Acute enterocolitis - a fairly commona disease that is accompanied by inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Typically, the process extends to the tissues of the colon and small intestine and is often accompanied by gastritis.
Acute enterocolitis: causes and forms of the disease
In fact, the inflammatory process can beis caused by various factors, ranging from malnutrition, and ending with severe poisoning and infections. For example, enterocolitis in children can be caused both by the multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms, and by malnutrition. Depending on the factor that caused inflammation, the disease is divided into the following forms:
- bacterial enterocolitis develop against a background of infection, for example, dysentery and salmonellosis; less often the inflammation is caused by intestinal dysbiosis;
- parasitic enterocolitis occurs if the intestine is inhabited by some representatives of the protozoa (eg, amoebae) or worms (helminths);
- toxic enterocolitis is associated with the entry into the body of hazardous chemicals, poisons of plant and animal origin, as well as certain drugs;
- the mechanical form of the disease is directly associated with impaired intestinal function, in particular, prolonged and frequent constipation;
- nutritional enterocolitis develop as a result of malnutrition;
- secondary enterocolitis is the disease that manifests itself as a complication of other diseases of the digestive tract.
Risk groups can also include people who abuse alcohol, as well as patients prone to allergies.
Enterocolitis of the intestine: symptoms and signs of disease
The disease is accompanied by very characteristic symptoms:
- First, there are sharp pulling pains that are localized around the navel, but can spread to other parts of the abdomen.
- There are problems with digestion - alternating diarrhea and constipation, nausea and vomiting.
- Quite often, enterocolitis is accompanied by the accumulation of gases in the intestine.
- If the inflammation is caused by an infection, then a fever, weakness, headaches, body aches, blood stenching in the feces can occur.
If there are such signs, you need as much as possiblerather, see a doctor. In the absence of medical care, the disease can go into a chronic form, which, in turn, gradually changes the structure and functioning of the intestinal tissues.
Acute enterocolitis: diagnosis and treatment
As a rule, the diagnosis of acute disease is notcauses any problems. The patient must necessarily pass a blood test and stool - so you can determine the presence of infection. Sometimes X-rays and colonoscopy are also performed.
As for the treatment, it includes several stages at once. To begin with, the patient is washed with the stomach (especially if enterocolitis is caused by the use of toxic and toxic substances).
In the first few days,strict bed rest, and also an unloading diet. To ease the pain, the doctor prescribes antispasmodics. It is also necessary to take a solution of "Regidron", which will prevent dehydration. Patients are advised to drink prebiotics, which gradually normalize the microflora of the digestive tract. If acute enterocolitis is caused by an infection, a course of antibiotic treatment is needed.
