Chronic enterocolitis
Causes and symptoms of chronic enterocolitis
Chronic enterocolitis is a chronic inflammatory-dystrophic bowel disease. It has a detrimental effect on the intestinal mucosa, its motor, secretory and other functions.
Chronic enterocolitis can cause a variety of causes: infections, parasites, toxins, allergies and mechanical damage to the intestines.
Chronic enterocolitis manifests itself depending on the phase of the disease, the state of immunity and the severity of dysbiosis. The most common symptom is impaired emptying function. The patient is worried about the alternation of diarrhea and constipation. If the small intestine is affected (enteritis), the urge to defecate occurs 3-4 times a day, the bowel movement is abundant and painless. The defeat of the large intestine is characterized by a high frequency of stools (10 times or more), the amount of feces decreases.
With enterocolitis, abdominal pain can be either acute (lesion of the large intestine), or dull, bursting (lesion of the small intestine). They appear mainly after eating (after 3-4 hours), after eating bread, milk, cabbage and other carbohydrates.
Increased gas production (flatulence) is another of the most common symptoms of chronic enterocolitis. Digestive functions are also impaired, intestinal dyspepsia occurs.
This disease also affects the nervous system: patients feel weakness, fatigue, apathy, become withdrawn and depressed. If the small intestine is damaged, a decrease in body weight is possible (due to dyspepsia, useful substances do not enter the body).
Forms of chronic enterocolitis
Chronic enterocolitis has a number of specific forms, the main ones of which will be discussed below.
Chronic infectious enterocolitis occurs due to pathogenic bacteria entering the intestines. The disease tends to manifest itself acutely, with severe abdominal pain, frequent diarrhea (up to 20 times a day) and fever. Due to dehydration, a person feels thirsty, severe weakness, and dry mouth.
Chronic parasitic enterocolitis lasts a long time, and without the use of special antiparasitic drugs, the treatment does not bear fruit. Symptoms of this form of the disease are diarrhea without severe abdominal pain, nausea, heaviness in the abdomen, excessive salivation. Appetite and general well-being are not disturbed for a long time.
Chronic alimentary enterocolitis develops due to malnutrition. The disease occurs due to overeating, consumption of fatty and overly spicy foods, alcohol, lack of vitamins and proteins in food. This form of chronic enterocolitis is manifested by bloating, diarrhea, pain in the intestines, and poor appetite.
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Chronic secondary enterocolitis can occur as a consequence of a wide range of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and rectum (cholecystitis, gastritis, pancreatitis, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, etc.)
Treatment of chronic enterocolitis
In the treatment of chronic enterocolitis, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the elimination of the factors that caused the disease. To do this, it is necessary to normalize the diet, limit the use of medicines (in particular antibiotics), and conduct timely and high-quality therapy of intestinal and parasitic diseases.
When the root cause of the disease is eliminated, it is necessary to deal with the treatment of dysbiosis and intestinal dyspepsia. The patient is obliged to follow a diet, limit foods rich in carbohydrates (milk, bread, cabbage).
To avoid putrefactive processes in the intestines, coarse fiber and hard-to-digest proteins are limited. For constipation, it is recommended to eat carrots, beets, plums, and fermented milk products. For constipation and diarrhea, it is also useful to drink healing mineral waters ("Essentuki", "Borjomi", etc.)
Patients with chronic enterocolitis are recommended phytotherapy and physiotherapy, microclysters with mineral waters and infusions of medicinal plants.
With an exacerbation of the disease, it is best to avoid physical activity, but during remission, exercise will help maintain physical fitness, relieve stress, and improve digestion. Patients with chronic enterocolitis are fully suitable for walking and cycling.
Do not forget that the physical state directly depends on the emotional, so you need to try to avoid stress and anxiety.
For the prevention of chronic enterocolitis, you need to take care of your health: treat intestinal infections on time, eat healthy food in a balanced way, and avoid chronic diseases of the stomach and pancreas.
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".
