Intestinal colic in adults: symptoms and treatment

The problem of intestinal colic worries many adult men and women.

In cases of its occurrence, urgent treatment is required, which would include a number of measures, including diet. Diet for intestinal colic must be followed.

But before proceeding to its description, it is necessary to understand what intestinal colic is in adults. Symptoms, treatment, and causes of this process will be discussed below.

What is this disease

Intestinal colic is a syndrome of severe pain in the stomach. What are they connected with? The pain is associated with the contraction of the muscle wall of the intestine, which occurs intensely.

Such muscle contractions can occur in both adults and children.

Colic is not a separate disease that manifests itself on its own. Spasm of the large or small intestine, provoking stomach pains, occurs as a result of some disturbance in the body.

Therefore, the occurrence of intestinal colic is a serious reason to seek help from a doctor.

Arriving at the hospital, a person must describe in detail the symptoms that provoke severe stomach pain. If he has a pain attack on a regular basis, this should also be reported.

The patient describes his syndrome in detail, after which he is prescribed treatment.

Because of what it arises

The symptoms of intestinal colic will depend on the cause. Most often, intestinal colic in adults is associated with some pathology in the functioning of their body. What can provoke intestinal colic?

Most often, abdominal pathologies occur. If gastric colic is not treated in time, the intervention of a surgeon may be required.

For this reason, doctors conduct detailed studies of the condition of the intestines.

If colic occurs regularly in the abdomen, then most likely the person has a destructive bowel disorder. So what are the causes of stomach cramps?

1. This syndrome often occurs due to diseases of the digestive system. In this case, the colic is acute. The patient may need first aid to relieve stomach discomfort.
   What diseases are we talking about? It can be a stomach ulcer, gastritis, pancreas potamology, gallbladder, etc.
   If the cause of intestinal colic is a disease of the digestive system, the patient may refuse to eat, lose weight. This is due to the fact that the food in the stomach is not completely digested. This causes the patient to spasm and discomfort. If the patient does not eat, then stomach cramps practically do not occur.
2. Intestinal colic can occur if a person eats stale and cold food. Bloating is also added to intestinal colic. Why does it arise? Stale food in the belly area provokes the fermentation process. And fermentation causes stomach cramps.
3. An unbalanced diet is another common cause of intestinal colic. The causes of this pathology lie not only in the wrong food that a person eats, but also in the way it is prepared. If a person regularly eats large portions of fried, salted and smoked food, he will have colic in his stomach. Also, with colic caused by the cause of malnutrition, bloating is present.
4. The causes of colic in the intestines can lie in the poisons and toxins that enter the body. For example, this ailment can occur if a person eats poisoned food, mushrooms, unusable, etc. It may also be due to the abuse of certain medications. In this case, the symptoms of intestinal colic are not much different from the symptoms of common food poisoning.
5. Intestinal infections can cause colic. If pathogenic microbes are present in the stomach area, it can lead to intestinal cramping. Harmful microorganisms, getting into food, actively multiply. A person who eats such a product develops food toxicosis. It causes nausea and bloating.
   To determine the causative agent of intestinal infection, an infectious disease doctor conducts medical research. After that, he prescribes treatment.
6. Colic can occur after prolonged stress. Psychoemotional shocks can provoke stomach ailments. If a person has been very nervous for 3 days or more, stomach cramps may occur in their abdomen. The risk of the disease increases if a person has a lean physique.
7. If a person is poisoned by the salts of heavy materials, he may have intestinal colic. The most dangerous metal that can be poisoned is lead. People working in chemical industries are at risk. With toxic poisoning in a person's abdomen, discomfort occurs. You can also highlight such symptoms of toxic poisoning as vomiting, dizziness and nausea.
8. Stomach cramps can be caused by helminths. These are parasites that live in the intestines. With colic caused by this cause, the intestinal wall becomes inflamed and irritated. Symptoms of helminthiasis: the patient refuses to eat, he feels unwell, apathy. The patient loses body weight. Nausea is common in adult patients with helminthiasis.
9. SARS and influenza viruses are common causes of abdominal cramps. The fact is that infections of the virus can affect not only the respiratory system, but also the digestive system.

Microorganisms harmful to health settle in the abdomen, or rather in the lymph of the abdominal cavity. The result is intestinal colic.

Spastic pains that arise in the abdomen must be relieved, because they bring the patient a lot of uncomfortable sensations.

Other symptoms are also observed: the patient may have diarrhea, a painful attack leads to difficulties in eating, after which a feeling of weakness appears.

Treatment of intestinal colic caused by viruses is the most difficult and the longest.

Another reason! Colic colic often occurs due to diarrhea. Simply put, its appearance is preceded by diarrhea. As a result, the intestinal walls become inflamed. After that, feces and gas accumulate there.

As a result, intestinal colic appears, which will help to get rid of bowel movements. In adults, this problem occurs quite often, because it is provoked by weight lifting and unhealthy diet.

Symptoms of the disease

• Sudden onset of acute pain in the stomach. Pain syndrome is accompanied by spasm. In women, discomfort is felt in the labia area, and in men, in the testicular area.
  Usually, the pain syndrome does not go away after a few hours. An uncomfortable sensation in the abdomen does not leave the patient even during the absence of spasms.
• Constipation, fecal obstruction. This symptom may not be present.
• Diarrhea. With diarrhea, light mucus is excreted along with the feces.
• Bloating. Flatulence is present in such diseases of housing and communal services as gastritis, stomach ulcers, etc.
• There may be belching, vomiting, and nausea.
• Feeling weak.
• Bad mood, apathy.
• Pale and dull skin.
• Cold sweat.
• Lack of appetite.

Intestinal cramps almost always provoke constipation. During constipation, pain occurs throughout the abdomen. In the future, stool and gas retention may occur. In this case, the patient's pressure drops sharply.

It is necessary to take timely measures to eliminate all of the above symptoms, since delaying treatment can lead not only to a deterioration in the patient's health, but also to his death.

If a person complains of acute abdominal pain and other symptoms of intestinal spasm, an ambulance should be called immediately. No need to self-medicate.

Diet for ailment

Nutrition for intestinal colic should be correct. If an adult has symptoms such as diarrhea and bloating during cramps, diet is taken especially seriously.

So, a diet for this ailment is a necessity. What foods and drinks should be excluded from the diet?

• Alcoholic drinks.
• Kvass.
• Chocolate.
• Corn.
• Coffee.
• Mushrooms.
• Beans.
• Syrups.
• Carbonated drinks.
• Fried meat, fish.
• Sauces.

Why shouldn't these foods be eaten during stomach cramps? The fact is that these drinks and foods have a gas-forming property.

Excessive accumulation of gases in the intestinal area provokes a deterioration in the patient's condition. Rectal pain may occur during bowel movements.

With intestinal colic, you should not eat foods that stimulate nausea and vomiting. The diet excludes the use of:

• Vegetables containing natural acids (onions, cabbage, radishes, turnips, etc.).
• Spicy food.
• Fruits containing natural acids (apples, citruses, plums, etc.).
• Granulated sugar.
• Starch.
• Spread, margarine, butter.
• White bread.
• Dairy products.

If garlic and spices are added to food with intestinal colic, then inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract can occur.

To solve the problem of intestinal colic in adults, it is recommended to include in your diet foods that help relieve stomach cramps.

So, in order to help the patient with this ailment, you should feed him:

1. Bananas. Heartburn can also be treated with this product. Bananas help to normalize the work of housing and communal services. With their help, you can eliminate the problem of irritation of the intestinal walls.
2. Rice. Intestinal cramps can be relieved with rice.
3. Oatmeal. If you eat this cereal, then the diarrhea will quickly pass. Oatmeal has beneficial dietary fiber that has a positive effect on intestinal function.
4. Apples. Treating stomach cramps with this fruit must be correct. Apples contain a large amount of acids that can harm the stomach with this ailment. However, if you eat them in moderation, you can remove harmful bacteria from the body. If the causes of the disease are bacteria and viruses, then 150 grams of applesauce will help the patient to treat.
5. Whole grain toast. After eating such toast, you can get rid of the problem of excessive acidity in the stomach. Such a diet will allow the patient to reduce the feeling of discomfort and partially eliminate the problem of pain.
6. Carrots. The carrot diet is an excellent folk remedy for constipation. If intestinal cramps are accompanied by constipation, their treatment should be accompanied by a carrot diet.
7. Probiotic yogurt. The diet for this pathology should contribute to the supply of beneficial bacteria to the stomach. With the help of a probiotic, you can improve the quality of food digestion, eliminate pain, and eliminate intestinal cramps.
8. Fish. Fish such as herring, salmon, mackerel and sardine contain fats that help normalize the digestive system.

How to help a patient

One of the digestive problems in adults is abdominal cramps. What to do if they occur to alleviate the patient's condition?

At home, such treatment is possible:

• Calming drugs. Sedative pills are given to the patient in cases where the symptoms of the disease are associated with psychoemotional shocks, stress.
• Antispasmodics. These medications help to eliminate the problem of pain with this ailment. They have a positive effect on the smooth muscles of the intestines, relaxing it. For example, you can drink No-shpu.
• Warm heating pad. Patients often have to make warm compresses, which are placed on the stomach. Thanks to this, the spasm is relieved and the pain goes away.
• Enema with a decoction of mint and lemon balm. This broth helps to cleanse the intestines of feces and gases. To prepare it, you need to pour the leaves of lemon balm and mint with water and bring them to a boil. When the water boils, you need to turn down the heat. Cooking time is 20 minutes. Enema should be done with a warm broth.
• Smecta. This remedy is antidiarrheal. Smecta helps to adsorb viruses, toxins and bacteria, which caused the spasm. You need to make a smecto-water mixture and drink it before eating.
• Refusal to eat. After the onset of the first intestinal cramps, the patient is not recommended to eat for 12 hours.

Traditional methods of treating the disease

At home, you can implement a number of methods that will help relieve stomach cramps.

Traditional medicine is especially effective if colic was caused by parasites. So how can you help a sick person at home?

1. Pumpkin seeds. The seeds must be crushed and covered with boiling water. Then granulated sugar is added to the infusion. Everything needs to be stirred. You need to drink a glass of infusion in 1 day. It is recommended to divide it into 2 steps, i.e. drink half a glass of the drug.
2. Tansy flowers. Dry flowers are poured with boiling water and infused for 10 minutes. The infusion is drunk in small sips during the day.
3. A decoction of white wormwood. The plant is filled with boiling water for infusion. It needs to be insisted for 2 days, after which the wormwood should be boiled over low heat for 1 hour. After filtering the broth, honey is added to it. Everything needs to be mixed. After the broth has cooled, you can drink it 4 times a day, 1 spoon.
4. Lavender oil. This oil not only helps to calm the nervous system, it effectively relieves pain and eliminates the problem of stomach cramps. It is enough to add 5 drops of lavender oil to a glass of mineral water.
5. Ginger tea. Hard ginger is chopped with a kitchen knife. Then it is poured with boiling water. It is recommended to infuse the tea for 10 minutes before meals. To improve the taste of ginger tea and make it less bitter, add a spoonful of honey to the cup.
6. Cabbage juice. Juice should only be made from fresh cabbage. You need to drink it before eating.
7. Infusion of thyme. Dry thyme is poured with hot water and infused. The mixture is then filtered. You need to drink the infusion before meals several times a day.

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