body. Intoxication causes nausea, fever, the skin turns pale. The patient continues to eat with appetite but loses weight.

Laboratory and clinical diagnostic methods

If an ailment is suspected, macro- and microscopy of feces, a general blood test are performed. The presence of helminths and their eggs in the body is revealed. With the help of irrigoscopy, anomalies of the anatomical and functional state of the large intestine can be detected. With the help of a colonoscopy, information is obtained about the condition of the patient's mucosa along the entire length of the colon. During colonoscopy, you can get the material of the intestinal mucosa - a biopsy. It is analyzed using the methods of histological examination.

Chronic colitis is diagnosed with fibrogastroduodenoscopy and abdominal ultrasound. To detect markers of inflammation of the pancreas and liver, it is necessary to take functional tests.

Pathogenesis of atonic colitis

The very term "atony" means dysfunction of peristalsis as a result of the weak work of the musculature of the intestinal walls. Feces do not move through the intestines. Accumulating there, they not only injure him, but also cause intoxication of the whole organism.

Fighting atonic colitis

Measures against a.k. include both therapeutic medicinal and less invasive preventive measures.

Prophylaxis

Diet and nutrition in general play an important role in disrupting intestinal function. Eating mashed potatoes will help prevent disease and restore bowel function. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (raw) and try to consume more coarse fiber. Develop a strict eating schedule and avoid long hunger breaks. Minimize the intervals between meals. Start your day with a glass of kefir, and eat a tablespoon of bran before meals. Try to eat foods that are easily digestible, but high in calories. In the early days, try to avoid fried foods and only eat cooked or steamed foods.

Dilute your sedentary lifestyle with movement. Don't just walk, walk, run, but add exercises with weights, start pumping your abs. Massage the abdominal wall, preferably every day. Remember that simple clockwise movements with a warm hand will help normalize the motor-evacuation properties of the intestine and save you a lot of energy, nerves, health and money.

Drug treatment

It is not worth asking too much from preventive measures. If prevention did not help or was not timely, then it's time to try the drug treatment. Here is a list of medications to help you get rid of stool and relieve pain:

• Use stool softeners.
• Drugs such as proserin help restore peristalsis.
• Antispasmodics will help you get rid of pain.
• You can stimulate bowel movements with rectal suppositories.
• Use an oil enema to remove stool and prevent intoxication.

Remember that excessive abuse of laxatives will only bring harm: the intestines get used to constant "help" and ceases to cope alone.

Drastic measures

Although colitis is a disease of old age, many methods of dealing with it have emerged recently. There are a number of drugs that directly affect choline receptors. Artificial stimulation of intestinal motor activity is recreated. Such drugs are mainly prokinetics:

• Bethanechol.
• Cisapride.
• Loperamide.
• Neostigmine.
• Metoclopramide.

They are opioid antagonists.

Everyone has heard of stem cells. It has been shown that stem cell transplantation is also used in the treatment of colitis, especially if they arise as a result of a genetic predisposition. The task of transplanted stem cells is to give rise to new nerve bundles that died in the early stages of the development of the disease. New nerve bundles must provide peristalsis.

The latest technologies allow the use of electrostimulators (the principle of pacemakers - artificial introduction of rhythms that support muscle contraction), forcing the intestines to push contents outward.

In advanced cases, a chronic form of intestinal obstruction (pseudo-obstruction) occurs, requiring exclusively surgical intervention.

A. to. not a simple constipation that goes away on its own. Do not hesitate, see a doctor, catch the disease in the early stages of development, get treatment. The consequences become chronic, clinical.