Intestinal enterocolitis - symptoms and treatment in adults, prevention

A group of diseases of the digestive tract, which can be both acute and chronic, is called enterocolitis. They are characterized by numerous features, the main of which is inflammation of the intestinal membranes. Both the mucous membrane of the small intestine and the large intestine may be affected. In addition, the pathology causes indigestion and pain. How can enterocolitis be detected and cured in adults - the actions of doctors.

Important about enterocolitis

This disease requires mandatory clinical diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

1. Firstly, because this is not an unambiguous pathology, but a whole group of diseases that have different symptoms from each other.
   

   Intestinal inflammation - enterocolitis

2. Secondly, in order to diagnose the disease, it is necessary, at a minimum, to conduct a laboratory analysis of feces.
3. Thirdly, the etiology of enterocolitis can be very diverse, from an infectious lesion to an allergic manifestation.
   

   Enterocolitis can be caused by bacterial and viral infections, in particular, shigellosis.

4. Fourthly, you cannot cure enterocolitis with home remedies. You will need antibiotics, probiotics, enzymes, and numerous physiotherapy methods.
5. Fifth, if the disease is not treated, or is treated inadequately, it will take on a chronic form and cause complete indigestion with impaired functional intestinal characteristics.

By definition enterocolitis is a syndrome of disturbed digestion, which is caused by an inflammatory process of an infectious or non-infectious nature, localized in the small or large intestine. The disease is divided into two types - acute and chronic.

Acute form

Often combined with acute gastritis. This symbiosis even has its own name - gastroenterocolitis. May be due to infection or non-infectious causes. May be caused by allergies. The cause of formation is sometimes poisoning - with poisons or medicinal substances.

Important! Unlike the chronic form, the pathology spreads superficially along the mucous membrane, without touching the deep layers. Also, the acute period lasts a little time.

Chronic form

Most often it occurs as a consequence of the acute form, due to its poor-quality treatment. This illness lasts much longer. The remission periods are replaced by new exacerbations, during which destructive changes are formed not only in the upper layer of the mucous membrane, but also in the submucosal layer of the intestinal walls.

Chronic enterocolitis causes serious digestive distress and impairs bowel function.

Table. Classification of enterocolitis due to its occurrence.

Cause	Characteristics
Bacteria	Bacterial enterocolitis is divided into two types. Specific - occur due to infection by bacteria carrying out intestinal infection, such as dysentery bacillus, salmonellosis and others. Nonspecific - formed as a result of neutralization of bacterial infections.
Parasites	Parasitic enterocolitis begins after helminths, Trichomonas, amoeba and other non-bacterial parasites settle in the intestines.
Toxins	In this case, the mucous membrane is damaged by toxic agents. They can be both chemicals and poisons, and various drugs.
Improper nutrition	This type of enterocolitis is called alimentary, and it occurs due to regular and persistent eating disorders.
Constipation	If constipation is frequent and prolonged, enterocolitis is formed, called mechanical. That is, the inflammation of the mucous membrane is of a mechanical nature.
Complications	This type is called secondary. This is a complication that can develop after an illness of any of the digestive organs.

Clinical symptoms and diagnosis

It is necessary to consider separately the symptoms of acute and chronic forms, infectious and non-infectious etiology, as well as the chronic form in the exacerbation stage. The onset of the acute form is usually sudden, accompanied by pronounced symptoms:

• nausea turning into vomiting;
• the center of the abdomen hurts on palpation;
• rumbling in the stomach, bloating is observed;
• plaque on the tongue;
• diarrhea;
• weakness;
• mucus or blood in your stools;
• temperature;
• muscle pain;
• headaches.

The last five points most often characterize the pathology of an infectious origin, the first five - non-infectious, although there is also the presence of almost all symptoms, and their mixing.

By the way. The chronic form does not usually have pronounced symptoms, and this is dangerous, since in during a certain period, severe complicated situations that are risky to life may develop the patient.

An exacerbation can be recognized by the following symptoms.

1. Abdominal pain in the navel area is felt most often, but here it can only begin, and then it can be spilled over the entire abdomen.
   

   Pain in the navel

2. If the flare-up is severe, the pain will be more severe.
3. Pain occurs or intensifies usually in the afternoon, in the afternoon.
4. If the process is predominantly localized in the small intestine, the pain will not differ in severity, and will be of moderate intensity.
5. If the inflammation affects the lining of the colon, the pain is more intense and more acute.
6. If there has been no bowel movement for a long time, two hours after eating, with any physical activity (from walking, to running and jumping), the pain will intensify.
7. Disorders of defecation will be expressed ambiguously, most likely - alternating diarrhea with constipation.
   

   Constipation will alternate with diarrhea

8. A digestive upset is formed.
9. As a result of abnormal gas formation, flatulence will occur.
10. It will be possible to observe dyspeptic syndrome when food rots and wanders in the intestines.
11. If the disease is old, there is asthenic-vegetative syndrome, in which tissue metabolism is impaired. Its manifestations are apathy and indifference, lethargy and decreased attention, weakness and fatigue.
12. With a disease in the small intestine, body weight will begin to decrease. Also, weight can begin to decrease in any form, since the patient refuses to eat, fearing to provoke an increase in pain.

Diagnostic measures

When diagnosing acute enterocolitis, the disease is detected by three parameters:

• anamnesis;
• symptomatology;
• coprogram.

The doctor collects an anamnesis, then records the presence of the necessary symptoms and prescribes a bacteriological examination of feces. If clarifying or confirming actions are required, rectoscopy is performed.

To diagnose chronic enterocolitis, you will have to carry out more different studies.

1. Anamnesis data is collected necessarily, as in the first case.
2. This is followed by a physical examination.
3. The next stage is laboratory and analytical.
4. The latter is done using instrumental diagnostics.

Important! The most informative and quickest way to diagnose chronic enterocolitis, "dormant" in the intestine (mainly in the colon) and masquerading as other diseases, is a colonoscopy.

Diagnostics using a colonoscopic examination helps to identify not only the presence of inflamed and erosive areas of the intestine, but also to establish their exact location. Also, during the study, you can immediately take biopsy samples.

If an X-ray is taken, then the purpose of the study is to identify a narrowing or widening of the intestinal lumen, defects in the walls and folded structure.

Laboratory research is carried out with biomaterials such as blood and feces. In the first, characteristic signs of digestive disorders are revealed: ionic imbalance, anemia, as well as an abnormal number of leukocytes, dysproteinemia, and so on. In the analysis of feces, they look for an increase in the content of mucus or other secretions, steatorrhea, creatorrhea, amilorrhea.

Treatment process

The diagnosis has been made, and you can start treatment. If the process is acute, the first therapeutic measure is gastric lavage.

With an acute process

It is not necessary to cleanse the stomach by vomiting and using special drugs. If the degree of the disease is moderate, the doctor may limit himself to the appointment of a water-tea diet. The second important point is the restoration of the volume of fluid, which is the norm for the body. If the disease proceeds with severe debilitating diarrhea and is accompanied by vomiting, hydration therapy is necessary to prevent dehydration.

Advice. At this stage, the patient should not eat anything. If he is experiencing overwhelming hunger, you can drink rice water and eat small portions of rice porridge of a liquid consistency, boiled with water.

Drugs

1. In almost all cases of an acute form, the patient needs pain relief. This is done with antispasmodics.
   

   Characteristics of drugs with antispasmodic action

2. In case of intoxication (toxic enterocolitis), detoxification is carried out by infusion.
3. If the pathology is infectious, antibiotic and sulfa drugs are included in therapy.
4. For the prevention of dysbiosis, you will need funds that restore the intestinal flora.

With a chronic process

Here, the goal is not to eliminate the symptoms in the first place, as in the treatment of an acute form, but to destroy the cause of the development of the disease. Therefore, treatment begins with the normalization of nutrition.

1. If necessary, in parallel with the introduction of the diet, all medications, the intake of which could cause enterocolitis, are canceled. Also, any medications that disrupt the bowel function are canceled.
2. The doctor then proceeds to treat the infection, if present. With a parasitic form, it gets rid of parasites, with a bacterial form, it destroys bacteria.
3. If the pathology is a consequence of other diseases, their treatment is necessary. Most often, duodenitis and gastritis are the culprits.
   

   Duodenitis

4. When the cause is eliminated, they begin to take therapeutic measures to normalize the digestive process, microflora, and intestinal motility.

Important! All patients with chronic enterocolitis are prescribed a diet, but in different versions. In case of exacerbation - table number 1. If there is no exacerbation, table number 2. If constipation is present - table number 3. And with predominant diarrhea - No. 4.

Drugs

1. Prescribed antibacterial drugs that suppress the pathological intestinal flora ("Nifuroxazide", "Furazolidone").
   

   "Nifuroxazide"

2. Enzymes are given to the patient to restore the digestion process. These include: "Pancreatin", "Amylase", "Lipase".
3. Probiotics and prebiotics are prescribed to create an environment conducive to the growth of bacteria. These are preparations containing bifidobacteria, entero- and lactobacilli.
4. Prescribed "Loperamide", "Mebeverin" and other drugs to restore intestinal peristalsis.

You can use decoctions of medicinal plants as enemas: bird cherry, oak bark, chamomile, St. John's wort. But it is better not to perform independent therapeutic actions. Even before using folk recipes tested by numerous generations, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Video - Enterocolitis in adults (acute, chronic): what is it, symptoms, treatment