Symptoms and treatment of chronic enteritis
Chronic enteritis, as a rule, develops against the background of constant alimentary disturbances, frequent consumption of spicy foods and spices, and a violation of the diet. The cause of enteritis can be alcoholism, industrial, household, endogenous and drug intoxication.
Symptoms of enteritis can also appear with food allergies, parasitic invasions, helminthiasis, and radiation damage. Often, chronic enteritis accompanies gastritis with secretory gastric insufficiency, chronic pancreatitis, and colitis.
The disease develops with prolonged direct exposure to a damaging factor on the wall of the small intestine, as well as with dysbiosis. In some cases, the disease is caused by immunological mechanisms, as a result of which the jejunum or ileum is affected.
Chronic enteritis symptoms
Pain syndrome in chronic enteritis occurs infrequently and is mild. The patient is worried about dull pain, in rare cases it is spastic in nature, the localization of pain corresponds to the navel area. In the peri-umbilical region, pain also appears when palpating the patient's abdomen and strong pressure slightly to the left and above the navel (Porges symptom).
In addition, chronic enteritis is characterized by Sternberg's symptom (painful sensations on palpation along the mesentery of the small intestine) and Obraztsov's symptom (rumbling and splashing when probing the cecum). If, while walking, the patient is worried about the pain that accompanies each concussion of the body, then we can assume the patient has perivisceritis.
The syndrome of intestinal dyspepsia is accompanied by nonspecific complaints: a feeling of pressure, distention, rumbling in the abdomen, increased gas production, and nausea. Such manifestations of the disease are especially pronounced after a meal, they arise due to a violation of the digestion of dietary fibers in the intestinal lumen, rapid peristalsis and a violation of absorption processes in the intestinal region. In a severe course of the disease, after eating, the patient feels weakness, dizziness, which is characteristic of the dumping syndrome.
Coprological syndrome with enteritis manifests itself in the form of frequent (more than 15 times a day) mushy stools with gas bubbles, which contain undigested food particles without obvious mucus. The stool usually has a fetid odor. The disease is characterized by polyfecal matter: per day, the volume of feces can reach two kilograms.
In some cases, patients experience a sharp urge to defecate, but after having a bowel movement, they are worried about severe weakness and tremors of the hands, so-called jejunal diarrhea occurs. With a mild course of the disease, diarrhea may not be, in addition, constipation may be observed in a number of patients with enterocolitis. The disease is also characterized by milk intolerance, which is manifested by increased gas formation and diarrhea that occur after consuming the product.
The appearance of symptoms of enteritis in the chronic course of the disease can be provoked by spicy food rich in fats and carbohydrates, as well as overeating. The presence of unreduced bilirubin and a high concentration of fat often impart a yellowish and clay appearance to the stool of patients.
The symptoms of chronic enteritis can progress gradually or violently. Disease regression is rare, and the generally favorable outcome of the disease is closely related to treatment and strict adherence to the diet.
Treatment of chronic enteritis
Enteritis during an exacerbation requires inpatient treatment. The patient is advised to follow diet no. 4, 4b or 4c. A sufficient amount of protein food (up to 150 g) and fats that are easily absorbed are introduced into the patient's diet. Proteins should be of animal origin and low in fat. It is necessary to exclude refractory animal fats (lamb and pork), and in the midst of pathology, the amount of fat must be reduced to 70 g.
The patient's daily diet should contain about 500 g of carbohydrates, which corresponds to the daily requirement of a person with light and medium physical activity, at the same time, foods rich in fiber are not recommended for patients. It should be remembered that careful mechanical processing of vegetables and fruits helps to get rid of the coarse fiber fibers that they contain, products prepared in this way become safer for people suffering from enteritis.
With loose stools, patients are not recommended to eat prunes, figs, cabbage, grapes, black bread, as well as fresh baked goods, nuts, and drink fermenting drinks: beer, kvass.
The diet should be frequent and fractional: up to six times a day. All dishes should be consumed warm, during the period of exacerbation of the pathological process, patients are recommended mucous decoctions, pureed soups and cereals. To get rid of diarrhea helps the intake of acidophilic milk 200 grams 4 times a day, as well as unsweetened fruit and berry juices, jelly rich in tannins (blueberry, blackcurrant, pear, etc.).
If chronic enteritis is accompanied by vitamin deficiency, then the patient is primarily recommended to take vitamins of group B, as well as folic acid and vitamin A. In case of bleeding, patients, in addition, are prescribed vitamin K.
Broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs in the treatment of chronic enteritis are rarely used, as they can cause the development of dysbiosis. The most popular are colibacterin, bifidumbacterin, bifikol, enteroseptol, intestopan, etc. In case of predominant digestive disorders in the intestinal lumen, it is recommended to take digestive enzymes.
During an exacerbation, patients need to take astringent and enveloping agents, especially if the disease is accompanied by loose stools. With a severe course of the disease, a serious malabsorption, patients are prescribed drugs for parenteral nutrition (aminopeptide, aminocrovin, casein hydrolyzate), as well as anabolic steroids.
Warming compresses, applications with paraffin and ozokerite, diathermy, inductothermy, etc. are also effective. Sanatorium treatment is indicated. In case of a severe course of the disease, it is possible to obtain a disability.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
